February 5, 2018
Our Newton Generation NEXT project house is being built by TOH master and apprentice generations for three generations of the Delfino family in Newton, Massachusetts. Joe and his wife, Liz, who is moving back into her childhood home after nearly two decades away, have two girls. They wanted to tailor the home for the kids and they wanted to outfit the space above the home’s garage as an in-law suite.
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The second-floor garage suite will have a large closet, full bath, wet bar, and bedroom separated from a small living space, all with its own primary heat source. But to keep heating efficient the garage floor will be equipped with radiant floor heating under its poured concrete surface. In real time, prepping the floor with the yellow insulating board takes about an hour, and host Kevin O’Connor captured the prep in a 30-second timelapse posted to his Facebook page.
Prepping for the new garage floor in our #tohnewton project. There is living space above the garage so this is a perfect use for radiant heat in the concrete floor. It'll help make sure the floor above isn't cold all winter long. Insulated board going down here. #thisoldhouse pic.twitter.com/vCajGLa5zt
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorTOH) February 5, 2018
The garage is one of the best places in this home to add radiant floor heating, Kevin says, because just a little heat here will make it much more comfortable in the suite above, especially in the winter. The master suite bathroom and shower in the main house will also have radiant heating.
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The next step in the process is adding the tubing, which takes another hour or so. Then the concrete can be poured.
Once the insulation layer is down, the radiant tubing goes in next. If I recall correctly we needed three zones for this space. The insulation board has pre-fab nubs to receive the tubing. This board is called Viega Rapid Grid, in case you're wondering. #thisoldhouse #tohnewton pic.twitter.com/jrTQpvPeKH
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorTOH) February 6, 2018
WATCH NOW: Full episodes of the Newton Generation NEXT House project