Use EPS instead of XPS for the insulation. Over time EPS will have the same R-value as XPS and is much greener for the planet. This is a green building site after all. If you are asking how to fill the interior foundation cavity, you could use self-compacting pea gravel. Yes, the first step in properly designing a hydronic radiant floor system is knowing all the construction assembly R-values so you can accomplish a proper heat loss analysis using your local 99% outside design temp. Once you know your heat loss, you can design the PEX circuit spacing, circuit lengths, circuit flow rates, resulting circuit heads, the pumping size requirement, supply/return temps and select appropriate heat source, etc. There are some free DIY heat loss and hydronic radiant design software on our website that should work well for this simple project: https://www.borstengineeringconstruction.com/Heat_Loss_Analysis_Calculator.html https://www.borstengineeringconstruction.com/Hydronic_Radiant_Floor_Heating_Design_Calculator.html
Good luck with your project! |