[RWebb]

I need some education on this topic.

I'm interested in installing the between the joists type of radiant flooring for the main floor of my house. The area would be roughly 1,000 ft2.

I have a daylight basement that is used mostly for sleeping (and storing wine). Some of the lower floor has sheet rock ceiling, most has acoustic tile (which I'd like to get rid of anyway) and some is bare with open joists.

Most of the main floor is 3/4" thick Hickory strips. Below that is (I think) 3/4" plywood subfloor. Dunno if there is resin papaer or tar paper in the slip joint. The kitchen has Marmoleum.

Radiantec says "go for it" and would like to sell me about $3,000 worth of stuff for DIY. I can hire my gf's kid for $9/hr to rip out the ceilings. Beyond that, I can have 2 guys working for $40/hr. One guy is pretty good and his helper is alright, I guess. They are best at sheetrock & drywall, but do other construction projects. I'd also have to hire a plumber & an electrician. But they'd better know how to do this stuff, 'cuz I don't. i.e. I cannot tell them how to hook up the manifold, pump, actuators, valves, etc.

The other option is to hire a contractor for the whole whizbang - I've had 2 in here to measure & look t things and hope they will give me a proposal & estimate in a couple of weeks. BUT, I have no idea how good either of them is -- and this city is notorious for contractors of very low skill who charge very high prices...

At minimum, I'd like to be able to keep some watch over what is going on, even if I hire a contractor for the whole whizbang.