Think concrete is about 3 to 4 inches.

How thick does concrete need to be for radiant heat. Installing pex tubing in a concrete slab is one of the easiest ways to install radiant heat. This concrete mix is poured. That is a barefoot friendly slab surface temperature, lower the ambient to 68f 14x32= 28 btu/sq.ft.

If water radiant heating is added, it would add approx an inch. The problem is we only have 1 1/2” to work with, due to the stair height. Very thick thermal mass walls and floors may take too long.

It is usually 1.5 thick, but there is nothing inherently wrong with only 1 thick when tile will be placed over. Using our guidelines below you can easily figure out which kit you need based on your building size, slab thickness, and level of energy. The base you normally use under does not need to be changed.

When installed in a concrete slab, radiant underfloor heating is. Multiply the mass by the specific heat capacity of concrete, 0.2 btu/lb/degree f. Hydronic radiant floor heat 101.

A topping slab will need to be at least 1 ½” thick in order to accommodate the tubing plus some reinforcing mesh over the top and then to have about ¾” of concrete over. Electric radiant floors consist of the electric cables installed on the floor. As a rule of thumb, gypsum concrete should be installed at ¾” thick over the top of the radiant heat tubes.

The thickness of the slab does not have to change because of radiant floor heat. But normally it is encased in the concrete floor so it wouldn’t add height if the project is planned out right. A large concrete slab floor can moderate temperatures in the rest of the building.