About ThermalBoard
ThermalBoard is a radiant heat panel comprised of high-density MDF board (MR30 moisture resistant, no VOC's and formaldehyde-free, ) and an aluminum layer bonded on top. The panel has pre-manufactured grooves for installation of PEX tubing and is available in two distinct types - straight and return/combo.
ThermalBoard is mainly intended for retrofit and remodeling projects and is considered a "sandwich" panel, meaning that it is installed between the subfloor (plywood or concrete) and the finished floor (tile, hardwood, vinyl, laminate, etc.).
It is ideally suited for projects where standard staple-up method (PEX tubing is stapled between the joists to the bottom of the subfloor) or slab (PEX embedded in a concrete slab) are either impractical or not possible.
In other words, these panels offer a simple and effective solution for building a radiant floor heat system where there's no access to underside of the floor (on which the radiant system is installed on) and pouring a slab is not possible or expensive or where such projects are too labor intensive.
Installing ThermalBoard is easy - simply lay out the panels (as with others, these are also secured with construction adhesive and screws or flooring nails) and walk the PEX pipe in - no special tools needed (rubber mallet is recommended for U-turns) - no labor-intensive overhead work, no messy and heavy concrete involved.
ThermalBoard® vs WarmBoard®
While inherently similar, there are several key differences which set these systems apart:
Cost - per square foot, the WarmBord costs over 70% more than ThermalBoard.
Tubing size & spacing - WarmBoard uses 1/2" PEX while ThermalBoard uses 3/8". This allows TB to have a lower profile and closer tubing spacing (8" vs WB 12") - which also helps to distribute heat more evenly across the flooring surface.
Material WB has an OSB substrate, while TB has MDF substrate. MDF used in ThermalBoard manufacturing is high-density and MR30 moisture resistant, fully suitable for use as a finished flooring substrate.
Thickness - WB-R panel is 13/16" thick while TB panel (standard, with no EPS backing) is 5/8" - that's almost a 1/4" difference and can be a decisive factor in some applications.
Weight - TB panel is 2.5 lbs/sqft, while WB is 3.2 lbs/sqft - that is a 28% difference and while it may not look like much, for a project with 1,000 sqft it would be an equivalent of handling an extra 700 lbs.
ThermalBoard® vs Quik Trak (Uponor)®
Likewise, both are inherently similar, but differ in several critical aspects:
Cost - per square foot, the ThermalBoard is much cheaper (~20%) than Quik Trak.
Complexity - Quik Trak has (5) panels of different sizes, which substantially complicates design & layout. ThermalBoard, on the other hand, has only (2) - straight and return, both of the same size.
Response time - based on manufacturer's test, TB has a much faster response time than QT.
Tubing size & spacing - QT uses Uponor's proprietary 5/16" PEX tubing, which is very expensive (nearly x4 times) compared to regular 3/8" PEX oxygen barrier tubing used with TB panels.
Material QT has a plywood substrate, while TB has MDF substrate. Plywood is a structural material, but MDF is not.
Thickness - QT panel is 1/2" thick while TB panel (standard, with no EPS backing) is 5/8". In most cases, 1/8" is a negligible difference.
Weight - QT panel is 1.25 lbs/sqft, while TB is 2.5 lbs/sqft - that is a significant difference if dealing with a large project.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is there an easy way to estimate the number of panels?
A: Yes. Add up the total square footage of space where ThermalBoard will be installed and add a minimum of 5% (10% recommended). Board split (percentage of straight & return panels) is usually 60/40 respectively, but may differ from project to project. Example:
(3) rooms need to be heated: (1) 215 sqft master bedroom and (2) 160 sqft bedrooms, totaling 535 sqft. Adding 10% spare (535 + 10%) makes the number 588 sqft. This equals 110 panels (588 sqft divide by 5.33 sqft ea. panel). A 60/40 split would be 66 straight panels and 44 return panels.
The project would need approximately 900ft of 3/8" PEX (including length of PEX pipe for connection to the manifold). This number is calculated as 1.5 x total sqft.
Manifold size would be 4-branch (2 loops for master BR and 1 ea. for ea. bedroom), a model SSM204 or BSM004 is suitable.
Q: Will it work with any 3/8" PEX tubing?
A: Yes, it is universally compatible with all types of 3/8" PEX pipe (but not PEX-AL-PEX).
Q: Where is ThermalBoard made?
A: It's manufactured in the USA.
Q: Does the MDF in ThermalBoard contain formaldehyde?
A: No, manufacturer explicitly states that their MSF is formaldehyde-free, contains no VOCs and meets LEED v4 criteria.
Q: What is the BTU output of a system with TB panels?
A: BTU output varies mainly with supply water temperature and the R-value of the flooring above the TB panels. Please see product photos for a chart with these corresponding values.
In ideal conditions, the system can output as high as 50 BTU/sqft.
Q: Is ThermalBoard system better suited for use with traditional cast iron or with high-efficiency condensing boilers?
A: Any radiant floor panel system, including TB, is best used with high-efficiency boilers since these can run at lower temperatures than cast iron (140F and sometimes lower comparing to 180F). TB is compatible with both systems, but the standard boiler setup will also require a mixing valve to lower the supply water temperature.
