Radiators or Baseboard?

I like the looks of them to, it's convincing the wife lol

Fin tube baseboard is better in almost all cases. It more easily blankets outside walls and under windows. The drawback is that it cools faster, but if there is enough then cooler water will result in longer run times.

It was developed as a cheaper better alternative to radiators.

coalkirk wrote:some folks don't like the look of radiators. I think they look great and they work even better.

I had hot air heat for a few years and did not like it. I grew up with radiators and have them in this house where we have been for 39 years. I believe it is the very large mass of hot iron that results in such comfortable even heat. I like the looks of them, my wife hated them at first but has grown to accept them. As with any heat source, placement is important. Under windows is considered ideal, I believe, but that's not where any of ours are located and they work fine.

Forced air has its virtues - like adding an aprilair 600 auto humidifier which is nice. I recently disconnected staple up in a home and went back with water to air on an oil faf. (water being supplied by a keystoker boiler in barn/garage.) I also completely tore out and re-designed the entire duct system so that it worked well - that has made all the difference.

If cast-iron radiators are not an option look at Myson style panel radiators. They're slim, give you that radiant heat that baseboard does not and they're fairly inexpensive. You can get them fairly short so they will fit where you need them.

The only truly correct answer is

It Depends!

Kind Regards
Sting

Hahaha thanks sting.

What is your house like.? New construction , old? Is it well insulated.?

built in 71, 2x4 walls, so 4 inches of insulation in the walls, and it has black insulation board around the outside underneath the vynal siding. the ceiling has 4 inches of insulation also. windows where replaced probably 10 years ago.

hotblast1357 wrote:built in 71, 2x4 walls, so 4 inches of insulation in the walls, and it has black insulation board around the outside underneath the vynal siding. the ceiling has 4 inches of insulation also. windows where replaced probably 10 years ago.

Are you sure about the 4" in the ceiling? You might want to check on that, maybe.
If, in fact, it is 4" it needs to be more and it is the easiest place to add more and the ROI payback is a "slam dunk" unless you are moving out soon...then again it's a better selling feature with knowing there's good/upgraded insulation in attic.

McGiever wrote:

hotblast1357 wrote:built in 71, 2x4 walls, so 4 inches of insulation in the walls, and it has black insulation board around the outside underneath the vynal siding. the ceiling has 4 inches of insulation also. windows where replaced probably 10 years ago.

Are you sure about the 4" in the ceiling? You might want to check on that, maybe.
If, in fact, it is 4" it needs to be more and it is the easiest place to add more and the ROI payback is a "slam dunk" unless you are moving out soon...then again it's a better selling feature with knowing there's good/upgraded insulation in attic.

The norm nowadays is 12 inches of insulation in the attic, I believe.

Rob R. wrote:Option #4....Panel radiators.

http://www.houseneeds.com/heating/hydronic-radiators

Some of them have a plug and play thermostatic head available, which makes them very easy to hook up. Put one in each room, pipe them all off a manifold, and set each room to the temperature you want.

My cousin in Ireland had those in a new house. They worked very well and with a thermostat on each one were quite efficient. I've always wondered they aren't standard for most installations here in the U.S. Just think how many unused rooms stay fully heated all winter long.

McGiever wrote:

hotblast1357 wrote:built in 71, 2x4 walls, so 4 inches of insulation in the walls, and it has black insulation board around the outside underneath the vynal siding. the ceiling has 4 inches of insulation also. windows where replaced probably 10 years ago.

Are you sure about the 4" in the ceiling? You might want to check on that, maybe.
If, in fact, it is 4" it needs to be more and it is the easiest place to add more and the ROI payback is a "slam dunk" unless you are moving out soon...then again it's a better selling feature with knowing there's good/upgraded insulation in attic.

Yes I'm sure, I've already priced blowing in 8 additional inches of insulation, it will be around 800 dollars, it only costs me about 900 dollars a years to heat my house, how could the ROI be that great?

hotblast1357 wrote:

McGiever wrote:
Are you sure about the 4" in the ceiling? You might want to check on that, maybe.
If, in fact, it is 4" it needs to be more and it is the easiest place to add more and the ROI payback is a "slam dunk" unless you are moving out soon...then again it's a better selling feature with knowing there's good/upgraded insulation in attic.

Yes I'm sure, I've already priced blowing in 8 additional inches of insulation, it will be around 800 dollars, it only costs me about 900 dollars a years to heat my house, how could the ROI be that great?

I'm not great at math, but saving $150.-$200. each year works out to 4-6 years you break even and then every year after that you can bank that amount so, in 10 years your insulation job paid you ...ah...$1200.00 free and clear...ah yeah, skip it.
It's all about instant gratification...I keep forgetting that.

Even if there was no reduction in heating cost (which there will be), hauling less coal, less ash, and having a cooler house in the summer are nice perks.

Unless HB is not up to the task, a blow-in insulation job can be done for the price of the materials only...maybe that is what price he stated.
Where one buys the insulation material they will loan you the installation machine for FREE.