Chopping wood this winter, or comfortable under floor heating? Heating your home this winter, doesn't mean having to go back to the dark ages.

Fall is here and the weather is getting cold. What are you doing to prepare for winter? Making sure your house is properly insulated is a good start, but what about heating? Higher energy prices have people running to find alternative heating methods for their homes – many are buying wood, pellet stoves and electric heaters, but are these really the best solutions?

Radiant heat is making leaps and bounds, new products are available that are lower in cost and high in efficiency. The best part of heating your home with radiant floors is the increase in your home’s value (not to mention, added comfort).

One of the newest products to hit the radiant heating market is called the Warm Ribbon. This innovative new electric radiant heating product sits completely flat against the floor, and doesn’t need to be embedded in thin set (this is rare with radiant heating products). Because of these two factors, you don’t have to worry about raised floors (which causes problems with opening and closing doors), and installation is a breeze. It comes in mat form that easily rolls out onto the surface area and is secured by the adhesive backing. The price won’t have you running for the door either!

Winter time is near. Are you going to spend winter shoveling your walks, or enjoying the benefits of automatic snow removal?

For many people the first snow is right around the corner, and the thought of constant maintenance and snow removal is scarier than the ghosts on Halloween. That’s why when I decided to build an asphalt driveway leading to my barn and workshop, my thoughts turned to electric radiant snow removal.

There are a lot of radiant snow melting options out there, and it’s easy to get caught up in the hype. Before you make a decision, it is always good to do some research first. I chose Danfoss GX electric radiant heating mats and this is why:

I looked up several different snow melting systems and I discovered something very surprising. Many of the systems on the market claiming to be cutting edge radiant heating technology were not initially made as a heating cable. These systems are often low voltage, and have very little insulation, which makes them easy to damage. But the biggest reason I said no to this cable is the high cost. Expensive and higher chance of failure = don’t waste your money.

Choosing to pave the new driveway with asphalt made selecting a radiant system even more difficult. The high temperatures from the asphalt can melt the cables of most systems. The Danfoss GX cables are durable with thick insulation, giving them the ability to withstand even hot asphalt.

Danfoss GX cables meet the ASHRAE standards for snow melting systems. Low voltage systems do not reach these standards.

The Danfoss offers a great warranty of 10 years and covers up to 2 times the cost of the original installation. Danfoss is one of the veteran radiant heating manufacturers in Europe (where radiant heat originated), and as a result, they really know what they are doing.

The choice to choose Danfoss GX cables was obvious for me because it best suited my project. But really, who can say no to high quality at a lower cost?

Most homeowners think that once they’ve raked the leaves off their lawn and planted flower bulbs for next spring, there’s not much else to do for your lawn, landscaping, or flowerbeds. But just because it’s wintertime doesn’t mean you can’t protect your garden or lawn. In the colder months, heating systems are the best option to melt the ice and to protect your landscaping. Heating systems like heated driveways actually do more than just melt snow and ice from driveways and sidewalks. They also help preserve your landscaping while avoiding the use of harmful salt and chemicals.

Salt spread over asphalt and sidewalks to melt the ice can do a good bit of damage to lawns and landscape plants. When salt products are spread over streets and walkways, the salt inevitably splashes onto nearby foliage. The sodium chloride burns the plants and gets absorbed by the plants’ root systems. This just means you’ll have damage to repair in the springtime — so easily avoided with the use of heating systems.

Alternate ice-melt products won’t work as effectively as outdoor heating systems, either. You see, these systems don’t use any harmful chemicals, and they melt the ice so effectively that you don’t have to do any of the work. These heating systems are state of the art but easy to install for any contractor or do-it-yourself expert.

Heating Systems Tip: Snow melting heating systems can be installed in almost any driveway and can be retrofit into existing concrete and asphalt. 

The Mystery Warranty

How much do you really know about the warranties offered by manufacturers? Sure it may say “25 Year Warranty” on the package, but what exactly does that mean? Most manufacturers of radiant heating systems offer a warranty, but a 25 year warranty isn’t always better than a 10 year warranty and this is why:

I chose the Danfoss GX electric radiant heat cables to build an asphalt heated driveway at my residence. The heat of the asphalt combined with heavy weight, caused me to wonder how the GX cables were going to hold up, and what would happen if a problem occurred. I was pleased to discover that Danfoss products have a 10 year warranty, that covers up to 5 times the cost of original installation. Why is this exciting? Because the failure of a radiant heating system isn’t like a vacuum cleaner breaking down, you can’t throw it in your car and bring it back to the store for a refund. Fixing a severed cable requires tearing up the surface of the driveway – or in the case of indoor radiant heating, tearing up your brand new tiles or wood flooring. The process of tearing up a floor or driveway is time consuming and costly, not to mention annoying. Many manufacturers will replace the bad product, but you still have to pay out of your own pocket to tear up the floor and hire someone to fix the problem.

Danfoss is so sure that you won’t have any problems, their warranty is the best offered by radiant heat manufacturers. Not only do you get brand new Danfoss product, but they will cover the cost of floor removal, and reinstallation (up to 5 times the cost of the original installation). So when you install your radiant floor or driveway, you can rest easy knowing that unexpected problems are already covered.

Are you having a hard time deciding which radiant heat system is right for you?  We know, it sometimes can be hard to narrow down what kind of radiant heaters to install. There are dozens of products available to purchase, and there are even more companies telling you that their product is the best.

For many homeowners, electric cable heating systems, often called line- or high-voltage systems, are gaining popularity and are ideal for heating smaller areas like bathrooms, kitchens, and sun rooms. These systems are comprised of a thermostat and a heating cable. These radiant heater systems are oftentimes less expensive, and give the ability to customize a layout that will heat every square inch of your floor.

Every available radiant heater cable system is equally effective, so when determining which system to purchase, you should look at the warranty of the product, along with the ease of installation. Some cables must be embedded in a separate layer of concrete or mortar, whereas other systems can simply be installed in the thinset. Most radiant heater cable systems can only be installed under tile. However, on others, if the cable is embedded in mortar or concrete, any flooring can be installed on top of the concrete.

Radiant Heaters Tip: When heating smaller areas, it is nearly impossible to beat the simplicity and price of an electric cable radiant heating system. 

Every available cable system is equally effective, so when determining which system to purchase, you should look at the warranty of the product, along with the ease of installation. Some cables must be embedded in a separate layer of concrete or mortar, whereas other systems can simply be installed in the thinset. Most cable systems can only be installed under tile. However, on others, if the cable is embedded in mortar or concrete, any flooring can be installed on top of the concrete. When heating smaller areas, it is nearly impossible to beat the simplicity and price of an electric cable heating system.

Radiant Heaters Tip: If you are looking for a great way to save energy and maximize comfort in your home at the same time, then radiant heaters may be the perfect solution for you.

If you’ve been researching home heating systems, chances are your head is spinning right about now.  It’s no wonder! The number of types of radiant heaters available for residences or businesses could make anyone dizzy in no time at all. There’s really a lot of selection for homeowners to choose from. Today we’ll discuss the electric cable heating system kind of radiant heaters. Electric cable heating systems are gaining popularity in as radiant heaters and are ideal for heating smaller areas (10-300 square feet) like bathrooms, kitchens, and sun rooms. These systems are comprised of a thermostat and a heating cable. On some systems, the cable is be shipped as a large spool of cable. These systems are oftentimes less expensive, and give you the ability to space the cable how you want and customize a layout that will heat every square inch of your floor. Other systems have the cable attached to a plastic mesh or tape to create a mat to maintain its proper spacing.

Every available cable system is equally effective, so when determining which radiant heater system to purchase, you should look at the warranty of the product, along with the ease of installation. Some cables must be embedded in a separate layer of concrete or mortar, whereas other systems can simply be installed in the thinset.

Radiant Heaters Tip: When heating smaller areas with a radiant heater, it is next to impossible to beat the simplicity and price of an electric cable heating system.