Floor Warmth

  • By RaeJean Hasenoehrl For The Herald
  • Thursday, February 18, 2010 10:04am

Cold feet are meant for pre-wedding jitters, not everyday living.

So, if you’re watching TV at home with a chill rushing through your toes, maybe it’s time to reinvent your home’s heating system.

Radiant in-floor heat supplies heat directly through the floor. The radiant heat is considered omni-directional, traveling in all directions — unlike warm air, which tends to rise. In other words, the radiant warmth stays where you are instead of rising to the ceiling and out of your comfort range.

According to Jodi Rennie, co-owner of Builders Resource Design Center in Snohomish, a radiant floor system is installed out of view, underneath the floor.

“There are also many kinds of systems that can be used within a tub deck or wet bar, so when you lean against the surface it feels warm,” she said.

Rooms in an existing home can be updated with an electric heating system consisting of either a series of cables built into the floor or a mat that is mounted to a subfloor below a floor covering.

Rennie leans toward using Nuheat products. “I’ve never had a problem with the mats, and you can have them customized or purchase stock sizes,” she said.

Your electrician will determine if permits are needed to install an electric floor heating system.

For new constructions or additions, a hydronic system can be implemented throughout the space, including the garage. With a hydronic system, hot water is pumped from a boiler and runs silently through tubes to heat the room.

With either system, Rennie suggests that radiant in-floor heating is probably not a do-it-yourself project. “You should work with a contractor who is knowledgeable about the systems,” she said, adding that The Janes Company in Mukilteo is a source her company turns to.

She noted that a radiant in-floor system “does add expense, but in the long run I wouldn’t regret adding it.”

Eldon Samp, an energy efficiency consultant with Snohomish County PUD, agrees that radiant in-floor systems can be a strong investment for your home. Over the years, he has found that “of all the different heating systems, people who have a radiant floor system have the least amount of complaints about that system.”

He added that it is an extremely comfortable system simply because “if your feet are warm, you are warm.”

In most cases, homes with an in-floor system have zone heating controls, so you don’t need to heat the entire house all day long.

“As far as a customer who wants the entire house heated, that may not be the cheapest way of heating, but it is still the most comfortable,” Samp said.

“Customers need to identify what they want out of a heating system, then find the system that meets their desires,” he said. That’s where PUD can help. Its energy consultation service can provide you with an impartial view of what heating system or systems will best serve your home’s needs.

Samp also recommends that, if building a new home on a larger piece of property, consideration should be given to an extremely efficient ground source geothermal heat pump that can provide energy for radiant floors as well as ducted air conditioning, air filtration and domestic hot water.

Another expert you’ll want to contact as you plan your in-floor heating project is a flooring specialist.

According to Ray Bearden, owner of Finishing Touch PNW in Smokey Point, there are a limited number of flooring products that can be used over radiant floor heating.

Ceramic tile and natural stone are considered the most desirable and problem-free flooring materials.

Solid wood, on the other hand, is not recommended for use. Difficulties with wood expansion and contraction often come into play. If you want the look of hardwoods, Bearden suggests choosing engineered wood flooring with the look of solid hardwood.

Most types of sheet vinyl can be used, but certain cautions exist. During and for a time after installation, the floor’s heat needs to be turned off to enable the vinyl adhesive to dry properly. After installation, the maximum temperature range you can set your floor at is generally 75 degrees. “Anything higher than that can affect the vinyl, causing it to become brittle and curl at the edges,” he said.

Caution also needs to be taken when installing carpet over in-floor heating. “When nailing down the tack strip, you need to know where all the tubing is so you don’t puncture it,” Bearden said. He noted that a carpet pad with a low R-value is needed to allow the in-floor heating to pass to the surface of the carpet. Most standard carpet pads will work — with the exception of some closed cell foams.

Bearden also advised that “the trick with any radiant floor is to have an adequately insulated crawl space under the floor, if it exists over a crawl space.”

Builders Resource Design Center

1910 Bickford Ave., Unit G

Snohomish, WA 98290

(360) 568-2300

www.buildersresourcedesigncenter.com

Finishing Touch PNW

14219 Smokey Point Blvd.

Marysville, WA 98270

(360) 658-0120

www.finishingtouchpnw.com

Snohomish County PUD

Energy Hotline

807 Rainier St.

Snohomish, WA 98290-2958

(425) 783-1700

www.snopud.com

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