Radiant floor heating systems are one of the most energy efficient methods of radiant heat available. Each of the three types of radiant floor heat (electric, air, and water) can be installed using either a “wet” or “dry” installation method.
“Wet” installation methods include embedding the cables or tubing with a solid floor, such as a concrete foundation slab or a thin layer of concrete or gypsum installed over the top of a traditional wood subfloor. Additional floor support might be necessary because of the increased dead load of the materials.
Concrete slab floors have a high heat storage capacity. They do, however, have a slow response time, so it is recommended to maintain a constant temperature for maximum comfort.
“Dry” installation methods include having cables or tubing installed in the air space beneath the floor. This method is faster and less expensive than wet installation methods, but because the radiant heat now involves air space which is a poor heat conductor, the system needs to typically operate at higher temperatures or for longer intervals.
Tubing or cables can be installed between two layers of subfloor with aluminum diffusers to spread the heat across the floor evenly. They may also be suspended underneath the subfloor between the joists using reflective insulation under the tubes to direct the heat upward.
Types of Radiant Floor Coverings
What type of floor covering should you have with a radiant floor heating system? Any floor covering that separates the heating system from the room will decrease the efficiency of the system and affects fuel consumption. Some floor coverings, which act as heat conductors, are better than others.
Carpeting should be minimal in the home. Where required, carpet should be thin and with a dense pad. Carpeted rooms should be zoned separately to ensure even heating throughout the home.
Most radiant floor manufacturers recommend laminated wood floors instead of solid wood, which reduces the possibility of the wood shrinking and cracking as the wood dries, however there are solid wood flooring manufacturers that do support installation of their products over radiant floor systems, observe the plank width limitations if they have them. It is important to follow recommended installation guidelines on any type of floor covering, but the stable even heat o a radiant system is typically considered a good environment for most floor coverings and an extremely comfortable type of heat for your home.
read more "Types of Radiant Heat Floor Installations"
“Wet” installation methods include embedding the cables or tubing with a solid floor, such as a concrete foundation slab or a thin layer of concrete or gypsum installed over the top of a traditional wood subfloor. Additional floor support might be necessary because of the increased dead load of the materials.Concrete slab floors have a high heat storage capacity. They do, however, have a slow response time, so it is recommended to maintain a constant temperature for maximum comfort.
“Dry” installation methods include having cables or tubing installed in the air space beneath the floor. This method is faster and less expensive than wet installation methods, but because the radiant heat now involves air space which is a poor heat conductor, the system needs to typically operate at higher temperatures or for longer intervals.
Tubing or cables can be installed between two layers of subfloor with aluminum diffusers to spread the heat across the floor evenly. They may also be suspended underneath the subfloor between the joists using reflective insulation under the tubes to direct the heat upward.
Types of Radiant Floor Coverings
What type of floor covering should you have with a radiant floor heating system? Any floor covering that separates the heating system from the room will decrease the efficiency of the system and affects fuel consumption. Some floor coverings, which act as heat conductors, are better than others.
Ceramic tile, quarry tile and stone are by far some the most common and most energy efficient floor covering because it transfers and stores heat effectively, however almost any type of floor covering can be used.
Carpeting should be minimal in the home. Where required, carpet should be thin and with a dense pad. Carpeted rooms should be zoned separately to ensure even heating throughout the home.
Most radiant floor manufacturers recommend laminated wood floors instead of solid wood, which reduces the possibility of the wood shrinking and cracking as the wood dries, however there are solid wood flooring manufacturers that do support installation of their products over radiant floor systems, observe the plank width limitations if they have them. It is important to follow recommended installation guidelines on any type of floor covering, but the stable even heat o a radiant system is typically considered a good environment for most floor coverings and an extremely comfortable type of heat for your home.
Below is another room in the same house, and how fun are the drapes?
Here I am taking off the screws that keep the front of the cabinets in place:
Here's where we got the first Friday night after we moved in: (Oh yes, and that's definitely a dumped over bag of dog food on top of the fridge and my dog going crazy after all the food that spilled on the floor- that's when we knew it was quitting time!!! )
One of my best friends, Lindsey, and my cousin, Jen, came over on Sunday to help out (thank you!!!) and Lindsey and I painted the remaining lower cabinets while Jen watched the little guy. (I really gouged the lower cabinets with the belt sander because the I only had really heavy sandpaper and was too impatient/ lazy to go to the store to get a finer grade for the belt sander. Oh well! you can't really see it now-- I hope!) Below is Lindsey digging in to the painting:
And finally, here's how the kitchen looks now:
Still lots left undone but I'm much happier with where we're at:
Here's my favorite white bowl my mom gave me. It was brand new a few years ago & has seriously aged with wear & tear !!!! love it. 
Here's a detail of the hammered finish:
Here's the breakfast area as it is now:
I picked up the vintage saarinen-style table on Ebay and love it!! I was really picky about the shape of the pedestal because I found that some of the immitations don't have pretty lines & others do. I really loved the lines on this piece & since there's no way we could afford a real one, we went for this one.
Here's our little parrot who sits on the window sill. Christian loves him:
So, I ended up changing my mind about the wallpaper when the Studio Printworks Pineapple paper arrived:
And here's why I've come to this conculsion. I LOVE both and will consider using the other somewhere else in the house BUT I'm in the mood for color. Bright color. And the Cowtan & Tout paper has color already, but very subdued color and it won't be as easy to inject fresh colors into all the time with accessories. Being in this all-white house you'd think I'd be in Heaven, but I've already moved onto the stage where I want to add color. And I guess since it's so bright & warm out I'm looking for bright!! I think the black & white will be a better backdrop for bright color. So, I'm going to paint over the greige on the cabinets and I'll be going for a fun color. It will take about an hour and I figure it's a cheap & easy color fix. I'm considering a kicky green, inspired by our parrot or maybe even a turquoise or aqua ... whatever we go with, I'll be aging so it doesn't look too new. Below is a pic of my fun little magnetic spice rack that I made from a cookie sheet: (yet to be hung!! :)
I saw the idea in Real Simple way back in college & have taken this baby with me to 3 homes since! We've also been really busy outside and a friend of mine is a landscape designer & she and her husband have been amazing!!! Below is a pic of him in the yard with my husband taking down a tree!!! He's been coming over and helping so much!! 
The next order of business was the living room. At this point the white was driving me mad!!! But now that I think of it, it was more than the white, it was the overall sterillity of the place: 
My mother-in-law and I made white linen drapes & my husband hung them with Christian's help:
They softened the room incredibly!!! (I have no idea why this is underlined but oh well- computers are the worst and hopefully it'll go away!!)
We're using all of our old furniture because the basement is a complete construction zone. (My father-in-law came to visit and worked so hard down there & I can't wait to show pics!!!) Eventually, a lot of these pieces will be going downstairs and we'll be bringing in newer things (like the reupholstered craigslist sofa!!) but for now, this is what we're working with. We went out to Lucketts this weekend to find a mantle and here's what we found:
It's raw oak from an 1800s house in Pennsylvania. Currently we have it nailed into the wall and when things calm down a bit I've got big plans for making this baby look a bit more realistic. That's my grandparents' old camel sadel in front of it for warming your hands in front if the fire ;) ;) Below is a close-up of my old man oil painting I scored at a thrift shop: (I really love him)
My favorite thing about the house is all the light & windows. I still haven't hung much & have plans for the main wall...
Here's an area of the dining room where I just sort of stuck a bunch of things on a whim because I was mad for some color. I used my desk and a huge oil painting and some botanical prints:
