Radiant for second floor in garage

[matouse3]

Just wondering if anyone out there ran radiant heat to their second floor in their garage? This would be an under the floor application. I also wanted to know if there are others out there that didn't, and what the temperature was like with only the slab being heated.

Trying to get a feel for the necessity of running that second floor heat or if I can skip it and put the money elsewhere.

I'm in Mid-MI, my intended uses for that second floor is a recreation room and spare bedroom (only used on occasion). My thought was that I could get away with a small electric heater up there to supplement when I'm using it.

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Fastback]

Well, does your current heat source have the capability to take on additional load?

Its just an opinion but the PEX is cheap and the metal runners are not that expensive either. I would run everything and insulate the bottom side and seal it up at a minimum.

 

[matouse3]

I haven't installed the heat source yet- so I'll be able to account for that load if I plan to go that route.

 

[Fastback]

I would do it if the underside of the floor is still visible,then I would insulate and install a ceiling. I have a cousin that has a heated slab in his unfinished basement and a "warmboard" floor on the main level, he does not always heat the slab downstairs to the same temp as the second floor since he rarely walks on the basement floor in just his socks.
In your shop level the temp may be considerably lower than in the room above it, and you will be better off with two zones, heat from that slab will not do much 10' off the floor, much less through another floor.

I would think that to get heat to fill that lower level enough to heat the upper level would be a lot of energy.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Put the money into the best insulation you can buy, in the attic/roof, walls and ceiling.

Buy a couple of portable electric space heater. Hopefully you have wired wired the upstairs on more than 1 circuit !

 

[matouse3]

Thanks guys. I am doing spray foam in the whole place, should be nice and tight.
I'll probably just run a radiant circuit for the upstairs floor, just didn't want to if it was thought it was unnecessary. The ceiling is still open and waiting for decisions to be made.

 

[jrfiero]

Similar Setup

If you look in my current thread Recent Radiant Experience you'll see I have a similar setup, radiant slab with a 2nd floor which is currently a woodshop but could be an office or guest quarters.

I did not run radiant under the second floor, but would have if I intended to use it as an office or guest quarters.

It runs 10 or more degrees cooler than the garage level, which, as you say, can be supplemented with small heaters.
But - I don't plan on heating the garage over 60, leaving the 2nd floor at 50, which needs a lot of supplement if someone were to be comfortable doing office work, for instance.

I'd put the radiant under the second floor if I were you. My architect recommended it, he has it in his similar situation and loves it. I cheaped out; it's a royal pain in the neck working above my head like that; and its fine for my purposes. If the next owner wants to tear out the sheetrock and install it, more power to him.

Jonas

 

[matouse3]

Thanks for the help, much appreciated.