Here are the latest pictures from the house! They have laid a reflective/insulating lining in the basement floor, that also acts as a vapor barrier. This will keep the heat moving up into the room, rather than staying in the floor, or radiating into the ground. The builder also did a rough 'drawing' of the walls, so they would know where to place the tubing for the heat.



This area is where the bathroom will be. I took it while standing at the bottom of the future stairs to lead up into the rest of the house!






This one shows you the first line of tubing coming out of the box. The rectangle here is the closet for Rebekah's bedroom. You can also see the sump pit next to the box. I was standing in the bathroom area when I took this one.



Here, you can see the tubing stretched out of the window - this was how he straightened it out to for an easier install.

Next, you see a wider angle including the box where the tubing is originating, the two white pipes are on opposite sides of the stairway coming into the basement, and our two water heaters (120 gallons EACH!) will sit partially under the steps. I was standing just outside the bathroom door for this picture.

The water heaters will be solar powered. We will have solar panels on our roof that take in the sun's energy and convert it for use in heating our water. There will be a small solar powered pump that will pump the heated water throughout the tubing, which will be coiled under the basement floor. This will give us heat in the basement. It will also provide for our hot water needs in the rest of the house. Because we do have some stretches of no sun in the winter, we do have a backup tank-less water heater that will help us through those days. However, if there is any power loss in the winter, we will have hot water and heat in the basement as long as there is sun! (I'll explain what we are doing for heat upstairs when that time comes!) We will have a thermostat downstairs so we can regulate the temperature. I am really looking forward to living in this house to see how everything works together! Just imagine - virtually free heat in the winter! (Once we pay for the equipment!)

This just shows you the outline of Rebekah's room. She's already started packing!