what do you use under heat mats
9 years ago
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Comments (6)
- 9 years ago
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Why won't anyone put in heat mats under hardwood??
Comments (5)It is being done...you have to find a flooring specialist willing to do it and to assume the liability inherent in such a job. Some individuals will accept the risk inherent when working with new products and can absorb some floor failures. I have very little confidence in the willingness of manufacturers of flooring and related products to support the individual contractor by assuming some of the risk...hence, I have refused such jobs so far. Installing a wood floor, especially a solid, and getting a gap free and stable result over time can be a difficult task. Add this relatively new underfloor heating technology and some of us would rather pass on the work and give it to others willing to accept the added liability. Keep looking...I know some of my colleagues do this work...I am sure you'll be able to find someone skilled and experienced to take on the job....See Moreunder rug heating mats
Comments (3)Oops, I just noticed all the typos in my last post. Sorry for that! I had an 8x10 for the room and a smaller one under my desk. I did not have another source for heat in the room, but I live in the SF Bay Area. It does not get very cold here. I used them under flat weave wool rugs with the recommended pad thickness - I think 1/4". The floors were perfect for me when I walked around in my socks - warm, but not too hot. Hope this helps. Let me know if you have other questions....See MoreSpeedHeat electric radiant heat mats under carpet
Comments (9)Actually, I have saved considerably on my heating bills since I started using Speedheat's Rug Buddy. I started with one in the living room and then put them in all of my bedrooms, too. I used to keep my house a toasty 74 - not very green, I know, but I've always ran cold... but now, I only heat the rooms I'm using and keep it at about 68... it's a much different heat than blowing ones... it's like it heats you all the way to your bones or something... It takes about an hour to get the room up about 20 degrees or so if you cover about 50% or so of the room... about half an hour in the rooms that are 85% covered. Of course, your feet are warm within about 5 minutes, so that's helpful. I use the plug-in stat they have now in the baby room because I care more about the control, but the others, I just put them on a timer. They have an electrical cost calculator on their site. Just remember that you will use it less than other heaters because of the comfort level difference... and of course, you don't have to heat rooms you aren't using if you don't want to, which saves, too. - I think there are some that were on the market before that were more expensive to run - and I know hydronic is REALLY expensive. My uncle has it in NY, and it takes a pretty penny... I told him to just do this, but I haven't convinced him yet. lol Here is a link that might be useful: Speedheat's Running Cost Calculator...See Moreheat mat or no heat mat with hardy annuals? (list)
Comments (10)"I was definitely planning to use heat mats for my hot flowers (zinnia, celosia)." Absolutely. They'll do well at anything from room temperature to warmer, and prefer the warmer. Post sprout, however, I still relegate these to the cellar and the 60-65 regime; slow growth is fine for the development phase and tends to lead to bushier, stronger plants as I can't recreate full sunlight (I manage about 2500 lumen/sq ft, which is a terrible way to measure plant lights...but about 75% of the spectrum is usable under modern definitions). 17 hours a day. "Would you recommend grow lights in the 60 degree room before germination? I know that a lot of these need light to germinate and I didn't know if the ambient light in barn would be enough. So far the plan now is to set them up on shelves, NO heat mat, and let them do their thing naturally!" They probably won't need it; light doesn't mean much light, just enough to set off the seed. If it's bright enough that you don't turn on a light to see by to walk around in there, it's bright enough. If it's so dark a human can't see, they'll need some light...but not a vast amount before sprouting. Post sprout, almost everything you listed needs the brightest illumination you can give it from an LED, fluorescent, or HID source (I am NOT in love with the HID spectrum, which is not optimal for plants, but was historically used because it was the best thing going at the time; today, any cheap LED is better). People will argue spectrum. It doesn't matter; warm white, cool white, for that period of time, go for intensity over a favored output in your price range. Plants use red AND blue, and young plants use both very efficiently; yellows and greens less so (although they do use them). And don't forget you'll need a hardening-off period when they go outside; they'll never have seen a day under 63, probably a day much over 70, rain, full sun, or a wind. Plan on a week to ten days for that....See More- 9 years ago
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