- By Kurt Kopp
- In Design Ideas, Design Ideas, How to Choose, How to Choose, New Construction, Remodeling
- Tags heated floors, New Construction, radiant flooring, remodel
Heated Flooring: Looking to keep your feet warm?
Heated flooring (aka radiant flooring) is an excellent way to heat floorings that are cool, such as stone, concrete, or ceramic tile.
There are 2 systems you can choose from electric and hydronic. We will dive into each one to help you make a more informed decision on which one will work for you.
Electric radiant system:
This system has thin heating cables, like the wires in an electric blanket, installed under ceramic tile.
Where: They’re installed in rooms such as bathrooms, mudrooms, and kitchens.
Controlled: They have their own thermostat, these electric floor heating systems will not replace your central heating unit.
Energy Consumption: This electric floor heating system will consume about the same amount of electricity as three 100W lightbulbs.
Note: If you’re installing radiant floor heat in an existing room, you’ll need a dedicated 15-20amp GFCI protected circuit to power the system.
Hydronic radiant system:
Heats the floor by warm water pumped through plastic tubing. The tubing goes beneath the wood floors; by installing it directly under the finish flooring or fastened to the underside of the subfloor.
Components: In a hydronic system will have a water heater, circulation pump, manifold of valves, and a thermostat to control the temperature.
Where: Rooms with carpet, tile, and vinyl flooring can go down over a hydronic masonry floor.
Energy Consumption: You can have substantial savings when using this throughout the house or a whole level; you can save around 1/3 over what you’d pay to heat by forced air.
Note: The cost for an entire heating system is 2 to 3 times the cost of the electric radiant system.
What are the Pros and Cons of a Radiant System?
Pros:
-Electric radiant heating systems buried within a ceramic tile can retain heat for a long time, even after the power is turned off.
-Electrical radiant floor systems offer a discreet way of heating a floor.
-The systems can help reduce overall heating costs by not having you your HVAC or space heaters to work as hard to heat up the room.
-These systems are ideal for use under cold surfaces.
-A radiant system, in general, are more cost-effective than other means of supplemental electric heating, such as space heaters.
Cons:
-These systems are challenging to install retroactively, as the floor covering must be removed. They are most practical during new construction or remodeling projects.
-A radiant system is more effective at warming the floor surface rather than heating the entire room.
-For whole-home use, an electric radiant system is more expensive to operate than a hydronic radiant system.
-Broken wires and tubing beneath the flooring surfaces and are difficult to repair.
-Radiant floor heating is less effective under carpeting, hardwood, or vinyl since the heat can become trapped between the insulating surface layer and the subfloor.
Costs of a Radiant System?:
You can expect to pay $8 to $12 per square foot for materials alone. On average, for professional installation plus materials, plan on spending about $16 per square foot.
Need Heated Flooring or have questions about Looking to keep your feet warm on your floors? Contact Us online at or give Us a call at 1 (503) 3357-8810. From concept to completion, we provide full remodeling services. Let’s Build It!
Kurt Kopp is a dedicated professional with a commitment to excellence. He is a master builder of over 35 years of experience that strives to deliver the highest quality product to his valued customer.
