Alex Genzer of The Boiler Guys speaks about a remodel project in Toronto. They had initially chosen an alternative radiant heating method for their home but decided to make a last minute switch to Warmboard due to several concerns about Staple-up.
“I’ve done a couple of Warmboard jobs now and they’ve all been really good. With this job we were originally asked to do Staple-up throughout the whole house, but there were several concerns with the floor which the original general contractor didn’t notice. The quick and easy solution was to put in Warmboard.
Once we made the switch, it went very smoothly. Probably the quickest install I’ve ever done. The people doing the subfloor were able to put it down in about a day, and then I came in and laid the tubing down.
The great thing about Warmboard is that the tubing took me only a couple of hours to lay down. It literally clips right into the grooves. I ran it to the mechanical room and had it pressurized all within a couple of hours, whereas other systems you usually have to budget the whole day.
The fact that we can install the systems very quickly compared to traditional ways is a definite benefit when using Warmboard. Speed of install is so precious here. You’re not on your knees as long, and the tools are much simpler. We don’t need zip ties, we don’t need staples, and they have that weighted roller for the tubing. It literally takes one person with an unwinder and PEX. It goes down as quick as anything else, and it’s cleaner than anything else. Not to mention it actually looks cooler because the pipe is dead straight, absolutely straight, and then it turns and the radiuses are perfect. Even the ‘Wow Factor’ you get when the customer sees the nice, new job is something you just don’t experience with Staple-up.
I’ve also noticed that the average temperature for water with Warmboard is lower than Staple-up or Onyx systems. We can do around 80 or 90 degree water temperatures with Warmboard whereas any other system you’d have to do up to 140 degrees. Everyone in the hydronics trade knows that the lower the water temperature the more efficient [the system] becomes, and Warmboard has the lowest water temperatures. It just does.
A lot of people are initially deterred by the fact that it is a more expensive product. But then you compare it to other systems that require other stuff. For instance engineering has to be done differently, we need to create bigger joists, we need a floor leveler, etc., – it just becomes a big nightmare. When you really compare it, it’s around the same price at the end of the day.
So when other customers are talking about the price I let them know that when they choose this product early on, the initial part of the job might be a little more than doing in-floor concrete or Staple-up. However, when you consider the fact that we don’t need all of those other trades to accomplish the same thing, it actually ends up being around the same price. And once I install it the customers love it. They love it and we love it.”