Carpet Over Radiant Slab

We wanted a wood floor and spent a lot of time talking to flooring experts.

Carpet over radiant slab. While you can. In 1973 it has a concrete slab foundation with radiant heat water runs thru copper tubing within slab. Hardwood flooring and concrete are two different types of materials used for floors and each have their own unique characteristics. You need to use carpet sparingly with radiant heat because of this.

The best carpet and cushion for radiant floor heating. Due to the excellent insulating properties of carpeting radiant heating systems will experience efficiency reduction and thus may require that the thermostat is turned up higher than it would be with hard flooring. How to lay hardwood flooring on heated concrete. The slab is at least 5 feet below.

But adding radiant heating under carpeting may be redundant. According to a study conducted by the georgia institute of technology school of textile engineering. Make the right choice for carpet and pad underneath so radiant heat can still warm the. Carpet and in floor radiant heat work well together but it takes more coordination than usual.

Radiant heating has a lot of appeal. The slab is 4 to 5 inches thick and the 1 2 inch pex tubing is laid out on 12 inch centers with 11 2 inches of styrofoam insulation under the slab and around its edges. We were told the only way to go was a wood engineered floor glued down. It is the nature of the beast in floor radiant heat.

It s comfortable and energy efficient and can be safely covered by a variety of traditional flooring. Radiant floor heating with carpet. You always have the option of putting a rug over a hard floor. You will sacrifice cushion for heat transfer.

I m finishing a basement room for customers who want to put carpet over the radiant slab. Carpet is naturally an insulator which makes it more difficult for radiant heat. Both the heating system manufacturer and the carpet pad manufacturers will have to be consulted. Installing radiant heating under carpeting on the other hand is not as effective.

You don t have to rule carpeting out though. Tile and hardwood flooring work best when installed over a radiant heating system since these types of flooring feel cold in winter.