A prewired ceiling panel which has cracked as a result of a person stepping on it in the attic. We have radiant heat in our ceilings, and some of them have stopped working. Bubbles in the plaster surrounding the wires allow them to overheat and burn out. I live in the chicago area and ive never had the need for a back up heat source. I use it on everything from nail holes to major cracks and drywall patches. Numerous applications over many years have shown that pex tubing does not degrade when embedded in concrete, eliminating concerns about longterm durability. How to patch a plaster and lath ceiling ask this old. The most practical thing for homeowner is to use radiant heaters to heat the ceiling mounts. Did you know that radiant ceiling is better than radiant floor. Plastered ceiling wradiant heat im looking for advice on the best methods to repair cracks in plastered ceilings with radiant heat. Whole house heat can be electric radiant as long as it is not the sole source of heat. For the 67 amp zone i will probably go with the honeywell tl8230a1003 which is programmable and i found it online for about 47. I need to replace my old thermostat for radiant ceiling heat.
Should i use ditra for my slate floor with radiant heat and 2 layers of plywood. It has electric radiant heat in the up stairs ceiling. How to size and install a ceiling fan how to flatten a textured ceiling. The contractor pulled the old carpet, laid screwed a grey concrete board to the. Can the ceiling panels be repaired some are cracked an.
We were looking into other sources of heating as we found this form of heating to be very expensive, but were also wondering if there have been improvements to this type of heat since it was installed when the house was built 33 years ago. Electric radiant heating is fairly common in bathroom floors, especially those with ceramic or marble tile. Old ceiling height was at the bottom of that steel beam. There are electric radiant products that can be installed below almost any floor, including hardwood and carpet. Im not the original owner and i think at one point the temp was just too high. Because they do heat, i think that the problem is not in the heaters themselves, but in their thermostat or thermostats probe. With baseboard, 80% of the heat is transferred by convection and only 20% by radiation. I grew up in dewitt in a home with radiant ceiling heat that was built about 1972 and according to my mother its still working fine to this day so the system can last quite a while. The house is about 35 years old and in the 35 years prior to my work the ceiling started to sag and crack in every upstairs room. Realized how disgusting our 60 year old kitchen cabinet hardware was and. Drywall that sags and cracks may result in breaks in the heating element.
Best option to fix cracks in ceiling with radiant heat. Existing homes radiant ceiling panels can be laid into suspended tbar ceilings, suspended on. I understand that cracking is not unusual under the circumstances. In older construction, a drywall ceiling may eventually crack and sag due to moisture or excessive load. The walls and ceilings are plaster on lath boards, 2x8 gypsum board. Frequently asked questions about radiant heat radiantec. Currently they are redoing the kitchen which has a large crack which is about 8 to 10 feet long. In order to move them, i need a longer run of wire. In older homes with plaster ceilings, movement and moisture may create cracks.
Plaster ceiling repair how to address cracks in plaster in a. Cracks in the ceiling can be cosmetic or indicative of a serious structural problem. I have seen in a couple of homes with radiant ceiling heat. Radiant heating systems supply heat directly to the floor or to panels in the wall or ceiling of a house. Electric radiant heating the ashi reporter inspection. We use the bathroom zone in the winter but otherwise we keep it at 50 degrees and heat with wood. Thermostat for radiant ceiling heat greenbuildingtalk. Radiant heat, like most electric heating applications, is 100% efficient. The theory and the way they sold these ceiling radiant systems was that the panels radiated energy and the energy was converted to heat when it reached an object like a chair or the floor. If designed correctly, radiant heat will heat the room to comfort including the air so you have to have enough thermal output if by design, you need 2500 watts to heat an area or room, you install 2500 watts of ceiling heat. My parents house has copper radiant heat in the slab 50 years old and still working. The design and construction of your ceiling can make a room. How do i repair radiant heating cracks in our ceiling.
Radiant heat off the ceiling especially a sloped ceiling feels very natural to humans since it mimics the sun. This style of radiant ceiling heat is much harder to fix when it fails. Get shopping advice from experts, friends and the community. Thermostat for radiant ceiling heat green building forums. In the older form, electric heating elements are sandwiched between a layer of drywall and a layer of plaster. Radiant heating provides a more consistent temperature, without all the heat ending up at the ceiling. A multimeter is handy for checking for continuity in radiant heating systems. I jacked up the kitchen spot and screwed it with a ton of screws and patched it with mud. Jan 06, 2015 heat rises and placing air vents on the ceiling or even baseboards results in significant energy waste. The house i grew up in had hot air that blasted out of. Electric radiant heating the ashi reporter inspection news. Radiant ceiling heat drywall falling again drywall. I have radiant heat in my plaster ceiling and over the past.
The best way for one to reduce their energy consumption is to use electric radiant ceiling heat. Plastered ceiling wradiant heat drywall contractor talk. What are some common problems with radiant electric. Ceilings have cracking threw out house and patching with the usual suspects has not worked.
Radiant heat in ceiling wiring for a remodel, i have to take down a wall, which involves moving 2 room thermostats that are connected to ceiling radiant heat panels. Heat rises and placing air vents on the ceiling or even baseboards results in significant energy waste. November 17, 2014 one of the greatest features of radiant floor heating other than the incredible efficiency and comfort it can provide your home is the fact that you can customize it to almost any house. Install a few units to address a cold spot or use them as the primary heat source in an office. My old thermostat has red black and white wires going to it and is labled line load and common.
The panels do not require a duct system, are dust free and warm up faster than other heating methods. Old radiant heat ceiling not cooperating, looking for ways to. On the other hand, radiant heated floors, unlike forcedair systems, generate heat where it can be most efficient. I have radiant heat in my plaster ceiling and over the.
In fact, the temperature variant from ceiling to floor is only about 1 c 2 f. Because radiant heat travels in any direction, radiant wall and ceiling heating is very useful and practical. Install radiant ceiling panels behind drywall and provide heat without the need for vents or blowers. Designed to provide maximum comfort at the absolute lowest cost, there is no wasted heat using smartrooms radiant ceiling heat system. If you have the wall being warm, your whole side facing the wall is warm. With a radiant heater, there is less heat loss through ventilation and through cracks around doors and windows. Once it hits an object the sunlight becomes infrared ir radiation or radiant heat. The systems depend largely on radiant heat transfer the delivery of heat directly from the hot surface to the people and objects in the room via infrared radiation.
Cracks in ceilings are caused mostly by settling of the house and the expansion and contraction created during that settling. I have radiant heat in my plaster ceiling and over the past 23 months. Repeat this process several times in the area of the cracks. It is a radiant heating system where it is the ceiling panels that are heated to warm the room, instead of, say, the floor. Install insulation in your house or top up old and thinning insulation. Naturally it was copper pipe and had the original boiler and circulators. Benefits of radiant floor heating in older long island homes. Once the job was done we turned the radiant heat on and all was fine until the. The online description of one of the houses says it has radiant heat. All the thermostats that i find are for baseboard heaters and have only red and black wires. Radiant tube heaters are especially attractive as a garage heating method, for several reasons. If the installer did not correctly wire the system, it does not provide adequate heat.
I am looking for the best solution for fixing these cracks. There was about a 1 foot square that was sagging in the kitchen, but the rest of the house looks okay. I wish my grandfather were still alive so i could ask him how he did the slab. Radiant heating systems are typically located in ceilings and in floors. Radiant ceiling vs radiant floor heating from above. The ceramicircuit l ayin ceiling heater is ideal for institutional and commercial applications where acoustical tile ceilings exist. Old radiant heat ceiling not cooperating, looking for ways.
Radiant ceiling panels provide a different means for heating a home. What are some common problems with radiant electric ceiling heat. In the face of huge popularity, growing success and satisfied customers, its difficult to criticize radiant floor heating technology. If you have ever walked barefoot on a basement floor, you are familiar with the cold and damp shock that can be nearly unbearable to unprotected feet. Aug 19, 2018 ask this old house general contractor tom silva helps a homeowner repair a cracked plaster ceiling in an older home. Done well, under the proper circumstances, radiant floors are among the most comfortable and. The heat does cost a little more currently then gas so that may impact the rent you can charge and ultimately your bottom line. Our electric radiant ceiling heating system also eliminates cold and hot spots throughout the environment. In older construction, radiant ceiling heat often consisted of wires sandwiched between a layer of drywall and a layer of plaster. It can be used as a secondary heat system, such as warming small spaces. Our house is heated with electric radiant heat in the ceilings.
This look at the costs of fixing both floor and ceiling designs will help you decide if radiant heat is right for your home. Though costly to install, a new radiant floor system can be more costeffective in the long run. Radiant tube heaters why an infrared tube heater is so. Soak up the warmth of a radiant hydronic heat system in your home. Electric radiant ceiling heating systems thermaray.
Radiant ceiling heat interior inspections internachi. Old radiant heat ceiling not cooperating, looking for ways to fix it myself. Here, youll discover ceiling options for your next project. Heres how to determine the cause of your ceiling cracksand fix them. Radiant ceiling heat is a style of heating that is significantly different from the radiators or forced air ducts that you may be used to. The radiant heat experiment on a seriously low budget mr. Ive experienced it, although i am tall in the older electric radiant ceilings. I have spend literally days and even weeks on trying to find thermostats for this older ceiling radiant heat and made dozens of calls to manufacturers and suppliers for options. The hardware of this device is mounted over the head making it very practical for homeowner living in small houses. Should you install radiant heating in floors, ceilings or.
The thing about this radiant heat cieling is the cracks are occuring from heating and cooling of the cieling in a rapid manner, not from structual movement, that is why the crack will stay behind the paper tape. Although plaster can also crack, the problem doesnt seem to be as pronounced. Basement floor radiant heating systems are designed to heat a concrete slab, using it to conduct heat that is absorbed by the basement surroundings. Radiant walls and ceilings are much like radiant floor heating in that they create a radiator out of the partial or complete panel, providing rich, even, comfortable temperatures throughout the room. The heating elements are contained in modular tiles the installer fastens to the roof with screws. Looking up to radiant ceilings for heating and cooling. Does anyone know of a way for me to extend the wire to the thermostat withoout taking down the ceiling. How do i repair the crack in my travertine floor over electric radiant. Score the crack with a utility knife to remove any loose plaster or. This heating system was not a success due to the problem of the ceiling plaster cracking.
Adding the convective to the radiant is why im a big fan of thermal mass, because it holds and disperses the heat smoothly. Done well, under the proper circumstances, radiant floors are among the most comfortable and efficient means of distributing heat in most homes. Cracks appear in some of the ceilings along what i presume to be the edges of the underlaying lath boards. The ceiling is textured and they are planning a have a sample analyzed first for asbestos. Radiant ceiling heat drywall falling again contractor talk. Nov 17, 2014 should you install radiant heating in floors, ceilings or walls. Im going to buy a house and know little about them. If youve recently installed something heavy on the floor abovesuch as a hot tub. Oct 24, 2011 i have radiant heat in my plaster ceiling and over the past 23 months of digging, major on going excavation, building destruction and construction four feet from my property line the ceilings have cracked in a number of rooms. Well known for the superior comfort and efficiency it delivers, radiant floor fig.
Another thing common to radiant ceiling heat is ghosting of joist and the radiant elements through the drywall or plaster. What you need to do is to disconnect the heater element itself the one on the ceiling and connect a lightbulb a real, incandescent bulb in its place. Yesterday i was in a house that was built in 1952 with radiant heat installed in the ceiling. In this video rory brennan, owner of big wallys plaster magic, examines cracks and other damage in a plaster ceiling in an old vermont home. My house is a ranch with floor radiant in the basement and ceiling radiant on main level. Without air circulation from a forced air system, any soot collects on the colder joist.
Installed in the ceiling and designed to look like a ceiling, they produce heat in lieu of traditional heating methods such as a heat pump or oil furnace. I beleive this will make the existing heating less effective and i am also worried about screwing into the ceiling as mentioned earlier. The newer form involves radiant ceiling heat panels. Another good way to increase the comfort level of any space. Common causes of problems with radiant ceiling heat include issues with wiring connections, broken heating elements and trouble with thermostats. Cracks in ceiling with radiant heat coil fine homebuilding.
Score the crack with a utility knife to remove any loose plaster or other material that may be inside the crack. Wood floors do have a higher r value than stone, concrete or ceramic tiles. Time was electric radiant heating in ceilings was popular. I presume it still works today because of rebar in the slab. I owned a condo a few years ago with radiant ceiling heat, similar construction timeframe i guess warm air fell in the 70s. Soak up the warmth of a radiant hydronic heat system in.
Radiantecs answers to frequently asked questions about radiantec company, radiant heat, our open direct system and technical questions. The panels do not require a duct system, are dust free and warm up faster. This also works as a good supplement if the floor heat cannot entirely heat an area. Dec 17, 2008 i need to replace my old thermostat for radiant ceiling heat. So theoretically you were not pushing heat from the ceiling to the floor and the heat was originating low and rising i didnt buy it back then either.
We did not have any ceiling cracks, but skim coating or texturing the ceiling if you avoid screwing anything in should work fine, based on the experiences of others in our complex. When these wires burn out, it is very difficult to repair the system without tearing out most of the ceiling. One of friends recently purchased a house with electric radiant heat in the ceiling. Should you install radiant heating in floors, ceilings or walls.
Jun 19, 2007 if designed correctly, radiant heat will heat the room to comfort including the air so you have to have enough thermal output if by design, you need 2500 watts to heat an area or room, you install 2500 watts of ceiling heat. Did an old house today with some type of heating system that is mounted into the ceiling. How is radiant heat different from the baseboard heat that i have now. Modern radiant ceiling heat panels are much more convenient. Does anyone have knowledge of how radiant electric ceiling heat was installed 40 years. This is one of the myths that is based on the false fact that we associate with the concept of heat instead of air. Ceiling repair radiant heat in ceiling jlconline forums.
The 1624cl warms a room faster and can reach higher temperatures than other radiant tbar ceiling heaters on the market. Jun 17, 2016 looking up to radiant ceilings for heating and cooling. How to patch a plaster and lath ceiling ask this old house. Using selfadhesive fiberglass mesh tape to repair a ceiling crack. Ceiling radiant heaters efficient electric heat you may be familiar with radiant heat, but ceiling radiant heaters are unique systems.
A direct transference of clean even heat from object to object without fans, pumps or hoses silent, motionless, and invisible. Radiant heat is a popular energysaving device, but the expense of installing this heating system often makes homeowners concerned about repair costs. I did notice that all of the drywall that has the radiant heat seems very brittle. Older radiant heating systems are more susceptible than newer ones. I have radiant heat in my plaster ceiling and over the past 23 months of digging, major on going excavation, building destruction and construction four feet from my property line the ceilings have cracked in a number of rooms.
Again, radiant heating is not intended to specifically raise the air temperature like a normal furnace. Believe it or not wood burning stoves and heat circulating fireplaces may qualify as primary heat. Warm and cool ceilings to get the most out of radiant ceiling heat, its recommended that the system be installed on flat ceilings that are between 8 and 12 feet high. Radiant heat in ceiling wiring electrical contractor talk. My home is ceiling radiant circa 1952 probably similar setup. I have radiant heat in my plaster ceiling and over the past 23 months of digging. Supposedly radiant ceiling heat was meant to be installed with a second layer of. Ask this old house general contractor tom silva helps a homeowner repair a cracked plaster ceiling in an older home. Up to 40 per cent of the heat escaping from your home in winter is from. In older systems, the heating elements sometimes break.