Quote:
Originally Posted by pachai
My friend questioned whether the plates actually
need to touch the tubes. The builder had the same
question.
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Yes, they really need to touch.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pachai
In addition to boxes of pre-formed plates,
I have 150' of flashing. The builder suggested just
rolling out an aluminum sheet over the whole subfloor.
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So you are juggling aluminum plates AND tile...
You don't want aluminum directly in contact with cementitious material, like mortar, thin-set, etc. Because aluminum is chemically active in the presence of a strong base (ph).
Using plates in contact with PEX is good, I'm sure you have seen the Thermal Imaging pics I posted.
The idea of aluminum rolled out over the entire floor is a very intriguing idea too... really good heat dispersal. But you will need to go over it with something like 1/4" Hadibacker before you put on your tiles. 1/4" Hardibacker is pretty good as a thermal conductor, better than plywood... not quite as good for thermal transfer as Durock or Wonderboard, but a much better candidate for withstanding foot traffic.
TAKE MANY PIX!!!
Regards,
-AC_Hacker