A Simple Guide to Floor Heating

It is important to know some key things when considering floor heating because there is a chance that you might have the wrong idea about how floor heating works. The information you need to know includes some of these key things:

What Type of Floors Do You Have?

Depending on the type of floor you have, the process of installing an in-floor heating system can either be easy or difficult. Think of it this way: how easy is it to "disassemble" your floor, place an in-floor heating system and "reassemble" the floor? You might find that for a stone floor, you might have plenty of work to do, but for engineered flooring, you may have a slightly easier time. You are also required to check the thermal conductivity of the type of floor you have and, in the case of timber, its moisture content.

Some floor types have poor thermal conductivity, meaning that some measures need to be put in place to enhance thermal performance. You can also instead change the floor type. Weigh the costs and feasibility and decide which is better.

What Are Your Expectations?

An in-floor heating system heats only the floor; don't expect it to heat your whole house. Most people expect that an in-floor heating system will act as an A/C; this is not the case. However, there are some scenarios, especially if you have fewer openings (doors and windows) and lower ceilings, where you might find that the heat from the floor may slightly warm up your space/rooms and even furniture sitting on the floor.

Energy Audit/Inspection

Before buying an in-floor heating system, get an energy audit done so that you can get accurate information about how effective the in-floor heating system will be. An energy audit involves the inspection of your house to find out how much heat is lost or retained based on its architecture. If you have high ceilings and many windows and doors, you can already guess that heat is lost fast.

The windows and doors bring in cold air from outside and the fact that ceilings are high means that the space in the room is too large to heat effectively. An in-floor heating system will only warm your feet, which can be relaxing and comforting, especially when there is cold weather.

Some in-floor heating system companies offer energy audit services, but in some instances (if the in-floor heating system company does not offer the service), you might be required to find an energy audit company.

To learn more about floor heating, consult a resource in your area.

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