Opening basement to upstairs

[Conesus_Kid]

I live in a 1600 sq.ft. ranch, built in 1999. We currently have hot water baseboard heat, set up in multiple zones: 1)the living area/kitchen, 2)one for each of the three bedrooms, and 3) one zone for the basement that doesn't have a thermostat connected, and is kept inactive w/shut-off valves.

I'll be refinishing the basment this winter/spring. The builder hooked up four radiatiors in the basement. I will probably end up moving them a bit, and perhaps adding more.

I would eventually like to open up the stairwell that goes downstairs (remove the basement door, creating almost a split-level ranch situation, except with a longer, single stairwell.

I'm wondering how much of the heat will escape to the upstairs if I open this up. We currently have a woodstove in the living room as well, which gets the living area pretty warm. My fear is that the boiler will be firing all of the time while the refinished basement is

60 deg. F and the living room is 90 F.

Is this a reasonable fear to have, or will there be a more gradual temperature gradient between the first story and the basement, since it will be quite open between the two floors?

Thanks in advance

[Nick Hull]

Heat goes up, the upstairs will be a bit warmer and the basement a bit cooler. I have had my stairs open for 20 years and no problem, but I like a cooler basement. You will not be able to heat the basement and leave the upstairs cool, but the opposite works.

[m Ransley]

See what happens open the radiators, heat rises and your floors will be warmer and better. If you dont like it look into putting a zone valve and thermostat in the basement. You have thermostats upstairs, so how will it get to 90.

[Conesus_Kid]

My fear was based on the assumption that the heat from the basement would rise. This coupled with the woodstove on the first floor gave me visions of a sauna upstairs with a fridge downstairs, coupled with a huge propane bill!

After giving it some more thought, I'm thinking that since the upstairs will be quite a bit warmer than the downstairs (due to the woodstove), the "less warm" air from the basement wouldn't likely move up to replace the warmer (woodstove-heated) air. I guess there's only one way to find out...