The Pros and Cons of Heated Flooring
Are you that person who dashes into the kitchen or bathroom in the morning only to hop and skip around because the tile is so cold? Cold tiles on the floor are no way to start a day and the way most of us combat this issue is by purchasing big thick slippers and mats. This can all be a thing of the past with the introduction of heated flooring in your home. Toasty warm tiles? Yes please. Let’s look further into the pros and cons of this new innovative idea for homes.
Radiant floor heating has been around for centuries and the principle remains the same: the heat from the floor warms your feet and your whole body as a result.
Installation
The most popular form of heated tiles is electric, though you can look into heat pumps too. You will either need to hire an electrician and a tile professional or a person who is qualified in both areas. The basic idea behind radiant heated flooring is that heated cables merge with mesh mats and are installed within the tile, stone or marble flooring. There is no uneven surfaces because the wires are so thin. The wires are controlled by a thermostat and you can set them to come on just before you get out of bed in the morning and at night time. It is a good idea to install the flooring during another job, such as a remodel of your bathroom or kitchen, because the job does include tearing up all the flooring.
Price
Heated flooring is obviously a luxury and not a necessity but this doesn’t mean it needs to break the bank. The cost of the equipment for a standard sized bathroom will cost anywhere between £500 to £1000, depending on the brand of choice and the cost of the thermostat. The cost of running the floor heating is surprisingly cheap especially if you just have it on for an hour or two a day.
Now you know how the flooring will be installed and the overall costs for the flooring, it is time to look at the pros and cons of this type of flooring:
Pros:
- Heat: Heated flooring can go up to 35 to 40 degrees Celsius and this is something quite unique and wonderful during the winter months.
- Preservation: This type of tile flooring can retain heat for a while after the heat has been turned off. So you will still feel the warmth after the heat is off.
- The floor is unaffected: Because the cables are so thin, the floor is left relatively unaffected with regards to height.
- Discreet: You wouldn’t even know the heated flooring existed until you stood on the flooring. Very luxurious and enjoyable.
- Price: Despite what people may say, heated flooring isn’t that expensive and if you tend to have cold feet the rewards of having the floor be warm are irreplaceable.
- Environmentally friendly: You may find you don’t need your central heating on as often when you have the heated flooring. The heat rises and retains itself in the flooring for a while meaning your house feels much warmer.
Cons:
- Pulling up your flooring can be a pain, especially is you are not planning on any other renovations. It means purchasing a laying new tiling through each room you wish to have heated flooring.
- Even though heated flooring can make your home feel warmer, it is not an effective way of heated your home solely by itself. It is more effective to touch and be warm than to heat the entire home.
- Not well suited under wood, vinyl or carpet. These materials are insulators so the heat won’t penetrate effectively through these materials.
- If you do need to repair your heated flooring it can get expensive especially is the problem is not obvious and you have to rip up parts of the flooring again.
Compatible homes?
Any home can benefit from the installation of heated flooring. For a smaller space, electric heating will do a fine job. If you are looking to heat a larger space then a hydronic system is a better, more cost-effective solution. The hydronic system is more complex to install but works well in larger spaces.
Have you been thinking about installing heated flooring? What has been your hesitation so far?
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