I have an unfinished concrete floor with radiant heat in the main floor of my house. I am considering using an acid etch stain on the concrete, sealing it and then coating with floor wax.

The concrete is three years old and in excellent shape. I'm concerned that the acid stain will damage the radiant heat tubes in the floor, or that the stain and wax may give off fumes when the floor warms up.

Does anyone have a suggestion.

-- Dave Parker (parkerd@orvis.com), July 25, 2001

Answers

I'd like an answer to those questions also. We will be building a couple of earth sheltered homes (concrete domed style) next spring. Both will have hydronic radiant floor heating systems in the slab. I had hoped to have the slab etched, stained, and sealed as well.

-- Steve in So. WI (alpine1@prodigy.net), July 26, 2001.

When we built or home with geo-thermal heat exchanger and in-floor heating, the water tubes we at least 1 inch below the top of the concrete. Don't forget, if the tubing is made to live in concrete (which will ruin copper pipes) it must be okay. I don't think the acid will get close to the tubing.

Check with the manufacturer of the stain, ask him how far it penetrates.

ps... we love the radiant heat! And the heating bills!

-- Rickstir (rpowell@email.ccis.edu), July 27, 2001.