You've probably never been in a home with properly sized ductwork. Don't feel bad, it's estimated that as much as 3/4 of the heating and cooling systems in the US are oversized. 2 stage and modulating furnaces are better, but I've lived in a home with both, and both can be very comfortable and the single stage equipment doesn't make it feel more dry that I can tell. BUt you are correct, multistage cna reduce the sense of dryness you might get with a less than ideal system. THe RH of hot air is lower than cooler air, but cool air can make things feel drafty. That's why radiant heat is popular. You essentially have very, very low air velocities and much of the heat energy is indirect infrared heat which make you feel warmer, similar to direct sunlight. Keep in mind too, that unless you have an outdoor rest control for hte boiler or to sped up or slow the circulator, most hydronic air handlers are single stage for heating. So the heat is no different than a furnace. Worse, as you reduce BTU's to the coil, the airflow speed is usually ocnstant, so air temps get cooler. My point being, that a properly designed and installed furnace won;t make it feel dry even if single stage. But yes, oversized furnaces and those with restricted airflow can. Vairble capacity will always make the system more comfortable, but it will cost more. Radiant heat overall is superior, but the installed cost is much, much higher. That's why it fell out of favor. Same reason drywall took over the market and plaster disapeared. ITs' primarily a matter of cost. It's also why stone and brick homes aren't built anymore and concrete homes are the minority.

We're in Vegas and have done a lot of "try outs" at our own home, I made DH put in a separate slab on an unused side of the house for some tests. I wanted to finally put stone around our 16 year old pool, one passed the heat test and just this year it was d/c here, not selling due to bad economy. So after a few cocktails I agree to let him put the new Xcel deck IR (infra red?) over our old Mortex. He also had some Xcel deck coat, same color, that was not the new "IR". After yesterday in 105 full sun, I can say the IR is cooler than regular Xcel deck, and both were cooler than the old Mortex Kool Deck. I am happy with the color, tea and cream, a medium tan. Their website just says the color will determine how hot it gets and I didn't want a dark color. We have been using Xcel deck for about 4 years and haven't had any problems with cracking/peeling, either new pool decks or re-done decks. We now give homeowners the option with the IR upgrade, it is more expensive but looks exactly the same as the standard deck coat they sell. It is acrylic. We do at least 3 steps,bond coat, scratch coat and top coats. Hope this helps, Barb

Temp peaked at 89 F. It was partly cloudy and when the sun was covered, it was bearable. I worked outside all afternoon, but made sure I had my straw hat on and I positioned my work in the shade. 'Twas bearable. Dew point 65 F. Temp falling into low 70s tonight. My air conditioner does not have to work very hard to maintain comfy living quarters. Can't complain, but it may be more humid tomorrow and my project continues. I'm rebuilding a front walk made of patio stone. Was sealing the stones today to protect them from melting chemicals. That's what tore up the original walk.

I can confirm the bluestone is unbearably hot for my kids and even for adults. This is the case on 80+ degree days and any area in full sun. We researched this topic, talked to our architect and our contractor and no one really steered us away from it. Most said it was not much different than concrete or another stone. Sadly I should have trusted my gut and spent the time to go back to the drawing board and look into another material.