Ranch with Walkout -- 2 furnaces?

[searcher]

I am building a ranch home with a walkout basement in southern Michigan. The basement will eventually be a complete living space. I am planning conventional forced air for the entire home. Is a single furnace likely to provide good temperature control for the upstairs AND basement? Although I would prefer separate systems, the budget may force a single system instead. Thanks for any advice!

[casturbo]

Warm air furnaces are tough to zone properly. The furnace has no idea it is working to heat one zone or the whole house so fan speed is too much or too little and the burner typically cycles too much. Overall, warm air heat is not the most comfortable to begin with, zoning makes it all the more less comfortable. If it were me, I'd do a baseboard hot water system. This type of system can be zoned galore, with no ill effects to comfort. Comfort actually improves with more zones. But add central air to the house and this type of HVAC can, and will, add up moneywise. It depends on what you think comfort should cost.

[Dof3]

Use infloor heat in the basement and forced air upstairs. The cost isn't as much as baseboard and you can use the forced air for a/c also. The basement will not heat if you put forced air in it no matter what you do. The floor will always be cold. You could put in a boiler to do the infloor and your domestic hot water. Check into it. It works great, I know, that it is what I have in my own house.LOL