underfloor heating

shabbatiscoming

Mon, Jan 26 2009, 2:18 am

anyone have this?

this is what our landlord has and we just got the bill for the past two months and it was WAAAAAY too expensive for us, so now it is OFF, but it is cold.

we were told that it is cheaper to leave it on all of the time but to play around with the thermostat so that it is not actually always running as opposed to turning the whole thing on and off.

anyone out there have this and can help me out?

girliesmommy

Mon, Jan 26 2009, 4:08 pm

We have it too, but I don't know how to control it. Our maintenance guy (we rent) tells me that it's either on or off.

When we first moved in, there was something majorly wrong with it and it was so hot that my kids couldn't walk on the floor without slippers.

I was once short on time, so I put my bowl of Challah dough on the floor, and it rose so fast!

downsyndrome

Mon, Jan 26 2009, 4:16 pm

Wow! This is a very interesting thread for me right now, and extremely relevant. We are going to put down new floors in our basement, which is our playroom. However, I am agonizing cuz I don't want carpet, but the floor is always so cold down there and the children are always playing on the floor. What does it involve to install such a heating system?

HAPPYMOMMY

Mon, Jan 26 2009, 7:57 pm

downsyndrome wrote:

Downs, it's called radiant heat. It's pretty much a heating system under the floor so it warms the floor in addition to the house. It is expensive to install and if you already have radiators (or a different heating system) it's probably not worth it.

I don't think carpet is such a good idea for a basement considering the moisture there. Ceramic tiles will be very cold and you will also need a mud job which will take up about 3" and decrease your ceiling height. My mother recently had prefinished vinyl tiles installed in her basement. She chose a parquet style look, but there are many designs. These tiles are not regular vinyl; they have rubber underneath which is great for basements in case of water problems and it stays pretty warm. When I've slept there I've walked with bare feet on the floor and it was not cold at all. You can call High Style in williamsburg for more info. They sell them and install them as well. It is probably cheaper than ceramic but more expensive than reg commercial tiles.

Twizzlers

Mon, Jan 26 2009, 8:30 pm

the basement that we rent has underfloor heating. what I dont like about it is that there are "hot spots" and "cold spots" depending on if you are standing over a pipe or not. it heats the apt, but standing barefoot on the floor (or sitting and playing) is not the greatest.

dainty diva

Mon, Jan 26 2009, 8:36 pm

happy, you are describing Amtico" tiles, they have rubber backing, then a coat of the design, then multiple layers of laminate. Bare in mind though, all laminate floors are water resistant, not water proof! If you don't want to go w/cold ceramic, epoxy floors are warm and water proof.

About radiant heat, DH says although it is more expensive to install, it's supposed to pay for itself in energy costs. It is a more comfortable heat, too.