Does Radiant Floor Heat Work Under Carpet

Carpet and in floor radiant heat work well together but it takes more coordination than usual.

Does radiant floor heat work under carpet.

Radiant floor heating with carpet underfloor heating is well suited for use under carpet provided that care is taken when choosing the carpet. You will sacrifice cushion for heat transfer. The warmup foil heater is an electric underfloor heating system for carpet but also vinyl wood and other floating floor finishes. For radiant floor heating you want the total r value to be as low as possible lower than 4 0.

The overall thickness of any materials above the heater needs to be taken into account too as this will ensure efficient heat transfer. Carpet padding thickness it s best to use a thinner carpet padding rather than a thick padding. Infloor heating is most commonly used in a concrete slab or in a tile floor with high thermal mass but some types are specifically designed to be used under carpeting hardwood or laminate flooring. I hate to break it to you but if you love shag carpet radiant floor heat might not be for you.

Remember a radiant floor heating system can be used to augment or replace an existing hvac system but it s far more complicated than swapping out a furnace so plan any partial coverage carefully. Both the heating system manufacturer and the carpet pad manufacturers will have to be consulted. The type of flooring you use will have a major effect on the efficiency of your new radiant floor heating system. Zmesh lays flat on a concrete or wood subfloor and can even be nailed and stapled.

If the carpet is thick then the r value is 2 1 a significant increase that will build a higher thermal resistance. It is the nature of the beast in floor radiant heat. Best flooring for radiant heat. The foil heater is made up of a fiber reinforced foil wrapped around a thin multi strand dual core heating cable that is insulated with an advanced fluoropolymer.

Once again the key to radiant heat under the floor is it s ability to warm the floor and the room. Unlike cable systems zmesh does not need to be embedded in concrete or a cementitous base. To safely and effectively install wool over electric radiant floor heating it is best to have the wool carpet at 3 8 which will give it an r value of 1 575. Also radiant heating is much less effective under materials like carpet that insulate the heat from entering the room so if you prefer a lot of cozy carpet radiant heat may be too inefficient.