![]() But without an exposed area – say, if you want to install radiant heat in a second floor bathroom – expect the cost and length of the project to be high. Installation costs will be slightly lower if there is access beneath the room or rooms where you plan to install the system, such as a crawl space, Jeff says. Existing flooring must be ripped out to install the tubing and grooved subfloor (alternately, the tubes can be stapled down), and a thin layer of concrete poured to secure the components, he says. Even more equipment is needed if you want the ability to vary the temperature among rooms.Īdding radiant heat to an existing home means increased labor costs on top of materials, Scott says. That extra cost comes from the equipment required to operate the system – tubing, circulation pumps, a grooved subfloor to secure the tubing, a boiler or hot water heater, and thermostats, he says. “Radiant heat can (be) three to four times the cost of a typical forced air heated furnace house,” Scott says. Like all luxuries though, radiant floor heating comes at a price. Warm air rises, cool air falls: It mixes and creates a perfect temperature.”Īnother bonus? Since no air is being forced through vents, less dust and fewer allergens will be kicked up and circulated throughout the house, he says. “(The heat) is more uniform throughout the house. ![]() “I would say that’s the biggest advantage of in-floor,” says Scott Allen, general manager and owner of Trailboss Solutions in Anchorage and Wasilla. The result is a comfortable, even heat that warms the room from the bottom up. As the water warms the floor, heat radiates upward, warming every solid object it comes into contact with those warmed objects, in turn, radiate more heat. In a radiant heat system, heated water flows through a series of thin tubes laid underneath the floor, Jeff says. That’s because unlike forced air or baseboard heating systems, which rely on circulating heated air throughout the house, allowing heat to rise to the top half of the room (where heat loss is greatest), radiant floor heating concentrates heat in the lower half of the room, where it’s needed the most. “It’s approximately 20 percent more efficient than forced air or baseboard heat.” “(Radiant floor heating) is your most effective heating system in terms of efficiency,” says Jeff Cooper, president of Central Plumbing & Heating in Anchorage. But is it worth it? To answer that question, we turned to the experts to find out what you should consider before adding this little bit of luxury to your home. And, believe it or not, it dates as far back as the Romans, who used fires to warm elevated floors. If you’ve ever stepped onto warm bathroom tiles on a cold winter’s morning, you know how luxurious radiant floor heating can be.
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