After finishing the floor framing up front we began installing the radiant floor system in the back. We backfilled the foundation first. The layers above the compacted back fill include a vapor barrier, 2 " of rigid insulation, wire mesh and #4 rebar. We are placing the pex piping within the concrete slab instead of below it to control the thermal lag time in the concrete. We will not be able to hold heat in the slab as long, but we should be able to control the temperature fluctuations in our region this way. We are also using regular strength concrete (as opposed to lightweight concrete) because of its conduction properties. If our calculations are correct, we should be able to prevent any overheating in the late winter months. The four line of pex in the front of the picture are for two future loops that will heat the floor in phase 3 . The white piping will be connected to the wood stove and will provide back up heat during times of low sunshine.
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