Underfloor Heating Elements Take The Chill Off Cold Floors
If you have ever got out of the tub or shower and stood on an ice cold ceramic floor, you can appreciate the benefits of underfloor heating elements. Even concrete slab floors covered with carpeting can feel cold during winter months and the addition of underfloor heating in these floors can make them much more comfortable. In addition to the floor being warmer, they can also help keep the room at a more comfortable temperature.
When building a new home, especially in colder climates, the added expense of installing underfloor heating can quickly pay for itself over the course of a few winters through lower heating bills. The type of underfloor heating chosen will depend on the type of floor being installed as well as the cost of utilities. One of the most common types of floor heaters are electric coils installed under ceramic floor tiles to provide specific spots of warm flooring. However, pipes that circulate hot water or glycol through concrete are also popular.
Available in a variety of sizes, underfloor heating blankets can be installed between the floor joists in many homes, even in crawl spaces, to help provide heat from the bottom of the house, up.
Remodeling A Great Time To Consider Warm Floors
Homeowners may dance around their cold floors for years, wearing out slippers and socks on chilly floors before they decide that underfloor heating may be a good idea. A home remodeling project may the perfect time for its installation, especially if the floor is going to be replaced or repaired. Many laminate floors are installed as a floating surface and electric floor mats can be installed underneath to provide additional heat.
With the many different sizes and style available of underfloor heating systems, there is no real reason to walk around on cold floors. Children playing on floor that are colder than the rest of the house have a higher potential of becoming ill and even pets will be more comfortable if the pads on their feet are not freezing. Whether you have carpet, wood, linoleum or tile flooring there are underfloor heating units that can take the chill off walking over them.
In most cases underfloor heating elements can be installed by the homeowner, however it is highly recommended that connecting the thermostat as well as making the electrical connecting into the power box be performed by a licensed electrician to prevent the possibility of an electrical short.
