After removing all the old heating lines in our basement to make more headroom, the thought occurred to us that we may be able to remove the old cast iron radiators on the first floor, replacing them with in-floor heat. This would ideally gain both more usable floor space, and add add comfort.
We would be using Uponor Wirsbo / Uponor "Joist Trak" Panels.
I'd appreciate any guidance before we make the jump.
Questions:
1) Is there any real risk to the hardwood floor? Will underfloor heat destroy them?
2) This is an old house in Minnesota with some of the colder nights in Jan. below -20F. We have a thick limestone foundation that touches about 14" of the sub floor between the joist cavities along the perimeter of the house. During the winter, this part of the floor is very cold.
2-a) While the PEX tubing will not be able to reach this ~14" area around the perimeter of the floor to heat it directly from below, would heating of the floor near it keep this otherwise cold perimeter warm?
2-b) Would this cold perimeter dramatically decrease the efficacy of the radiant floor heat?
3) Is this type of below subfloor heating generally able to completely replace the heat generated by old cast iron radiators?
4) We have an older, non-modulating, Weil Mclain he5 boiler. Will we loose any efficiency heating with radiant floor vs. cast iron with this type of boiler?
5) Any less costly alternative to the "Joist Trak" panels? (We were told by a local supplier after doing a heat loss calculation that we would need the
"Joist Trak" panels, especially in the colder months)
We would be using Uponor Wirsbo / Uponor "Joist Trak" Panels.
I'd appreciate any guidance before we make the jump.
Questions:
1) Is there any real risk to the hardwood floor? Will underfloor heat destroy them?
2) This is an old house in Minnesota with some of the colder nights in Jan. below -20F. We have a thick limestone foundation that touches about 14" of the sub floor between the joist cavities along the perimeter of the house. During the winter, this part of the floor is very cold.
2-a) While the PEX tubing will not be able to reach this ~14" area around the perimeter of the floor to heat it directly from below, would heating of the floor near it keep this otherwise cold perimeter warm?
2-b) Would this cold perimeter dramatically decrease the efficacy of the radiant floor heat?
3) Is this type of below subfloor heating generally able to completely replace the heat generated by old cast iron radiators?
4) We have an older, non-modulating, Weil Mclain he5 boiler. Will we loose any efficiency heating with radiant floor vs. cast iron with this type of boiler?
5) Any less costly alternative to the "Joist Trak" panels? (We were told by a local supplier after doing a heat loss calculation that we would need the
"Joist Trak" panels, especially in the colder months)
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