One of the best win-win situations I've experienced was in collaborating with a self-employed contractor named Harvey Youker. Harvey is truly a "general practitioner" among contractors. Not only can he professionally install a complex multiload hydronic heating system, he's also a darn good carpenter. Harvey and I have worked on many projects together over the last 16 years or so. I'll typically draw up plans, give them to Harvey, and rest assured his artistry will make the completed job look even better than I imagined.

A few years ago Harvey and I were sitting in McDonald's eating lunch. We starting discussing a lost opportunity to install floor heating in a house because the budget couldn't support what we both felt was a fairly priced system using a gypsum thin slab. Both being strong advocates of floor heating, we started brainstorming for alternatives that would keep the benefits but lower the costs.