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Simply replacing regular under-slab insulation with Heat-Sheet radiant floor panels is a cost-effective way to add purchase value to the homes you build. With significantly lower labor costs than the competition and a unique design, Heat-Sheet radiant floor panels are the go-to product for modern home design by equipping homes for easy install of a future radiant floor system without the need for a costly renovation.
Radiant Floor Heating
For homeowners and house buyers alike, radiant heat flooring (RHF) is a welcome addition, especially in basements and slab-on-grade floors. Sadly, the costs of retrofitting RHF into an existing home can be quite steep, and at this point most owners will skip the chance to invest in this otherwise desirable upgrade. Builders are likewise deterred from entirely pre-installing RHF into new homes due to the perceived extra cost. Why spend significantly on an upgrade and risk getting little or nothing in return?
However, roughing in RHF before pouring your slabs is an easy upgrade that will cost you little, yet add tremendous value for your buyers.
This upgrade costs little and adds tremendous value!
RHF rough-ins are not a major addition; they’re more of a shift to the way you insulate floors. Consider this: by swapping your regular under-slab insulation – which you’re on the hook for anyway – for Heat-Sheet panels and some inexpensive pex tubing, you equip the home for a future RHF system at a minimal cost. Should they want to, your buyers can now get their own boiler and connect the system at a later date: no demolition, no rework, no permits, no hassle.
Adding RHF to an existing home is so costly and intrusive, that many buyers would consider paying a premium to have the tubing in their floors already installed and ready to go.
Worried about costs?
When you build homes on a production scale, you may be wary of blowing money on luxury additions. The truth is – you won’t spend that much. Compared to the mammoth expense of installing RHF from scratch, your costs for enabling its future addition are minimal.
Choosing Heat-Sheet’s RHF panels will help keep your spending low. Our 2’x4’, interlocking panels allow for easy, multidirectional installation of the tubes – all you have to do is walk them into place! What’s more, the Heat-Sheet Panels come in a wide array of thermal resistance ratings – R8, R10, R12, and R14, and in most applications, can be used without an added vapor barrier. Here’s what you’ll need to complete the upgrade:
- Heat-Sheet panels – roughly one panel per 8 ft² of floor space; keep in mind that in most scenarios you’d need under-slab insulation anyway, so this may not add up to much
- tubing – roughly 1.5 feet per ft² of the slab
- Heat-Sheet staples – 3-5 for each 180° bend
- additional 1/2-inch of concrete to account for the nodules in the Heat-Sheet panels
For a better idea of the quantities, check out our one-minute estimator.
Things to keep in mind
When you choose Heat Sheet’s radiant panels in your projects, there are a few key things you should remember.
First: draft a hydronic design or take photos of the system layout before you conceal it within the slab. These documents will help your buyers plan future remodeling projects around the tubing.
Second: If you subcontracted the work, tell your buyers whom you contracted to install the tubing. For best results, the same company should lay the pipes, connect the boiler, and commission the entire system.
Wrapping it up
Construction is competitive. We know it, you know it. Want to stay ahead of the pack? Take your product a step further with Heat-Sheet panels and offer your clients a unique, desirable feature without blowing your budget. Our panels are inexpensive, easy to set in place, and give your clients a chance to make their system live later without splurging on a massive remodeling project. Before you pour, ask for Heat-Sheet!
Sources
https://heat-sheet.com/#products
https://heat-sheet.com/what-are-radiant-floor-heating-systems/
https://heat-sheet.com/pros-and-cons-of-radiant-floor-heating/
