Radiant Flooring in Oklahoma

[stevehull]

Wizard,

Here is the logical behind my apparent illogical statement . . .

For a floor to feel like it is "heated", the floor must be about 80 F at a minimum. This temperature cancels out the conductive cold perception of a bare, no carpet floor (such as concrete, or ceramic tile/plank).

Conduction plays a large role in cool/warmth perception. For example, if you put your hand on a steel plate that is 85 F, the steel plate will "feel" cold. Your hand on a similar temp piece of wood will not "feel" cold. Same temperature - different perception of temperatures.

If we do this thermal floor, we will embed PEX pipe in two inches of concrete (on top of foam boards) and then put down a hard flooring material over that (ceramic planks or laminate). Ceramic has a lot of conduction, so even an 80 F floor will feel "coolish" to bare feet - but FAR better than a 65 F floor!

Laminate is not as great a heat conductor as ceramic (or concrete) so it "feels" a bit warmer, but not as warm as a true wood floor. I have had wood floors in the past and I am so tired of getting them refurnished every couple years. We have big dogs and, in spite of multiple coats of hard polyurethane, you can still soon see the wear marks in the pattern of where the dogs come in and out. The last flooring company "guaranteed" their finish for ten years - it lasted three. Turns out, they guarantee the material, not the labor. Tired of all the dust the sanding causes.

Make no mistake, a wood floor is beautiful. Just tired of the upkeep.

Does my logic on "warmth" reveal itself now?

Steve