Floor and boiler questions, answered

The license number and the board that issued it are in the footer of every page. You can look it up on the board's own site, and you should ask any contractor for theirs.

Yes. We work from below between the joists, or lay a thin pour or panels over the old subfloor. We need a floor plan and a few photos.

Tile, stone and concrete carry heat well. Engineered wood works at a lower water temperature. Thick carpet and some solid wide boards slow the heat.

In a well-insulated house, often. In a drafty one or a room with a lot of glass, we add a radiator or baseboard on the same boiler, and we say which rooms need it.

The boiler follows what the house already burns: oil, propane, wood-fired storage or electric. We pipe the boiler and controls. The fuel line stays with your supplier or a licensed gas fitter.

Every loop is pressure-tested before it is covered, and the pressure stays on through the pour or the finish floor. We photograph each test and give you the drawing.

Yes. We draw first, then write the scope and price from the drawing. Anything that changes goes in writing before we do it.

We pull the permits and book the inspections for our own work, and we tell you if your town wants anything more.

The visit: boiler cleaning and combustion check, pumps and valves, and on the loops plan a read of every flow meter. It does not cover parts or repairs and it is not insurance.

Often. Text a photo of the manifold and the boiler label and we tell you what we see.

Homes built before 1986 can have lead solder in drinking-water lines. A heating loop is a separate, closed circuit, but if we open a wall and find old supply pipe, we show you and tell you what to ask a plumber about the drinking-water side.

Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In heating season, plan members' no-heat calls are scheduled ahead of non-members.