Carpet and padding for Eichlers
We are shopping for carpet and padding that will be most energy efficient in our Eichler--that will conduct as much heat as possible through the floor. We are getting conflicting information about what type of pad to get (felt, foam, etc.). Some padding says "safe for Eichlers," but we think that means it will withstand the heat, not that it will conduct the heat well. Any suggestions on what to look for and best suppliers of both padding and carpeting are most appreciated.
Thanks and happy holidays,
Jean
Hi,
I went to the Floor Club and they showed me a product that was specifically used for radiant heating. I have not tried it.
I have the standard padding now and it seems to work OK. You can not feel any heat when walking on the carpet but if you lay down on the floor (or lay anthing on the floor) the heat will get traped there and warm up nicely.
Regards,
-- Ralph
Jean,
We used a "slab" rubber pad under our carpeting. My internet research showed that a rubber pad was the best for conducting heat.
You have to make sure to avoid a "waffle" rubber pad. The waffle includes a lot of air pockets that can act as insulators.
Please note that the rubber pad is expensive and would be a special order from your local carpet store. I believe that a rubber pad is more typically used for commercial applications.
We have been pleased with the results, but I do not know if a more conventional pad would work much differently. Like Ralph, we don't really feel the heat when walking on the carpet, but when we have something on the floor that traps the heat under it, we can certainly feel the warmth.
We also used a low-pile, berber sort of carpet, but nothing fancy.
A couple websites for you to look at:
http://www.shawfloors.com/FloorChoices/Carpet/BuyingPad/TypesOfCarpetPad...
http://www.radiantpanelassociation.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=143
http://www.carpetguru.com/pad200.htm
http://www.rpa-info.com/forums/Forum24/HTML/000925.html
Also, you may just want to do a Google search:
http://www.google.com/search?q=radiant+heat+carpet+pad
Good luck with your project.
Jeff
I've heard that TUPLEX is one of the best underlayments that can be utilized over radiant heating systems. See product information at:
