Dry system radiant flooring

Dry system radiant flooring is radiant heat installed beneath a finished floor without material poured over the tubing. Several manufacturers offer dry radiant systems that position radiant floor tubing above floor, between two layers of plywood, or below floor under the subfloor. Hydronic radiant floor systems pump heated water through tubing positioned in loops beneath the finished floor. The heated water flowing through the tubes heats the surrounding air and flooring material. The floor emits energy as a result of its temperature

Above floor systems are installed above the sub floor and below the finished floor. These systems use a grooved wood panel installed beneath the finished floor. The dimensions of the panels may vary, depending on manufacturer. Cross-linked polyethylene tubing (PEX) is inserted in the grooves of the panels and sets flush with the panel surface. Manufacturers claim their panels work under a variety of floor coverings: tile, marble, vinyl, wood and carpeting.

Below floor systems are installed under the subfloor. These systems include attaching the PEX tubing to the bottom of the subfloor or suspending the tubing from the subfloor. This system is popular for retrofits and is less costly to install than the above floor systems. Below floor systems require a higher source temperature to perform equivalently to an above floor system.

An above floor system uses 7x48-inch or 10x48-inch and ½-inch thick panel. These panels can be purchased individually or accordion style. The accordion style is six panels of desired width adhered together using fiber tape, which unfold to cover a larger surface area. This floor system is grooved for 5/16-inch PEX tubing and the panel bottoms are covered with aluminum. One hundred and eighty-degree return panels are available in 7 and 10-inch widths.

Another system is considered to have a dual function panel. This panel offers the structural requirements of a subfloor diaphragm in conventional construction, as well as a radiant floor heating system. The 4x8-foot, and 1-1/8-inch thick, engineered Comply panel is tongue-and-groove. It has a top surface with a modular groove pattern 12-inch on center. The panel is designed for ½-inch PEX tubing. A sheet of 0.025-inch thick alloy aluminum that contours with the groove pattern is permanently bonded to the surface. These panels come in three variations, panels with straight grooves, 90 or 180° turns.