It was pretty much a given that when Mike Janes built his home, the heat would come from the floor.
He grew up with warm feet and an appreciation for what radiant heat can do for a home.
His father, Steve Janes, started a radiant heating business in 1986, back when most people probably thought “radiant heat” was the title of Tom Cruise’s next action flick.
Radiant heat is installed in more homes today, although it’s far more common in Europe than America.
Radiant systems heat with a network of water-filled tubing or electric wires that run under the floor. Heat permeates the building, leaving it cozy as a log cabin with a fire blazing, Mike Janes said. Rather than heating the air, the systems heats the building as a mass, which holds heat longer.
“I tell people it’s like a freight train,” he said. “It takes awhile to get going, but once it is, it’s running smoothly.”
Now 28, he works in sales and design for the business, The Janes Company InFloor Heating Systems in Everett. The business is one of the largest installers in the Puget Sound region.
“On a cold day, radiant heating attacks your body when you come in from the outside,” he said, describing how it feels to step into his Whidbey Island split-level. “It’s amazing the way it works. It’s the most efficient way of delivering heat to the home and to the body.”
It’s more efficient than conventional forced air heating, he said. Plus, radiant heat means no allergens or dust blowing around, and no noise. Just even, gentle warmth permeating the home. The systems can be fueled with propane, gas, electric, oil or solar power.
This is still a luxury heating system that can cost two to three times as much as forced air. The price varies considerably from job to job. A simple electric system in a bathroom could cost a few hundred dollars, while a water system in a 2,000-square-foot home could cost as much as $20,000, he said.
Just like forced air, a homeowner can manipulate the temperature. The ability to control the temperature in multiple rooms costs more. Installing a system in a split-level house usually costs more than a rambler. Water systems are more expensive than electric initially, but the water system costs less to fuel in the long term.
Water systems need a hot water tank or a boiler — older cast-iron units work fine, as do the new high-efficiency units. So do on-demand tankless heaters, he said. A more energy-efficient boiler may cost more up front, but it will save money later. Electric systems are connected to the home’s wiring.
Janes Company works with homeowners and contractors, and it installs radiant heat in new and older homes. Virtually any flooring can be used with a radiant heat system, including wood, but conductive materials, such as tile and concrete, work better than carpet.
An older home with forced-air systems will need to have the furnace and duct work removed. The business doesn’t offer demolition services, although employees help with design and recommend contractors.
Reporter Debra Smith: 425-339-3197 or dsmith@heraldnet.com
Warm up
Janes Company InFloor Heating Systems
8227 44th Ave. W., Suite 1, Mukilteo
425-267-0202
www.janescompany.com
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
