The following are five typical methods for replacing
heating in homes with Entran II radiant tubing.
Staple-up
As the name implies, new radiant tubing is stapled-up underneath
existing subfloors, whether in a crawl space, basement or above
the ceiling underneath a second floor. Existing insulation
and Entran II tubing are first removed, discarded, and a heat
shield is attached to the subfloor in advance of the tubing,
to provide optimum heat distribution. If tubing is installed
in a floor under existing finished areas (such as a basement
or first floor), the entire ceiling must be removed and replaced.
Once the heat shield and tubing are installed and tested, foil-faced
fiberglass insulation is installed under the tubing with the
foil facing up, providing an additional reflective surface.
The staple-up is the lowest cost option for Entran II replacement,
but is only practical where there is a crawl space or basement
throughout the house.
Radiators
With this method new supply and return piping is installed
throughout the house to radiator locations in each room. To
facilitate this piping, walls, floors, and/or ceilings are
cut and pipe is installed. Once piping is complete and tested,
surfaces are patched, textured and painted. If walls are hard-toweled
plaster, the restoration costs may increase significantly.
The radiators we recommend are Runtal euro-style steel panel
units or Thermo Tek. See www.runtalnorthamerica.com .
This is the least costly replacement method when existing Entran
II tubing is embedded in or below a concrete slab.
Radiant overlay
This is the most expensive and problematic approach to Entran
II replacement, but maintains radiant floor heat in a concrete
slab home. In the Santa Fe area, slabs are often covered with
relatively thick tile. This tile (or other flooring) is removed
and a steel mesh is attached to the slab. New radiant tubing
is then installed and tied to the steel mesh. A 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 “ layer
of GypCrete (a liquid gypsum product that dries and hardens)
is poured over the tubing and a new finished floor is installed.
At this point the new finished floor elevation is an inch
or two higher than the original floor which creates two problems.
First is the new floor is higher than outside door thresholds.
These doors and their frames have to be removed and reinstalled,
including possible plaster patch inside and out. Second is
that cabinet toespaces in kitchen and baths no longer have
adequate height. This means cabinets have to be removed and
reinstalled at the new finished floor level. Tile wall-surrounds,
countertops and sinks/lavatories have to be reworked. Interior
doors have to be cut down.
Rooftop forced air units
A popular solution to Entran II problems is to install heating
or heating/cooling units on the roof or in crawl space (if
available). Ducting is then installed on the roof, in the attic
or in the crawl space. In general, however, Santa Fe homes
do not have crawl spaces or attics, which means the ductwork
and units are exposed on roof. This can be unsightly and often
against covenants. If the home has parapets at least 24” high
and there are not many changes in roof levels, this method
works well. Numerous holes will have to be cut and patched
in the roof and ductwork maintained weathertight. A real advantage
of this system is that air-conditioning can be achieved for
a small extra cost.
Brick on sand
If Entran II tubing is in sand bed below brick flooring, the
brick is entirely removed and salvaged. New tubing is installed
in the sand and the brick reinstalled and refinished.
General conditions
1. Except with the staple-up and roof-top methods, there is
much disruption to the living areas of the house, and it is
generally not practical for the house to be occupied when work
is in progress. In our proposal for Entran II replacement we
include moving and storage, which includes packing of all furniture
and possessions, transfer to bonded storage, with all items
moved back to house and set in place once work is completed.
2. Once the work is complete and the house is still vacant,
we employ a janitorial service to thoroughly clean the entire
house.
3. Any of the above scenarios may require cutting and patching
of finished surfaces. Our proposal will include satisfactory
restoration of all surfaces whether they are tile, carpet,
wood, sheetrock, plaster, paint, sheetmetal or roofing.
4. Existing boiler and related equipment may or may not have
to be replaced, in conjunction with Entran II replacement.
All equipment will be evaluated and recommendation made to
homeowner when work is in progress.
Copyright 2004 John M. Onstad
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