Nobody wants to feel cold inside their home. This can be especially true in states like Colorado. While traditional heating systems generally heat well, they often leave cold spots and never warm the floors, leaving your feet cold, even with socks. The best way to solve this issue is by installing radiant heat flooring in your home.
Radiant floor heating in Colorado Springs and other cities can significantly affect how warm a home is––and how much you pay in utilities.
What is Radiant Floor Heating and How Does it Work?
Radiant floor heating is an “invisible” system installed under floors. It can consist of small, flexible water pipes or electric heating cables under your flooring material.
These systems use a combination of thermal radiation and electromagnetic waves
The floors are heated through a combination of thermal radiation and electromagnetic waves. As the heat rises, it gets absorbed by other objects, including people, in the room, creating a comfortable space with no cold spots.
Types of Radiant Heating
With radiant floor heating, you have two main options: electric or hydronic heating.
Hydronic Systems
Hydronic systems are water-based systems. They rely on a boiler, which heats water that then moves through the flexible tubing of the system to heat the floors. While hydronic radiant heat systems have higher up-front costs, they can have lower long-term running costs.
Despite the lower long-term operating costs, hydronic systems are more expensive to install because they require a licensed plumber. The plumbing requirements also mean that they are better for new construction. These systems are also less “invisible” as they require a boiler, which takes away from usable space.
Electric Systems
Electric radiant heat systems use electric heating cables to create heat, working like hydronic systems. As the cables heat up, the heat radiates upwards, warming the floor and surrounding objects.
These systems are easy and cost-effective to install, and because they heat efficiently at lower temperatures, they also offer excellent long-term energy savings. They also don’t require any maintenance, unlike hydronic systems.
Who Can Benefit from Radiant Heating? Why?
Radiant heat flooring is a good investment for any home, especially those that can have particularly cold winter and fall seasons. One place that can benefit from radiant floor heating is Colorado Springs, where residents often rely heavily on their heating systems to keep warm during the winter. Homeowners can install the system throughout their home, from the basement to the driveway to get the benefits of radiant heating.
In places like Colorado Springs, where winter temperatures can get below freezing, radiant heating may be best as a supplemental system. This will help ensure the areas where it is installed are heated sufficiently, and there are no cold spots. It also means that the main heating system can work at lower temperatures, helping homeowners save on utility costs.
What Floor Materials Can Radiant Heating Go Under?
Electric radiant heating offers more compatibility than hydronic systems. With electric radiant heating, you can choose virtually any flooring. Some things to consider when considering flooring include:
- Tile and stone offer high thermal conductivity, allowing the radiant heating to work faster. They also retain heat better, adding to the efficiency of a radiant system.
- With laminate flooring, the higher the density of the floor, the faster it will heat up.
- Engineered wood is the best for radiant heat flooring when it comes to wood flooring. With softer, denser woods, you must pay attention to the thickness to ensure the flooring doesn’t act as an insulator and block the heating.
- Carpets can also work with radiant floor heating, as long as the carpet or underlay doesn’t act as an insulator and blocks the heat from traveling upward.
- Vinyl also heats up quickly, though it doesn’t retain that heat like other options, and has a heating restriction of around 80ºC.
- Concrete heats up quickly and retains the heat well, making it an excellent option. Driveways can also be done with radiant floor heating, so Colorado Springs residents can worry less about clearing their driveway of snow.
5 Benefits of Radiant Heat Flooring in Colorado Springs
There are many benefits to installing radiant heat flooring, making it a beneficial investment for a whole house or even just a few rooms. Some of the benefits are:
1. It is An “Invisible” System
Electric underfloor heating doesn’t require any external components like you’d find with HVAC systems, space heaters, radiators, or even hydronic radiant heat systems. All the heating components are hidden under the floor and controlled by a thermostat.
2. Energy Efficient and Affordable
Radiant floor heating offers a cost-effective and energy-efficient alternative to more traditional systems. These systems only have to reach 84ºF to heat a room; radiators, on the other hand, must reach temperatures as high as 167ºF before they can heat a space, using more energy.
Radiant systems also have less heat loss because no ductwork is involved, and they heat from the ground up. Overall, homeowners can save an average of 15% on their heating bills with radiant heating.
3. You Can Use a Smart Thermostat
Smart thermostats allow you to make better use of your heating system, setting schedules and zones so that you aren’t wasting power heating a space when you aren’t home or if you aren’t in a specific room.
4. Maintenance Free
Many heating systems require some level of maintenance. Electric radiant heating is different; if installed correctly, you should never have to worry about your system needing any maintenance.
5. Easy to Install
Electric radiant heating is so easy that even homeowners can install it themselves. All it takes is time, patience, and carefully following the instructions.
Warmup for Radiant Heating Needs
Warmup offers multiple electric radiant heating options, with an option for every situation and flooring type. Their systems are:
The DCM-PRO Uncoupling System
The DCM-PRO System can be installed loose or with an anti-fracture membrane, and it is North America’s only UL-approved membrane system. It offers the highest heating outputs and requires no special tools to fit the cables to the membrane. It works with stone, tile, vinyl, and LVT flooring.
StickyMat Systems
The StickyMat System is a heating mat and cable system with a pressure-sensitive adhesive, allowing for the quickest installation. It also has an ultra-thin wire that does not increase the height of the floor. Despite the thinness, it is a highly durable system that works well with vinyl, carpet, timber, and tile flooring.
Foil Heater System
The Foil Heater system is installed directly under the flooring without leveling compounds. Like the StickyMat System, it does not raise the floor, and it can also be adapted to fit around permanent objects that need complicated wiring. It is the best option for laminate, engineered wood, and carpet flooring.
In-Slab Cable System
The In-Slab Cable System is designed to be installed in concrete between 2-6″ thick. It is suitable for most floor finishes, particularly when the floor may eventually be replaced. It allows for optimal output due to the freedom to place the output cables at different spacing.
These systems are compatible with the 6iE Smart Thermostat, the first thermostat to have a Smartphone touchscreen, and the Terra WiFi Thermostat. These thermostats feature various sensors and automation capabilities, including weather Early Start and SmartGeo technologies.
Heating Your Colorado Springs Home Efficiently
Winter and fall can be cold in many places, so ensuring you have an effective and efficient heating system is important. Radiant heating provides an excellent solution, either as a main system or a supplemental one. With radiant heating, you’ll eliminate cold spots and be able to heat your home at lower temperatures while also taking advantage of smart thermostat technology, which will keep you warmer and save you money.
Contact Warmup today to learn more about our electric radiant heating systems.
