Best Type of Floors You Can Install Over Radiant Heating Systems

The best flooring type you choose for the radiant heating should be able to transmit the ambient heat into the interiors without deforming. The layers should be able to retain the heat over an extended period without getting overheated. It should provide safety to the residents from getting exposed to the radiant heating panel‘s heat with proper shielding. At the same time, it should be flexible to allow any repairs and maintenance procedures related to the panels without any damages to the flooring and the heating system.

Ceramic Tile Floor

Thermal comfort is one of the critical factors that make tile floor as the choice for radiant heating. The tiles allow ambient heat to permeate through them and warm the environment of the interior. The tiles don't get overheated due to their absorption and retention threshold property.

• • • Evaluation: The evaluation method used to assess the thermal comfort level of the ceramic tile considered their micron level molecular structure and the crustiness of the surface. The bonding of the molecules has enough connectivity to allow the moderate volume of thermal energy to pass through them. But they can also resist the heat once it reaches the threshold value. This character is attributed to their porous structure.

    • Structure: The ceramic tile manufactured through the industrial pressing process seems to be ideal. It is because it can combine the effusive and conducting characters within its layers. The effusive property of the ceramic material is calculated as the square root of its conductivity X volumetric heat volume. It is the property which allows it to transfer the radiant heat into the surrounding environment. These two properties of the ceramic tile can vary inversely with each other. As the retained volume increases, the conductivity decreases. The result will be an equivalent effusive value. The rapid vibration of the ceramic molecules will be at the peak when the heat from the panel is in the midrange.

    • Installation: The method used for the radiant system installation plays a vital role in increasing its efficiency. Slab-on-Grade is one of the means that can generate high output from low heating temperature. The location of the pipes is between the foam insulation at the bottom and the tile slab. The volume of thermal energy transmitted to the surface remains optimum, regardless of the external environmental conditions. The other method of installation is the topped slabs. Here, the existing ceramic flooring is not disturbed. A layer of foam is installed over it. After installing the radiant heating panels, another layer of ceramic is covered over it. This design can trap the ambient heat on the top surface and emit it evenly across the entire structure.

    • Benefits: The crustiness of the ceramic tile surface controls the surface temperature at the optimum levels. The mechanical strength of the material ensures the stress from the foot traffic without suffering any structural damages. Moreover, it is easy to remove and replace tiles before and after any emergency repair works to the radiant heating panels. The water-resistant property of the ceramic material prevents the penetration into the panel layer. Hence, the bathroom heating systems work efficiently without any water damages.

Granite Floor

Granite has a high level of thermal conductivity, retention and mechanical stability. It can support the high volume of foot traffic due to its hardness factor. It has high resistance to stress, warping, and cracking.

• • • Evaluation: The evaluation methods for the thermal conductivity and effusive property indicate high value of thermal interface between the micron level granite molecules. The heat waves passing through the material can reach the top layer quickly. The heat retention property of the material makes it reach the threshold value within a short time. Hence, the panel switches over to the standby mode. The molecules start emanating the heat onto the objects located within the interiors of the room. Once the temperature goes below the lower threshold value, the panel turns on and starts heating. The continued cycle ensures efficient utilization of the radiant heat from the panels.

• • • Structure: Granite is made of quartz, alumina, silica, sodium, calcium, mica and other materials. They emit more than 90% of the heat to the surroundings. Since the bottom surface is sealed with the foam material, the heat emission happens at the top surface. Since the radiation occurs more at the infrared range, the probability of air heating is reduced considerably. Hence, the percentage of heat loss within the granite slabs and the air could hardly cross the 2% mark. It helps in saving energy spent on heating.

    • Installation: The recommended methods for the radiant heating system for granite are the suspended slabs and the slabs on grade and the suspended slabs. Joisted floors can benefit more from the suspended slab method of installation. They provide ample space for the panels and pipes to be installed within the layers. The joists made from timber can provide thermal insulation for the panels on the three sides (left, right, and the bottom). Hence, the open structure at the top helps in radiating the maximum volume of heat into the room’s interiors. The slab on grade is an alternate method in which the slab layer is installed over the panels and the foam insulation. The topping slab method could also work for the heating system, but it is stated to be more expensive.

    • Benefits: Having the granite flooring over the radiant heating panels can help in saving the energy consumption by the boiler system. By installing a temperature control panel at the outset, it is possible to keep the panels in the standby mode when the granite slabs are heated to the threshold level. Once the temperature drops below the minimum value, the heating process can resume. The time between the two cycles will be more for the granite material since it has the high volume of heat retention. The ingredient materials in the slabs can transmit the heat in the infrared zone to avoid heating of air molecules. It helps in maximum heat transmission to the objects and the people in the room.