Are you dreading the next few months of heating and energy costs? Even though the prices for heating your home have fallen over the last two years, it is still costly to keep your home warm throughout the winter. Some people may consider taking strides to make their home more energy efficient to save money long term, and at the same time help the environment by making greener choices.
Where is most of your homes’ heat wasted? Even if you havewell insulated windows and doors, you could find much of your heat is being wasted because of it’s tendency to rise. The temperature of your ceiling can be several degrees warmer than it is on the floor and in the middle of the room – where you actually need the warmth.
Radiant floor heating is a legitimate and effective heating source that can save you up to 40% in energy costs. A network of micro thin fibers or electric heating mats can be installed under ceramic, granite, tile, hardwood, marble or carpet flooring. The floors will feel warm to the touch, and as the heat rises as it does naturally – the air is warmed from the bottom up.
You may think that an electric heated floor will increase your overall energy costs, but radiant floor heating is actually a more efficient method of warming your tiles than other types of electric floor heating sy stems. For example, forced air heating systems waste some of the heat as it’s forced through the ducts or when they come out through the ceiling. Even forced air systems that push the air into the rooms along the floor wastes heat as the air comes out of the ducts and almost immediately drifts up to the ceiling. A warm floor will help you feel warmer all over which enables you to keep your thermostat set at a lower temperature and still feel warm enough.
Floor heating is most commonly used in bathrooms, but it can be used in the kitchen, basement or anywhere in your home. Each room can be controlled individually, so you only warm the floors in the rooms you are using to further improve efficiency. While most underfloor heating systems can be used with carpets, the insulating properties of carpet means you won’t experience as much of a heating increase in the floor temperature as you do with tile or hardwood floor types.
Radiant floor heating is very easy to install and doesn’t require duct work or furnaces.