Having radiant heating in the floors of your home is one amenity that you’ll wonder how you ever lived without once you finally get to enjoy it. In newer homes, this is becoming more of a standard; however in older homes, you might not see heated flooring all too often and when you do, it’s usually in need of a retrofit.
To make the most of the heated flooring in your home, it’s best to make sure that it’s up to code with the newest innovations and techniques. For example, if your older home has radiant heating using copper pipes, it’s only a matter of time before these pipes need to be replaced due to inefficiency or degradation over time—usually with PEX tubing in modern retrofits. The same goes for the insulation below your radiant heating system.
Spray foam has quickly become a smart choice for radiant floor retrofits because it offers the perfect solution to one of the biggest problems with older heating systems: extreme energy loss. Many older flooring installations see all kinds of unmitigated heat loss due to a lack of protection and insulation—much of the energy simply escapes in all directions! Spray foam quickly puts an end to this, to ensure optimal heating.
Providing full insulated properties
Heat naturally rises—it’s a proven fact. Unfortunately, heat doesn’t always rise directly up—in fact, it’ll take the quickest path upwards, even if that means moving laterally first. This is exactly what happens in older radiant flooring systems and, unfortunately, a substantial amount of heat loss occurs because of this. Heat energy is absorbed by a number of materials before it’s able to be experienced by homeowners.
Spray foam insulation in West Lorne, ON relegates heat to an upward direction immediately, by thoroughly preventing heat transference to any other materials. Spray foam is implemented over PEX tubing and between joists in the flooring, creating an airtight seal that forces heat upwards and improves heat retention. The result is a better heated floor that requires less energy to remain heated.
A lasting solution
Spray foam in West Lorne, ON is already touted for its longevity in other areas of the home and when installed as a complement to your radiant heated flooring, it’s no different! Spray foam is going to serve your flooring for decades to come without compromising. This is thanks much in part to the sound structure of spray foam after it has properly set. There’s no risk of settling, air gaps or collapse, which can be the downfall of lesser insulation materials.
If you’re considering heated floors or the time has come to retrofit your existing heat flooring to ensure its sustainability, make sure you’re paying close attention to the insulation component. Whether you’re doing it yourself or enlisting the help of a professional contractor, make sure spray foam is part of the installation and have peace of mind in knowing you’re doing the job right.