[TheForge] Re: WAAAAAAAAY OT (while we're talking about buildingsand heat)

[Steve Smith]

So what happens if you lose power (heat) for a week?

Steve

Jerry Frost wrote:
> Justin:
> 
> Yeah, both are good in cold climates.
> 
> 2" of high density blue board is equivalent to 4' of soil, I forget the 
> actual R value. As far as I've heard it doesn't hurt floor strength as 
> long as the slab's properly reinforced.
> 
> In floor heat has come a LONG way since it got a bad rap in the 40-50's. 
> It's no longer acceptible to use iron or copper for the heat loops. 
> Standard today is oxygen barrier PEX tubing, the two major manufacturers 
> being PEX and Wirsbo.
> 
> Laying PEX is easy enough following simple guidelines. I laid two 300' 
> loops in my shop slab in an easy day using plastic wire ties to fix it 
> to the rebar. The toughest part was figuring out how get the ends to 
> stand nice and straight where it comes out of the floor. I bought the 
> 3/4" PEX at my local Home Depot for $149.95/300' roll or $0.50/ft. This 
> is dirt cheap compared to metal, especially considering installation and 
> fittings.
> 
> When you pour the slab you MUST pressurize it or the normal heat / cool 
> cycle will damage the concrete. PEX tubing failures are very rare and 
> reasonably easy to repair with an IR camera to track the leak. Of course 
> if it does leak it'll be under the heaviest most immobile object in your 
> shop so do what I did. I didn't put any there. <grin>
> 
> You'll want an accurate map of the tubing's locations so you can drill 
> anchor holes in the floor without too much sweat. Or you can rent the IR 
> camera to locate it in the area you want to drill. The vast majority of 
> PEX tubing failures are the result of hitting them with a drill or 
> masonry nail. this is probably why leaks are usually under something 
> heavy. <grin>
> 
> There are guys up here using infloor hydronics to heat well insulated 
> 40' x 60' shops with a water heater.
> 
> Frosty
> -------------------------------
> If it ain't forged
> it ain't real.
> Wrought iron is.
> The FrostWorks
> 
> Meadow Lakes, AK.
> 
> http://www.artmetalradio.com/
> 
> From: "Justin Fellenz" <sunironworks at yahoo.com>
> 
> 
>> Another shop build question: does anyone in a colder climate have
>> experience with insulated concrete floors? I'm building my shop this
>> spring in Kamloops, BC, where it gets a little cold--not like Maine,
>> but cold. Someobody suggested I lay 2 1/2" of polystyrene hard foam
>> under the slab. It's about another 4000 CAD to do it...I'm wndering if
>> it's worth the money and whether it decreases the structural stability
>> of the slab.
>>
>> Another person suggested radiant heat (insulation with or without).
>> That's about another 5k and if it breaks it would be a nightmare to
>> fix. But people say it's pretty cool to have nice warm floors. Thoughts
>> on that welcome as well.
>>
>> Thanks,
>>
>> JRF
>>
> 
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