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Then you're good to go. My time is more valuable to me than money. That attitude also has the benefit of keeping me from screwing up a lot around the house.
Hey Tek - just an odd tidbit that you might want to consider heating-wise if you go radiant. I too looked at radiant floor heating when we did a major refurb on our place after deciding to stay put at retirement in 2007.
It was a natural consideration for us as we had an existing baseboard hot water & domestic system. We wanted to at least replace the 25+ year old boiler with a much more efficient one anyhow. We were doing some renovations which made the old baseboard perimeter run heaters a nuisance.
I must note that were other factors involved as I also installed a whole house propane backup generator as well. Electrical usage/load was a consideration for generator sizing considerations according to my generator consultant guy. That came into play when looking at electrical load for pumping hot water through the system for perimeter line (old system, w/o or with radiators) or the full in-floor system. We also installed a propane fueled "wood stove" as an auxiliary heating unit since we had the propane available. (DW demanded some source of cold hands warmer )
End result and the odd tidbit I'm babbling about is to consider using modern radiators available in lieu of the full under floor radiant heating route if you go hydronic. They can approach works of art as well as heat your space quite nicely. We ended up replacing some of our radiant baseboard runs with radiators.
The US is way behind the Europeans on this, I got the idea after seeing some really attractive radiators in Europe on our trips. I also found that doing a full under floor radiant system refurb to be rather pricey in our situation and opted to stay with a mix of perimeter runs and radiators.
We ended up with some German radiator units. I don't even know if the US has any mfg.s, but I'd stay with the guys who have much more experience with them (Europeans) if you go that route.
Unless you have had radiant heat in your home you will never understand.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tek_Freek
Keeping the cost down means not paying for labor. It might take me longer, but there's nothing about installing it (except the boiler and controls) that I can't do. Flooring and the underfloor tubing is not that tough, just time consuming.
Tek I can understand. Not everyone can use the brush either. Oh and by the way you are absolutely correct. Installation of the tubing is the bull work of that project. I have radiant and I absolutely love it. For those who have never had it. Imagine having no carpeting yet on those cold frosty mornings you get out of bed and put your feet down on the floor. Without radiant your feet get cold, with your feet just feel warmth. It is especially comfy on the bathroom tiles. Try that with FHA or baseboard heat. There is no need for that dust magnet of a carpet wall to wall or otherwise.
When getting building materials at HD, L's, or any other outlet be sure to find out all the discounts you can think of. I posted in Chat just now about a military discount (apparently at any age) at HD. Didn't know that existed. I usually ask for the mgr and tell her/him I'm a golden customer and also a senior and 'what's the best you can do for me.' I've gotten some good deals on larger purchases, and on extended payment times when they weren't in promotional mode. Also if your friend or neighbor needs stuff you can purchase together and get the largest discount possibly offered for the bigger order.
ETA: My neighbors and I are going to do our driveways at the same time with the same contractors, for a considerable discount.
True. But if I pay everyone to do all the installations I'll be left with little to do. And I enjoy that type of work as long as it's not too heavy, as I no longer do well with heavy things. I find as I get older using levers is becoming a familiar occurrence.
My home improvement expertise begins and ends with changing lightbulbs. And my wife complains that I don't do that right! (She says that I put them in crooked somehow, lol.)
My toolbox consists of my checkbook and Angie's List.
When I built my house, the designer wanted radiant heat. I wanted ducts so I could have central a/c. If you want a/c, you need the ducts. However,my builder recently added to his non-central a/c house these sort of white tubes that you see on International House Hunters. Air conditioning units that are very powerful. One does the whole downstairs and you don't have the ugly boxes hanging out of windows.
That's what I've realized after a lot of reading. Everyone that's had it seems to think it's the best.
Of course wanting it and getting it are two different things. Mrs. Tek might just freak a little at the cost involved.
It is worth it to do as much of the hard labor as you can. Bring all the tubing to a central point where the boiler is and have some one connect it. Two different ways to run it I found. One is the traditional water pump and zone set up. The other is individual pumps for each of the loops and connect them into zones. Just make sure that you select a good plumber.
Quote:
Originally Posted by newenglandgirl
When getting building materials at HD, L's, or any other outlet be sure to find out all the discounts you can think of. I posted in Chat just now about a military discount (apparently at any age) at HD. Didn't know that existed. I usually ask for the mgr and tell her/him I'm a golden customer and also a senior and 'what's the best you can do for me.' I've gotten some good deals on larger purchases, and on extended payment times when they weren't in promotional mode. Also if your friend or neighbor needs stuff you can purchase together and get the largest discount possibly offered for the bigger order.
ETA: My neighbors and I are going to do our driveways at the same time with the same contractors, for a considerable discount.
For his heating he will need to go to a plumbing and heating supply. There are several places like F W Webb up here NeG. HD or Lowes will not have the proper tubing. It will also depend on which way he is installing the tubing. Above or below the subfloor will be very different installations. If he has access to the underneath from say the basement for the first floor he can do some drilling through the joists and run his tubing between the joists. If he don't they have a system that is laid over the subfloor and under the hardwood or whatever final flooring is done.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MadManofBethesda
My home improvement expertise begins and ends with changing lightbulbs. And my wife complains that I don't do that right! (She says that I put them in crooked somehow, lol.)
My toolbox consists of my checkbook and Angie's List.
My experience has been quite different. I have done most of my home improvements. There are a few things I will not do. One is roofing for safety reasons. The other is the connection to the heating on the burner. Just not comfortable with it.
Still if I can do some of the work or assist I am good.
When I built my house, the designer wanted radiant heat. I wanted ducts so I could have central a/c. If you want a/c, you need the ducts. However,my builder recently added to his non-central a/c house these sort of white tubes that you see on International House Hunters. Air conditioning units that are very powerful. One does the whole downstairs and you don't have the ugly boxes hanging out of windows.
I added central air after market to my house. Not a huge problem. One unit does the whole house with ease.
My home improvement expertise begins and ends with changing lightbulbs. And my wife complains that I don't do that right! (She says that I put them in crooked somehow, lol.)
My toolbox consists of my checkbook and Angie's List.
I know lots of people for who this is a truism. I had to do my own for so long that it's natural now. As a child I learned to take bicycle coaster brakes apart and fix them because the money to pay someone to do it simply wasn't there.
Anyone who has done that knows what I'm talking about. It will drive you daft trying to put it all back together correctly. I was probably 8 or so the first time I did it.
All those brake shoes have to line up just perfectly or no go. And they move very easily.
A friend I met in high school and his dad tore down, repaired, and rebuilt a Hydramatic automatic transmission in an early-fifties Hudson. Their only reference was a poster of that transmission in an exploded view. Moxie at it's best. Here's a Google search of some images.
In response to an earlier post. I will no longer do roofing. It's just too much.
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My time is more valuable to me than money. That attitude also has the benefit of keeping me from screwing up a lot around the house.
