The luxury of in-floor heating

Imagine getting up on an icy February morning, heading for the bathroom and stepping on a ceramic floor that is… welcoming and warm to your feet! The stuff of dreams? Not if you fit your bathroom with radiant in-floor heating.

There’s nothing like the comfort of a floor heated from below. The warmth radiating from the floor is like the warmth of the sun; it maintains a pleasant, cosy, even temperature throughout the bathroom.
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Hot water or electricity
Advantages
Whether it is the home’s main heating system or an additional source of heat in a selected room, radiant floor heating is based on a relatively simple principle: hot water pipes (tubes) or heated electric cables are installed under the surface of the floor, radiating warmth and creating optimum comfort in the room. Ceramic and slate tiles are highly recommended for radiant floor heating because they are excellent conductors of heat. In the case of hardwood flooring, hot water tubing can be installed, though heated electric cables are not recommended.

The principle of radiant floor heating has been around for centuries: the Romans used it to heat their public baths. Commonplace in Europe, in-floor heating is rapidly gaining popularity in North America, as people strive to make their homes as comfortable as possible.

Hot water or electricity

Both types of radiant heating – either by hot water tubing (also called hydronic heating) or by heated electric cables – work in a similar way.

How does a hydronic heating system work? The hot water comes out of a small water heater, usually situated near the main boiler, which keeps the water at a temperature of 25°C - 49°C (80°F - 120°F). The water circulates through a network of plastic tubes under the floor, and as it does so, it emits a gentle, radiant heat into the room. Just as for electric radiators, a wall thermostat allows you to adjust the water temperature, while water flow can be controlled using a flowmeter.

An electric radiant heating system uses cables that can be fixed in place using ceramic glue or fasteners, or even embedded in concrete slabs. This type of in-floor heating is easy to install and relatively inexpensive.

It is essential that both types of radiant heating be installed by qualified contractors, to ensure correct functioning.

Advantages

Besides providing snug, evenly distributed warmth, radiant floor heating also has several other marked advantages. Unlike forced air heating systems, in-floor heating does not stir up the air, therefore limiting the accumulation of dust in rooms such as bathrooms. Because there is no need for radiators or air vents, it becomes easier to arrange furniture, placing it to best suit the room. Floor heating will also eliminate any cold zones near doors or windows.

Experts are divided as to the amount of energy savings associated with in-floor heating; however, since such systems provide the same level of comfort as traditional heating but at a much lower air temperature, they inevitably generate savings. According to Martin Barrette, Quebec business development manager at IPEX, hydronic heating is generally recommended for heating the whole house rather than as a supplementary source of heat for one room. Radiant floor heating throughout the entire house rather than in single rooms means much higher energy savings.

But if a client wishes to install in-floor heating in just one or two rooms, as in the case of a bathroom renovation, for instance, electric cables are more suited since they are much less costly than a hydronic system.
One thing is certain: the decision to install radiant floor heating in your bathroom should not be dictated by possible savings on your energy bill but rather by a desire to procure optimum all-year-round comfort in the room.
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