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

Every house I have ever owned had cold floors in the basement (even when

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

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

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.


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
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