Do you need additional insulation?

When WarmlyYours Radiant Floor Warming Systems are installed on a concrete slab, we strongly recommend adding a layer of insulation to the slab prior to installing the radiant floor warming system.

While WarmlyYours systems provide up to 25% more heating power per square foot than the nearest competitor, the slab will always act as a “heat sink.” Some of the heat that would otherwise be transferred to the flooring surface will remain in the slab, causing the floor’s surface temperature to be considerably lower. This is true with any floor warming system.

When installed on top of a concrete slab without insulation, it is generally accepted that a radiant floor warming system will take the chill away from the floor and provide a small amount of warmth.

Adding insulation on top of the slab and beneath any floor warming system will allow a greater percentage of the heat generated to transfer to the flooring surface. This leads to greater efficiency and therefore faster warm up times, higher expected surface temperatures and lower energy usage. The floor will have the capacity to warm to a comfortable temperature, and in some cases can be employed as the primary heat source for that room.

The recommended types of insulation are:

• Natural cork – This product is widely available, easy to install and affordable. It is available in various thicknesses and can be purchased from suppliers in sheets or rolls. WarmlyYours recommends using ¼” or 6mm of cork underlayment.

• Insulated tile backer boards – There are a number of products on the market. The basic concept is a sandwich of insulating material between two thin layers of cement. The boards are available in a variety of thicknesses. These products tend to be more expensive than cork and are less widely available.

• Insulated underlayments – This is a new group of products to the flooring installation market. The concept is extremely good, with excellent insulating properties, and it has the ability to be used in place of a regular tile backer board. The products are also relatively inexpensive. Unfortunately availability is slightly limited in the United States.