With rising oil costs and some of the less-than-optimal house designs that have been coming onto the market in recent years (McMansions with high ceilings that are hard to heat, for example), there is now a dire need for an efficient heating system. Implementing such a system is one of the essential tasks to make sure that you have a comfortable house that isn’t burning a hole in your pocket. I recently discovered an idea that was buried within the walls of buildings built as recently as the 1930s, namely radiant floor heating systems . With radiant floor heating systems, it is easier to get the desired results of lower cost and higher comfort because they have been so designed to distribute the heat in such a way that it does not depend on moving air currents or heat lost due to cold surfaces in the room. Even better still, there are no fans so you don’t even know that the room heater is working. It is also hygienic and works comfortably without much energy consumption.

Traditional floor heating techniques involves heating the air first. The heated air is transferred to all corners of the house or the required area. However, radiant heat works by having the surface heated either hydronically or electrically with the help of electric cables and small tubes that are located under the flooring of your house. It actually heats up the objects that are in the surrounding area directly instead of heating up the air and then having the heat travel through convection. Radiant heat heats up objects like your furniture, eliminating the cold surfaces in your home. The reason you feel cold even in a hot room is because your overall comfort is not being met. Your body loses heat to the surrounding surfaces. Instead of using energy to heat up the whole area by just warming the air, the radiant floor heating system targets objects inside the room in a way.

There are several kinds of radiant heating systems available. They include hydronic systems; with the help of hot water that is pumped into tubes in the floor, your floor is heated. This is done with the help of PEX tubing that are fixed underneath. In fact, the usage in PEX tubing is one of the main reasons for the resurgence of radiant heating as a home heating option is PEX tubing. When metal pipes used to break in old radiant heating systems, the expense of fixing them was too high, leaving many building with systems that just didn’t work anymore. However, PEX lasts longer and reduces the price of installation of a radiant heating system.

With electric radiant floor heating systems, you can use electric heating cables underneath the concrete flooring or tiled floors. In my opinion, the best way to use radiant floor heating most effectively is by using ceramic tiles for the flooring. However, the effectiveness of the heating system also depends on the way in which the machine has been installed. If you use laminated wood products it may help in durability and prevent your flooring from any damage from the heating procedure. You can also use carpets if need be however thin ones can often help in the circulation of heat to different areas of the room. A professional that specializes in radiant heating systems can help you make the best determination.