Do I need a barrier between wood subfloor and lightweight concrete?
hebet
| Posted in General Questions on
I would like to use lightweight concrete with a radiant heating system on thee second floor as the finished floor. Do I need a barrier between subfloor and concrete? What is minimum thickness of the concrete? I live in Colorado at 9,600 ft.
GBA Detail Library
A collection of one thousand construction details organized by climate and house part
Search and download construction details
Replies
Todd,
If you use concrete, you need a minimum of 2 inches of concrete. You may be able to have a thinner slab if you use a gypsum slab.
You'll probably want to install a sealer on the subfloor or a layer of polyethylene before you place the concrete.
Here is a link to an article that discusses poured gypsum: Thin Slab Radiant Heat Systems.