billconner
Well-known member
Trying to get serious on planning garage to room renovation. Existing garage (inside 12" ICF stem walls) is around 470 sf. Existing slab, probably no foam under. Planned on sleepers and foam and ply and hardwood, with either hot water radiant baseboards (existing boiler is large enough) or a mini-split. Now looking into foam and polished concrete slab and radiant in floor heat.
So rigid rockwool, poly, "stapled" PEX; or plain foam, poly, re-mesh, and zip tied PEX; or the molded foam panels to hold PEX and PEX; or other? This part should be diy. I'll contract concrete, placing, finishing, and polishing.
I'm leaning towards plain foam and re-mesh - not needed for slab but to anchor PEX - as probably least expensive material.
I don't know where poly goes with the molded foam but pretty sure not under foam - water will never dry.
Or will cost of any radiant heat and polished slab far exceed sleepers, foam, ply, and hardwood; so forget about it. I can pretty quickly estimate the wood system. No idea on any concrete system. Looks like just the polished concrete is $6500-10,000, before foam and PEX and what not.
So rigid rockwool, poly, "stapled" PEX; or plain foam, poly, re-mesh, and zip tied PEX; or the molded foam panels to hold PEX and PEX; or other? This part should be diy. I'll contract concrete, placing, finishing, and polishing.
I'm leaning towards plain foam and re-mesh - not needed for slab but to anchor PEX - as probably least expensive material.
I don't know where poly goes with the molded foam but pretty sure not under foam - water will never dry.
Or will cost of any radiant heat and polished slab far exceed sleepers, foam, ply, and hardwood; so forget about it. I can pretty quickly estimate the wood system. No idea on any concrete system. Looks like just the polished concrete is $6500-10,000, before foam and PEX and what not.