Radiant floor heating in a 4" slab

[Endurance_Girl]

Hi,

I'm contemplating the Victoria Cottage to build as my first home since I can't find anything I like in my price range in Helena, MT.  I'm looking into the flooring options and am very interested in the 4" slab with the radiant floor heating.  Has anyone installed this and how much did it cost?  Did you do it yourself or did you contract it out and if so, how much did that cost?  Also, I'm planning on building the second bedroom and sitting area upstairs.  Does the radiant floor heating help heat the upstairs as well, or are baseboard heaters recommended upstairs?  I'm trying to gather as much information about the building process that I possibly can.  I have a lot of friends and family in the contruction business so I should be able to keep the costs pretty low, and I'm planning on finishing the interior and siding myself with help from some family members.    Anyway, thank you for any information you may be able to offer.  

[spinnm]

Prices vary widely from place to place.  I'm thinking that it ought to be pretty common in Helena.

Check around and get prices there.  Try to find a plumber who only does that.  Prices will be cheaper if they specialize.

You can DIY.  Not hard....the laying of the PEX that is.   But you'll have to educate yourself on design.  Number of zones and lengths of runs have to be just right.  Otherwise, will be too cold or too warm.  Think that Wirsbo might have  a tutorial on their web site.

Not all PEX is the same.  You have to decide which you prefer.

You can create the heat with any number of things.  A traditional boiler, solar, even a domestic HWH.

Be sure that you check prices well.  If you give a RIH specialist the whole deal, may not save any $$ by doing the PEX yourself.  He's going to be buying the materials cheaper than you.

Depending upon the house design, you may not need heat upstairs.  If you do, you can use traditional baseboard fins, or radiators, or the new stuff that looks like baseboard material...even pex in light weight concrete.  Depends upon how much $$ you can devote to the project.

[tc-vt]

I did mine myself last year.  I'm fortunate enough to live close to Radiantec in Vermont.  I used 7/8 PEX in the slab which was poured about 5 to 5 1/2 inches thick.  I first put poly sheeting down, then rebar 2 ft on center placed on scrap blocks, then the tubing, then 6x6 wire mesh on the tubing.  I had fears of walking on the tubing when pouring the cement but it doesn't seem to be a problem.  I have a 30x20 footprint and used to runs of about 200-220 feet each.

Tom