Warming up to the idea of heated floors
Electric radiant floor heating can be easy to install and satisfying
The worst of Old Man Winter might soon be just a memory. But if you dream of stepping on warm floors instead of frigid ones next winter, now’s the time to consider including radiant-floor heating if you’re planning to do some remodelling this spring.
One thing’s for sure, if you decide to roll up your sleeves and do this project yourself, you’ll save hundreds or even thousands of dollars.
HOT WATER OR ELECTRIC?
There are two avenues you can pursue. Hot-water radiant-floor heating systems are the darling of new construction as they can be easily installed when there’s no drywall or plaster in the way.
Remodelling contractors and serious DIYers working in existing homes tend to lean toward electric radiant floor mats. These systems are very easy to install. The thin mats that contain radiant heating cables are sandwiched between the finished flooring and the subflooring that’s already in place in your home.
Labour costs to install a hot water system are exponentially higher than the electric mats that can often be installed in a standard bathroom in about the time it would take a plumber to pull the permit for a hot water system.
Hot water systems require tubing to be installed under the floor you’re trying to heat. There needs to be a source of the hot water, and this often is a new small water heater that’s dedicated to the task of keeping your feet warm. A recirculating pump is also part of this system. All of this equipment requires some space in your existing mechanical room.
Electric radiant floor mats have no moving parts and require only that a new separate electric cable be run to the room where the mat will go. This new electric circuit is usually fairly easy to extend from your main electric circuit panel. The only other task is to install an electric box on the wall that will house the computerized thermostat that manages the flow of electricity to the mat.
There’s no need to worry about electric shock from wet feet touching the floor. The heating cables are virtually identical to those in an electric blanket. If you’re under one and someone spills a drink on the blanket, you don’t get zotted. The cables have shielding and insulation on them.
The good news is that just about any finished flooring material works on top of radiant heating.
Ceramic tile, marble, granite, slate, laminate, hardwood and other engineered flooring materials all play nicely with radiant floor heating. As always, research the specifications and requirements of the finished flooring before you get started.
The primary issue you might have with radiant-floor heating for a finished floor is the expansion and contraction that is a byprod- uct of the heating cycle. When the radiant system is activated, it gets warm.
The floor temperature could approach 38 C or so depending on what your system is. This rise in temperature can cause materials to expand.
When the thermostat is satisfied, the radiant floor starts to cool down. This produces contraction in the finished flooring. You simply need to ensure you install the finished flooring according to the written instructions, to account for this slight back and forth movement.
A LITTLE INSTALLATION INSIGHT
I had the good fortune to install one of the electric radiant floor mats in my man-cave ham-radio shack last year. I ordered the mat online, informing the company of my room’s size. They made the system in days and shipped it directly to my home with the required thermostat and all installation instructions.
One of the coolest parts included was a computerized tiny monitor used during the entire installation process that indicated if the mat got damaged during one of the installation steps. Accidents can happen, but if you just exercise nor- mal precautions, you’ll not have an issue with damaging the mat.
No matter what product you decide to use, the first step in the installation process is to stop and read the installation instructions.
Don’t read just the first step and get to work. Read the entire set of instructions from start to finish and make sure you have all the necessary tools and that you understand how to complete each step.
If you need help, most of the manufacturers have online help, or you can phone them to for a verbal assist.
You’re going to love radiant floor heat. It’s silent and warm — and it works. Radiant heat is considered by many to be the ultimate heat.
It’s what you feel when you stand in the sun or in front a campfire, and it’s going to make you one happy camper when you walk into your bathroom on a frigid winter morning.
Read the entire set of instructions from start to finish and make sure you have all the necessary tools.