Radiant heat garage floor - retrofit??
 

Ok, after spending much of the holidays in the garage, with single-digit temps outside, it's just a little too cold for my taste out there! My garage is 5 years old, 35x40, completely finished and fully insulated with gas heat yet the floor and my tools remain cold even when the air temp is at 70 for days.
Is it possible to add another layer to the floor with built-in radiant heating, or will I have to pull-up the entire concrete floor and re-pour??

You can do it. I recently asked a major plumbing company about it. The company said that they could pour over my 50 year old concrete floor, but the cost would be rather expensive. If you want a better option, then do a radiant tube style heater. These units have to be vented outside, but you can do welding and painting. Typically, they are used in body shops. I am in Ohio, but typically the temperature drops to single digits. I have laid on the floor, but I use a furniture pad. The floor is not as warm as my parents radiant floors in their home, but it is rather nice. The size garage that has the radiant tube heater is 40 x 28. Ceiling height is only 8 feet.

http://www.modinehvac.com/v2portal/p...ntent2_019.htm

Jeff

Infrared radiant tube heater can be done with or without insulation. Radiant heat heats the objects in the room, while traditional heaters heat the air.

Get one or two of these http://www.walmart.com/ip/Cadet-RCP5...00000003260430 and some extra insulation. :thumbsup:

I have one in my 3-car garage and it will get too hot. It's 30* now and the garage is at 68*.

Back when I was working in a totally unheated garage and had no money, but a lot of time...I made my own version of "radiant floor heat".

[1] large piece of cardboard [like a refrigerator box]
[1] electric blanket from Wal Mart
[1] additional large piece of cardboard

I slid this under my car [a blown injected Fairmont at the time] to lay one as I worked on suspension, brake lines, exhaust, etc. I would slide it over to the workbench if I needed it there. It was cheap, easy to move, very effective and disposable if you ruined it somehow.

Now every building I own is radiant floor heated. It is truly the only way to go.

an Option: You could always lay some Granite tiles in there.. maybe a checkerboard pattern.. Galaxy Black, with White. lay down some Nu-heat.. electric underfloor matting, as used in restrooms and such.. only heat the areas you want heated.

I have tiled garage floors with granite and its not too cost involved if your a DIY.
You just need to know how to lay down the electric matting, and scuff prep the floor for it to stick.

beats tearing out your concrete. :unibrow:

overlays would not be thick enough for the heating.

there's also the snap in style plastic floors.. not sure what R value you get from them.

good luck.

That's creativity right there! :thumbsup:

Once you work on good radiant heat slabs you're spoiled for life. :yes:

One additional logistical problem with "adding" floor heat over an existing slab...unless the slab is specially insulated in preparation for floor heat, the frozen ground will suck the heat out from under the concrete as fast as you can put it in.

They do make - I have them in my kitchen and bathroom - electric floor heaters that you can put UNDER tiles...

Mine have thermostats just like a furnace. They DO NOT heat quickly - this is a very slow heat and not to be used like an off and on switch. We turn them on for the "winter months" and then turn them off.

I think that would be an expensive solution for a "shop".

My solution would be to heat the shop 24/7 so that everything gets up to temp and then will hold the heat --- rather than going out there - cranking the gas on - and expecting all that cold steel to suddenly get comfortable.

Great floor.

You could also move to AZ.

Yup! Especially since the OP is in Minnesota. :lol: A friend of mine is from Minnesota, he walks outside without coats at 20F. Ohio, is relative warm to up there. Anyway, The Radiant Tube heater is the best option, it has thermostat. The tube heater can be designed by one tube, U-tube. We work in the garage at temperature of around 55 to 60. Jack can heat it up to paint to 80F, and it is like the sun. Traditional gas furnaces sort of suffocate you, because it is heating the volume in the room. The garage floor is relative warm, and the cost is low.

My parents home that was built in 1962 has radiant heating in the floor. Not all the floor is actually warm, and it takes hours to heat up the system. It is gas fired boiler, but you still need electricity for the pilot light.

If I was building a garage, and could afford radiant heat in the floors, then I would have it installed.
A retrofit system can be costly to install. You can contact your local plumbing/heating contractor and they can give you estimate. I recently looked at both options, but I will do radiant tube heat in the ceiling.

Jeff