Radiant heat as always been viewed as an excellent choice for Log Homes because it does not require the duct work that a forced air heating system does.  Radiant heat also provides for a more comfortable and healthy living environment, which means a higher quality lifestyle – one of the reasons people build logs in the first place.

When you look at the differences between radiant heat systems, you find that the EasyFloor system is simply the best system available, which makes EasyFloor the optimal choice for log home heating.  A few of the EasyFloor system's advantages include:

• Second floor installation – EasyFloor is the most effective system for use in upper floors for two reasons.  One, it is light weight and requires no special structural considerations for upper floor installations.  Second, EasyFloor’s radiant barrier allows much greater control over the regulation of temperatures for different living spaces.  This is because EasyFloor only heats the room you intend it to warm.  Other systems send as much heat to the room below as the do to the floor they are supposed to heat.
   

• Dry install – The EasyFloor system is a modular system that snaps together like a jigsaw puzzle.  Installation is quick and there is no risk of damage to the home or expensive cleanup as there might be with a concrete or gypcrete pour.
   

• Highest efficiency – EasyFloor utilizes a radiant barrier to dramatically increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the system.  Most other systems don’t have a radiant barrier – concrete, gypcrete, and grooved wood systems can’t have radiant barriers just by the nature of their design.  EasyFloor also has the right amount of thermal mass to offer the most comfortable living space.  Other systems either have too much thermal mass, which can cause over heating of the living space, or they have too little, which causes striping if the heat on the floor and a loss of efficiency.

Radiant heat systems are very energy efficient and offer greater health and comfort benefits when compared to other systems.  However, experts have identified three problems that have, until now, limited the use of radiant heat in homes built with green building concepts and homes that are built to be extremely energy efficient. 

These Three Problems Are:

• Radiant Heat Systems Are Too Expensive
  Although radiant systems offer tremendous operation cost savings, the installation costs have been very high.  The high installation costs have, in the past, outweighed the operational benefits.
   

• Too Much Thermal Mass
  Green homes and other well insulated buildings can be subject to over heating when a radiant system has too much thermal mass, such as you have with a concrete slab.  The problem is at its worst in spring and fall where the mornings are cool, but afternoon temperatures are much higher.  Heat that still radiates from a concrete slab after the system is turned off may require use of the air conditioner to maintain a comfortable temperature, reducing the overall energy efficiency of the home.
   

• Too Much Energy Loss IntoThe Ground
  In a concrete slab installation, simple physics will tell you that 50 percent of the heat will be radiated into the home and 50 percent will radiant into the ground.  With proper insulation under the slab the energy loss can be reduced to 20 percent, but either way it is a lot of heat loss for highly energy efficient homes.  This energy loss occurs because most radiant systems cannot incorporate a radiant barrier into their design.

• Price
  EasyFloor is simple to install and therefore reduces the cost of installation.  The pre-configured distribution panels that are available for EasyFloor installations dramatically reduce the cost of customer building each panel on the job site.  These factors combined together allow the EasyFloor system to be installed at very low price when compared to other radiant systems.
  
  
• Thermal Mass
  The EasyFloor system uses the right amount of thermal mass.  It incorporates a ½ inch fiber cement board for a thermal mass which is enough to avoid the striping and poor heat transmission of systems that use no thermal mass, but not so much thermal mass to cause problems with overheating the living space.
  
  
• Energy Loss Into the Ground
  The EasyFloor system utilizes a radiant barrier to redirect all of heat radiating downward back up in to the space you want to heat.  Using a radiant barrier is a very unique feature that give EasyFloor an advantage other systems just can’t match.  The radiant barrier used with the EasyFloor system is a reflective foil that is laid down before the rest of the components are installed.  It reflects the heat energy up from the floor like a mirror would reflect sunlight.
  
  Ultimately, EasyFloor's the right choice for Green and high efficiency homes because it is the most efficient system available.  Additionally, the EasyFloor system components are made from recycled materials.

Radiant heat systems offer the best comfort level, greatest health benefits, and highest level of energy efficiency you will find in a heating system for your new home.

Comfort
Radiant heat produces the greatest comfort level for your home.  Heat is maintained near the floor and in the furniture you sit on, not wasted up at the ceiling level.  Since there are no ducts and blowers, there are no drafts and the blower noise is eliminated.

Health
The American Lung Association has warned that elements within our home have been increasingly recognized as threats to our respiratory health. The most common pollutants include are radon, molds, pet dander, pollen, volatile organic compounds, lead dust and asbestos.  Forced-air heating systems make this problem worse by circulating these particles through the air we breathe.  Radiant heat system do not use air ducts and therefore create a healthier home environment.

Efficiency
Modern radiant heating systems are much more efficient than forced-air systems.  Energy costs are rising and the forecast is for costs to continue to rise.  That translates to big operational savings for users of radiant heat.  Radiant heat has traditionally had higher upfront costs than forced air systems, however, new technologies are quickly bringing the initial costs for installing radiant heat down to near that of a forced air system.

EasyFloor is great for room additions where you need to supplement your existing heat system.  Often it is not possible or practical to extend the ductwork of an existing heating system into the additional space of an addition.  EasyFloor can be addend to a new space with no duct work.  Innovative distribution panels are simple to install and can be configured complete with a high efficiency electric boiler mounted right on the panel (gas fired boilers also available).

Without supplemental heating, basements are typically too cool to provide comfortable living space.  In most homes the basement is heated with a few heat ducts located in the ceiling.  This method only heats the air at the ceiling level and is not effective at creating a comfortable living space.

EasyFloor is without question the best product used to install radiant heat on top of a basement slab.  Period.  There are many reasons for this bold statement -- some of which are:

1) The EasyFloor grids (16"x16"x1") snap together like a big Lego set and go on top of the reflective foil supplied with the product.  These grids are made from recycled plastic and will do much better with exposure to water or dampness -- than other products using grooved wood to support the radiant tubing.

2) The design of the grid and underlying foil create a true radiant barrier that effectively re-directs most of the downward bound radiant energy back up onto the thermal mass and flooring goods.  No other system has this.  Much of your energy would find its way down into the slab and if the slab is not properly insulated, down from there into the earth.

3) EasyFloor grids, while being extremely strong, still have a certain amount of flex to them.  Most basement floors are notoriously un-level.  So other more rigid materials are going to be a problem.
The EasyFloor system is available as a complete kit for basement installations Reflective foil; -- creates a true radiant barrier

Modular interlocking grids that support the PEX tubing;
Premium oxygen barrier PEX tubing (Kitec PEX-AL-PEX) – absolutely the best.
Aluminum heat transmission plate – to conduct energy up onto the thermal mass.

Complete distribution panels that are available with or without a boiler.

The EasyFloor system can easily be installed as a retrofit into existing structures.EasyFloor’s unique modular components allow you to fit EasyFloor into any room configuration.  Installing the EasyFloor grid system is simple to install so you can even do it yourself.  You may want to have a professional do the final hook up to the heat source, which can be a gas or electric boiler of other similar heat source.  EasyFloor is 1 ½ inches thick when installed, so cabinets and other fixtures can be raised to the appropriate height by building a simple platform the thickness of a 2x4.