Are you looking for ways to enhance your home’s energy efficiency? Do give floor heating a serious look! Also known as radiant floor heating, it is a more bill-friendly feature when compared to conventional HVAC mechanisms.
Well, radiant floor heating might appear to you as a luxury feature, but it’s quite the opposite! In fact, it can save you loads of money on your utility bills! So, in case you are planning a home renovation or remodeling, go ahead and get an estimate for installing floor heating from Alpine Credits.
In this article, you will know why the extra expense in installing home heating would be worth every penny. After all, surely you’d love pampering your toes with an underfloor heating element during the chilly months. Experts here have explained how you can benefit from installing the system at your home.
When Should You Go For An In-Floor Heating System?
If you are unsatisfied with your HVAC system, it makes sense to go for in-floor heating. But before scouring for the benefits of this system, let’s understand the basics.
We all know how hot air loses moisture and dries up. On days when it’s difficult to warm up, you may turn the thermostat on. Unfortunately, the furnace sucks away the humidity in such cases, leading to sinus pain and other health issues.
However, in-floor heating systems do not heat the air. Instead, they heat the surface of the floor. This ensures that you won’t be experiencing the same problems that tag along with an HVAC system.
Moreover, you don’t have ducts, fans, and other components in an in-floor heating system to distribute the air. This indicates that your home would not have seasonal allergens and dust.
How Efficient Is Radiant Floor Heat?
When you consider the efficiency of in-floor heating systems, you need to think beyond aesthetics. The mechanism enhances the comfort level while cutting down your energy bills.
The system goes under your floor and involves some electric wires and tubes supplying the warmth. The thermal radiation releases invisible waves capable of heating the objects that come across their way.
This radiates the heat that has already been captured. Therefore, the temperature of the air remains relatively constant. At the same time, you would enjoy a high degree of comfort as you won’t lose your body’s warmth to the surrounding surfaces.
What Are The Advantages Of Installing In-Floor Heating?
Have a look at the several benefits of installing heated floors in your home.
1. Uniformly Distributed Heat
In-floor heating systems are designed so that both the floor and the room get heated uniformly. These systems do not have bents like air heating systems. The mesh of tubes or wires heats the entire floor uniformly.
Even the ambient temperature around your body will heat up evenly. This would enhance the overall comfort level when the temperature remains low. The reason is that there won’t be any cold drafts around.
2. No Maintenance Required
Unlike traditional HVAC systems that call for regular maintenance, floor heating systems do not require any maintenance. Did you know that some of these systems come with a warranty of up to 25 years?
So, once you install this mechanism under the floor, you can rest assured of comfort for a couple of decades at least. Some of the advanced models also come with programmable thermostats to provide you with better control over the heat.
3. Silent Operation
Are you frustrated with noisy ACs robbing you of your night’s sleep? Well, it’s time to get an in-floor heating system that operates silently.
In forced-air systems, you have a furnace that kicks in loudly. When you get one of these in-floor systems, you would love the noiseless operation.
4. High Energy Efficiency
Compared to forced-air systems, in-floor heating systems are 25% more energy efficient. These systems do not let heat escape through any vent. Therefore, they retain all the heat that they produce. On the contrary, the ductwork in HVAC systems may cause leakages of air.
A professionally designed floor heating system can help you save money over time. Moreover, the whole place gets heated in just 30 minutes to one hour. Some models also come with Wi-Fi or programmable thermostats to control the heat.
5. Optimal Space And Freedom For Designing
You can enhance the aesthetics of your interiors with radiant floor heating systems. Remember, radiators can occupy bulky spaces on the walls in your room.
With floor heating systems, you would enjoy design freedom. This will help you integrate any kind of design on your walls as per your preference.
6. Compatible With All Floor Coverings
Floor heating systems work perfectly with all types of materials used for floors. So, it doesn’t matter if you have laminate, carpet, stone, wood, or tile on your floor; you would have the perfect solution with these systems.
7. Seamless Installation
In-floor heating systems are extremely easy to install. If you’re renovating your home, a DIY installation is definitely worth a discussion. You simply need to roll out the mesh of wires as directed under the floor. However, it’s advisable to call in a professional when it comes to installation.
Cons Of Radiant Floor Heating?
Installing an in-floor heating system is anything but cheap! It costs between $10 to $20 per square foot. This also depends on the type of floor heating system you opt for.
Additionally, a qualified electrician would have to connect your power supply point to the system. This might cost you another $250, depending on your location. Therefore, you need to shell out at least $500 when you install the system.
Note that you also need around two days to get the floor heating system installed. And it is imperative to completely dry the area before you install the mechanism.
Endnote
In-floor heating systems seamlessly balance energy efficiency and ease of heating. Purchasing a system is definitely worth it, as it would keep your toes warm and cozy.
Moreover, the installation cost is only a one-time expense, and it won’t hurt your pockets much–you will be cutting down your energy bills over time. So, talk to an expert regarding the cost of installation and the product you would go for.
