Underfloor Heating

You may have heard of the term "underfloor heating" or "radiant heating" or "radiant tile", but do not know exactly what that it is or how it could benefit your home. Basically, underfloor heating is-quite simply-heating coils, mats, and cables below the surface of your floor that makes your floor warm to the touch.

1. Warm Feet: Of course one of the most common and readily apparent reasons that homeowners choose to install or have installed underfloor heating is that they don't want to have a cold floor to touch with their feet. Instead, they like the idea of not having to wear socks or slippers and walk across their floors with warm feet. There is something very comforting and soothing about walking across a warm floor, especially when outdoors is so cold.

2. Easy Installation: Another very compelling reason that people seek out the ingenuity of underfloor heating is that it is typically very easy to install. You would think that something so decadent would be complex to install under the floors in your home, but the reality of the matter is on the contrary. The truth is, is that installing a radiant heating system that runs hot water through pipe is more of a challenge and should be installed by a professional; however, many people choose underfloor heating mats that are the simple systems we are referring to. With these systems, you simply unroll the heating mats, lay them under your flooring, and cover the flooring back over it, and voila you have heated floors.

3. Safe: A top concern for many homeowners considering underfloor heating is that underfloor heating may be unsafe, could cause a fire, or be easily damaged by water, etc. All underfloor heating systems and products are now required by law to pass a special waterproof hazard safety test. This means that you can safely and without concern install underfloor heating in water-prone areas such as the bathroom and kitchen where you are most likely to want warm floors to the touch.

4. Aesthetic: Unlike many home improvements and remodeling projects, underfloor heating installation is completely undetectable to the eye. As noted, the heating coils, pipes, and mats go underneath your laminates, tiles, and wood flooring to produce the demonstrative effect only to the sense of touch.

5. Environment: Underfloor heating uses less fossil fuels than any other supplementary heating system. Less use of energy means less waste of our environment's resources. Moreover, many radiant floor heating systems can be converted to solar energy sources down the line-which is the most renewable, low-cost energy source available to us.

6. Lower Bills: Using less energy in your supplementary energy source means lower bills. Whereas before your underfloor heating was installed, you may have used a space heater or turned up the heat; now, you can lower the dial on your heating source, forget the space heater, and enjoy not only warmer floors but also lower energy bills-who couldn't use lower energy bills, especially now?

7. Low Maintenance: Another great reason to choose underfloor heating systems for your home is that they require hardly any maintenance at all. If installed properly and with quality materials, you should have no problems with your radiant flooring for a long, long time. Most everything requires regular costly maintenance and upkeep. As long as you choose quality materials, systems, and installation; your investment in underfloor heating should serve you well for many years to come.

8. Home Value: Your home's value can be greatly improved by the added bonus of underfloor heating. As noted previously, underfloor heating is becoming more and more popular and is looked at as a huge bonus incentive in any home's value. Many prospective home buyers will choose a home with radiant tile or underfloor heating over one that doesn't have it simply because not only is underfloor heating a relative new luxury but also because it is energy efficient and a smart choice.

Though the real estate market may not be ripe for home purchasing right now, it is ripe for home improvement. The real estate market will rebound as it always does, eventually; and by taking the time now to invest in the value and comfort of your home, you are boosting its worth, value, and resell price. A great investment option is to install (or have installed) underfloor heating systems or radiant tiles. As noted, underfloor heating systems are typically easy and inexpensive to install, boost your home value, require low maintenance, save you money on energy bills, help the environment by using less energy, safe, and add so much comfort to cold feet.

Choosing to make home improvements can sometimes be difficult because there are so many choices, materials, aesthetic versus functional options, price ranges, and the like; but if you are looking for a relatively inexpensive home renovation that is affordable while still adding priceless value to your home instantly, installing underfloor heating is one of your best options. Whether you choose to do it yourself or have a professional install mats, piping, etc; underfloor heating is the next big real estate incentive that is not only a decadent innovative luxury but also a functional one that will never lose its value or degrade your initial investment.