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Radiant floor heat is a type of heating mechanism that is installed under the flooring to help provide warmth and comfort to a home. This type of radiant floor heat can be installed in just about any room in the home and can be very helpful in heating the home and saving money over the course of a few years. Many consumers who use radiant floor heat have found the comfort level much nicer than more traditional forms of heating. They have also found that the heat is often sufficient to provide comfort without even using another form of heat. Radiant floor heat is ideal for any home or building that is located in area of the country that is prone to cold weather including extreme cold. Instead of running the main heating system continually, you will be able to keep the flooring warm and lessen the costs of energy.
Radiant floor heat is appropriate for all types of floor material. Whether you have tile, carpet or hard wood flooring, the radiant floor heat can be installed and provide warmth and comfort. Some systems are designed only for a specific type of flooring but others can be used with just about any type of material that is present in your home. The radiant floor heat can also be installed in just about any size of room from narrow hallways to large basements. Whatever the size of the space you are looking to heat, there is a radiant floor heat solution that will be ideal for your purposes. The radiant floor heat can also be used in both new and existing structures. If you are building a new home or building or adding on to an existing structure, you can install radiant floor heat with the design of the building. However, radiant floor heat can also be used with existing flooring systems with minimal effort and can raise the value of the home with this added feature.
Radiant floor heat systems consist of mats, mesh heating systems and cables that fit under the type of flooring you choose. It can be used in just about any room in your home. Imagine how nice it will be to step on to a warm floor instead of a cold one. A bathroom is a perfect place to use radiant floor heat. When you step out of a bath or shower onto the tile floor, think how nice it will be to have a nice warm floor instead of the cold tile that is usually present in a bathroom. You will be forever hooked and wonder how you lived without it for so long. In your bathroom if you add a plug in towel warmer you will feel like you are in a luxury spa right inside the comfort of your own home. It brings an added dimension to comfort in your home. Instead of a stark, cold floor, the floor will be heated to eighty degrees.
Kithcens are another area in the home where radiant floor heat can be utilized. This is another area of the home where many people tread barefoot. In the cold months of the winter, this can be very uncomfortable and you may have to use socks or slippers when walking around the tile or laminate flooring. If you install radiant floor heat, though, you will no longer have this concern. You can walk around in the comfort of your own home without having to worry about being cold or uncomfortable.
Radiant floor heat can be installed by do it yourselfer's or professional contractors. If you install it yourself, you will be able to save additional money. However, if you do not know how to do it or are uncomfortable with the prospect of installing the radiant floor heat on your own, you can look for a contractor and compare prices to see who can install it for the best price. When choosing a contractor, always make sure to ask for and check references. You can often get the unit installed much faster for a minimal fee.
Radiant floor heat can be installed under ceramic tile, which is very popular because of the naturally cold feel. This is especially true in cold weather when the tile seems to feel even colder. The radiant floor heat will warm the tiles, making the floor much more comfortable to walk on in bare feet. Hardwood floors are also popular uses for radiant floor heat. The durable products can withstand the stapling and nailing needed to install hardwood floors and still retain the warmth that provides added comfort. Stepping onto lush carpet that is warmed will also add luxury to a home and radiant floor heat is ideal for this application as well.
Though comfort and cost are the two biggest benefits of this heating system there are many others:
- Silent operation – no hum or whistle of a forced air system.
- Inconspicuousness of the system – you don't see vents or air blowing.
- A healthier home – forced air systems can spread dust, pollen, and germs.
- Even, quiet warmth: even with wood, tile, or uncovered concrete floors.
- Also, radiant heat is less likely to dry out your breathing passages and skin.
The warmth of the floor on a cold winter morning would probably be enough to convince a lot of people that radiant floor heating is the best thing since sliced bread. However, after discovering the cost savings, there is usually no going back.
Radiant floor heating concentrates the heat in the lower half of a room where the human body needs it most. Since heat is evenly distributed in the floor, the thermostat can be set 2 – 4° less than a forced air heating system. This can reduce energy cost by 10-30%. Homes and building with high ceiling will save even more in heating costs as heat generated by forced air systems quickly rises to the top of these structures, where it is of little use.
Whereas a forced air system delivers heat which quickly rises to the ceiling – a radiant floor heating system radiates heat from the floor and delivers the heat evenly throughout the rooms.
In a radiant floor heating system warm water circulates through tubing beneath the floor. This turns the flooring into an efficient, low temperature radiator.
Though Radiant Floor heating is not a complicated system, there are components which are required, and that the homeowner should be aware of – The Heating Source, The Boiler, The Pump and the Tubing.
The heating source can be electricity, solar, natural gas, propane, oil, wood, or any other heating source.
The boiler, with a certified efficiency rating houses the water to be heated. This same boiler can also be used to heat the pool, snow melting, heating a hot tub, or and domestic hot water needs.
A Pump is required to circulate the water though the tubing located under the floor.
The tubing for a radiant floor heating system is located either in the concrete, under wood subfloors, or on a subfloor of wood, precast concrete or concrete slab-on-grade, then covered with gypsum.
Once a homeowner makes the decision to install radiant floor heating system, contacting the right installer is imperative.
Some companies who design radiant floor heating systems may also install the system.
A qualified System Designer and a qualified System Installer will work together and know which components work well together, capacities of various systems, special considerations for installations in your area, and manufacturers' warranties and reliability.
The designer should do a room-by-room heat loss analysis of your home or building done as well as a step-by-step system sizing process.