Radiant Floor Systems Would Offer You Better Comfort And Cost Savings

By Author: Ricardo Limbardo
Total Articles: 1131
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Having to step right out of the shower and on a chilly floor is something that nobody would like. Fortunately, homeowners today do not have to tolerate this kind of discomfort anymore. With the help of radiant floor systems, it is possible to enjoy the luxury of toasty floors and various other advantages. This is a type of heating system where a house or a room can be heated up by installing heating elements right under the floors. A system like this can be hydronic or electric. Hydronic systems have been used for quite a lot of years but are very tricky to install and not really comfortable. They would require water heaters, tubing, pumps and several other devices. Hydronic systems would work best for heating very large homes.

How does this System Work?

Areas that are up to 3000 sq ft would work best with low voltage heating systems. This system is made with mesh which would be installed on sub floors and the final floor covering would be installed over the mesh. The installation is quite easy since it can be nailed down without any problem. The areas which are less than 300 sq ft can use line voltage heating ...
... systems for better results. Areas like bathrooms and kitchens are best used with these systems. Rather than using mesh, this system would use heating cables and both of these radiant floor systems can be used under marble, stone, tile, wood or carpet. Once it has been installed, there would be no maintenance since there are no filters or moving parts.

The Main Advantages

There are two main advantages of using radiant floor systems rather than forced air systems. The first big advantage is cost effectiveness because of better efficiency. When a standard furnace is used, the air would be remotely heated and then pushed through ducts to the final location. This would require a lot of energy which would result into higher utility bills. Also, when the warm air is circulated through the ducts, some of the heat would be lost in the process. However, with radiant systems there are no such problems at all. Heat would be generated directly under the floor so it would not be lost. This is an energy efficient way of heating homes.

Another advantage of using this system is the comfort that it offers. Because the heat would be evenly spread across the floor, there would not be any cold spots. The temperature would be maintained uniformly and evenly across the entire area. The initial cost which would be required would vary according to the size of the area and the kind of system that is used. Typically, the cost ranges from $4 to $10 per foot. The larger the area that has to be heated the lower would be your overall cost. The best thing to do is to contact at least two or three different contractors and get quotes. It is also advisable to compare the quotes and check references. Like with any other type of job, the quality of the contractor would make a lot of difference so it is best to clear any doubts before you ask them to install radiant floor systems at home.

Install desirable, economical and comfortable radiant floor systems for your next renovation. http://www.bestfloorheating.com/ is a company specializing in underfloor heating, PEX Tubing and Radiant Floor