How To Install Diy Radiant Floor Heating

Hydronic radiant is typically a job for a pro, but there is a way you can DIY part of it. The key is to use a specially engineered foam panel from Schluter Systems called Bekotec. You lay the panels directly on the floor, press-fit PEX tubing into them, and add a thin layer of specially mixed concrete—five parts sand to one part portland cement. The panels provide a modest thermal break (R3), so you don’t have to install an extra layer of insulation. Using this system adds less than 1¾ inches—including concrete—versus about 4 inches for the old-school method of tying tubing to wire mesh. That leaves you more headroom in basement applications. And the thin slab will heat up and cool down more quickly, allowing you to use lower water temperatures and save on your heating bill. Overall, it makes for a more responsive radiant slab.