Radiant floor heating for garage workshop

[martin rodgers]

I will be putting my woodworking shop into a 20×20 garage with a poured concrete floor. I live in Ontario, Canada and definitely need heat during the winter. I have decided to go with radiant floor heating as it is an even heat without chance for explosion. Ill try a gravity feed system instead of a circulation pump. The heat source will be a 40 gallon water heater located in the basement of the house, through the wall opposite the garage. Questions: 1 – Is it better to pour another concrete floor over top of an existing floor or build a wooden subfloor? I have read said that a subfloor filled with sand between the floor supports (for a heat mass) works quite effectively. 2 – copper or flex piping?Any comments or past experiences would be appreciated.Thanks in advance, Mike

[Mike ZsoharParticipant]

Concrete will give you the best heat conduction. Wood and sand are insulators and will slow the heat transfer. You will not be able to lay the tubing level enough to use a gravity system, and since you have to use small tubing to get the best transfer, you also would not be able to move enough water through the tubes to give an even heat without a pump. : I will be putting my woodworking shop into a 20×20 garage with a poured concrete floor. : I live in Ontario, Canada and definitely need heat during the winter. : I have decided to go with radiant floor heating as it is an even heat without chance for explosion. : Ill try a gravity feed system instead of a circulation pump. : The heat source will be a 40 gallon water heater located in the basement of the house, through the wall opposite the garage. : Questions: : 1 – Is it better to pour another concrete floor over top of an existing floor or build a wooden subfloor? I have read said that a subfloor filled with sand between the floor supports (for a heat mass) works quite effectively. : 2 – copper or flex piping?: Any comments or past experiences would be appreciated.: Thanks in advance, Mike

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