TempZone Cable embedded between wood sleepers brings silent radiant warmth to a 30 sq. ft. tiny house loft under ¾″ nailed Brazilian teak
Lofts tend to have layered climates: warm air rises, yet the floor itself can stay chilly. In the “Tiny Living, Living Large” mobile tiny house, Julia V. and Robert Barclay wanted their second-floor lounge to feel as comfortable as the rest of the home, so they installed WarmlyYours TempZone Cable beneath 30 sq. ft. of ¾″ nailed Cumaru hardwood. The result is quiet, even warmth for about $0.10 an hour.
Project Details
| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | Pennington, NJ (mobile tiny house) |
| Space Type | Second-Floor Lounge / Loft |
| Flooring / Surface Type | ¾″ Cumaru (Brazilian Teak) Nailed Hardwood |
| System Type | Radiant Floor Heating |
| Total Square Footage | 30 sq. ft. (full coverage) |
| Technical Specs | 120V / 444W / 3.7A |
| Watt Density | 15 W/sq. ft. |
| Cable / Mat Spacing | 3 inches OC |
| Heating Cable Length | 120 ft. |
| Products Used | TempZone Cable, Fixing Strips, Circuit Check |
| Operating Cost | ~$0.10 / hour |
| Installer / Contractor | Robert Barclay and installation team (“Tiny Living, Living Large”) |
The Problem: A Loft Lounge With a Chilly Floor
Second-floor spaces in tiny homes are often overlooked for dedicated heating, yet they are where homeowners spend much of their recharge time. This loft also had premium nailed hardwood, a floor type often wrongly assumed to be incompatible with radiant heat, and the owners wanted warmth without a noisy fan-driven heater.
The Solution: Loose Cable in a Sleeper System
Loose TempZone Cable let the team work around the loft’s framing with a sleeper system. ¾″ thick wood sleepers were attached to the subfloor to create a safe zone for fasteners. The 120 ft. heating cable was routed in the channels between them on plastic fixing strips at 3″ spacing for 15 W/sq. ft. The channels were filled flush with self-leveling cement, and once it cured, the teak was nailed into the sleepers, away from the cable. A Circuit Check monitored the cable throughout the hardwood installation.
The Outcome: The Quietest, Warmest Room in the House
The cement-filled channels form a thermal mass that radiates gentle, consistent heat up through the teak, with no fans or noise. The loft is now a four-season retreat and the most comfortable quiet zone in the tiny house.
Comparative Cost Highlight
Operating at approximately $0.10/hour, this system costs roughly $25.16/month at 8 hours a day—less than a dollar a day—while providing unmatched barefoot comfort.
Featured Products
- TempZone Floor Heating Cable: Loose cable fit the loft’s tight geometry and sleeper channels, delivering 15 W/sq. ft. at 3″ spacing.
- Fixing Strips: Plastic strips held the cable at a consistent 3″ spacing between the sleepers.
- Circuit Check: Monitored the heating cable while the hardwood was nailed down, so a stray nail would be caught before the floor was finished.
Follow the project: tinylivinglivinglarge.com · Instagram @tinylivinglivinglarge · X @TinyLLLarge
