Frequently Asked Questions

Per the comparison sheet, installed cost runs $28–$42/ft² for ThermaSlab (materials + labor, since a single panel replaces subfloor + heating + underlayment + finish) — vs. epoxy at $8–$15/ft² overlay, tile at $20–$45/ft² incl. substrate, and stamped concrete at $12–$25/ft² overlay on slab. On a typical job, ThermaSlab delivers lower total installed cost vs. tile + a separate underfloor heating system, because the heating, subfloor, and finish are all one assembly, not three stacked scopes you have to schedule separately. (Reference: /contractor-comparison.)

The warranty is a single-assembly warranty — it ties to one panel-and-loop assembly, not four stacked materials. There's no subfloor warranty, no element warranty, no finish warranty to manage separately — because there are no separate components to fail apart. The finish-refinish cadence is every 15–20 yrs, and there are no mechanical systems buried in the floor that can leak or fail out of warranty. Full warranty language (including exclusions for substrate prep and finish-refinishing) ships with the pilot-onboarding packet — request one at support@thermaslab.info.

The comparison sheet benchmarks a 500 ft² slab at ~6 hrs for ThermaSlab (panel lay + connect) — that's ~0.7 min/ft². The same scope runs ~1.9 min/ft² for epoxy (16 hrs), ~2.9 min/ft² for tile (24 hrs), and ~4.8 min/ft² for stamped concrete (40 hrs) over a 500 ft² slab. Real-world anchors: Timberstone (3,200 ft², Marin County) finished in 4 days vs. a 9-day baseline; Mariposa Loft (720 ft² ADU, Austin) finished in 1.5 days install + protection. (References: /contractor-comparison, /contractor-results.)

Yes — the Northwoods Cabin in Stowe, VT registered a 52-min cold-start heat-up in deep-winter conditions. The homeowner's quote: "February in Stowe. The cabin sat unheated for three weeks, then we came up, hit one button on the thermostat, and the floor was comfortable by the time the car was unpacked." The commissioning protection is the supply-water ramp rule: ≤ 80°F for the first 24 hours, then ramp 10°F/day to design temp. That sequence prevents thermal shock to the gel-cushion chambers and aluminum plates and is the cold-climate hand-off that makes the system safe to start at any outdoor temperature. (References: /contractor-results, /contractor-guide.)

ThermaSlab is a panel product, not a poured surface — it does not self-level. Setting slope is the contractor's responsibility. The install guide's tolerance number is the answer: substrate must be flat to ≤ 3/16″ over any 10 ft span; shim or plane the deck before laying panels. If the existing deck is out of tolerance, leveling is part of your scope and a standard panel-lay prep step — not a ThermaSlab-specific extra. (Reference: /contractor-guide.)

Two-track answer depending on the project type.

(a) Platform-framed install: standard OSB/plywood deck to code, joists per the local span table. Fastener spec is structural screws or ring-shank nails: 6″ OC at perimeter, 8″ OC in field, countersunk 1/4″ below finish. Same pattern as a conventional subfloor lay — no specialty hardware.

(b) Slab-on-grade retrofit: concrete spec is 4,000 psi minimum, 0.45 max water-cement ratio, ≤ 3/4″ aggregate, 28-day cure minimum, moisture verification per ASTM F1869 (CaCl₂ ≤ 3.0 lb / 1000 ft² / 24 hr) or ASTM F2170 (in-situ RH ≤ 75%), with a 6 mil polyethylene moisture barrier, seams overlapped 6″ and taped. (Reference: /contractor-guide.)

Two numbers, and they refer to different things.

Finish-refinish cycle: 15–20 years. That's the maintenance cadence — sand and refinish the wear layer every 15–20 years, same as a high-end prefinished hardwood floor. It's not the panel's structural service life.

Panel structural life: longer than the finish cycle. The single-assembly warranty ties to the assembly, not to four stacked materials. There's no boiler, no mechanical pump, no elements buried in the floor that can fail out from under you — which is the part that beats a hydronic retrofit baseline (the Northwoods project saved $6,400 vs. a comparable hydronic install, mostly by removing all the hydronic-side lifetime-risk components). Refinish the wear layer every 15–20 yrs and the assembly goes decades beyond that. (References: /contractor-comparison, /contractor-results.)