Comfortable Radiant Floor Heating Options for Every Home Size and Budget
Cold weather is upon us and outside temperatures have begun to dip below freezing, which means floors can feel cold and uncomfortable while second stories and lofts can collect too much heat. Radiant floor heating is a form of HVAC technology that can solve many winter heating problems.
Radiant floor heating is a terrific source of comfort heat that works against the stratification of air, concentrating warmth under our feet and in the first six vertical feet from the floor. Among the benefits are better efficiency over baseboard heating, and in some cases, they can be more efficient than forced-air systems. They are a good option for people who suffer from allergies because, unlike forced air, they don’t disperse allergens.
Many people opt for spot radiant heat in bathrooms and kitchens in the form of temperature-controlled electric mats or cables installed on the subfloor beneath tile or other floor covering. There are drawbacks, one being that they are usually more expensive to operate due to the high cost of electricity. Also, failed circuits can be difficult to impossible to repair.
Hydronic radiant floors that use circulating hot water pumped through tubing to provide heat are more energy efficient and more reliable than electric, but they are usually more costly to install. It is a popular option for heating larger areas of a home. It can also be used outdoors to heat driveways, garages and walkways, in which case a glycol loop is usually used to protect them from freezing and breaking. Both electric and hydronic radiant floors can be easily installed in new construction.
In existing homes, tubing or heating cables can be suspended under the subfloor between open joists. Another option is electric radiant panels installed in walls or ceilings, usually as supplemental heating in cold rooms or as a solution for providing heat in small home additions.
About E.P. Homiek
E.P. Homiek Sheet Metal Fabrication & HVAC Supply, with two convenient locations in Lakewood, NJ and Union, NJ, provides one- to two-day turnaround on all residential and light commercial ductwork, as well as one- to two-hour emergency fabrication service, rapid delivery, and competitive prices. HVAC parts, supplies, and equipment lines include Goodman, Honeywell, Bryant, Bradford White, Crown Boiler, Daikin, Weil-McLain, York Commercial, Sea Breeze, Generac, Fantech, ZM, A.O. Smith, Hart & Cooley, Malco, Mueller, and many more
