What’s the best way to heat a home? That’s an easy answer for Toronto, Ontario contractor Alex Genzer.
The name of his 15-year-old company is a tip-off: The Boiler Guys. Genzer is all in on hydronic heating. “We specialize in radiant in-floor heating, boilers, snow melting systems, radiators, pretty much anything you can heat with water,” Genzer says.
Today Genzer and his team are riding the renovation wave sweeping across Canada’s largest city. More and more homeowners are switching to in-floor heating in the process. “They’ve done their homework,” Genzer says.
What advice does The Boiler Guys have for contractors working with in-floor heating systems? Here are 6 rules he recommends:
- Select the Right In-Floor Heating Application. Should it be a staple-down system covered in lightweight cement? A sandwich construction approach with sleeper 2x4s, tubes and a dual subfloor? Radiant subfloor panels from Warmboard? A system where you heat underneath the joist spaces? One size doesn’t fit all, especially with in-floor radiant heating.
- Pump Size Matters. Too many contractors over-size the water pump, wasting energy and homeowner dollars according to Genzer. If an engineer is involved in the project, pay close attention to what he or she advises for the pump. “A general rule of thumb is one gallon per minute equals 10,000 BTUs. Let’s say you have a 100,000 BTU boiler. You only need 10 gallons per minute through that boiler. Anything more is too much,” he says.
- Know Your Customer. Genzer says customer communication is key to a well-formed in-floor heating plan in a renovation. Genzer starts by asking how many people are living in the home. What rooms are seldom used? Do they want multiple thermostats (some homes could have up to 10 separate heating zones)?
- What About Oversized Rooms? In-floor heating does have its limits. A great room or a room with big windows may be beyond the capabilities of an in-floor system alone. “We may have to add secondary heat, such as a radiator, panel rad, or a trench heater. But another great option is to install Warmboard panels in the walls.” he advises.
- Carpet vs. Tile. A carpeted floor usually requires more heating than a more conductive tiled floor. What happens if a tiled floor is later carpeted-over? “We just adjust the water temperature in that zone,” Genzer says.
- Upper Floors. Most homes aren’t engineered to support a slab system on the second or third floors. Fortunately, “Warmboard is just like laying down a subfloor, because that’s what it is with the piping system already in place. It’s very easy to install. What’s more, you could end up saving money by not re-engineering the structure.”
Genzer understands in-floor heating’s growing popularity. “They’re about 50 percent cheaper to run than a furnace. The monthly heating bill for one high-efficiency home we renovated is $9 and that includes domestic hot water,” Genzer reports. “I usually hear, ‘I wish I had met your guys sooner.’”
To learn more about in-floor heating systems, especially Warmboard applications, visit www.warmboard.com.
