Safer Heating Solutions for Little People

With the advent of colder temperatures, there are plenty of reasons for concern for parents of young children, and radiant underfloor heating systems may be one way to help smooth our brows. Anyone who spends time at home with little people knows how much time they spend down low, whether scooting, sitting or standing barefooted on cold hardwood floors in front of drafty, dusty heat registers. As cold, cough and flu season approaches, this point becomes even more contentious.

What a blessing it would be to have heated floors throughout my home! I’m thinking my four-year-old would not even balk at the thought of exiting the tub if we had radiant heat installed underneath our cold ceramic tile bathroom floor. And I wouldn’t have to worry about constantly covering my son’s bare feet (which, by the way, he insists on keeping sock-free as much as possible). Runny noses and watery eyes are enough of a concern already!

Once installed, underfloor heating is an extremely affordable and comfortable heating solution. Radiant heat cables can be easily installed under almost any type of flooring, whether new or existing; and once in place, they are virtually maintenance-free. Unlike conventional forced-air systems, underfloor heating systems are room-specific. You can choose to heat only high-traffic areas, or heat all rooms at once. The biggest savings with underfloor heating systems, however, comes after you stop receiving that monthly gas bill. In the winter months, that can add up to a lot of college tuition!

Warm up your home’s value, line your pockets and put the freeze on global warming

Turns out that preserving home equity and protecting the environment aren’t the only incentives for installing radiant heated floors . Surfing through cyberspace today, a catchy tagline led me to a list of habits the wealthy few cultivate to achieve and maintain their financial status. Said Jeff Lehman, author of The Frugal Millionaires, on a recent Yahoo Finance blog “(Millionaires) typically buy green if it helps the environment and lowers their costs.” Great insight, especially when so many of us are feeling the heat financially!

Decreasing home values and environmentalism aren’t just hot topics of conversation; these issues make a compelling case for heated floor installation. Until recently, you may have viewed floor heating as an indulgence rather than a practical home heating solution. The good news is that like most useful technologies, heated floors have become increasingly affordable and efficient over time, and an environmentally smart home improvement option.

Radiant floor heat works well under a variety of surfaces and is a non-evasive, maintenance-free heating solution that relies on renewable energy for operation. It’s also zone-specific. Individual thermostat controls communicate with floor sensors installed in various rooms in your home, allowing you to heat one room, or heat them all, before your bare soles even hit the floor. The bottom line—heated floors generate warmth quickly, where you need it most, conserving energy where you don’t, and their impact on the environment is considerably smaller than forced air systems.

Warm up your home’s value, line your pockets and put the freeze on global warming (Part II)

Affordability aside, radiant floor heating is a more efficient way to stay warm. The heat generated by a typical forced air system is blown out and up, leaving chilly floors and feet behind. Heated floors, however, radiate heat from the floor up. Radiant heat spreads evenly throughout a room eliminating cold spots, drafts and those arctic blasts you may experience with a forced air system. Floor heating systems do not rely on blower fans either, making any room a cozy, quiet retreat.

Floor heating is better for your health too. According to the EPA, air ducts present many hidden dangers, including visible mold, bug and/or rodent infestation, or clogs caused by excessive amounts of dust and debris that may actually be released into the air during furnace operation. The bad news—air duct cleaning may have little or no impact on these air quality issues. In fact, improper cleanings, including the application of chemical biocides or sealants, may pose even greater health risks to your health. Radiant floor heating systems do not require air ducts, reducing your reliance on forced air systems while contributing to the air quality in your home.

You may be feeling the financial heat. Now, more than ever, smart purchases, such as heated floors, make good sense. Whether you fancy yourself a penny pincher, a tree hugger or both, you can reap the rewards of floor heating, preserve your health and line your pockets!

For more tips on developing “wealthier” habits, check out Lehman’s May 27, 2009 post, “How to Spend Like a Frugal Millionaire” on Yahoo Finance. For more information on air duct cleaning and the dangers that may be lurking in your ventilation system, visit www.epa.gov.