[TheForge] RE: radiant heat

[Roger Olsen]

To: Sponsored by ABANA
Subject: Re: [TheForge] Re: WAAAAAAAAY OT (while we're talking about
heat


Justin Fellenz wrote:

>>Andy and Frosty and anyone else with in-floor radiant heat,
>>
>>  Do you have insulation horizontally under the slab or no? I'd like
>>to avoid it since it's expensive and it sounds like it makes it more
>>likely the slab will crack under hard (power hammer) use. I'm told
>>you need it but it seems to me that insulation vertically on the
>>fronst walls 3' deep should isolate the 6" of crush and 3' of earth
>>pretty well.
>>
>>  JRF
____________________________________________________________

You most definitly want insulation under the concrete.  If you don't put it
in the ground will continually suck the heaat from your system and cost you
a fortune to heat.  That mistake has been made by others in the very cold
valley where I live.

As far as under the hammer you shoud isolate a separate pad just big enough
for your hammer and much much thicker depending on the size of your hammer
than the rest of your floor.  I have a 4 inch slab in my shop but I have 2'
under my 100 lb hammer and 18" under my 25 lb hammer.

We have radiant heat in the house and I love it but why someone would put it
in a blacksmith shop is beyond me.  I have spells where it does not get
above zero degrees F. for weeks on end every winter and cold snaps to as
much as 30 below.  I run a propane forge and between that and the body heat
radiated by working I still end up with the doors open.

my 3 cents worth.

Roger Olsen