LOL!!!! Get Lumber Liquidators to fax you over the requirements for that wood to be installed over radient heat. I bet there is no instructions, because solid wood over radient heat, tends to split and crack from the heat pulling the moisture from the wood.

Well, here is something to really LOL at. I have never heard so many contradictory statements.

First, I was told by both the Radiantec guy and by the Woods Co guy that they have plenty of successful installs of solid wood over radiant heat. But I have been told up here to use engineered flooring, since solid wood cracks over radiant heat.

Second, I was told by the Radiantec guy that I want to fill the area around the PEX with either sand or SLC, not air space. Then I was told that the foil backed insulation works best when there is an air space, with no sand or SLC.

Third, I was told by the people who make the foil backed insulation to mount the furring on top of the insulation. Then I was told by the Radiantec guy this would be a mistake.

Why are there so many opinions and why are they all the opposite of each other?

Instead of getting told, why not ask for some kind of written documentation with there letter head on the paper somewhere and a signature.

Don't believe everything you hear. Written documentation keeps the "you said" out of the equasion.

In your situation, I think what he's saying is logical. You need to have some insulation underneath your radiant heat tubes. Otherwise the uninsulated slab beneath will take a lot of your heat and conduct it down into the earth.



What I've read says that engineered wood is best over radiant heat, but if you have to use solid wood, you should use the thinner strips to reduce the likelihood of cracking.

If Floorguy is correct, that may be inevitable with solid wood. He's clearly got more experience with this then I do, but everyone I've talked to in the radiant heat industry has said that hardwood makes a good flooring over the radiant heat.
In my case, my wife and I like rustic and cracks & splits really aren't a big deal. If it happens, it happens.



I am not using the bubble wrap stuff, I'm just using plain foil, with a reinforced kraft paper backing. Radiant barriers require an airspace to function properly, see: http://www.fsec.ucf.edu/Pubs/energynotes/en-15.htm

I'm still thinking about the turn placement of the tubing within the sleepers, so if anyone has any suggestions on how to get that right, I'd very much welcome them.

Greg

I'll have to read through that link carefully. The person at the insulation co said I can place sand on top of the foil side and the foil will still work. As an engineer I question why radiation only propagates through air and not sand, but as I said, I will read.

We're kind of getting off topic here, but that style insulation forms an airspace with the bubble wrap over the foil, allowing the radiant barrier effect to take place. So you do have an airspace. Apparently without the airspace, the foil simply becomes conductive instead of reflective.

Greg

The wood came (reclaimed 5" oak) and is sitting in the hallway that will get the flooring. I do not have the tubing connected to the boiler yet, but do have a pressure test kit on it. Someone mentioned face nailing the first course. What type of nails, and do I countersink (and predrill) them?

What size/spacing sleepers did you end up using? How did you end up doing the tubing returns and end spacing?

Greg

My sleepers are 2x3's laid so they are 1 3/4 high off the floor. Home Depot has about a zillion of them and they are pretty cheap. I did need to be careful to get straight ones. I actually got away without having to return the tubing in the floor itself. I have the tubing entering the room through the basement ceiling in one area and exiting in another area. On the ends I made it fairly tight, I would say about 3/4 to 1 inch for the tube turn arounds. I think that will be OK since I will surafce nail the first row of my 5 " planks at 2 1/2 inches from the tongue, and then tongue nail the rest. I am planning to counter sink those first nails and then use an oak plug to cover up the hole. I have no idea what connector to use there. I would prefer to use deck screws since I am bad with a hammer in tight places.

My big risk is my plan to use 1/16" ceramic tile spaces aound each plank. I figure this way the expansion and contraction will be OK. The adjacent room's floor was laid over 85 years aog and has plenty of space between the boards.