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).
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.
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
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.
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
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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.
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