Electric Floor Heating for Tile and Stone Floors

You may have previously experienced electric floor heating only at a luxury hotel or a spa. Electric floor heating is now often being installed both in new construction and during remodeling. These new heating systems are very thin (only 1/8” thick) and install directly under tile or stone. By warming the floor to a comfortable 80 to 85 degrees, they provide unique comfort and luxury for homeowners looking to upgrade their homes with radiant floors. According to Nicolas Mottet at WarmlyYours (www.WarmlyYours.com) Electric floor heating is particularly popular in bathrooms where most homeowners prefer to step out of the shower onto a soothing heated floor. The kitchen and dining areas are also popular applications because that's where you entertain your family and guests.

So how is this installed? Because electric floor heating is so thin, the process of laying the tile over the warming system is fairly simple. Your tile installer will be able to do this easily. You will also need an electrician to perform the final touch and connect the floor heating system to a thermostat control and to your electric system. Connecting your electric floor heating system is also very straightforward so your electrician can handle it with ease.

Is electric floor heating expensive? You may be surprised at how little it costs. An electric floor heating system for a small or medium bathroom may cost as little as $400 + installation. For a luxury that will surely attract the attention of new home buyers, this is a small investment that is likely to pay dividends. In larger rooms such as large bathrooms or larger kitchens, a warming system may cost about $800–$1,500 + installation so the price tag increases with your room size. But even in the larger rooms, you can choose to warm only a portion of the floor – a 5x10 heated area in the kitchen will cost only about $600–$800 and will create a "comfort zone" that you can enjoy every morning. It's radiant comfort with your first cup of coffee. The good news is that electric floor heating costs very little to operate thanks to the use of Energy–Star rated programmable thermostats. A 4–hour heating cycle may cost you as little as $0.05 or $0.10 per day. It may actually cost less than your cup of coffee!

How can you get started? Simply ask your flooring dealer about electric floor heating. Provide them with a room layout or ask them to measure your room and they will be able to give you a quote quickly. If you don't have a floor plan of the room yet, you can get online price estimates from internet vendors, although only your flooring dealer will be able to quote both product and installation costs at the same time.

Related Resources:

www.WarmlyYours.com for electric floor heating systems under tile or stone.

www.Delta-Therm.com for outdoor snow melting systems and roof de–icing solutions.

US Dept of Energy on Radiant Heating:
http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/space_heating_cooling/index.cfm/mytopic=12590