How a Warmboard™ Compares to
A Staple Up Radiant Heating System
Many people are confused over the choice between Warmboard™ and a staple up radiant
heating system. This article should help to set you straight.
A Warmboard™ system combines a structural subfloor with a complex radiant panel
into one straightforward radiant heating system. It’s basically a strong, broad,
weather-resistant, 4' X 8' sheet of plywood, with a series of channels cut into the top
plane and a thick sheet of high-grade aluminum, which is permanently bonded to each panel.
The aluminum is highly conductive. In fact, it’s about 30% more conductive than most
common alloys, but it also cools down quickly.
Warmboard™ replaces the normal structural subfloor. It can be cut, nailed or
screwed directly to your floor joists just like any conventional subfloor.
Most Warmboard™ systems function with water ranging in temperature between 90º
and 110º, however if you are considering a wool carpet, or another high resistant floor
covering, you can easily raise your water temperatures and still operate your heating system
efficiently.
Warmboard™ also have two important properties - they have high conductivity and low
thermal mass, which means they will heat us quickly and retain heat quite well, but not
quite as long as radiant systems imbedded in concrete.
In comparison, a staple up radiant heat system is the most unobtrusive radiant heat to
install in an existing home. It will not add any additional floor height or disrupt your
existing floor coverings as it is installed underneath the current subfloor between the
floor joists.
This system is perfect when you want to add a radiant heat system without replacing your
floors or floor coverings. For example, if your basement is unfinished you could easily
staple up radiant heat tubing between your ceiling, or floor joists.
A staple-up system is not as responsive as the aluminum base method, but is more
responsive than the thermal mass method - basically because under-floor radiant heat
needs to heat up the wood subfloor and floor covering above. To radiate more heat into your
home, you may want to consider installing heat transfer plates.
Heat transfer plates will ensure that your heat lasts much longer. They are a better heat
conductor than wood, so your home would not only heat up more quickly, the heat would also
last longer if transfer plates were used.
Overall both systems have their advantages. As far as labor goes, a Warmboard™
panel system would save you time and labor – they are much easier to install, but
depending on where you plan to install your radiant heat system, both Warmboard™ and
under-floor radiant heat systems are a clean and cost effective way to go.
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