Infloor Heating 

How does Infloor Heating Work?

Floors in the home need to keep our feet warm especially when the chilly weather comes. When there’s enough heat on the floor, it is only then that we can comfortably do our daily activities worry free. You wouldn’t want to go on tip toe all the time around your house, would you?

Infloor heating systems are an effective way to keep our floors warm as they provide even heat. They’re reliable, comfortable, durable and not visible to the eye making it easier for homeowners to design their interiors just the way they want it. And one of the best types commonly used in many homes in the U.S. today is the radiant heating system. Infloor heating is so popular that it has been closely associated to radiant heat. 

The process

With radiant heat, not only are our feet kept warm but our entire body as well just like when you’re outdoor getting some sunshine. And so, with infloor heat, you can go barefoot in your home and your little tots can comfortably play on the floor. 

Infloor heating involves the installation of tubing within the concrete slab or over the subfloor. When plywood subfloors or old slabs are used, the tubing is run and covered with underlayment. Liquid is usually heated and circulated throughout the tubing which in turn provides heat to the flooring. 

When heat is released on the floor, it then radiates upward into the living area in the same way that it warms a person starting from the feet going upwards. Infloor heat makes all spaces comfortable and warm in an even manner without any cold spot or hot spot. 

Suitable Materials for Infloor Heat

Most types of infloor radiant heating are installed under ceramic tile and other hard and thick materials. There are others, though, meant for the so-called low-thermal-mass flooring materials such as carpets, hardwood or laminate. 

For rooms that use carpets, the radiant heating mats or sheets are ideal. They are thin and use mesh or foil material that can be easily installed. These usually come in kits of either 120 volts or 240 volts depending on the amount of heat needed in a particular room. 

A more modern type uses fiberglass-mesh with heating cables recommended for hardwood flooring. Using this type, however, requires homeowners to consult with the manufacturer concerning the maximum floor temperature allowed so as not to dry up the hardwood. A thermostat accompanies a kit of this type. 

Infloor Heat Advantages

The best thing about infloor radiant heat is it allows homeowners to conserve energy. This is achieved due to the fact that the room temperature can be set lower via its individual thermostat control. In this way, only the rooms in the home that are used can be provided with radiant heat through the floor. 

Infloor heating systems are said to be 94 percent efficient as it operates at 120 degrees compared to the 180 degrees of the radiant baseboard heat. 

Another benefit of this type of system is that it doesn’t take up too much space in the home. In other words, a homeowner can freely design the various rooms in her residence without the need to find a place for baseboards and radiators.