How to have warm feet without in-floor heat?

Every house I have ever owned had cold floors in the basement (even when carpeted). The last house we bought does not have in-floor heat. The basement is unfinished with the exception of being framed. We could pour another 3" of concrete on the floor and put the right plumbing in the floor for heat, but I am curious if there are simpler options (besides wearing slippers).

Chris

Reply to
C. Bailey
Loading thread data ...

I meant to ask whether it would help if I ducted the heating vents (currently in the ceiling), down the walls so that the air entered just above the floor.

Chris

Reply to
C. Bailey

On Wed 27 Jul 2005 08:12:25p, C. Bailey wrote in alt.home.repair:

Electric socks. Available at most sporting goods stores.

Reply to
Wayne Boatwright

Instead of another 3" of concrete, how about a wood floor laid over

2"x4"s with the heat plumbing laid in there?
Reply to
Vic Dura

I doubt that you could arrange for the air to flow over enough area to give you a warm floor. I should think a radiant floor would be your best bet. TB

Reply to
tbasc

If this is an issue in a very small area (like a desk or workbench) then be aware that there are rubber electrically heated mats made for just this issue. Try a Staples or such.

Lou

Reply to
Lou

In alt.home.repair on Thu, 28 Jul 2005 03:12:25 GMT "C. Bailey" posted:

Because that's the way it is supposed to be.

I have no experience, but I would think trying to heat the cement would also end up trying to heat the dirt and mud below the cement, and that could take endless heat. It never occurred to me before about other homes built on slabs with heat in the floor.

Do they use something to insulate the slab from the moist dirt?

Or is the dirt less moist when it is at ground level, than it would be below a basement? Yes, I think that is it. The wet soil 4 to 6 feet down is never going to be heated unless you set fire to the basement.

Regardless, energy prices are going to continue to rise, and fuel prices are going to continue to get us into wars. Wear socks, wear slippers, weara slipper socks. My parents would never have considered trying to heat a *basement* floor.

Meirman

-- If emailing, please let me know whether or not you are posting the same letter. Change domain to erols.com, if necessary.

Reply to
meirman

"C. Bailey" wrote

The only other option simpler than putting slippers on, would be, not to go into the basement at all.

Reply to
Fletcher Long

For what it's worth, forced air is sometimes calcluated at 65 BTU's per square foot and radiant is calculated at 25 BTU's per square foot.

Besides, a 3/4" piece of pipe can carry the same amout of BTU's that 8X12 duct can carry.

Meirman

Reply to
HeatMan

It sounds like you have a little extra headroom, so why not build an insulated floor on top of the slab?

You could lay down a 6 mil plastic vapor barrier to keep ground moisture from coming up into the floor. Then install 2x4 floor joists, install insulation between them, and top them with plywood. You can then add whatever floor covering you wish. If it were me, I would use pressure treated lumber for the floor joists. No need to attach the joists to the slab, just let the floor "float".

If headroom is a concern, you could switch to 2x2's as the floor joists, or lay the 2x4's on their sides, and use rigid foam insulation between them. In fact, you might be able to skip the joists entirely, and use adhesives to stick the foam insulation to the slab, and then stick the plywood to the foam.

Of course, this method won't heat the room, but it will provide a warmer floor if you provide another heat source (electric wall heaters maybe).

This also assumes your basement is dry, with no water seepage.

If you are tiling the floor, another option is electric floor warming mats. They get set right in the thinset when the tile is installed. Minimal thickness, and it's a source of heat too.

Anthony

Reply to
HerHusband

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.