In a traditional home, a drafty floor is an annoyance; in a tiny home, it can be a dealbreaker for year-round living. For Julia & Robert Barclay, creators of the "Tiny Living, Living Large" initiative, the main living area needed to serve as a lounge, office, and high-end showroom. The centerpiece is a stunning 3/4" Cumaru (Brazilian Teak) nailed hardwood floor. While many believe natural wood is incompatible with radiant heat—especially when nailed down—this project proves that with the Sleeper System, silent, invisible luxury is possible on any level.
Luxury Without Boundaries
As Brand Ambassadors, Julia and Robert Barclay are redefining what it means to live small. Their initiative, Tiny Living, Living Large, advocates for high-end, sustainable mobility. The challenge was heating a 75 sq. ft. living area while navigating the structural demands of 3/4" nailed-down hardwood. By collaborating with WarmlyYours to implement the TempZone™ Floor Heating Cable, they proved that the "Large" in their mission starts with the foundation of comfort.
Project Details
- Location: Pennington, New Jersey (NJ) / Mobile Nationwide
- Collaborators: Julia V. Barclay & Robert Barclay (HelanCX)
- Initiative: Tiny Living, Living Large
- Heated Space Type: Main Room / Lounge (Tiny Home)
- Flooring / Surface Type: 3/4" Cumaru (Brazilian Teak) Nailed Hardwood
- Coverage Type: Full (75 sq. ft. installation)
- System Type: TempZone™ Floor Heating Cable
- Voltage: 120V
- Wattage: 1,122 W
- Amps: 9.3 A
- Operating Cost: * Per hour: ~$0.17
- Per day: ~$1.36 (based on 8 hours of use)
- Estimated monthly usage: ~$40.80
- Social Connections:
- Instagram: @tinylivinglivinglarge
- Twitter/X: @TinyLLLarge
Solving the Hardwood Paradox
The most common myth in home renovation is that you cannot have radiant heat under nailed hardwood. The fear of a nail puncturing a heating element often forces homeowners to settle for cold floors or loud, dusty space heaters. Julia and Robert Barclay refused to settle. To achieve the "Tiny Living, Living Large" standard, they needed a system that offered both extreme durability and high-performance output.
The solution was a custom-engineered TempZone™ Cable layout. Unlike mats, the loose cable allowed Robert Barclay and the installation team to navigate the floor's specific framing using a specialized Sleeper System:
- Install Sleepers: 3/4” thick wood strips were attached to the subfloor, creating a "safe zone" for fasteners.
- Lay the Heating Cable: The cable was routed in the channels between the sleepers using plastic fixing strips.
- Fill the Channels: The space between sleepers was filled with self-leveling cement flush to the wood strips.
- Nail the Hardwood: Once cured, the teak was nailed directly into the wood sleepers, safely away from the cable.
This created a thermal mass that radiates consistent, gentle heat through the teak, protecting the wood from warping while providing warmth that forced-air systems simply cannot replicate.
Featured Products
- TempZone™ Floor Heating Cable: The ultimate in flexibility. This 300-ft cable was spaced at 3 inches to provide 15 watts per square foot, ensuring the main room stays warm even in poorly insulated environments.
- Circuit Check™: A mandatory tool for this professional collaboration. It monitored the cable during the entire hardwood installation, ensuring that not a single nail interfered with the heating circuit.
- Integration Kit Plus (120V): Because the Barclays utilize a Control4 home automation system, this kit allows them to sync their floor heat with their smart home. It includes a backup floor sensor to ensure the system remains reliable for years to reach.
