Radiant heat experts?

[wgarner1414]

Ok guys I am a new guy here looking for any advice I can get on my new shop. I am very interested in putting in radiant heat in when i build but I want some opinions on what I need and will it be feasible for my shop. I live in Georgia so we don't have tremendous cold here but a few months of colder weather. I am going to build a 40x60 with 16 foot eave height. It will be insulated. I would like to do 2 zones one for the main shop area and then one for an enclosed room I am going to have for my motorcycle. Any input from those who have already tackled radiant heat?

 

[Fueler]

Size of MC room versus everything else?

 

[Randy in Maine]

I am no expert but let me take a shot at it:

2" of insulation under the slab. Figure about $1 per square foot.

Tubing = 1 foot per square foot of building.

2 zones, one for the cycle area, one for the shop. 2 thermostats, one for each zone .

You will be using 1/2" PEX tubing at 12" spacing attached to 6" x 6" wire mesh in the slab. Buy the clips or ziptie it. Or you can stable it to the foam.

The loops within each zone need to be about the same length +/- 10%. Generally those will be about 250-300 foot runs.

Supply that hot water in the most cost efficient manner possible.

 

[wgarner1414]

Size of room will be 15x20 more than likely.

 

[anthony666]

I am no expert but let me take a shot at it:

2" of insulation under the slab. Figure about $1 per square foot.

Tubing = 1 foot per square foot of building.

2 zones, one for the cycle area, one for the shop. 2 thermostats, one for each zone .

You will be using 1/2" PEX tubing at 12" spacing attached to 6" x 6" wire mesh in the slab. Buy the clips or ziptie it. Or you can stable it to the foam.

The loops within each zone need to be about the same length +/- 10%. Generally those will be about 250-300 foot runs.

Supply that hot water in the most cost efficient manner possible.

all good advice .. only thing i'd add for rough in info is to make sure your gravel base is compacted and pool table smooth, put in your rigid insulation and then take a can of spray foam to any bigger gaps between the sheets and tuck tap all the seams .. careful prep in your insulation will pay off in the long run .. the ground can wick heat away the same way as an open window

 

[wgarner1414]

does any one have a good supplier for the foam insulation? All i have seen is the stuff at home depot and lowes and it isn't cheap!! Also being in Georgia would 1 inch foam board be ok since we don't have the severe cold as the guys up north have?

 

[anthony666]

the more heat you keep in the structure the less heat you gotta put in to keep it warm .. cheaping out on that stuff is false economy sir

find a real contractor supply store not a box store

 

[custom1]

For cheap insulation, look around your area for companies that manufacture entrance doors. Normally they buy the door blanks for someone and cut out the openings for the windows and lock holes and then hang them in the frames. They throw away the part they cut out. That's where I got enough free cutouts to put two layers under my floor and up the walls 4 feet to cover the cement blocks. Here are a few older threads about it. I can't comment on how well they work cause I don't have my heat hooked up yet. Wear gloves and long sleeves while cutting and working with the stuff though.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13114

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23652

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40137

 

[Kingcreek]

My thought on insulation...
Insulate if you want to maintain higher than ground temp.
If you want to keep your shop 55 degrees in winter (same as the ground temp below it) wouldn't it make sense to have a good compacted sand base and no insulation except for the sides?

 

[e-tek]

Thanks Anthony!

Comment removed. Carry on.

 

[anthony666]

different radiant heat e-tek .. you're talking about overhead radiant tube .. op is talking in floor radiant i believe