I am planning converting the garage into an office and wanted to install electric radiant heat. There are two issues that I wanted to present for discussion:
1. According to my research, the electric radiant heat mats should be installed on the open area and should not have permanent fixtures over it, as it may cause problems. In my situation, I will have desks and chairs in the room over the heated area, so wasn't sure if this is going to cause any problems.
2. The garage has a concrete slab, which I think is not insulated (the house is 70 years old). What are my options for insulating the floor before installing the mats and tiles, considering low height of the ceiling?
Any suggestion is greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Art
When installing electric (or any) radiant heat on a slab, insulation is the key to a successful and economical outcome. There are several types of insulating materials available with which this may be accomplished, depending on what is available locally, and cost per sq. ft. you are willing to spend.
1. Cork acoustic membrane. This is a decent insulator for the the thickness (1/8" to 1/4" is all that is necessary)
This has been used as an isolation membrane for tile floor installations for many years, and has a good track record and is TCA (Tile Council of America) approved.
These are basically synthetic versions of cork. While the actual chemical compositions may vary ( I am being purposely generic) these usually have about the same R value and K value as cork, and are not prone to moisture absorbtion or insect infestation.
3. "Blue board" type sandwich boards.
Look up "Wedi" in your browser if you are not familiar with this type. It has by far the best R and K value, but is also the thickest and most expensive, and is also tested and approved by the TCA.
Also, it is worth mentioning that with that old of a slab, some specific crack isolation membrane may be adviseable, possibly in the form of a "roll-on" product.
I hope this helps you!
How did this work out for you? I've got an un-heated office space that
I am looking at the different heating options. Right now, I'l leaning
toward a couple of 'base board' type electric heaters.... but some
sort of sealed, electric, radiant floor might be nice...
Thanks for the reply... what did you do exactly? put something
on the concrete to insulate... put the radiant stuff on top of that...
then what...
how is the radiant stuff connected to the electricity and how is
the temperature controlled?
Thanks - jack
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