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.

Comfort and Efficiency go Together

After coming in from being in the cold all day I can't help but think of a better way to get warmed up than to bask in the heat of a warm, radiant heated floor. Underfloor heat (a radiant floor heating system) is just what you need after spending a day in the cold. They don't call it radiant floor heat for nothing. The heat radiates up to you, and boy does it feel good.

There is no better way to chase the chills than by warming your feet on a toasty heated floor. Electric radiant floor heating utilizes a heat cable mesh or grid system that is installed over the subfloor. Once fastened down the finish surface is applied over that and you have an efficient, comfortable heated floor that is fully programmable. Underfloor heat can be used in conjunction with a traditional forced air system or separately.

Forget the potential of added efficiency, I can't express enough the elevated comfort levels these systems provide. If your feet are warm you will be warm all over. Underfloor heating is one feature I would insist on if at all possible when scheduling a remodel or new construction. The increasing popularity of underfloor heating is a testament that it's a modern feature whose time has come.

Staying Warm and Comfortable when it's Cold Outside

We are still in the middle of winter and it just plain looks cold outside. Every time you step outside you feel a chill to the bone. The perfect indoor remedy for this is a toasty, radiant heated floor. Underfloor heat is just what you need to get back up to speed when you have been out in the cold. It’s hard not to purr when thinking about it.

Electric radiant floor heat is quite easy to install and it’s a shame homes don't come “standard” with warm floors. I suspect heated floors will be much more common in the years to come. Radiant floor heating utilizes a cable mesh system (such as the Danfoss LX mat or Ideal Heat's Warm Ribbon) laid out on the subfloor. Your finish flooring is then applied over the heat cable. The result is instant-favorite-room syndrome, guaranteed. The comfort of warm floors is unmatched. When your feet are warm, you feel warm all over.

It’s also more likely to be an efficient heat source, as you just need to heat the lower portion of the room where you hang out. (Forced air systems stir up dust and tend to heat the top half of the room.) If you have tall ceilings, warmth emanating from the floor will be even more noticeable – and enjoyable. You don't end up wasting all that heat way up near the ceiling where only the spiders can enjoy it.

If you haven’t experienced radiant floor heating systems, do yourself a big favor and check it out. If not for this winter you can get one in plenty of time to enjoy it next year, and even year 'round. One thing is certain, the weather will be cold again next winter, so why not be prepared by installing a radiant heated floor system?

Why is it that people don’t often think about a type of home heating system that offers greatly enhanced comfort? Probably 90 percent of homes today have traditional forced air heating systems. It’s just the norm. If you want anything else you would have to request it specifically. Which heating system would I go for? Without hesitation, I would opt for a radiant heated floor.

This option seldom enters people’s minds when searching for a home. Well, as one who has experienced this system, radiant heat is certainly my top consideration. You can talk about efficiency and the varying types of radiant heat, but for me the enhanced comfort is all I need to know.

The difference between forced air systems and radiant floor heating systems in terms of heat distribution.

Forced air systems blow heated air into the room, usually stirring up dust and allergens in the process. The warm air then rises and the result is a nice warm -- ceiling. The gecko’s love it. With a radiant heated floor, the heat originates down low in the room (see the illustration), where we can best benefit from the warmth.

Thermostats are generally placed at a height of around 5 feet on the wall, and maintains the temperature detected at that location. With a forced air system it will be warmer above that spot and colder below.

Warm radiant floors are a different animal. Utilizing heat cable or water heated tubing installed in the floor results in an efficient, comfortably heated warm floor. For me the comfort level is in a different world than with forced air systems. When your feet are warm, you feel warm all over.

If you haven’t experienced a warm floor do yourself a favor and try it. Chances are, you’ll never go back to forced air heating systems again.