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How Heated Flooring Can Increase Your Home’s Value

Heated flooring might sound fancy or expensive, but it’s actually a cost-effective way to heat your home as well as a valuable addition that can raise your property value. Not only will it make your home more comfortable, it can change the entire design of your home and allow you to sell it for a higher price when the time comes.

In case you weren’t aware of the benefits of heated flooring, let’s take a look at why this innovative new heating system is making waves and becoming a staple in homes all across the world.

1. Heated Flooring is More Effective than Forced-Air Heating

Many people assume that heated flooring would only keep your floors warm, without warming the air and overall temperature of your home. Not only is this false, radiant floor heating is able to heat your entire home much more efficiently and evenly than a traditional forced-air system. This is because the heat comes from the ground up and isn’t blown in through a single point of entry.

Because this uniform style of heating eliminates cold drafts, you’re able to stay comfortable at a lower thermostat temperature than you would with a forced-air system. Radiant floor heating will keep everything from your floors to your handrails and countertops warm without any cold spots.

2. Better Energy Efficiency

The duct-work used to transfer heat via a forced-air system commonly develops leaks that let heat escape. Radiant floor heating provides no such escape route for heat, allowing your home to stay warm for longer and lessening the amount of time you need to keep the heat on. This makes your home more energy-efficient and will be reflected in your property value because the monthly energy bills will be lower.

3. Less Noise

Traditional forced-air systems can be heard throughout the house and produce a constant humming sound when the furnace is on. Radiant floor heating is nearly silent, allowing you to enjoy a comfortable heated home without having to listen to a noisy furnace. This is a benefit you can mention in your home’s description and is sure to add value to your home.

4. Better for Allergies

Forced-air systems are terrible for people with allergies. Allergens often settle on your durable countertops and in vents, being spread throughout the house when the air is turned on. This can lead to your symptoms flaring up every time you want to turn on the heat.

Radiant flooring heating, on the other hand, does not disturb the air at all. This allows any allergens to remain settled and does not kick them up into the air or spread them around the house.

Heated Floors are a Quick Way to Boost Your Home’s Value

Heated flooring might sound complex, but the installation process is so quick and simple that it makes for a great DIY project. Not only will installing radiant floor heating in your home make it more comfortable, less noisy, and less irritating to allergies, it will improve your energy efficiency and raise the value of your home by a decent margin.

Skylar Ross is a contributor to Innovative Building Materials. He is a blogger and content writer for the residential and commercial flooring industry. Skylar is focused on helping fellow homeowners, contractors, and manufacturers discover materials and methods of installation that increase property value, improve durability, and discover innovative flooring options for their home or commercial space.

9 Lies You’ve Believed about Underfloor Heating

If you are looking for the truth about underfloor heating, look no further! We’ve compiled the top 9 most common underfloor heating lies we’ve heard in our 25 years of business, for you to review

1. Underfloor heating is expensive

If you are reading this, you’ve made it farther than most. Many people do not have underfloor heating because it never even crosses their mind as something they can afford. Maybe they’ve experienced it in a hotel, or in a friend’s home, but in their own home? Within their budget? No way! Think again.

Underfloor heating has come a long way and new systems on the market are efficient and easy to install. The cost of purchasing a system and getting it installed varies on the size and scope of your project. Water systems are more expensive to purchase and install but provide lower long-term running costs whereas electric systems are competitively priced but rely on electricity which typically has a higher running cost.

Material cost for the Warmup DCM-PRO electric system with a smart WiFi thermostat in a 80 sqft bathroom would cost about $765. Installation costs will be added on by your flooring installer and are typically $5/sqft. The size and scope of your project may impact installation costs and so will the choice between water and electric.

Trends come and go quickly. The comfort from a radiant heated floor is guaranteed for life and sure to stay in style. This is $1,000 you’re not likely to regret spending on your bathroom remodel!

2. Electric underfloor heating costs a lot to run

While electricity is viewed as expensive, systems can be zoned and programmed to be cost-effective. While an electric system may not be the right choice for everyone: (1) electricity is 100% effective, (2) radiant floors only draw electricity for a limited duration (then radiate the heat out) and (3) electric systems can be powered with renewable energy sources, like solar panels.

To give you an idea of cost, an average bathroom system utilizes about 300 watts, so for some people, that’s just about the same as the lights over a mirror with fice 60-watt bulbs. In dollars and cents, it costs about $5/mo to operate that system in a bathroom for a few hours in the morning and evening. On a larger scale, a whole-house system in a 3,000 sqft space would run about $150-200/mo in the winter months.

3. Underfloor heating can not be used as a primary heat source

While it is true some underfloor heating systems can only provide supplemental heat, it is not true of all underfloor heating systems. With a heat loss calculation, it is possible to design an underfloor heating system that provides enough heat to be the sole heating source. With flexible options like the Warmup Radiant Floor Heating, it is easy to vary heat output from 11-20 watts per square foot based on heating needs by varying the cable spacing. Warmup also provides insulation layers that can further reduce power requirements yet deliver enough heat into the room.

4. You can only heat under tile

While it is true tile and concrete are the most popular types of floors to heat, floor heat can be installed under any type of flooring.

Tile and concrete are popular for needing heat to remove the chill but a fun fact is that carpet and tile are actually the same temperatures. Neither one is colder than the other and the same is true for any type of flooring! Tile is simply a better conductor, robbing us faster from our body heat (through our bare feet) which gives us the impression that it is cold. In a house heated at 70F, any flooring will be 70F. So, while the complaint is not that carpet is cold, the room is cold, and a floor heating system can solve that under any flooring type.

Smart thermostats on the market like the 4iE have capabilities to heat within limits. Pre-set limits exist for tile, carpet, vinyl, and laminate. If you have a maximum floor heating temperature specified by your flooring manufacturer, this setting can be customized inside a Warmup controller.

5. Underfloor heating is only for new homes

There are two main hypes of underfloor heating: hydronic and electric. It is true that hydronic underfloor heating is better suited for new builds but electric underfloor heating is great for new builds or renovation projects where the flooring is being replaced. Thinking, “No way! It will raise the floor height!”? Please, keep reading.

6. Heating your floors raises the floor height

As floor heaters are installed directly beneath your floor finish, there may be some impact to floor heights but in many cases, this floor build-up will be 3/8” or less, as the heater can be installed directly within a layer of tile adhesive or fitted directly into the subfloor itself. If you’re adding floor heating as part of a renovation project, consider installing one of Warmup’s low-profile electric systems like the StickyMat

7. Underfloor heating is likely to fail and cause major damage

While not all systems are created equally, there are options on the market that offer maintenance-free convenience and lifetime warranties. The key to securing that lifetime warranty (and never having to use it) is simply following the instructions! The rare cable failures we see are often installation errors or jobsite product damage. The top 3 installation errors we see are easy to avoid. They are:

Failure to test the cable before, during, and after installation (see our testing video)
Improper placement of the factory joint – either in the wall or not embedded under the floor in thinset/leveler (see our time-lapse installation video with tips)
System wired to the wrong voltage (see our wiring video)

8. In the event of underfloor heating cable failure, I have to rip up my entire floor

In the rare event that cable failure does occur, Warmup has free tool rental options available for locating a break before removing any flooring. By going about cable failure in this manner, it is possible for a break to be located and repaired with minimal flooring removed. With knowledge of the system under the floor provided and the right tools on-site, Warmup is happy to assist in pinpointing a system failure. Once located, you will want a qualified electrician to perform the repair. We do have videos to offer him/her support but if you’ve followed advise from #7, you can avoid this altogether!

9. I can not install underfloor heating on my own

Since many people believe “underfloor heating is likely to fail and cause major damage” they would never in a million years think of installing it in their home themselves. Think again! Some underfloor heating systems are DIY friendly. From tiny homes to 1,600 sf homes, we’ve seen Warmup customers tackle their own installations that have stood the test of time. Worried you’ll have questions along the way? We’re available 24/7 to support you.

Click here to Buy Warmup underfloor heating

Tips to Save Energy and Money on your Flooring

Every homeowner strives to make the most of available flooring solutions to save energy and money. As flooring is an important aspect of every home, selection of a suitable floor becomes a critical decision. The all-important decision of flooring should be suitably addressed after assessment of all the requirements and constraints so that the money is invested in the right flooring option.

Moreover, flooring issue needs to be addressed separately for different sections of the house. For home flooring, different sections include kitchen, bathroom, living room, dining room, bedroom, hallway and stairway. All the sections need different flooring solution due to the different applications these are put to. Kitchen being the busiest area of the house and vulnerable to food spills and stains need flooring that can be cleaned easily and can handle high foot traffic. Vinyl flooring, tile flooring and laminate flooring match all criteria of such a section and prove beneficial in the long run.

Bathroom is another section that needs special attention while laying a floor. The floor of the bathroom needs to be waterproof. Easy to wash and dry, along with being slip resistant are some of the other attributes that are necessary to ascertain safety of users. Vinyl and ceramic tile flooring are the most preferred option for bathroom flooring. Besides, affordable laminate and wood flooring with waterproofing also work for bathrooms.

Bathroom design Project

Living room being the center of the house is considered as the reflection of the entire home. One must consider all the factors, including preference and budget, while installing floor to enhance the aesthetic appeal. Hardwood flooring is one of the popular options which is available in variety of colors and patterns. Depending upon the preference, homeowners can choose among natural or engineered hardwood flooring option, which adds value to the home.

Dining room floor, identical to kitchen floor, is a heavy traffic area within the house. Being prone to food and drink spills, one has to choose flooring option carefully to counter the same. Wood, laminate and tile flooring options are often preferred by homeowners for dining rooms. Bedrooms can also be exquisitely decorated by hardwood flooring. Hallways and stairways are other areas that receive heavy foot traffic and are exposed to dirt and moisture. Thus, durable flooring options like ceramic tiles are preferred for these areas.

Warmup Radiant Floor Heating

For saving energy, homeowners should opt for flooring solutions like wood during winters that keep the house warm. Additionally, homeowners can install Warmup Radiant Floor Heating to keep the house warm. Likewise, homeowners living in areas with hot climate must opt for flooring options that keep the house cool. This simple measure would ensure less dependency on the electrical appliances like AC or heater and thus, save energy as well as money.

Choosing the right flooring option, as per the preference and budget, not only will help enhance the appearance of the house but will also prove beneficial in saving money and energy. Thus, it is advisable for homeowners to do a proper research and if need be, seek professional guidance to select the right flooring option.

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