HouseWorks: How to get warm floors this winter

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Tired of cold feet during our legendary Canadian winters? More and more people are choosing underfloor heating because they hear friends and neighbors talk about how great it is. Even homeowners who are okay with cold floors in some parts of the home are usually not happy when high-traffic areas like kitchens, bathrooms, and bedrooms freeze their feet. This article covers the basics of underfloor heating to help you decide if it makes sense in your life, and it all starts with a question.

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Electric or hot water underfloor heating? This is the first decision you must make. Although both types can be installed in new construction or as part of renovations, one type or the other makes the most sense due to different situations.

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Hydronic underfloor heating In this case, the word “hydronics” means hot water, pipes and valves are involved. Both underfloor heating and hot water radiators can be referred to as “hydronic” heating systems. Hot water underfloor heating makes the most sense if you want to heat an entire building or a large part of a building. Traditionally, hydronic heating systems have been fired with natural gas, propane, or even an electric boiler, and while these work well, boilers aren’t the only option. They’re not even always the best option.

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Tank type domestic water heaters can be used to provide hot water to any hot water underfloor heating system. The tank option makes the most sense for heating smaller buildings or parts of buildings, as tank heaters cost less than a boiler of the same size. Tank heaters are perfectly capable of handling space heating situations. In fact, some models like the one I have at home are built for it.

Electric underfloor heating: Looking to install underfloor heating for a bathroom, bedroom or small floor area in front of a couch in the basement? In such situations, electric underfloor heating is a sensible alternative to hydronics, as it is more economical to install. Installing pumps, pipes, valves and heat sources for a tiny hydronic system is just as troublesome and expensive as for a large one, and this is where the scalability of electric underfloor heating can help. Small area means fewer complications in electrical systems.

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Mat style electric underfloor heating has been around for years. I’ve installed several, but I’m not thrilled yet. Mats have to be custom made for a specific space and in my experience they are surprisingly unreliable. When electric underfloor heating mats stop working due to a broken wire somewhere (as has happened at some of my jobs) it’s a big problem because the entire flooring has to come up to fix the bad mats.

The best approach I’ve seen so far for small installations relies on electrical heating cables snapping into an underlying rigid plastic membrane. Schlueter’s DITRA-HEAT system is the most reliable electric underfloor heating system I have installed and observed over the years and the wired electric underfloor system with the best warranty in the world. When installed to specification, the system includes a lifetime warranty that covers full hardware replacement, including flooring removal and replacement.

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This system is easy to adapt to different rooms and thanks to the precise thermostat control you only pay for the heat you need. Electric underfloor heating is not usually powerful enough to fully heat rooms, but they will make your feet that much happier.

Do you want antique cast iron radiators in your home? They work well with underfloor heating and I love them. Click on baileylineroad.com/reclaimed-cast-iron-radiators/ for a video tour of the antique radiator option.

Steve’s family all appreciate the warmer floors after he upgraded the room to have underfloor heating. Visit Steve online at BaileyLineRoad.com to learn more about home improvements and renovations in a Canadian context.