hydronic heat for the barn - part 14

When I was installing the boiler and the associated plumbing I erected two pieces of 4x8 feet tongue and grove subfloor plywood. They gave me the needed surface as the supporting wall for the entire above ground installation of the hydronic system. I originally planned to cover the entire barn with these T&G plywood. Only the price jumped by 19% within a month so I decided to defer the purchase of the rest.

My decision to wait paid off as the price came down though not back to the original price I noted. I went and pick up 44 sheets which has a bulk discount. 44 sheets is a complete unit and weighs in at about 1600 lb.

While at Home Depot I picked up a few pipe clamps for the Unistrut. I bought both for 1" and 1 1/4" as I was unable to determine which fit the 1 1/4" copper better.

test fitting of the clamps; 1" fits perfectly while 1 1/4" is too loose

as the supply pipe and return pipe are on different offset from the wall they cannot share the same Unistrut

I used just enough length of Unistrut for each

the supply pipe required 2 1/4" of additional offset from the wall

I pulled the trailer full of plywood into the barn

it is all solo work to erect these panels

the panels all have their slight bend and the fiberglass insulation also bulges out making the task difficult

The biggest challenge of installing these panel without a helper is fitting the tongue and grove of the adjacent panels together. The bends and the bulging insulation compound the challenge.

I used the scissor lift to help me push the panel against the insulation and align the T&G together

I like the form follows function esthetics of these panels so I decided to add a long and narrow shelf to enhance the appearance and functionality.

I found these four heavy steel shelf brackets

I also have a nice piece of CVG fir plank measures 7 1/4" x 3/4" x 8' that gives me the slender look I want.

I forgot I have this laser level I bought 20 years ago to install acoustic ceiling tiles

finished shelf

When laying the radiant floor tubings I didn't commit to my memory of the sequence of loops and where the zones are precisely. It was meant to be provisional and I didn't invest a lot of time to plan them. It was quick job site improvisation. Fortunately I took ample photos that allows me to see how we laid and routed them. With these I was able to identify all eight loops and their locations.

The bay intends for the motorhome with car trailer in tow only has one loop and with the least heat capacity. The bay for the future loft has three loops as there is where the kitchenette and bath is located. Everything works out perfectly.

 I am now waiting for the 24Vac zone actuators to arrive from China. Once installed they will give finger tip control of which loop I want on or off. That will conserve the propane consumption without sacrifice in comfort.