Looking to build a new house this summer.  We would like to use in floor radiant heat.  I have talked to about a half a dozen Heating and cooling companies and they all say the only work on the boilers, the do not do new system installations. 

Any Ideas how to find someone in this area with some experience.

Thanks all.  Been enjoying this board for years.

Hi,

I'm breaking ground on our new home mid May. Most of the heating/cooling contractors I talked with are OK with me running the PEX myself. I'd prefer it that way since it brings the cost down dramatically.

We will be running it in the basement on top of foam before the concrete is poured. Looking at running PEX underfloor for the main floor since warmboard just quoted me $8 sq/ft for their product (ouch!). Anyway, I'm in the Grand Rapids/Ada area -- thought I'd reach out.

Brandon

Guys, I would be happy to help either of you. I work for a company called Creatherm. Check us out online and call us or send an email for more info.

Holy cow, $8/ft for warmboard? I was planning on using that for our home in Iowa as well, but probably not at that price. Have you thought about doing Gypcrete on the main floor?

FWIW: Roth Panels usually come in cheaper than WarmBoard. There are pluses & minuses to each...

Not having much in the way of competent local contractor support to choose from isn't a good sign.  You may want to revisit the radiant floor approach (or become Jr. Hydronic Designer yourself. ), and maybe spend the money on improving the building envelope up to Net Zero Energy capable levels.  A higher-R house also increases the average radiant temperatures of the rooms too, but it doesn't have the same cozy-toes barefoot comfort when it's 0F outside.  How much that extra toe-kush is worth to YOU is up to you, but the additional comfort benefit of radiant floors a high-R house isn't nearly as much as in a code-min (or sub-code) house.

Hi,
We provide a large variety of prefabricated boiler systems as well as a surface mounted panel system, our RHT Floor panel system run about $2.75 a square foot to install Materials (barrier pex pipe, manifolds, heat plates, turns and 3/4" plywood fill). Typical labor about 500 sq. ft, 2 men per day. So it is an affordable fuel efficient alternative.
Look us up BluereidgeCompany.com will be happy to make suggestions.
Dan

That price makes better sense to me. Question: what was done with the closet floor to make it usable?

Does it make sense to offer a full 8" wide plate (enabling 100% aluminum coverage) for people who want the highest efficiency (perhaps a heat pump system) without reducing tube spacing? Does silicon caulk in the channel help?


note: probably a different brand of plate.

Nice to see a photo of some of our product, thank you,
So on the topic of plates, we do offer a plate that works with this system that is slightly heavier gauge .024 vs .019 and 12" wide with omega groves on a 8" pattern. The wider plates can cover considerably more area if needed. Cost is about 20% more than the 5" plates on a linear foot basis.
The surface mount systems ( sandwich systems) are a great way to go for radiant heat. Delivered water temps in the 90-100 degree range typically work well. Top down instal is a bit easier than the weaving of pex involved in a staple up especially if you are working in a crawl space. Further surface mount systems help in keeping fuel efficiency maximized when combined with a condensing boiler.
As to the manifold location, Typical manifold would land in a wall cavity behind access panel, that photo is good for simply seeing the system as it returns to the manifold.
Good luck with your project,
Dan