SuzieQbert

SuzieQbert t1_j1utzxb wrote

Reply to Parking in Unfinished Basement by DirtyScoobie

Another commenter mentioned about the concrete and framing members around this space, so I'll leave that alone, but you seem unconcerned about the exhaust fumes. You shouldn't be. This room needs to have a continuous, undamaged vapour barrier isolating it from the rest of the house to keep you safe.

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SuzieQbert t1_j15j3g4 wrote

Reply to comment by toalv in Underfloor heating - can you warm up the floor only? by FatFart777

I suppose that could be true if the "underfloor heating" OP is talking about is simply a floor warmer, and not the heat source for the home. A low-power electric warmer in conjunction with forced air might accomplish what you're describing.

However, the phrasing of this post certainly implied to me that this floor would be the way that home will be heated. If the heated floor is what warms the house, by nature it must be connected to a thermostat that measures the ambient room temperature. In that case it will cycle on and off based on the air temperature reaching a certain level.

Which brings us back to the issue I described. It's comfortable to be surrounded by still air at 22⁰C because it is a poor conductor of heat so it doesn't remove much heat from your skin. Pick up a rock that's 22⁰C and it will feel cool to touch. Hop in a bath that's 22⁰C and you'll be pretty unhappy. This principle means that a tile floor will always feel cool unless it's warmer than the air in the room.

So, I suppose I could add to my earlier comment: what OP is hoping for could be accomplished by decoupling the two goals: warm floor through one mechanism, warm air through another.

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SuzieQbert t1_j152kk3 wrote

Reply to Underfloor heating - can you warm up the floor only? by FatFart777

Not really possible, except maybe in an outdoor space because tile is a relatively effective conductor of heat, while air is an insulator. This means that if the tile and the air are the exact same temperature (22⁰C) and you will feel a chill from the tile while you were comfortable with the air. Unless you are constantly circulating the air in the room to replace it with cooler air, eventually the in-floor heating will have to turn off otherwise the air will continue to heat to the temp of the tile - which will be too warm.

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