Radiant Heat News

Are Radiant Heated Floors All or Nothing?

Small Spaces Shine with Radiant Floor Heat

When you tackle a home improvement project you want it to be perfect. You want to get the biggest bang for your buck, the most sophisticated designs, and obviously incredibly efficient output. That is a natural feeling as you protect one of the largest investments you’ll make; your home. Piecing little projects together here and there can be frustrating and cost a bundle in the long run.

Installing radiant heat for heated bathroom floor

Radiant floor heating may sound like an intimidating home improvement on the surface, as many people worry that they have to do all the floors in their home or nothing at all. Electric radiant heated floors actually shine in small rooms and spaces. These efficient systems are designed to add extra warmth to tiled entry ways, colder bathrooms, or eternally cool basements.

Radiant floor heating is a great way to primarily heat your home as well and can easily be done in every room of your home, but underfloor heat is definitely not an all-or-nothing type of home heating. Small spaces benefit greatly from underfloor heat simply because radiant heat can produce much more efficient heat than traditional methods of heating. Using it to heat your entire home is a smart choice as well. Radiant heat technology is more sophisticated than ever and allows the heat to penetrate each surface of your room, from the ground to the ceiling. Radiant heat allows heat to rise naturally, rather than be forced through ducts in the ceiling. Considering radiant heated floors is a big deal, but doesn’t have to be an all or nothing deal. Pick and choose the system that is right for you and enjoy heated floors in part, or in your entire home for added warmth and efficiency.

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Transform Your House into a Dream Home

Warmzone Radiant Floor Heating Systems Provide Luxurious Warmth

(Read the PRWeb article.)

In today’s economy people are thinking less about buying their “dream home” than they are about converting their existing house into their “dream home”. Homeowners are updating their kitchens, renovating their bathrooms, replacing old linoleum floors with lavish hardwood or elegant tile and transforming their once modest dwelling into the home of their dreams.

One of the most common – and luxurious – yet, practical upgrades is the addition of radiant heated floors. In this unprecedented era of energy awareness, radiant floor heating systems have proven to be extremely efficient; and therefore, increasingly popular. But it’s not just the efficiency of these systems that have homeowners abuzz. Heated floors provide luxurious, comfortable warmth that truly needs to be experienced to be appreciated.

Radiant floor heating mats being installed

Many homeowners have been pleasantly surprised to discover that they can install radiant floor heat without tearing out the existing floor. Two popular floor heating systems (RetroHeat film heating panels and low-voltage FloorHeat) can be installed by accessing the floor joists from below. Both of these systems rank among the best when it comes to performance and ease of installation.

Adding radiant floor heat is also a smart investment for those who are remodeling or adding tile, hardwood or new laminate floors. Warmzone ComfortTile is an exceptional floor heating system that is highly recommended for heating tile floors. The heating cable is available on spools or pre-spaced in mats. ComfortTile mats feature heat cable that is attached to an adhesive-backed fiberglass mesh and can be rolled out like a sleeping bag and secured to the floor, making the cable installation quick and easy. The mats are compatible with all standard sub-flooring materials and have a low 3/16-inch (3 mm) profile, making this an excellent system for renovations.

The ComfortTile system features a shielded dual-conductor cable with single-point connection. This means that rather than having to run the cable across the floor and then return back to the starting point, the single lead is simply run to the thermostat and connected. The finish floor is then installed directly over the system. (Most of the cable and floor installation labor can be performed by the homeowner; however, the wiring of the system should be completed by a qualified electrician.)

ComfortTile heat cable on the spool allows more flexibility in terms of heating odd, custom-shaped rooms. The cable is routed across the floor and attached to the subfloor with the use of thin, malleable steel strapping (supplied with the system). The straps have tabs that fold down over the cable to ensure accurate spacing of the heating element.

For heating hardwood or laminate floors, FloorHeat STEP and FilmHeat floor heating systems are both excellent choices. FloorHeat is a low-voltage system that features a unique, thin, flexible polymer heating element while the FilmHeat system consists of a lightweight, near paper-thin heating element (0.16-inch thick), which has quickly become a favorite among homeowners and installers. The easy-to-install panels are ideal for heating floating floors, require no floor build up and can be cut on site. The heating panels provide a remarkably efficient floor heating system that significantly reduces energy consumption.

The FilmHeat system is also easy to install. The panels are placed on the subfloor and require no mortar or adhesives, making the system quick, easy, and affordable to install.

Floor heating system being installed

For new construction applications, homeowners also have the option of installing heat cable directly in the concrete slab of the floors. The rugged In-Slab heat cable is engineered to withstand the stress of heavy concrete pours and will efficiently heat the slab to warm your floors.

There are a variety of choices when it comes to heating floors, but beware of “bargain shopping”. A radiant heating system is only as good as its installation, so it is vital to work with an experienced installer and a reputable system provider that offers complete system design services and installation support as well as quality products.

Warmzone is an established, reputable radiant heat provider that combines competitive pricing and top product offerings with complete radiant heat design and engineering services. Unlike most other providers in the industry, Warmzone has an expert staff on hand to offer personal installation support. It’s no secret why Warmzone has earned its reputation as one of the most trusted providers of radiant heat solutions. For more information, call a radiant heat expert today at 888.488.9276.

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Radiant Heat vs. Snow Melting Chemicals

Now is the Time to go “Green” with Clean Radiant Heat

(Read the PRWeb article.)

Given the snow removal laws such as those passed recently in Massachusetts, homeowners are mandated to remove snow and ice from walkways for pedestrians. If the sidewalks are not cleared, property owners are not only susceptible to personal injury lawsuits, but they also face the possibility of fines levied by the local government. Removing snow from driveways and sidewalks is no longer an option – it’s the law.

To comply with the city ordinances, many homeowners find the convenience of using salt and other snow melting chemicals preferable to the time consuming, physically exhausting rigors of shoveling or plowing the heavy snow. So, many consumers stock up on salt and other snow melting chemicals prior to the winter months. But the convenience of using snowmelt chemicals comes at a price – a price not reflected in the actual purchase of the salt or chemicals.

The adverse environmental effects of these chemicals can be evident year round. While effective in melting snow, salt and chemicals are not so friendly to the surrounding landscape. When spring arrives, the bordering grass and shrubs often reveal the ugly scars from the repeated use of snow melting chemicals during the winter, as evidenced in the photo. Installing a heated driveway eliminates this problem.

Using salt to melt snow and ice from a driveway can damage nearby grass and bushes
The results of using salt to melt snow and ice from a driveway are clearly evident in the spring.

For those who are serious about going green in this day and age of environmental awareness, radiant heat snow melting systems have proven to be an ideal solution.

The Benefits of Radiant Heat Include:

♦ Operate on clean, renewable energy (hydronic or electric)
♦ Both electric and hydronic systems are environmentally friendly
♦ Many options are available and the systems are easy to customize
♦ Fully automated so that they efficiently operate only when needed
♦ Discreetly installed under the surface and operate silently
♦ Radiant heat can enhance the lifespan of your driveway
♦ Eliminate the time consuming, physical demands of snow removal

The best time to purchase and install a snow melting system is during the early spring. This is a time when homeowners are more interested in outdoor grills and barbecues than snow melting systems, so naturally, the demands for these systems wane. As such, consumers are more likely to discover discounted prices. Of course, once the summer has run its course and Old Man Winter can be seen on the horizon, consumers tend to scramble to install a snow melting system before the first storm hits.

Heated driveway on incline with heated tire tracks

While snow melting systems have become more affordable, it is still not a home improvement purchase that should be done on a whim. It pays to do some research and deal with experts who will talk openly with you about the various products available. Don’t be fooled into thinking that there is a ready-made system that is perfect for all your needs. You need unbiased professionals who can design and engineer your custom solution. Warmzone is one of the largest and most experienced radiant heat providers that consults freely with consumers to help them learn the “how’s, what’s and why’s” – before any decisions are made.

Warmzone is a trusted, leading provider of radiant heat systems, for good reason. They’ve been around a long time, and offer a wide variety of proven systems from only the most reputable manufacturers. Unlike many providers, Warmzone is not “locked in” to selling one brand or “one size fits all” system. In fact, Warmzone provides customized solutions to meet the snow melting and budget needs of its customers. The professional design team reviews every aspect of the project and also provides installation support, resulting in the complete solution.

For those who are serious about the environment and looking for a “green” solution for snow melting, visit Warmzone online or call today, at 888.488.9276.

Articles

Baltimore Residents Turning to Radiant Floor Heat

Many Baltimore area homeowners have turned to radiant heated floors, either for their primary home heating or to supplement the existing home heating system. And as many owners of radiant floor heating systems will attest, nothing is finer than walking on warm floors during a cold winter day.

Warmzone offers a variety of electric radiant floor heating systems, as well as hydronic heated floors for homeowners in Baltimore and surrounding areas. And because Warmzone manufactures and carries the industry’s most trusted floor heating systems, our experts can determine the system that will be the most effective for heating your specific floor type.

When it comes to heating your floors, it is important to know that no single floor heating system is ideal for every type of flooring. That’s why it’s so critical to speak with an unbiased radiant heating expert who can offer you a wide selection of distinct floor heating options to choose from. Don’t be talked into purchasing a floor heating system simply because it’s the only system that the provider offers. Deal with an industry leader that can show you a wide selection of radiant floor heating solutions and explain the benefits and traits of each one.

Heating Tile Floors
The most proven system for heating tile floors is the ComfortTile floor heating system. ComfortTile features thin 1/8 to 3/16-inch diameter heat cable that is available on spools or pre-spaced on flexible fiberglass mesh backing with adhesive so it can be rolled out and then secured to the subfloor for easy installation. ComfortTile heat cable is also one of the most versatile floor heating systems.

Radiant heated tile floor

ComfortTile heat cable can also be used in conjunction with the Prodeso underlayment membrane. The Prodeso heat membrane is installed over the entire subfloor as an uncoupling, crack isolating and waterproofing membrane. The heating cable is then inserted into the grooves of the membrane, and the flooring is then installed over the cable.

Heating Hardwood and Laminate Floors
Many homes in the Baltimore area feature hardwood or laminate flooring. Warmzone offers several choices for heating hardwood and laminate, but the most popular solution is the low-voltage FloorHeat STEP system.

This unique floor heating system features a self-regulating, semi-conductive polyethylene heating element. The flexible heating element is so thin that it will not affect the floor buildup, weight loads, or flooring choices.

The unique attributes of FloorHeat STEP make this versatile heating element a popular choice for heating roofs as well. RoofHeat STEP is one of the most trusted roof heating systems available.

Helpful Links:
More information for heating hardwood floors.
General Tips for Installing Heated Floors

Heating Concrete Underfloor Slabs
The In-Slab radiant floor heating cable is designed for installation in new concrete slab applications. The heat cable is embedded at least ½-inch below the floor’s surface. In-Slab cable uses the concrete slab to efficiently store and distribute heat evenly throughout the intended area. The cable is affordable and can be installed to warm any type of flooring, including hardwood, carpet, tile, and more.

Heating Existing Floors
Warmzone also carries RetroHeat, a thin “film” heating element that can be stapled up between floor joists to heat existing floors. The paper-thin heating element can be cut on site and is then stapled up between the floor joists and common batt insulation is then installed over the heating panel. This directs all the heat upwards to warm the existing floor.

These are just some of the choices Baltimore residents have to heat their floors. Whether you’re looking to heat carpet, tile, marble, hardwood or any other type of floor, you won’t go wrong dealing with Warmzone.

In addition to Warmzone’s industry leading products, Warmzone provides unparalleled customer services, which include professional system design, free installation training courses, and personal installation support. Call a radiant heat expert today at 888.488.9276 to discuss your floor heating options.

Radiant Heat News

Which Season is Best to Install Radiant Floor Heat?

It’s Always Time for Underfloor Heat

We all think about the need for home heating during the winter but does that make the coldest season the ideal time to install radiant floor heat? Not necessarily as installing the heat means there is a small period when you are without heat as you finish the installation. It is the time when home heating is forefront on our minds, but any time of year is appropriate to install radiant floor heat.

If you consider purchasing underfloor heating during spring or summer, you may catch a supplier with excess inventory offering a discount or promotion. This is typically the slow time of year for these types of radiant heating systems so there may be a good deal out there for the taking. Radiant floor heat is a good investment no matter what time of year you install it, as this type of home heating is gaining in popularity.

The efficiency and affordability of underfloor heating is becoming a major selling point and more and more home are being built with radiant heated floors. Winter might be the time of year you think about and use underfloor heat but there are plenty of early spring morning or fall afternoons that you’ll be glad you had the foresight to install radiant floor heat. The radiant heat takes the nasty chill out of your floors, leaving them toasty to walk on.

Radiant Heat News

Can I have Driveway Heating with an Odd Shaped Driveway?

Custom Heated Driveways

The nice thing (or at least one of the nicest things) about driveway heating is that it is versatile and flexible enough to accommodate different shapes of driveways and sidewalks. Straight or curved, looped or choppy, driveway heat can be applied to almost any size or shape. Once the snow melting system is in place, whatever shape it may be, you are assured that snow melting will occur seamlessly and effortlessly all winter long.

Heated patio and sidewalks
Heated patio and sidewalk.

Having a driveway heating expert help you design your system is probably the best advice we can give. Someone with knowledge about the different types of cables and heating systems will be able to identify your unique needs pertaining to the driveway heating project you are hoping to accomplish. An expert can lay out the proper heating cable scenarios, estimate how much cable you’ll need and how installation should be done.

Radiant heated driveways can span an entire driveway or just tire paths in cases where the driveway is long and winding, making the costs a bigger issue. Regardless of where your heated driveway needs to run, Warmzone can aid you in making informed decisions about which type of radiant snow melting system would suit you best and how to tackle the installation. Heating cables that lie coiled beneath your driveway add convenience, value, and efficiency to your home.

Radiant Heat News

Fever Dreams and In Floor Heating

Radiant Floor Heating Offers Heat Around the Clock

This time of year there are epic bugs going around being shared from shopping cart to door handles to school libraries back to your front door, making us all susceptible to getting sick. Fevers offer that awful feeling of being a million degrees then swinging to the other side of the spectrum in chilled shakes. One thing I’ve always felt happy about when I have a fever accompanied by the aches and pains associated with that pleasant buggy feeling, is that radiant floor heating is never too hot or too cold when I’m sick. In floor heating just always feels good.

Radiant heated floors provide consistent warmth and comfort around the clock. No matter what time of day or night you find yourself wandering zombie like to and from bed, your feet will be taken care of with appropriate levels of heat. (Or, you can program the system so that it only heats just before you get up in the morning and then shuts off in the evening when you go to bed.) Even in your haziest fever dreams you’ll be able to get to the bathroom or kitchen in relative comfort. Radiant floor heat is especially nice for the times you are chilled to the bone and can’t seem to get warm enough, no matter how many layers you’ve piled on. No one will judge you if you lay right down on the warmest spot of your radiant heated floor and soak in the power of radiant heat. The beauty about radiant heat is that is spreads around to make contact with everything in its path. In floor heat is consistent and affordable and luxurious even in the fog of your deepest fevers.

Radiant Heat News

How Much Space Do ECO-heaters Require?

Minimal Space Requirements, Maximum Heating

ECO-Heaters are compact thin electric panel heaters that mount on the wall and safely emit heat. One benefit of ECO-heaters is that they are mounted on the wall, saving valuable floor real estate. The heater dimensions are 23¼ x 23¼ x ⅜-inches and weighs approximately 15 pounds. Each heater package contains one 400 watt electric panel heater, mounting kit, installation instructions and Styrofoam packaging that also serves as a convenient mounting template.

ECO-heater panel heater

ECO-heaters are designed to be mounted approximately 6-8 inches above the floor, giving the heat a chance (and plenty of space) to rise and sufficiently heat a smaller space. Ideal for bathrooms, kitchens, even offices, the ECO-heater is an efficient method of heating a room. There is a ¾-inch gap between the heater and the wall allowing cold air to be drawn behind the heating panel. The gap is small enough to allow the cold air to heat quickly and rise from the gap at the top of the heating panel of the ECO-heater. Cool air cycles into the gap behind the heater as well and natural circulation of heated air cycles continually. This natural convection takes away the need for a fan, which increases the heater’s efficiency and decreases the need for more space devoted to this compact wall mounted heater. You can find them for less than $130, making them an affordable and compact way to heat any chilly space.

Radiant Heat News

Tired of Shoveling, Plowing and Salting Snow?

Installing a Heated Driveway Makes Winter Easier to Bear

Are you among the millions out there thinking snow blows? Snow is a drag, a burden, a hazard, and a load many of us have to bear. Even though snow totally blows and every time you shovel your driveway you die a little inside, you may not know there is an affordable alternative to back-breaking snow removal – radiant heat.

A heated driveway is a snow removal treat well within reach. Driveway heating makes winter so much easier to bear, because instead of spending time and energy clearing your driveway, the fully-automated snow removal system does it for you.

Driveway heating is not a new invention but it is a new possibility for the average homeowner. Once deemed something only the uppity-ups could afford, driveway heating is showing up in new and not-so-new neighborhoods all over where the snow can be found in abundance. Radiant snow melting is accomplished by installing heat cable just beneath the surface of your driveway, connecting it to a power source, and installing a smart snow sensor that automatically detects when the system needs to power on. As long as there is snow and ice accumulating around it, the heated driveway stays clear and safe from the burden and hazards of piles of snow.

Radiant Heat News

What Types of Radiant Snow Melting Systems are Available?

Driveway Heating and Roof Deicing Systems are Customized to Meet Your Specific Needs

You can always count on unexpected expenses, especially if you own a home and are raising a family. Heck, just plain existing means that there will always be various financial surprises. Your daughter needs braces, the car breaks down, your wife needs an unexpected surgery, or the roof leaks. One way to avoid leaking roofs and other forms of snow damage is with radiant snow melting systems from Warmzone. While there are limitless combinations and ways to customize a snow melting system, there are two general types of a radiant snow melting systems available: driveway heating and roof deicing.

Heated patio and sidewalks

Automated snow melting systems can be designed for any size or shape of your driveway, walkway, ramp, steps or whatever. Driveway heating eliminates the need for harsh snowmelt chemicals and manual snow removal to keep snow and ice clear from your driveway or sidewalks. Heating cables are embedded beneath the surface of your driveway and when the system is engaged the cables warm the surface to eliminate snow and ice accumulation. Heated driveways use either electric or hydronic radiant heat technology for snow melting.

Roof deicing systems prevent ice dams and icicles from forming on your roof. Snow and ice melting systems are available for just about any roof configuration. With roof deicing you can also choose whether or not to use electric or hydronic heating systems. Roof deicing systems take cost, performance, and aesthetics into account, personalizing each to meet the customer’s needs.

Warmzone experts can help you navigate decisions on either type of snow melting system; driveway heating or roof deicing. And detailed system layouts are provided with each snow melting system, so you’ll know the exact power requirements and what to expect prior to any installation taking place. No one can match the expertise, customer service, installation support and friendliness of Warmzone.

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