Nobody likes stepping out of a warm shower onto cold tile floors in the dead of winter, or tip-toeing around your home because the ground is so cold. But imagine the opposite: walking atop toasty floors heated to the exact temperature you like. Now that sounds pretty nice, doesn’t it?
This can be your reality with the installation of underfloor heating—the best way to keep your home nice and warm when temperatures drop! But there’s more to underfloor heating than just warm, fuzzy feelings! Here are a few things you should consider when it comes to this type of heating system:
Size Matters
Underfloor heating systems are available in a range of different sizes. A smaller system is less expensive, but only warms up a small area of your home’s floor, so it may be necessary to keep on both the radiator and underfloor heating. These systems are ideal for a smaller room or floor space, such as a bathroom.
A larger system, while more expensive to maintain, will likely eliminate the need to keep on the radiator, saving you a little extra money on the electricity bill. If you wish to install underfloor heating in multiple rooms or throughout the home, it would be best to install a single, large system, rather than multiple small systems.
Wet vs. Dry
Beyond the basic sizing considerations, there are two types of radiant heating systems to choose from: electric underfloor heating (the ‘dry’ system) and water-based heating (the ‘wet’ system). Dry systems use electric coils underneath your floorboards, which radiate heat throughout the space. These systems are often more expensive to run, but they offer the benefit of “instant” reaction time, meaning those cold bathroom floors can be warm and toasty before you pop out of the shower.
A wet system operates by a similar mechanism, but instead uses warm water pumped through coils of pipe connected to your boiler. This option is cheaper and more efficient than a dry system to run, however the installation can be pricey, and the system requires professional assistance both to install and to maintain. And since this system has a slower reaction time, you may need to use a timer to make sure your floors are warmed up when you want them to be!
We’re Here To Help
At Malkin’s, one of our flooring experts will gladly walk you through all of these factors and help you find the best option for your home. Stop by and get ready to say goodbye to those freezing floors once and for all!
