Thinking of adding a tile floor to your bathroom remodel? But hate the idea of always having cold floors? Even when rooms are heated with forced air or baseboard heat, their tile floors are always cold. With electric radiant floor heat this problem is solved efficiently and affordably. Radiant floors warm objects and people directly without overheating the air. An electric cable is routed underneath your floor covering in a zigzag pattern to provide full coverage along high traffic areas. A small touchscreen thermostat allows you to schedule the on and off times during the day along with the desired temperature to suit your needs. No noisy fans running which means no dust blowing around the room and no filters to change or clean make this system maintenance free. Ice-cold feet will no longer be a problem in your basement bathroom and your master bathroom will finally have the complete spa package. But it doesn’t stop there; radiant heat can also be added to mudrooms or even kitchens. With heating elements in the floor, moisture management is improved allowing faster evaporation from drips, spills, splashes, and wet footprints.
This is a fantastic idea, but what does it cost to run? The last thing we all need is another monthly bill to pay. Fortunately, our energy rates around Spokane are much lower than the national average. The chart below shows the daily cost to run floor heat for 8hrs in a 30sq. ft. area. What if you only plan on using it for an hour or two in the mornings and a few hours at night? Cut those figures in half and it becomes even more affordable. The important thing to remember is even if your room is larger you only need to heat the areas where you walk. As outside temperatures are making us turn up the A/C, adding another heating source to your home is probably not a high priority, but the best time to add floor heat is during a remodel before the new floor goes down.
