Concrete Slab Insulation For Radiant Heat

Crete heat r 6 or r 10.

Concrete slab insulation for radiant heat.

The concrete was 4 thick and the insulation under the slab was 2 thick. It s possible to calculate the r value needed to meet this goal while accounting for such factors as floor coverings soil temperature and required upward. It serves on top of those purposes mentioned above also as protection for the concrete slab itself and prevent its earlier disintegration due to oxidation from soil gases and chemicals. How much insulation is necessary under a typical radiant slab.

Designers generally insulate both directly under the slab and around the perimeter as well. We stock rfoil and crete heat insulation brands for use in concrete slab and between the joists pex radiant heating installations. Slabs that include embedded hydronic tubing for radiant heat always need a continuous layer of horizontal insulation under the entire slab. Because heat goes to colder areas radiant floor insulation is almost all the time placed under the heating element often the concrete slab.

Many increase the under slab insulating foam board thickness to 3 or 4 inches at the outer 2 to 4 feet of the slab. Remember that your slab will be about 75 degrees f. John siegenthaler a consulting engineer who specializes in hydronic heating system design responds. Any cooler surface in contact with the slab will try to steal its heat.

In cold climates it is advisable to use a minimum of 2 inches of extruded polystyrene under the slab. If your slab is heated it s a good idea to increase the r value of the vertical and the horizontal insulation to at least r 20. Mainly heated slabs radiate outward rather than downward so insulation on the edges of the slab is most important. If you re pouring up against your foundation walls insulate between the slab and the walls.

Rfoil ultra cbf r 3 8 and underpad r 1 1. Need insulation for under concrete slabs slabs with radiant heat. The system works via pex pipe a small pump a water heater and a thermostat. The reflectix concrete slab insulation is an innovative easy to handle product that increases the energy efficiency of radiant floor and snow melt systems under concrete.

This is about installing hydronic radiant floor heating in a slab floor system. While it was done as a new house was being built in my last house i poured a concrete floor on top of a wood framed floor system and could have put radiant heat in that as well. When the thermal mass of the concrete is heated the warm slab acts as a radiator distributing even heat throughout the structure. Downward heat loss from a radiant slab should not exceed 10 percent of upward heat output a ratio derived from european installation standards for floor heating systems.

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