I am just getting started on a project and one of the things we are deciding on is radiant floor heat. In the kitchen for sure we are going with tile and are going to put radiant heat under it. In the adjoined dining/sitting-tv room we don't know for sure if we are going carpet or tile. If we go tile the job of finding radiant heat is not too bad. If we go with carpet we are going to put radiant heat under that because it is a room that has no basement and the room does not heat evenly which leaves it sometimes uncomfortable in the cold season.
For tile floors are there any recommendations that you have for a good radiant heat. I do have some that I have found that look good but some of you have some good pointers.
The hard one is if we do decide to do carpet there has been a very limited choice to chose from. Anyone with some good leads? Thanks.

 

Because of the no heat issue under the room it tends to be cooler and uncomfortable. Is there anything else a person would suggest to use to help out the situation?

 

Are you looking at hot water heat, or electric heat for this?

For the cool room, is there a basement or crawl space under it?

 

Electric radiant heat is what I am looking at.

There is no heated space below this room. That is the problem. There is not enough insulation between the ground and the floor. I am taking up the floor and adding a ton of insulation also.

 

I think pretty much any brand electric floor heat will work. I've only been around a couple, and couldn't point to the right one.

But before you do anything get some insulation on the cold floors. I take there no crawl space to get in there?

 

No, it is a converter garage so there is no crawl space.

 

If we do decide to go with carpet in the one room, I have found a carpet pad that is great and they say the R value is 22 with that alone. What other alternatives could I use instead of radiant heat to keep the room warmer. One more vent should help but is there some special insulation I could use or some that is better than others. Is there a reflective material I could use between the joists or something to put down before the plywood goes down? The problem is that there is no heat coming from under this room. I am planning on insulating the heck out of it.

If we do decide to do tile than radiant is a must no matter how well I insulate the floor and space below.

 

How are the walls for insulation?

I am not the insulation guy, you may want to head over to this section of the board.

If you only got one supply vent in this area, add another.. Also are there any returns in this room/area?

 

I have two vents but they are on the east end of the room. I need one to the west end.
No, there are no return vents but it will be next to impossible to put one in. What if I put a vent in the upper corner of the room and put a vent in the adjacent room that has a return in it. Would that work?
Walls and ceilings are good for insulation.

 

I don't think cutting a hole in the next room is going to help much for return.. I am guessing you got an open hall way going to this room, and there's a return there?