Picture this – it’s a chilly winter morning and when you step into your kitchen to make yourself a cup of coffee, your bare feet are warmed by the floor beneath you. Sounds nice, doesn’t it? Heated floors are a great alternative to traditional heating methods and they can keep your home, and your toes, warm all winter. So whether you are planning your next home remodel in Cincinnati, OH, or considering buying a home with heated floors in Toronto, CA, here is everything you need to know when deciding if heated flooring is the right choice for your home.
What are heated floors?
Heated floors, also known as radiant heating, are a type of heat system that is located underneath the flooring of the home. With radiant heating, the warmth rises evenly from below via heat radiation, so the temperature of the room is uniform from top to bottom, rather than hot air rising from forced-air systems. Although expensive to install upfront, this efficient way of heating is a great alternative to traditional heating methods and may be worthwhile for your household in the long run.
What are the different types of heated floors and how do they work?
There are two types of radiant floor heating systems: hydronic and electric.
- Hydronic radiant floor heating: With this type of radiant heating system, hot water is generated from a boiler, which is then pumped throughout the floors via tubes. These pipes snake throughout the flooring, radiating thermal energy through materials like tiles, concrete, or wood. Hydronic heating is more efficient than conventional heating and works best at heating larger areas – more typical for whole-house installations rather than room by room. Since hydronic systems require additional parts like a boiler and a pump, the upfront cost of installation can be expensive. However, you can save up to 30% more in operating costs compared to conventional heating systems.
- Electric radiant floor heating: This type of radiant heating system is…