Hot Tips for Radiant Heated Floors

Staying Warm With Radiant Floor Heating

Radiant floor heating sounds almost as good as it feels. The word radiant conjures up warm images, and the actual product creates warm homes.

Radiant Heating Not New

Radiant floor heating is not really new. In fact, its origins can be traced back to the ancient Romans, who heated their bath houses with a crude version. The technology of today's radiant floor systems is vastly improved over the copper-pipe systems popular in post-World War II days.

Radiant Heating Not New

Interest in radiant floor systems waned in the 1960's because of problems, expenses and limitations associated with the copper-pipe systems. In the late 1970's, when synthetic rubber and plastic tubing was developed, radiant floor systems began making a comeback.

How Radiant Floor Systems Works

Radiant floor systems work by heating mass, not air. Not only does the floor stay warm and toasty, the heat is transmitted to the furniture and, eventually, to the people who inhabit the house.

How Radiant Floor Systems Works

The heart of a radiant floor system is the boiler, which is fueled by a conventional source such as natural gas. The hot water circulates through sturdy synthetic plastic or rubber tubing back to the boiler. The tubing actually looks like, and is almost as flexible as, a garden hose. The systems have an automatic fill level that draws water from the home's main water source to compensate for the one to two gallons of water that evaporates each year.

How Radiant Floor Systems Works

The tubing or hose commonly is installed in grout beds for tile and rock surface floors . It can be stapled to the top of frame floors and covered with some type of stone, brick or concrete. The hose also can be installed on the underside of plywood subfloors. Foil-back insulation under the hose creates the needed "mass" in subfloors.

Radiant Floor Systems Costs

While radiant floor heating is now technologically improved, it's still not cheap.

Radiant Floor Systems Costs

It is estimated that radiant heating used in a multilevel residence can be two to three times more expensive to install than forced-air systems. However, a radiant floor system uses 15 percent to 30 percent less energy than more common heating systems.

Radiant Floor Systems Costs

Estimating costs for radiant heat systems is very difficult because the quality and price of the plastic or rubber tubing varies, and every application is different. Average cost for equipment and labor is about $5 to $7.50 per square foot.

Energy Savings

As far as energy savings, it depends on the individual and the application. Radiant systems can be divided into several zones governed by separate thermostats. Some homeowners request different zones for the master bedroom and master bath.

Energy Savings

You can have rooms set at lower temperatures than with forced air, because the heat stays at about person level instead of rising to the ceiling.

Energy Savings

Radiant floor systems are dependable and efficient, as long as they are designed and installed correctly. The hose must be tested for leaks before concrete, insulation or masonry material is applied.

Radiant floor systems are not compatible with central air-conditioning systems, but new technology is in the works. Solar energy sometimes can be combined with radiant heating.

Further Reading…

Beautiful Heat is a group of expert technicians and installers committed to education about radiant floor heating. Visit http://www.beautifulheat.com/homeowners today to learn more.