How To Make A Garage Concrete Floor Warm
But to make the most of the thermal mass benefits of concrete the slab and foundation should be insulated from both the ground and the air.
How to make a garage concrete floor warm. Have the bars prepared before pouring. These bars will provide strength to the concrete. Hot air rises after all and it would be a pity to waste the warm air you are paying for your hvac system to produce by losing it through the ceiling. Insulating the garage portion sounds like more trouble than it s worth again unless you plan to work there a lot.
For new construction homes electric heating cable is available that can be embedded within the concrete slab as it s being poured. Make or buy a draft snake. A few are expensive or not practical for some homes. For extra durability consider applying a second epoxy coat or a finish coat of urethane sealer.
Cold concrete floors are a rather common problem and there are several approaches to warming them up. Depending on the wear your floor gets you may need to recoat every three to five years. In addition install or replace the weatherstripping around your doors and windows. One of the most recommended systems.
Place the steel rods or rebar around the edges of the freshly poured concrete mix and through the middle of your floor if working with a large area. You can easily and inexpensively add clear plastic shrink film over windows for added protection against the cold. Rubber mats as suggested by charlie sound like a good idea if the floor seems too cold once you ve got the space isolated. A typical diy epoxy kit provides enough primer or sealer and epoxy to apply one coat of each to an average one car garage.
Before you invest in a garage heating system make sure your garage has plenty of insulation. Cheap to install and run too. Keep the heating wires as close to the top as possible he writes. With the walls and ceiling reasonably well insulated it should work fine.
Set the wiring up on a simple timer so you hit the switch and come back in an hour and the floor will be warm. Insulate garage doors where possible as well as walls and ceilings. Stop drafts and heat loss by filling any holes and cracks in the walls or between your baseboards and the floor with caulk or other sealant. A concrete floor is an excellent solution for a high performing home.
Check out the podcast episode and please feel free to leave you comments or questions. Pour 3 inches or 5 cm.