Electric Radiant Floor Heat

Are you considering radiant heat flooring for your home? To begin, you'll have a choice of between a hydronic system and electric radiant floor heat. Both systems work well, but in this article we will focus in on the more economical electric systems.

Electric radiant floor heating is not only less expensive, but it is also much easier to install, whether it is only for a room such as the bathroom, kitchen, etc, or for the entire home.

Types Of Electric Radiant Systems

There are two types of elements used in electric systems; coated electric cables or cable woven mats. Both of these basic types will use approximately 10-12 watts per square foot.

There are some distinct differences between these two systems that you should know about.

• Thickness - Mat add less height to your floor. In some cases it may only be by 1/8 inch.
  
  
• Cost - Mats are less costly to install than their cabled counterparts.
  
  
• Life Expectancy - Cable systems will usually last longer than mats, although both will give many, many years of use.

The other consideration to keep in mind with the type of electric radiant heating system you will put in your home is the performance of the system.

Floors with mats will heat up much faster than cables through a slab. What may take an hour for a matted floor system to heat may take several hours for cables.

The one advantage for cables is the fact that they will maintain and hold their heat for longer than mats. It's like the sun hitting a brick home. Well after sunset the bricks hold their heat. The same concept applies here.

Finally, if your home has wood flooring, a thick slab system will work much better for them. A quick change in floor temperature is not good for wood flooring and creates a lot of stress.

These are a few of the major points with both types of electric radiant heated floor systems.