Radiant Floor Heat, the Luxurious, Economical Way to Heat Your Home

I'm going to share a real treat with you. One you won't see often. Generally, it's found in more upscale homes. It has to do with energy. It has to do with heating. Did you guess yet? I'll tell you...it's radiant floor heat(ing). If you haven't enjoyed radiant floor heat, you're missing out on a real luxury. Radiant floor heat(ing) is comfort underfoot. You know like when the sun beams down on you and you have that good feeling? Or, like the comfort you get from your favorite blanket, or chair? It's that type of comfort. Radiant floor heat is heating the home from the floor up. Your feet are toasty warm, and the room has warm, even heat-no cold spots and no cold floors. It's a comfort luxury-that's addictive.

Tell me more...
Radiant floor heat is great for a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and family room. Many homeowners use it as an upgrade in an addition to the home, as a supplemental heat source in special areas, or in new construction, yes, it would be a custom upgrade. There are even whole house systems, but for my tastes, I think it's best in rooms that are made for relaxing. Rather, it's excellent in rooms where going barefoot is the norm. Cost? Radiant floor heat averages around $2000 for a normal sized room, and from $15,000 for the whole home. And for the handyman there are do-it-yourself kits. No matter the option, the cost can be worth it...

• if you don't like cold floors,
• while saving on your heating bill,
• while pampering yourself.

Advantages
The United States Department of Energy cite these advantages for radiant heat;

"Radiant heating has a number of advantages: it is more efficient than baseboard heating and usually more efficient than forced-air heating because no energy is lost through ducts. The lack of moving air can also be advantageous to people with severe allergies. Hydronic (liquid-based) systems use little electricity, a benefit for homes off the power grid or in areas with high electricity prices. The hydronic systems can also be heated with a wide variety of energy sources, including standard gas- or oil-fired boilers, wood-fired boilers, solar water heaters [where heat production varies, radiant floor heat is great to maintain constant temperature], or some combination of these heat sources."

The Specs,
Mechanically, radiant floor heat can be applied under the current subfloor, in the joists, or over the existing floor and a new floor laid over that. Radiant floor heat is hollow, water filled tubing embedded under the surface floor that's powered by an electric system (expensive), or hydronic system, which uses water and a fossil fuel source (most popular and economical) to power the heating elements. The surface floor that's heated, is most commonly ceramic tile and slabs of slate, but carpeting, wood, and linoleum floors, can be used, just at less heating efficiency. Ceramic tile and stone are most popular because they conduct heat well at the floor level and both have good thermal storage capacity. That is the main reason why radiant floor heat is so comfortable, because of the heat-holding capacity of ceramic and stone. Conversely, vinyl, linoleum sheet goods, carpeting, and wood, decrease the efficiency of a radiant floor heat system because they insulate the floor from the room and reduce the radiant heating capacity so says the U.S Department of Energy. Radiant floor heat is heavily dependent upon warming the floor surface and then heating the room as the warmth slowly rises. Radiant floor heat is not just the absence of cold floors but the addition of soothing comfort. Particularly, natural stone surfaces like slate, lend an almost therapeutic effect in my opinion. It's penetrating heat for the parts in contact with the radiant heat surface, and in the surrounding air, it "cuddles" you.

An added benefit is low dust circulation, there's no blown air, as in a air-forced system. And, it is easy on your pocketbook, not just when in use, but the gentle heat that remains long after the thermostat is turned off. If you decide to buy, do visit a dealer with working floor samples in place, that way you can know whether radiant floor heat is for you. As with any home contracting service, find out as much as possible about any product you want to purchase and be sure of the level of competency of the contractor you select.