Many people wonder which they should use Warmboard™ or a staple up radiant heating system. In actual fact the choice can be pretty clear depending on when you want to install the heating system.

If you are planning on building a new home then a Warmboard™ system is a great choice. It utilizes and combines a structural subfloor with a complex radiant panel into one straightforward radiant heating system. It is basically a strong, weather-resistant, 4′ x 8’ sheet of plywood, with a series of channels cut into the top insulation portion of the panel along with a thick sheet of high-grade aluminum, which is permanently bonded to each panel. The aluminum adds a highly conductive heat aspect for heat retention. In fact, it’s about 30% more conductive than most other common alloys, but it also cools down quickly.

Warmboard™ replaces the normal structural subfloor which means it needs to be installed as the house is being built. It can be cut, nailed or screwed and glued directly to your floor joists just like any conventional subfloor. Pipes are run trough the grooves in the subfloor for this hot water heat system. Though most Warmboard™ systems function with water ranging in temperature between 90º and 110º it can vary depending on the type of flooring you are installing. For instance if you are considering a wool carpet or another high resistant floor covering, you can easily use hotter water temperatures and still operate your heating system efficiently.

Warmboard™ also have two important properties, high conductivity and low thermal mass, which means they will heat up quickly and retain heat quite well. Unfortunately, not quite as long as radiant systems imbedded in concrete, but still very good.

On the other hand if your home is already built and you want to install a new hot water heating system, a staple up radiant heat system is what you need to consider. It is the most unobtrusive radiant heat to install in an existing home. It does not add any additional floor thickness or disrupt your existing floor coverings as it is installed underneath the current subfloor between the floor joists.

This system is perfect when you want to add a radiant heat system without replacing your floors or floor coverings. It too has limitations and is only easily possible if your basement is unfinished. This way you could easily staple up radiant heat tubing between your ceiling or floor joists.

A staple-up system is not as responsive as Warmboard™ basically because under-floor radiant heat needs to heat up the wood subfloor and floor covering above. To radiate more heat into your home, you may want to consider installing it with heat transfer plates. These heat transfer plates ensure that your heat lasts much longer as they are a better heat conductor than wood, so your home would not only heat up more quickly, the heat would also last longer.

Both these systems have their advantages. A Warmboard™ panel system can save you time and money as they are easier to install. But it really depends on when you are planning to install your system. Both types of radiant heat systems are a clean and cost effective way to go.

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