Our builder is suggesting radiant heat floors and I think though I'd like the warm floors; if we have a problem with it, we would have to tear up tile floors. Anybody had experience with this?
Make sure you have zone controls for this or, you'll either cook your feet or freeze them. Another thing, they really eat up a linoleum or tile floor. You should ask him about ceramic for the floors.
The only downside to radiant heat floors is you can't put down wood floors over it. They are fine as long as you are happy with carpet, tile, laminate or vinyl.
I have personal friends in Colorado who had this system installed in their home in Ouray. I've stayed with them during colder weather and the house was very comfortable. They've lived there for 3 years and say the utility costs are minimal. Installed properly, you should never have to tear up the tile floors either. It's simply continuous tubing embedded in the cement floor or sub floor. In my Texas home I do not have radiant heat, but I do have a circulating pump on my water heater. My bathroom floor is noticeably more comfortable during winter months. It really depends on what region you live, but in colder climates I would seriously investigate it as a viable heating system.
Are you talking about main floor or basement? If main floor, and basement unfinished, it would be done by staple-up from underneath, and would still be serviceable. If in basement (which is really the BEST application for this type of heat), they would be surrounded by concrete and when they fail, hopefully 50 years later, you would probably opt to quit using it. I'm considering doing this myself--it is a very DIY project (staple-up, that is)--but, so far I've found you need a dedicated boiler or the means to control the temp which has to be in the 110F range. We already have hydronic heat, but would have to adapt it. Is that what you already have? Otherwise, it seems to get rave reviews, and I guess like you I worry about the longevity (fairly new stuff, I think?) but I believe the mfrs. DO stand behind their products---just not sure if that's good enough yet. Hope some more people will contribute here, I want to find out more myself (opinions from users vs. sellers).
All righty then - I'm an installer here in Canada and can positively say that the main issue in service for radiant floor heating lies within the peripferal equipment and not the PEX (infloor) tubing itself. The PEX tubing is polymeric and all manufacturers have at least a 25 year warranty on their tubing. So most service, years after installation, is either with the pumps or boilers, which should be readilly accessable in the basement or mechanical closet. While radiant floor heating does tend to keep floors 'warm', the main objective is to heat the floor mass, which is large, which in turn radiates out to the home. If the heat loss in your home is very small, (i.e. - ultra efficient design and build), the heat input to replace the heat loss may be small enough that a 'warm' floor may not be noticed. You can put ANY floor covering over radiant, even wood, although there are parameters, which need to be met. Also - you need to humidify your home, regardless of what type of heating you have so as not to dry out your hardwood floors or furniture. It's a bit more imperative with hardwood over radiant. If you can, try to get the tubing into a floor pour, or at least over the subfloor. Staple-up works, but by far is the least efficient way to use this system. Please - please - please get a pro to do this work. Not your GC, not his brother-in-law, not your uncle Fred - and typically, not an air conditioning contractor. You need someone who understands the nuances of this type of heating and how it should be installed specific to your situation. Best of luck
