what does "loza radiante" cost?

[gaberoo]

No, they put first the styrofoam (possibly nailed it) then the mortar with the metal grid, then the paint... No sheetrock.

Oh...so the walls had wooden studs? If they were masonry, then why did they nail it as opposed to using some type of glue? Sorry to ask so many questions, but I have to find out what I will be possibly using to fix the insulation to the masonry walls in my mother's house.

[loei]

No, they put first the styrofoam (possibly nailed it) then the mortar with the metal grid, then the paint... No sheetrock.

In the medium-old parts of my house the external walls were only a half-brick thick plus external render so suffered greatly from heat/cold/thick day-glo green algi so I considered adding a layer of 5cm (2") expanded polystyrene sheeting with a plaster board covering. However, the price of the plasterboard/timber for studwork was high and the cost of locally made bricks low so in the end I used the polystyrene sheeting (Pumaplas <sp?>) and built a new half-brick wall inside. It made the rooms slightly smaller but I no longer boil/freeze in there and the interior is no longer streaky day-glo green

Patrick.

[loei]

Oh...so the walls had wooden studs? If they were masonry, then why did they nail it as opposed to using some type of glue? Sorry to ask so many questions, but I have to find out what I will be possibly using to fix the insulation to the masonry walls in my mother's house.

Back in the 1980s I was told about the wonderful glues for fixing polyurethane/plasterboard sandwich sheeting to masonry so I tried it out on a brick barn I was renovating. It was quick and easy to apply and looked a treat. When I returned next morning the sheets had bowed slightly... some had come unstuck at the top and some at the bottom. After several unsuccessful attempts to re-glue them I finally had to clamp them in position using chunky skirting boards at the bottom and timber coving at the top.

The polystyrene and steel-mesh-with-cement render system is most commonly used on the outside of buildings in Europe as it avoids the need for timber studwork. I once had the challenge of applying it to 12 post-war council houses in Glasgow which had been built of thick steel plates taken from scrapped surplus warships in 1946. We used steel bolts/huge washers to physically attach the 10cm (4") polystyrene sheets/mesh but the results were stunningly good. The tenants (who were used to freezing/boiling/mopping up condensation) were so impressed that they put on a street party for us... though being Glaswegians, none of us southerners could understand them

Its the only time I've ever seen magnets used for hanging pictures

Patrick.

[gaberoo]

So Arranco was most likely referring to an exterior wall which was styrofoam nailed to the masonry and then plastered and painted over?
I guess you could also do that to an interior wall (except that I'd rather cover the styrofoam with sheetrock which is much easier to put in place than plaster). Now the Owens Corning person had recommended one of those "glues" which you mention as the method to use when adhering their Foamular insulation onto a masonry wall, but after reading of your bad experience with it, I think I'd prefer the "nailing" method (though you'd probably need special masonry nails--if these exist--and some kind of pneumatic hammer to drive these in the wall).

[Nick Name]

I recently joined here. I happen to be a boiler contractor who wants to move to Uruguay. I am familiar with floor heating - it is my favorite type. The current method was developed in Europe and it uses high-quality plastic pipe embedded in masonry. This is usually finished with tile. Also, there are some retrofits available. For instance, if there is a space under the floor, one can here attach the heating pipes. To combat the issue of taking "forever" to warm up the floor, water of rather low temperature (about 40* C.) is continuously circulated, making the living space comfortable all of the time. Low water temperature equals low operating cost.

[eddiecohen]

Since you said you're a boiler contractor, I have a question. Back in my younger days, I was responsible for a bunch of big industrial boilers. Water testing, treatment, and blowdown of sludge was a critical factor for their performance and longevity, as was the routine breakdown and cleaning.

I know that low-pressure water boilers are a different animal than the high-pressure steam boilers I was working with, but how does the average homeowner handle water treatment?

Thanks,
Eddie

I recently joined here. I happen to be a boiler contractor who wants to move to Uruguay. I am familiar with floor heating - it is my favorite type. The current method was developed in Europe and it uses high-quality plastic pipe embedded in masonry. This is usually finished with tile. Also, there are some retrofits available. For instance, if there is a space under the floor, one can here attach the heating pipes. To combat the issue of taking "forever" to warm up the floor, water of rather low temperature (about 40* C.) is continuously circulated, making the living space comfortable all of the time. Low water temperature equals low operating cost.

[Nick Name]

Eddie,

The average homeowner will not even look at his boiler unless it quits working. Which is seldom. Really, heating boilers don't need much attention because their water doesn't get "used up". Ideally, the water is never changed. These boilers do not accumulate harmful minerals like industrial boilers which constantly take on new water.

[Tom O]

I have seen the construction style that Arrancopelito mentioned when renovating and insulating masonry buildings,the foam is temporarily caulked into place them expanded metal lath is set on top of the foam and attached to the wall with a ramset(gunpowder blanks drive a hardened nail through the foam into the brick wall,sandwiching the foam onto the wall behind the metal lath),then the mud is applied to the lath.
Nick name is right about the radiant floor heat ,the floor tubing is monolithic plastic(no splices) and can't form a leak in the slab and the radiant floor fluid is is a closed system that gets its heat from a heat exchanger ,not fresh mineral laden hot water,so the floor piping will never clog up.I've installed several systems,the control wiring that is, over ten years ago with no problems.They even make a grooved under flooring to retrofit existing buildings,put down the grooved underlayment , fill the grooves with the radiant tubing and install a new wooden floor on top,it only raises the floor less than 1.5 inches.In many commercial jobs,they lay the pipes on the wooden floor and pump Gypspan (self-levelling lightweight concrete) over the pipes.Again,it only raises the floor level less than two inches.My friend who installs radiant floor heating in addition to being a plumbing contractor,even puts a few loops of tubing behind the master bath mirror to keep it from fogging up when using the sinks on cold days.

[eddiecohen]

Thanks, Nick:

I hadn't thought about the fact that a hot water boiler system theoretically has no make-up water, unlike a steam boiler with all the steam traps, condensate tanks, etc.

Eddie

Eddie,

The average homeowner will not even look at his boiler unless it quits working. Which is seldom. Really, heating boilers don't need much attention because their water doesn't get "used up". Ideally, the water is never changed. These boilers do not accumulate harmful minerals like industrial boilers which constantly take on new water.