PlastiSpan HD Hydronic Insulation in Hackman Home

Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada

A warmer basement in record time with PlastiSpan® HD Hydronic insulation

Like most homeowners, Philippe Clairo hated cold basements. So when he and his wife Cat Hackman had the opportunity to design a 2,300 sq. ft. custom home, they opted for a radiant heating system in the basement for maximum comfort and energy efficiency.

“Coming from a house where our basement was always cold,” said Clairo. “I turned to Plasti-Fab and asked them if they had any products that could help us out.”

Plasti-Fab provided Clairo with PlastiSpan® HD hydronic insulation, a specialty product for radiant heating systems. The closed-cell rigid foam insulation is installed as the first component in the radiant heating system to minimize heat loss beneath the floor system and ensure uniform heat distribution.

Unlike traditional radiant heating assemblies that rely on rebar and metal ties to affix the hydronic tubing, PlastiSpan HD hydronic insulation has pre-routed channels that hold tubing in place without any mechanical fasteners.

Clairo, who witnessed the installation, noted the clear advantage of PlastiSpan HD hydronic insulation over the traditional method.

“With the floor installation, there was a little frustration from the trades at first, because they were not used to it,” he said. “But as soon as they got it, they installed it really fast. They said it took two hours instead of four to install the insulation.”

The efficiency of the radiant heating system backed by PlastiSpan HD hydronic insulation was paired with DuroFoam® insulation on below grade walls to create a warm, comfortable basement that the whole family can enjoy. The lower level houses a recreation room, a small home theater, exercise area, and guest bedroom.

“In the basement, it is night and day with what we had before in terms of heat,” said Clairo. “Working with Plasti-Fab has been great,” he added. “The product was always on time, it was easy to install, and all the trades working here have been very impressed with it.”