Replies

1. 
   piffin_ | Nov 14, 2001 03:59am | #1

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   The principles of pole barn and radiant in floor heat are at odds with each other. Doing heated slab plus foundation now means you have a post and beam house instead of a pole barn.
   blue foam will separate slab from foundation. You can also put foam on outside of foundation wall and should place it under slab.

1. 
   Kerr | Nov 14, 2001 08:30pm | #2

   *piffin said it.to summarize: you want to provide a thermal break all around your heated slab (isolate it from the cold footings, door sills, ground, etc.) with as much insulation as you can (2" XPS under whole slab, and 1/2" all around the perimiter, is typical).if this is living space I think you must have footings (else, how are you gonna prevent movement of the floating slab from creating cracks in your envelope where it meets the (non-floating) walls?).you could argue that the heated slab would not suffer frost heave (if you never turn it off, or lose power, or whatever) but you could still get some movement from ground water or something.

1. 
   jim_l | Nov 15, 2001 12:08am | #3

   *I'm not sure the pole barn/radiant floor are at odds. The floor should simply be thought of as a completely separate floating heating slab within the structure. The band of foam isolating the slab is as much or more for allowing expansion as it is for a thermal break.jim l

2. 
   Gordon_Spreutels | Nov 15, 2001 12:08am | #4

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   I am planning to build a pole building/shop. Plan to have living quarters on one end. I plan to use radiant floor heat through-out.
   I am in upstate NY with temperatures as low as -30 degrees.
   My questions:
   Do I put in a foundation wall below frost line?
   Instead, use a floating floor with a deeper perimater?
   How do I insulate the heated concrete floor from the concrete that the wall sets on?