Imagine – you have just enjoyed a nice, hot, relaxing shower and the stresses
of the day have seemingly melted away – until you take your first step onto your
beautiful ceramic tile floor, the unbelievably cold ceramic tile floor.
There has to be another way, you say to yourself, and thankfully, there is:
in-floor warming systems. The popularity of these systems has grown greatly in
recent years.
“Homeowners are becoming more aware of the availability of this product on
the market,” said John O’Brien, of Radiant Floor Warming, a company that has
been warming America’s feet for the last eight years. “This market is growing by
over 80 percent per year and is expected to grow by over 140 percent by 2005.”
Chris Ellmore, a homeowner in Boston, Massachusetts, is one of those who have
installed electric radiant heat in his master bath. “It keeps the bathroom nice
and warm.” Ellmore said the in-floor warming system has been an added feature
now that he is in the process of selling his home. “It was one of those little
extras, like granite countertops or stainless steel appliances, but those cost
15 times more than the floor warming system.” Ellmore said the last time the
prospective buyers were at the home, he walked into the master bath and found
the mother and daughter feeling the floor. “They couldn’t believe how warm the
floor was,” said Ellmore.
While in-floor warming systems have always been popular in colder regions
like northern New England or the upper Mid West, two things have made the
systems more widespread. As the use of tile has increased, so has the use of
these systems. As people decided to use tile not only in their bathrooms, but
also in their kitchens, foyers, sunrooms and other areas, they wanted to keep
the tile warm. The other reason for the systems’ increase in popularity is the
long way the manufacturers have come to make the system easier and faster to
install, therefore reducing the cost for installation.
Another major selling point is the installation of the in-floor warming
system does not require any special installation procedures. The sub floor
should be prepared as for any conventional tile installation in accordance with
all applicable standards. It should be clean of all debris and sharp edges or
objects that might damage the element. Loose boards should be repaired and all
gaps should be filled to assure the mat will be installed over a smooth and even
surface.
A hydronic system, which has hot water running through flexible tubing, is a
total home heating system. It requires a boiler to heat the water and plumbing
and is typically used in new construction only.
“Electric floor heating is designed to be installed directly under the tile
or stone flooring,” said O’Brien. “We thinset this material down to the
substrate and it will add virtually no height to the floor – only 1/8” of an
inch. This cannot be done with hydronic heating.”
“Radiant is for floor warming and does not replace the existing heat in your
home. This material can be used in renovations or new construction, is UL
approved and perfect for any room. We predict by 2007 40% of medium to high end
tile or stone installations will have a warm floor associated with it.”
One common myth that exists is floor-warming systems are only popular in
colder climates. This is not the case, O’Brien says. “Certainly, it is more
evident in colder climates – yet a tremendous amount of material is sold in
California and Florida as people typically have the A/C on and the tile is still
‘cold’. In fact, most people who buy heated floors in all climates use them
throughout the summer as well.”
Basic Installation Instructions:
- Measure and plan are to be covered.
- Place unit and cut webbed mat (not wire heating element) to make turns and
new runs. The flexible heating element bends as needed.
- Connect wires to junction box/thermostat (to be done by licensed
electrician). Test unit.
- Spread the thinset mortar or self-leveling underlayment right over the mat.
The thin profile makes for a smooth, flat finish.
- Install Flooring product according to product and industry standards.
Electric radiant heat offers maintenance free comfort all year long, in any
kind of climate. For further information, visit http://www.radiantfloorwarming.com or contact John
O’Brien at Radiant Floor Warming, 888-FLR-WARM (357-9276).
