Lange Custom Builders shares their radiant success story
Lange Custom Builders, a respected firm in Northwest Ohio, with projects around Toledo, Archbold, and Napoleon, has extensive experience in radiant floor heating solutions, primarily employing hydronic in-slab systems. But a special timber frame residential project, with wide-ranging architectural features, necessitated a more advanced approach. This requirement led them to Warmboard. In this in-depth interview with Nate Lange, owner of Lange Custom Builders, we discuss his initial experience with Warmboard, how the company has since integrated our products into numerous projects, and why they confidently recommend our high-performance radiant panel system to clients seeking exceptional comfort and control.
Lange Custom Builders
https://www.langecustombuilders.com/
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Interview transcript
Hi Nate, thanks for agreeing to talk with us. Just wanted to ask – where and when did you first hear about Warmboard?
The first time I heard about Warmboard was when we were working on building my parents’ house. Their house is a timber frame home, so it’s got really high ceilings and big open spaces. And for years we had always put radiant heat in the slabs of the home we built – like in the basement slab or the garage. I had spent some time out in Idaho with some friends and they had radiant heat in the floors of their home. They had Gypcrete poured in their house.
So even though we had already gotten underway with the plans for my parents’ home, I told them, “You guys should seriously think about radiant heat in your house”. We’ve had it in our shop, so of course I know comfortable it is, but I also let them know that our friends in Idaho also had it and felt absolutely amazing.
So, initially, we considered pouring Gypcrete. However, due to the timber frame, we wanted to preserve room space and the floor hadn’t been engineered for that amount of weight. So I searched online and discovered a radiant heating system using aluminum and realized that this system would be significantly better than Gypcrete because it radiates heat evenly. We realized we could easily implement it by adjusting the floor height slightly – between a three-quarter inch and an inch and an eighth subfloor, making it quite straightforward.
I remember finding Warmboard and thinking it was brilliant! So, I contacted you guys – I can’t recall who specifically – but it was before you even had the [Warmboard] Comfort System. We ended up installing your panels in 2018. So that’s how I learned about it. I found it while looking online for a very comfortable heating system for a home.
What’s the feedback been from your parents?
Oh, they absolutely love it! Their favorite part is the ability to control the temperature in different rooms. For example, they like their bedroom warmer, and their bathroom even warmer. They just turn it up. My dad works construction with us, so when he gets home tired, he just wants to relax. He can go in, turn up the heat, take a hot shower, and have warm feet and everything warm in the shower and bedroom.
It’s very comfortable for them. When we have holidays at their house, we can really control the heat in the great room to make it comfortable for everyone. They haven’t had any issues with the system; it’s worked perfectly. Everyone feels comfortable without knowing why, because it’s just a flawless system that works great. I even showed their house in one of our Instagram reels.
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Awesome. Nice to hear that. And now you’re using the Warmboard Comfort System in your current projects. How has the planning process and support been from the Warmboard team?
The planning process is fast. From a quoting perspective, if I send plans to Ryan Clinedinst, our local Sales Manager, I can usually get budget prices back within a day. He’s very quick. That’s really helpful because when I send plans your way, we usually need a budget for our clients to see if it’s feasible. Getting that information quickly is great.
The planning process itself is also excellent, mainly because of our Project Manager Brett Roby. How he works through things with us is great. He’s presented the designs for both of our current projects. He’s very knowledgeable, and tackles all the details so we can get the perfect system for our project. We usually have a conference call with our plumber and HVAC person, and we just go through the list of questions. You guys seem to have it very systematized – boom, boom, boom, boom, boom – these are the things we need. Yeah, it’s been slick. I’d describe your systems as “to-the-point” and “fast.”
And have you been in touch with our support team yet?
Not since installation. Everything has worked perfectly, so no support issues.
I have inquired about it because our clients often ask what happens if something goes wrong. The answers we’ve received from Warmboard are excellent. They can remotely access the system, and they can send out products before the plumber even arrives. So, it definitely addresses everyone’s concerns.
And what was your impression of the plan set? Was it easy to follow once you got the design and the plans in hand?
The plan set is a no brainer. I think the whole idea of your system is ease of use for us, or ease of installation. The plan set reflects that too. Every page is color-coded, and the colors are consistent from the thermostats to the manifolds to the zones.
Everything has its place, and when the installers receive it… it’s been a bit of a learning curve for our installers, but only during the first job for the panels.
What about the mechanical room plans?
Everyone understood it, but it was different from my parents’ house. Their house didn’t have the comfort system so those drawings therefore had fewer details. However, our first project with the Warmboard Comfort System had the full set of plans, and everyone saw all the details.
We walked through it carefully the first time. Now on the Skyline build, which is our second project with WCS, I don’t even need to explain anything because my team knows exactly what they’re looking at and can just proceed. It’s quite impressive to be able to take a set of plans for such a complex system and assemble it after only doing it once before. I have a lot of respect for the plans you guys produce.
That’s great news! Thanks for sharing that. So, to summarize, the learning curve you mentioned on the first project went away on the second one, right? The second project went faster and was much easier for you to…
To install? Yes. So, the first project with WCS, where we are now, is fully installed but still in the plastering phase, so still under construction.
On that first job, I helped the guys install the panels. On the second job, I wasn’t involved at all. They took the plans, they took the panels, knew exactly what to do, and I was completely hands-off. I don’t even think Ryan stopped by on that one yet. They handled it entirely themselves using the plans. So, yes, it was pretty great.
Sounds like it went very well. And what’s one thing about your experience that stands out? You mentioned the easy-to-follow plans and the fast quoting. Anything else?
When I think about your system, and when I talk to people about it, I describe it as being like a heated car seat. Maybe this doesn’t resonate everywhere, especially in warmer climates where heated car seats aren’t common.
The way I explain it to clients is: it’s like a heated car seat. Once you’ve had it, you never want to drive without it in the winter. You always want to turn it on. You start your car, and you hit that heated car seat because it’s radiant heat. When you get in, that heat radiates right into your body, and you instantly feel warm. Your car could be blasting at 83 degrees, but it still takes a bit longer to heat up the air. However, with a seat warmer, or even steering wheel heat, you feel warm even if the car’s air temperature isn’t that high.
So, that’s probably what I love most about the system – the comfort it provides. It really sells itself. When you’re in an environment and you feel comfortable, you naturally want that system. So, when I think about it, that’s what comes to mind: the comfort of the system and how it truly enhances what we’re doing in building a home to the next level.
Yeah, that works, and once you get used to radiant heat versus forced air, you never go back. That’s what our customers say. So is it safe to say you would recommend the Warmboard Comfort System for other projects or customers?
Yep, I would definitely recommend it, if the budget allows. It is a bit of a luxury item, so it can get expensive, and some people find it unaffordable. That’s understandable; it’s not for everyone. But I think it really sells itself once people have experienced it, as we discussed earlier.
The interesting part, and what I also tell people when they’re [a radiant heated] environment, is that one of the reasons they feel more comfortable is because people feel most comfortable when it’s warmer by their feet and cooler as it goes up. I actually think I read this on your website [read article: Hot air rises up]. Radiant heat naturally works with how our bodies are made.
I just thought that was really cool. I always knew radiant heat was comfortable, but I didn’t know why. When you realize it’s because our bodies have evolved to experience warmth and comfort in a specific way, it makes perfect sense why radiant feels so much better. So I thought that was pretty cool. And yes, I would absolutely recommend Warmboard all day long. I would put it in my own house and in every house possible if the budget allowed.
One thing we haven’t discussed yet, which is a great selling point, and we touched on it with your parents’ timber frame, is that open designs with high ceilings and big windows are a perfect match for Warmboard. The system’s fast response is a significant advantage for new builds specifically.
Yeah, exactly. That’s perfect because people are trending towards high ceilings and big windows, and then they realize they need to heat these spaces efficiently. Do they want to heat the entire room to 75 degrees, or heat the lower half to 72 and be more comfortable? While the system might cost a bit more upfront, over time you have a comfortable, more efficient home and save money in the long run by not heating that entire large volume. Both of our current projects have very high ceilings and large windows, making them a perfect fit for Warmboard.
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In one of your Instagram videos you talked about activating the Construction Mode feature before the house was finished. Basically, to provide warmth for the workers besides testing the system. What led you to that?
We’d always done similar with past radiant heat systems. If we had it in the basement or garage, we’d turn it on for temporary heat during construction instead of bringing in temporary gas or electric furnaces. Since your system is quick and easy, you just turn on the boiler and get the water flowing for heat.
When we switched to the Warmboard Comfort System, I asked Brett how to put it in Construction Mode. He directed me to the installation manual, and it was simple. We just covered the panels up with a Ram board, to protect the PEX tubing, and fired it up. We run it at around 85 or 90-degree water temperature, and it keeps the house at 70 degrees, which is perfect. The guys are always impressed when they come in.
So backing up a step, building with timber frames involves using SIPs (structural insulated panels) for insulation. We build around it. So, we have the frame up, the house insulated, and the Warmboard installed before plumbers or electricians arrive. This gives us an advantage in winter because we can turn on the Warmboard in Construction Mode in an already insulated space. All the trades can then work very comfortably, regardless of what the weather is doing.
For example, the audio-visual guys working on the current house had never experienced temporary heat in a winter construction site before, as they’re usually uninsulated and unheated. They were amazed. Of course, I still told them they had to work at their normal pace!
It works especially well with timber frames because we need to keep them conditioned so they can start drying. When we set the timbers, they’re usually quite wet and need to dry quickly, and one of the first things we do is start staining and sanding them. So, Warmboard in Construction Mode is a perfect match for that.
Great to hear that it has been so helpful. Construction Mode really is ideal for keeping workers warm and helping to condition materials before construction is complete. people are using, Paired with SIPs and a timber frame and it sounds even better.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us, Nate! We look forward to more projects with you in the future.
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