![]() You may have seen that we recently installed a Legalett air-heated floor, below is a link to an installation video as well as a few other resources on slabs. It can be an unnecessary cost, but it does no harm and it may be what is needed simply for them to be willing to stamp drawings.įor theory only and not to be used for your design withough the approval of an engineer - often if a building is sitting on bedrock or if it has enough clean 3/4" stone around it (no organic materials and no fines), frost would be unable to form, so no skirt would be needed. Whether or not a perimeter skirt of insulation is required, and how much, is again up to an engineer.Ī heated building in a climate like Toronto often doesn’t really need a skirt to prevent frost heave, but typically a designer or engineer that doesn’t specialize in soils will insist on one regardless. And lastly, about the ‘perimeter’ touching the ground, I’m not sure I fully understand so re-ask me the question with greater detail if I’m not following correctly, but – you’d definitely need to insulate the slab underneath and on the vertical exposed surface. And because there is no footing and frost wall and you aren’t digging down very deep, it often eliminates the need to under-pin any nearby structures for safety.Īs for how much rebar needs to be in a slab, that depends on the weight of the building that will sit on it, but that is something for an engineer to determine. So it doesn’t harm the root system of any nearby trees. Having that in-hand may help you jump through hoops with the city when you are trying to get approval.Īnd it can make a lot of sense for infill lots, backyard coach houses or studios for a few reasons – as a raft slab Legalett only requires you to excavate about 6 inches or so, just enough to removed the organic matter. Are you modifying an existing structure or building a new one? Either way it doesn’t hurt to check with Legalett for a price, and that could help you avoid a few headaches in regards to permitting, because they provide stamped engineering documents as well as installation directions. The most cost-effective system to deliver in-floor radiant heat would in your case depend on how big it is, and more importantly, if there is already a structure there. ![]() Don’t go with the base requirements of Building Code, we would recommend at least 6 inches below a heated slab in most parts of Canada, and even more in the colder regions. One final thought we would share – be careful not to get talked into installing an insufficient amount of insulation below the slab. Radiant heat is a very comfortable heat, so as you choose the more affordable fuel source and the system is properly designed to heat the space and the install cost is affordable, you will probably be happy with the results. Heated floors can be done with electric wires, hydronic tubes, but there is also one company that installs air-heated tubes in slab on grade foundations, powered either by electricity or gas. ![]() If you are planning on doing it yourself, watch some DIY videos and see which you find to be easier, here is our video of a hydronic tube installation, it is really quite easy but gets a little more complicated hooking up a manifold and boiler. ![]() An Ontario resident installing a radiant floor would probably choose hydronic with a gas boiler.Īs for install cost, you may find electric wire systems to be a bit cheaper, but get a quote for each to be sure. ![]() Quebec electricity rates are among the lowest, while Ontario rates are among the highest, for that reason very few people are currently installing electric heat sources in Ontario, but it is the most common heat source in Quebec. Keep in mind that a boiler for a hydronic floor can be powered by either electricity or gas, so any difference in operational cost would be determined by your local gas and electricity rates. Any form of electric resistance heat generation (heated floors, furnaces, hair dryers, kettles, baseboard heaters etc.) would cost the same on a ‘BTU per watt’ scale. Good question, but a tough one, so I’ll start with the easy part first - When powered by electricity there would be virtually no difference in operational cost between those two systems. ![]()
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