Radiant floor install - Using Crete-Heat

[Buzz Saw]

(broken link removed to http://www.crete-heat.com/home.html)

Has anyone ever used Crete-Heat to install their radiant slab heat pex? Stuff looks cool, but rather pricey from what I've found on the 'net. Compared to foam board it appears to be about 50+% more. If you have used it, is it worth it? Is there anything else out there comparable?

Thanks

 

[BadgerBoilerMN]

Crete-Heat incorporates insulation, vapor barrier and PEX fastening system in one. It is a time saver if that is what you are after.

 

[Buzz Saw]

Saving Clock time and knee time is a bonus but $1000+ more to do the project ? I'm not sure if it's worth it

 

[BadgerBoilerMN]

There you go.

 

[Buzz Saw]

Badger have you used Crete-heat in the past?

 

[Bad LP]

Have you compared it to warm board?

 

[Buzz Saw]

Have you compared it to warm board?

Never heard of warm board....Time to google.

Have you used warm board?

 

[Bob Rohr]

Never heard of warm board....Time to google.

Have you used warm board?

Crete Heat is for slab installations, WarmBoard is a framing product, 4X8 plywood with aluminum skin and tube grooves. I have installed both and they do exactly what they say, saves time assures a quality installation.

Without Crete heat you need mesh or some other way to fasten the tube down, CH gives you all 3, insulation, vapor barrier and tube holder.

 

[Bad LP]

I assumed you were going over wood frame with slab. Sorry if I sent you chasing your tail. For slab on grade applications I've only seen rigid and wire mesh installed. It is also my understanding that where the PEX crosses the control joints it should be sleeved with a piece of PVC.

 

[Bob Rohr]

I assumed you were going over wood frame with slab. Sorry if I sent you chasing your tail. For slab on grade applications I've only seen rigid and wire mesh installed. It is also my understanding that where the PEX crosses the control joints it should be sleeved with a piece of PVC.

The CreteHeat is mainly for slab on grade applications. if you are pouring on a wood subfloor it is much cheaper to insulate the underside with fiberglass batts. No vapor barrier needed either.

When you pour regular concrete over wood subfloor install a 6 mil plastic sheet. This prevents the moisture from being pulled out of the concrete before it cures, which can weakens the slab, or cause shrinkage cracking.

When you pour gyp type products on wood, a glue type product is sprayed first. It looks and smells like Elmers glue. It helps the gyp bond to the subfloor.

Some installers just tuck the tube down into the dirt or gravel under the control joints. The only way the tube could be damaged at a control joint is if the slab shifts and shears the tube. If that happens you will have other, bigger problems

The quality and preparation of the subgrade below the slab has a lot to do with how the slab lives. On commercial jobs a firm was always hired to run compaction tests on the subgrade prep. Even jobs with mechanically compacted base rock sometimes failed the test.

Control joints are mainly intended to stop a crack from traveling across the entire slab. Really a crack is a control joint, just not always where you want it

 

[woodsmaster]

As long as you have mesh in the floor, the cement can't shift and a sleeve at the control joint is not needed. I dont think a sleeve would stop the floor from shifting and would just sheer anyhow.

 

[Buzz Saw]

At what thickness is mess or rebar needed/recommended?

 

[Bob Rohr]

You will se rebar used in footings and foundation walls. The steel gives the concrete strength and prevents it from shifting if a crack develops. it is not always used or needed in a residential slab. The rebar of course offers more shear resistance than wire mesh.

Many residential concrete installers will have the batch plant add a fiber mesh. It is a plastic or steel fiber, it looks like dog hair! This gives the concrete some additional strength without adding wire mesh or bar.

For commercial slabs with heavy loads the engineer will call out a rebar size and the spacing.

If you use mesh or bar, it needs to be held in the middle of the pour so concrete can attach all around the steel. Wire mesh or rebar at the bottom of the pour, lying on the subgrade does not add much strength value, just additional cost.

When bar is called for in a slab it should be held up with metal "chairs" to hold it in the appropriate place.