Radiant Heat
BESI's "Radiant Roll" EPDM tubing system disappearing under a pour for a new radiant, hydronic slab.
by Paul Hanke
Praised for its ability to provide draft-free, even
heating that is economical and virtually
noiseless, radiant heating has been used for
centuries. The Romans used a hypocaust to
channel warm air under the floors of their
villas. A similar system, the ondol, was used in
Korea to channel flue gases underfloor, thereby
providing warmth on the way to the chimney.
More recently, large masonry stoves that
radiated heat into living spaces for hours or
days after fuel ceased burning were used in
several eastern European countries. In the U.S.,
Frank Lloyd Wright championed radiant