Electric Floor Heating Mats

If you are looking for an inexpensive and flexible way to heat your home, consider installing a set of electric floor heating mats. Floor heating mats work very well under tile, concrete, stone, and hardwood or laminate flooring. They are generally easier to install than a full boiler-based or blower heating system. You do not have to worry about putting in vents and registers or finding a place to put the radiator. Floor heating mats also are easier to conceal and blend into your home's decor than a large radiator. Because they do not require a central heating unit, you can install floor heating mats in any room of your house.

Electric floor heating mats: How they are made

Most floor heating mats are constructed from fiberglass mats that are stiff, but still slightly flexible. The heating elements within the mat are made of heating cables inside a PVC sheath, with fluoropolymer insulation surrounding them. This insulation is covered by a metal shield so it is not scalding hot when touched. To save energy, these floor heating mats are usually controlled by a programmable thermostat. Since each room's floor heating mats will most likely be on a different thermostat, you can easily customize the temperature of specific areas of your home. This can be quite helpful for families who have different tolerances for hot or cold temperatures.

Electric floor heating mats: Where to install

Do-it-yourselfers have a lot of flexibility when working with floor heating mats. They come in a wide variety of sizes and thicknesses, allowing you to choose exactly what you need for your particular room. The most common sizes are square and rectangle floor heating mats, but you can also get round or irregular-shaped mats. If you have a very oddly-shaped room, custom-designed floor heating mats may be necessary. Smaller electric floor mats can be an effective portable solution for heating one individual room at a time.

Electric floor heating mats: Compatibility with different flooring materials

Along with being available in many different sizes, floor heating mats are also compatible with almost any hard flooring surface. Different flooring materials may affect the heat output and efficiency of your floor heating mats. Carpeted floors are not such a good match for electric heating mats, however, because they leave the heating elements vulnerable to damage from being stepped on and crushed. Floor heating mats are useful for heating floors on upper stories of your home where you would not easily be able to install a conventional home heating system.