Project Highlights

• With their continued growth, Palliser Furniture retained design-builder Concord Projects Ltd. to facilitate a 700,000-square-foot factory expansion development.
• The Delta building was the first standalone building for Palliser using radiant floor heating. To see the true efficiency of radiant heat, they decided to conduct a fair and accurate analysis of the energy savings provided by an Uponor radiant floor heating system over a forced-air system.
• Their Chairs building is similar in size and utilizes a 180°F hot-water heating system with ceiling-hung unit heaters. According to their data gathered over a 12-month period, the Delta building with radiant floor heating cost 55% less to heat.

Background

With manufacturing facilities, showrooms, distribution centers and offices located throughout North America, Palliser Furniture supplies consumers with a full line of home furnishings.

In the early 1990s, the company's corporate headquarters, located in Winnipeg, Manitoba, had grown to an impressive 42 acres to accommodate all their operational needs.

In 1993, the company planned a 700,000-square-foot factory development. Palliser retained design-builder Concord Projects Ltd. to facilitate the expansion project. Experienced in hydronic heating, Concord easily matched Palliser’s construction requirements with the benefits of radiant floor heating.

The expansion incorporated two developments — the Dimension plant expansion and the Delta building project. Concord recommended both plans go with Uponor radiant floor heating to heat the massive spaces.

“We were very impressed with the benefits of radiant floor heating,” says Palliser Furniture property manager, Dave Redekop. “In fact, when it came time to decide upon a heating method for our Delta building, there was no doubt which product we would use — hands down, it was Uponor.”

Palliser required the facility to accommodate heavy floor-mounted manufacturing equipment. To prevent potential penetration of the heating loops during the equipment installation, Uponor’s crosslinked polyethylene (PEX) tubing, hePEX™ plus, was installed below the slab. However, the close proximity of the natural water table to the slab added a slight complication to the project.

“In order to provide sufficient heat to the work space, we needed to make special accommodation in the layout and placement of the tubing and vapor barrier,” says John Loewen of Loewen Mechanical. “The engineering staff at Uponor Canada assisted greatly in modifying standard design practice to ensure an efficient, cost-effective heating system. They went above and beyond the call when it came to technical support and customer service.”

 Related Documents

• Radiant Floor Heating Brochure
• Uponor Commercial Systems Brochure