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Radiant floor heating offers many benefits, not the least of which is the comfort received when stepping out onto a warm floor from a shower or warm bed. When comfort can be obtained, and money saved at the same time, radiant floor heating begins to make a great deal of sense. Radiant floor heating is not a new invention, it has been around since the Roman times; it has recently become a popular way of heating homes with the new focus on protecting natural resources by saving energy.

Radiant floor heating has not changed much in the overall design since it was used by the Roman’s; it is installed under the flooring of your home, and spreads warmth with heated water running through pipes. Technological advances have made it easier to install, and it can be placed in existing homes or new ones as they are constructed.

There are two types of radiant floor heating; electrical or hydronic.  Hydronic radiant floor heating systems are more complex and difficult to install except by a professional team. It is also more expensive in the long run, and hydronic radiant floor heating systems are best used in larger buildings like commercial structures, with square footage over 3000 feet.

For smaller structures like homes, the electric radiant floor heating systems which operate on low voltage are the optimum choice. The radiant floor heating system is installed in zones; areas of the home are divided by size, and the zones are set up on separate thermostats. This saves energy from being used to heat rooms that are not occupied.

Installing a radiant floor heating system is done by placing 12” wide strips of mesh over the sub-flooring, the heating coils running through the mesh are insulated for safety. The upper floor is nailed down over the sub-floor to hold the mesh in place. For the zones fewer than 300 square feet, like the bathroom or kitchen areas, the heating cables are laid directly on the sub-floor without using mesh. Both types of radiant floor heating systems can be used under any type of flooring, wood, stone, or carpet.

Radiant floor heating systems have certain advantages over forced air heating that add up to the home owners saving money, and being more comfortable year round. Number one advantage is the cost of energy used by the forced air system, remaining in the bank. Forced air heating is a waste of energy. The inefficiency of heating with forced air have been known for years, ever since the first infrared cameras were used to show the heat escaping around windows, doors, eaves, and foundations. There is even a large loss of heat when the warm air travels through the heating duct system used to deliver it to your rooms. The energy spent pushing the forced heat through your home, can add up to hundreds if not thousands of dollars each fall and winter.

The energy cost of using radiant floor heating systems is remarkably less, because the energy is being used to heat the rooms from the floor upwards, and the radiant heat is absorbed by the objects in your home, and not swirled around them. Many home owners report energy cost reductions of over 30 percent, when they switched from forced air heating to radiant floor heating systems.

Another advantage is the overall comfort of your home. Radiant floor heating systems are placed underneath the floor and the heat radiates upward, and your rooms are warmer because the objects in the room are warmer. When you touch an object that is colder, then the cold object absorbs the heat, same thing happens with radiant floor heating systems. Furniture absorbs the heat, you sit in the chair, and you retain your heat, and absorb the heat from the object. Forced air heat flows from the ceiling downwards cooling as it drops, and never retaining the temperature it was heated too.

With any work that requires the handling of electrical wiring, a professional should be consulted before beginning. Many companies that sell radiant floor heating offer installation by professionals, and their expertise could have your radiant floor heating systems up and running in no time.

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