Warmzone Blog

Are you expecting a tax refund this year?  Perhaps you’re thinking about using the refund to upgrade the heating system for a small space in your home. You’ve probably been putting that project off, thinking that a traditional heating system may cost you far more than it’s worth. This is almost always the case for those who may live in small or older homes and apartments.

Older homes often times don’t have the necessary heating ducts needed to install a traditional forced air system, and installing these ducts is very expensive. Due to the cost associated with installing these systems, many people choose not to heat smaller rooms and instead suffer through the winter, chilly and miserable. However, there is a very cost-effective and efficient solution to this problem: electric radiant heat. Electric radiant heat systems are very cost-effective solutions for smaller spaces (1-5 rooms) because they are easy to install and have a very low start-up cost. An electric thermostat is all that is required and costs only about $100-$200.

Here’s yet another advantage that electric radiant floor heating offers over a warm-water system is the floor build up or height. Floor build up can be from as little as 2mm. The electric cables are usually installed onto an insulation board or directly onto the subfloor or padding (under carpet or laminate), then the floor covering is placed directly over the heating system or thinset.

Electric Radiant Heat Tip: Your electric radiant heat system could use 30% less fuel than the average new forced air heating system

The home improvement world has seen many recent developments in heating, making hydronic systems more convenient and possible radiant heater solutions for major home remodeling projects. Today we’re going to discuss one form of radiant heaters: hydronic floor heating.

Hydronic floor heating is the oldest and most popular type of radiant floor heating. These systems are comprised of a boiler or hot water heater, pumps, manifolds, PEX tubing, thermostat, and either gypcrete (a concrete-like material) or wood panels. Hydronic heating is the most complex of all radiant heat systems. These systems require trained professionals to design and perform the installation. Your best economies of scale are achieved for hydronic systems in large areas or entire homes because of their expensive components and operational costs. Hydronic systems can be installed under any type of flooring.

Most hydronic systems require hot water tubing to be installed in a 2-4″ bed of light concrete and are best installed during the initial construction because of its weight load demands and adjustments to floor height.

If you’re wanting to heat smaller areas such as a bathroom or kitchen, a hydronic floor radiant heating system may not be the best value for your project. The complexity and cost of installing the system, along with the long-term maintenance and up-keep required, might not be worth the small amount you will save in operational costs.

Radiant Heaters Tip: Radiant heaters for your home or business come in a variety of forms – all efficient and providing reliable, cozy warmth

Surprise! Many homeowners thinking about doing renovations or upgrading their homes in some way would probably be astonished at the range of applications for radiant floor heating in residential homes. Bathrooms, kitchens and entryways are just a few of the many ideal spots in which to incorporate radiant heat. Tile, marble, slate, and even hardwood are floor coverings that are cold to step onto with bare feet during winter or summer are also super places for using a radiant heat product. One such radiant heat product can be installed under these surfaces throughout the home and take the cold bite out of these areas. Just imagine never again having cold floors or feet–how great would that be!

Come to think of it, another area of the home that radiant floor heating makes sense in is your basement. Basements are one of the top requested areas to add radiant heat. Due to the fact that forced air systems heat air and hot air rises the basement is usually the living space that remains cold. New construction is the best time to add radiant heat to a basement.

Radiant Floor Heating Tip: Whether you’re building a new home, or remodeling your existing home, radiant floor heating is a great way to add comfort and efficiency to the rooms in your home that are traditionally hard to heat.

Choosing the best heating systems for a new home or to add supplemental heat to a cold spot in your home now takes a little homework. The radiant consultants and designers at Warmzone have been trained in all of the latest heating systems to properly assess your project and prescribe a system that will add value to your home within your budget. Whether you are building a new home from the ground up, preparing to replace your heating system, or renovating an older home, knowledge of available heating systems on the market today is helpful.

Of course, while traditional sources of home heating systems like fireplaces and coal burning stoves become less popular, other alternative heating methods are quickly becoming more common. Traditional furnaces as a primary heating system are now being challenged from radiant baseboards, radiant floor heating systems and even radiant ceiling heaters. Many of these new heating systems are using electricity instead of natural gas or heating oil. Not only does this cut down on heating costs, but it is also more efficient and eco-friendly as well. Radiant heating systems are quickly replacing traditional furnaces.

Heating Systems Tip: Alternative heating systems are quickly becoming more common, including radiant baseboards, radiant floor heating systems and even radiant ceiling heaters.

Brrrrr!!! This morning when we got up, we saw that the outside temperature was below freezing. We didn’t know that until we saw the outside thermometer, though, because we enjoy evenly distributed and ultra-comfortable radiant floor heating. We have no cold spots in the bathrooms or on tiled floors; it’s all just a cozy warmth.

One bonus to radiant floor heating is that it can be installed under almost any type of flooring, including tile, hardwood, carpet, and marble. The products you’d need to install the heating would be dependant upon what type of flooring you’d be installing it under.

One of the most popular products for radiant floor heating is Danfoss LX heating mats. The Danfoss LX Mats include a red heating cable woven into an adhesive-backed fiberglass mesh that allows for simple roll-out installation without worrying about heating cable spacing. The floor warming mats are pre-terminated for use with 120 and 240 volts, and are available in various lengths of 24″ widths to accommodate any room’s layout. The Danfoss LX tile floor warming mats emit no measurable electromagnetic fields due to the shielded dual conductor design. This dual conductor cable requires only one cold lead connection making it easy to layout and install.

Instead of rising like warm air, radiant floor heating starts by warming the coldest and closest objects from its source.

Radiant Floor Heating Tip: Many in the kitchen and bath industry expect radiant floor heating to continue to play a big role among homeowners who crave comfort features.

In today’s volatile and topsy-turvy housing market, it’s not a bad idea to add value to your home in new and innovative ways. Don’t just think about renovating a bathroom, consider using radiant heaters to warm towel racks in the bathroom, or a heated floor. Can you think of anything cozier on a chilly winter morning than toasty toes when you step out of the shower?

Not only is radiant heating is one of the most comfortable ways to heat your home, but radiant heaters also offer a surprisingly wide diversity of applications. Radiant heaters can be used in a number of applications, including in tiled areas, hardwood flooring, carpeted areas, cement floors, basements, and garages.

Radiant heaters are a type of heater that warms objects instead of air. Radiant heat uses objects, such as the floor, to heat a home. The air in the room is warmed when it comes into contact with the warmed objects. Heat loss is reduced and the radiant heat remains in the lower part of the room, warmer near feet level and slightly less so at head level, creating the perfect climate for comfort.

Radiant Heaters Tip: The variety of high efficiency boilers or electric radiant floor systems makes radiant heat one of your most efficient ways to heat your home.