As we try to use less energy at home, we’re always looking into ways that will help make heating the home more efficient. Luckily, there are a lot of systems these days that do just that. In fact, one type that’s growing in popularity is the radiant floor heating system.
This system warms up under the flooring of the room and radiates the heat upwards. It has a lot of benefits and is a great option for those looking to upgrade their old home or are building a new one. In this post, we’ll go over several of the benefits so you can decide for yourself if you think this is the best system for you.
1 – Easy installation
When people think of a radiant floor heating system going in underfoot, they often imagine having to tear up the floor to begin the installation. This may have to happen but in many cases, the heating element can be placed over the existing floor. Then it’s simply a matter of adding flooring over it.
It doesn’t even matter what the flooring that you decide on to go over it is as just about any material will work. Cement works best, but you can also opt for tile, luxury vinyl plank flooring or even wood.
You also have a choice between hydronic and electric heat. This means you can work with a traditional boiler or even use solar power for free heating.
2 – More even heating
One of the worst aspects of other radiant heating systems, like radiators or even when you have forced hot air, is the fact that there are cold spots in the room. This is because when you have a heating element on one side of the room, the waves of heat will spread unevenly around the space.
That isn’t the case with radiant floor heating systems since the heating element is the whole floor. It rises evenly across the full surface and eliminates cold spots. The entire room fills up with even and gentle heat for maximum comfort.
3 – Space-saving
Consider the number of radiators that are in your house; they take up a lot of space. Not only do they take up room, you also can’t put furniture in certain spots because they need to be placed a certain distance away from the radiators. Even vents for forced hot air require some space so the air can circulate freely and evenly.
When you have radiant floor heating, you free up the space the radiators took up and therefore can put your furniture wherever you want!
4 – They’re safe
When you have small children or pets, you have to erect barriers to ensure they don’t get injured by touching hot radiators. If not, you have to remain very vigilant so they don’t get too close.
Just having a heavy, bulky radiator around is dangerous from a size standpoint. They can be dangerous if somebody were to trip and fall or bump into one, since many types have hard, sharp edges.
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