Tag Archives: Radiant floor heating

Radiant Heat News

Now is the Time to Reflect on what Radiant Heat can do for You

Realize the Potential of Radiant Heating Technology

We’ve all heard the term to “unleash the power” of something. Athletes use it, business men use it, lovers of power tools use it, and now you too can throw it into your everyday vernacular when it comes to unleashing the power of radiant heat. Radiant heat can do so much for you personally and yet you may not yet realize the true potential magnificence of radiant heating technology.

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For example, did you know that the principles of radiant heat may now warm your entire home for a fraction of the energy costs your regular furnace can? Radiant floor heat is sweeping the home building world and for good reason. Radiant floor heating systems provide steady and even warmth throughout a room. The heat rises, as heat is designed to naturally do and it permeates all it comes into contact with. Radiant heated floors heat the entire room from the ground all the way to the ceiling. You’ll find your furniture casting a more warming glow, your flooring oozes warmth, and your family internalizes the warming glow and smiles a whole lot more.

Radiant heat can also be applied outdoors. Why heat the outdoors you ask? Well, that is a great question and if you live where there is significant snow fall ask yourself what you would give to never shovel another back-breaking pound of snow off your driveway. Chances are you would be willing to at least query the principles of a heated driveway. You’ll probably be talked into a snow melting system in a matter of minutes. The same theory applies to your roof, where snow and ice and quickly accumulate and cause damage. Radiant roof heating cables are yet another reason radiant heat is making a mark on consumer’s pocket books. Notice I said making a mark, not breaking the bank. If you investigate radiant heating technology in any of the above mentioned forms you will be pleasantly surprised that not only are they affordable but they can enhance your quality of life

Radiant Heat News

Radiant Floor Heating – Plain, Simple and Luxurious

Floor Heating Systems are Easier than You Think

When most of us think about our home heating system, we think of a complicated maze of air ducts, furnaces and vents. The installation of a central heating system is well beyond the expertise of the average homeowner, but what about a radiant floor heating system?

Installing radiant heat for heated bathroom floor

Advances in radiant heat technology have come a long way since radiant under floor heating was first introduced, and electric floor heating systems are environmentally friendly because they run more efficiently than the average furnace and run independent of harmful fossil fuels.

On top of all that, radiant heat provides unparalleled comfort and even-heating. Forced air cannot compete with the steady and efficient warmth put forth by radiant heated floors. A common misconception about radiant heating is that it can only go beneath hard surfaces such as tile. While heated tile floors are indeed great options for radiant heat, they are not the only option available.

Heated bathroom floor

Warmzone has several electric radiant floor heating solutions for virtually any type of flooring. You can even do most of the floor heating installation yourself. If you want to start small with a bathroom, electric radiant heating systems make it easy to heat small areas. Each room has its own thermostat, so you can heat only where you want, without having to waste in other parts of your home. Because radiant floor heating is so plain and simple, the plain and simple fact is that you’ll want radiant heat for your entire home!

Radiant Heat News

Are you Ready for a Heat Wave in Winter?

Radiant Heated Floors Mean You Enjoy Heat Year Round

About this time of year, we all start getting twitchy about the cold. The charm of white snowy fields twinkling in the afternoon sun, or snowmen in our neighbor’s yards is starting to wear thin. Sunshine and sand start to seem like a valid prescription from your physician. Sigh. Most of us still have a few months more to endure winter’s icy kiss. If you are like me and crave a heat wave in the middle of winter, read on. Radiant heated floors provide steady, comforting, soothing warmth all year long. It’s true, you can have a mini-heat wave in the privacy of your own home.

Heated floors once seemed like a concept reserved for the days of flying cars and honeymoons on the moon. Thanks to many advances in radiant heat and the common and practical uses of this efficient type of heating, homes are cropping up all over the place with radiant heated floors. Smiling people are waking up everyday to their private heat wave, dressed in nothing but a robe. Socks or slippers need not apply in these homes. Bare toes and skin to floor contact are all the rage. Stepping onto a ComfortTile radiant heated floor just feels good. Having a heated floor may not sound like a substitute to a week in a tropical location, but if you are lucky enough to get somewhere the birds are chirping and the waves are lapping the beach, then coming home won’t seem so bad. After all, you have heated floors now. Can’t you just see yourself smiling about that fact?

Radiant Heat News

Integrate Radiant Heat Seamlessly Throughout Your Home

Radiant Heated Floors May be Retrofitted Beneath Existing Floors

If you feel like it’s too late to jump on the radiant heating trend wagon, have no fear, the wagon is willing to slow down or even stop to allow you to leap for joy onto its willing heated floor. So many homes are being built with radiant floor heating in mind, and there are a number of different systems and ways to install radiant floor heating in your home during construction. That’s great for those building new homes but what about the rest of us living in our existing homes? Those of us who are fully aware that we would love radiant floor heating but also aware that we don’t want to build a new home to achieve the bliss of warm tiled floors.

Radiant heated floors are still within reach. You can retrofit your existing floor with a radiant floor heating system. If you can access the floor joists from below, tile, hardwood and carpet floors can all be fitted with radiant heat. If you are feeling supremely ambitious you can consider having heated floors throughout your entire home. Radiant floor heating provides soothing and efficient heat in whatever area is has been retrofitted too. Radiant heated floors are for everybody nowadays. If you wish you could be a part of this warming trend, call a professional today and find out how to design the proper floor heating system for your home and how to make the installation as pain free as possible.

Articles

Solar Power for Radiant Floor Heating

Go “off Grid” and Go Green: Pair Solar Power with your Radiant Underfloor Heating System

Solar power is the perfect partner for radiant heat. If your plan is to live off of the grid, Warmzone has the best hydronic underfloor heating solutions for your solar system. Our radiant floor heat is compatible with solar hot water systems. A good set of solar panels, in normal sunlight conditions, can provide adequate water temperatures required to heat your hydronic heated floors.

How it works—a solar-powered radiant heated floor relies on two sub-systems: a common solar hot-water system, and a common hydronic radiant heat system. The type of solar panels and solar water system you’ll need varies with the climate you live in. You’ll also need a backup gas system to provide enough water to the system in bad weather or during peak demand times.

Pair your “solar system” with a hydronic radiant heat system and you’ve got warm floors. Hydronic underfloor radiant heat systems rely on a PEX network of lightweight, durable plastic tubing to circulate water heated by the solar panels from a tank or reservoir, much like a hot water heater to give you warm, even heat, “right off the grid.” And this is where Warmzone comes in. Warmzone offers different solutions for a variety of radiant heat projects, including solar radiant heat systems.

Because your situation and project needs are unique to you, Warmzone does not take a one-size-fits-all approach to hydronic underfloor heat. Our goal is to find the ideal hydronic radiant heated flooring system for each and every project that satisfies our customers’ requirements, and their budgets. We can do this, in part, because of our longstanding relationships with manufacturers. So you get the benefit of a wide selection of top-quality radiant underfloor heating products to choose from, at the lowest prices available.

Warmzone offers several hydronic radiant heat system options that are perfect for your solar-powered radiant floor heating system, whether you’re building from scratch or upgrading your existing home. There’s the more traditional hydronic floor heating system, in which PEX radiant tubing is installed in a concrete mass called Gypsum Concrete or “Gypcrete.” There’s also a new alternative that makes hydronic radiant heated floor installation easier. Hydronic heating systems with aluminum panels offer a slab alternative, low mass or modular board underlayment system. Instead of embedding the PEX tubing into concrete, it is laid in the grooves of pre-cut aluminum panels.

Unlike other hydronic radiant underfloor heat providers, the support doesn’t end with your radiant heated flooring purchase. Warmzone consistently exceeds competitive design services. Our in-house team of experienced professional designers will evaluate your radiant heating needs and produce a comprehensive design of a hydronic radiant heat system that is best suited for your needs. They’re ready to partner with solar heating experts to create system for your home that not only lives up to the definition of socially responsible green living, but lives up to the promise of warmth, comfort and convenience you would expect from your solar-powered hydronic radiant heated floors.

It’s a great time to partner with Warmzone and a solar heating specialist to make your green dreams a reality. Contact Warmzone today at 888.488.9276 to find out which underfloor heat product is best for you.

Articles

Radiant Heat for Hardwood and Laminate Flooring

The Ins and Outs of Electric Radiant Heat for Hardwood and Laminate Flooring

The growing trend in wood and laminate flooring installation is radiant heat. Affordable, efficient and comfortable, radiant heated floors are a welcome way to spend the winter months, and roll up your area rugs too. If you’re looking to heat hardwood or laminate flooring, or add some warmth to your existing wood floors, be prepared to do a little homework.

Heated hardwood floor

Find the right flooring for the job. Wood and laminate flooring can be safely installed over radiant heat, as long as you are careful to choose suitable products. It’s not the heat produced by the radiant heat source that’s a concern. It’s the humidity in your home. All wood products expand and contract with humidity, and over time, this process can create gaps between your floor boards. Unsuitable materials or a poorly constructed floor greatly accelerates damage caused by humidity over time.

Styles of wood flooring that are best for radiant heat installation include:

  • Laminated wood flooring
  • Floating floors, laminated/engineered or solid wood floors
  • Certain species of wood including American Cherry, American Walnut, Mesquite and Teak
  • Quarter sawn or rift sawn wood flooring

Some types of wood floors make better candidates for radiant heat than others, so it’s best to go with the manufacturer’s recommendation for suitable types of wood over radiant heat. Quarter sawn or rift-sawn flooring is more dimensionally stable than plain sawn wood flooring. Strip flooring is also a better choice than plank flooring, because narrow boards expand and contract less (take up more movement) than wide boards do. Because of its inherent dimensional stability, laminated wood is also a great choice for radiant heated floors.

Once you’ve chosen the right flooring, it’s important to partner with a reliable radiant heat solutions provider, like Warmzone, to help you choose and install an electric radiant floor heating system under your wood or laminate flooring. At Warmzone, you’ll benefit from an impressive selection of radiant heat products designed specifically for your hardwood or laminate flooring.

For new or existing floors, self-regulating Warmzone FloorHeat is a unique, low-voltage heating element perfect for installation under hardwood and laminate flooring. This radiant heat system uses a self-regulating semi-conductive polyethylene heating element, and is ideal for both new construction and retrofit applications alike. It is also very thin, making it a great option for installation under laminate and wood, without additional floor build up. A safe low-voltage product, FloorHeat can also be nailed through without damaging the heating element. This flexibility makes FloorHeat a good choice for retrofitting existing floors.

If you can access your floor joists from below, you’re also a perfect candidate for the Warmzone RetroHeat floor heating system. The RetroHeat heating element is easy to install so it makes a great do-it-yourself project.  The two most highly recommended options for floors are RetroHeat and FloorHeat. Both systems are very affordable, and allow you to install radiant heat to your existing floors without extensive floor tear ups or remodeling.

To learn more about the ins and outs of electric radiant heat for your hardwood or laminate floors, be sure to contact Warmzone at 888.488.9276.

Radiant Heat News

Time to Treat Your Toes Tenderly with Radiant Heated Floors

Radiant Heat Soothes and Comforts Feet

It’s true, radiant heat soothes and comforts feet but here’s the not-so-secret secret . . . it also radiates heat to every object of the room. Starting with the floor, radiant floor heating works subtly to produce an even warmth that envelops the entire room. You’ll feel it tenderly caress your toes and you’ll smile as you walk from each formerly cold surface, soaking in the inviting heat cast from the radiant heat cables working seamlessly below. Radiant heat radiates from your toes all the way to the soft tips of your ears.

Dad and baby on heated floor

The heat slowly warms your whole space and you find it tugging at the sides of your mouth, forming a happy grin and thoughts such as “why didn’t I install heated floors years ago? How do people enjoy their tile floors without radiant heated floors? What if I had to wake up tomorrow without the soothing comfort of radiant heat?”

Lucky for you if you are already a happy customer enjoying the benefits of radiant heat. Lucky because you’ll never have to ask those questions. Radiant heated floors are gaining popularity and are cropping up in most homes these days. If your home has hardwood floors or a tiled kitchen or entryway you’re an excellent candidate for radiant floor heating. These otherwise cooler surfaces take on the radiant heat produced beneath them and start to boast a consistent, calming warmth that tickles your toes tenderly with warmth.

Articles

Electric Underfloor Heating Systems

Electric underfloor heating systems are particularly well-suited for heating small to medium sized rooms and areas. Electric radiant heating systems are energy efficient and cheaper and easier to install than water-based (hydronic) radiant heating systems. Radiant underfloor heating systems are controlled by a thermostat with an in-floor sensor, and the systems are ideal for heating tile floors, hardwood, laminates and more. Electric radiant floor heating systems are also maintenance-free and feature rapid response times.

Thinset can be applied directly over heat cable

One of the most proven and popular electric radiant floor heating systems is the ComfortTile heated floor. The thin ComfortTile floor heating cable has a ⅛-inch diameter, and when installing a heated tile floor, the cable can be installed in the thinset, so there is only a slight floor buildup.

In addition to being able to purchase the heat cable on spools, ComfortTile is also available in easy-to-install mats that can be quickly and conveniently rolled out during installation. The heat cable is pre-spaced and attached to a durable mesh with adhesive-backing. The heat cable on the spool is best for installing in large, custom shaped areas while the mats are typically used for heating standard shaped rooms and areas.

Warmzone also offers several other electric underfloor heating systems, including the FilmHeat floor heating panels, In-Slab radiant heat cable, low-voltage FloorHeat systems and RetroHeat electric under joist floor heating systems.

In-Slab (SlabHeat) underfloor heating cable is excellent for a variety of concrete applications. Ruggedly designed for installation directly in cement slabs, the In-Slab radiant heat cable produces 10-15 watts per square foot and can efficiently radiate heat to warm any type of flooring, from ceramic tile to marble, hardwood, slate, and more.

FloorHeat radiant heating systems feature a unique, self-regulating polymer heating element. This low-voltage underfloor heating system is extremely thin and requires no floor buildup. Because of these attributes and that it can be easily secured to the subfloor with nails, adhesive or staples, FloorHeat is ideal for heating hardwood floors. The system utilizes a step-down transformer that converts the 220 line voltage to the low voltage of 60V (or less).

Stapling up RetroHeat floor heating element

Existing floors can also be retrofitted with radiant heat, using the FloorHeat or RetroHeat under joist floor heating systems (providing you can access the floor joists under the floor you wish to heat). RetroHeat features a paper-thin heating element (available in 12, 16, and 24-inch widths) that can be cut on site and safely stapled between the floor joists. After stapling the floor heating panels between the floor joists, the electrical connections are made and common batt insulation is then installed to direct the heat up through the floor. The RetroHeat underfloor heating system is an outstanding value for retrofitting radiant heat under any existing floor covering, including tile, hardwood, and carpet.

While Warmzone offers one of the best selections of underfloor heating systems available, it is best to call and speak with a radiant heat expert to determine the ideal system for your needs (888.488.9276). In addition to offering the best radiant heating products and systems on the market, Warmzone also includes complete radiant heat system engineering and design services. This ensures that your radiant underfloor heating system will perform as well – or better – than expected. Warmzone’s radiant heat design services include a detailed autoCAD of your system, so you’ll know all the system installation requirements and power needs prior to laying down any heat cable. So if you are considering installing a radiant underfloor heating system, deal with the best, most trusted radiant heat professionals at Warmzone. Call to speak to a radiant heat expert today, at 888.488.9276.

Press Releases

Warmzone Offers Extensive Line of Radiant Heat Products

Warmzone Constantly Updating its Line of Radiant Heat Products

Warmzone, a leading provider of interior and exterior radiant heat solutions, added to its already extensive product offering with the FloorHeat low-voltage radiant heat system. “Our goal is to provide the most complete selection of proven radiant heat products and systems from the best manufacturers in the business,” stated Brandon Weaver, Warmzone’s Executive VP of Systems Design and Engineering. “By visiting Warmzone.com and talking to one of our radiant heat experts,” he continued, “consumers will be able to find the best custom radiant heat solution for their needs.”

Unlike many distributors of radiant heat products, Warmzone’s offering is not limited to just one brand or manufacturer. Rather, Warmzone works closely with manufacturers throughout the world in its quest offer the highest quality radiant heat products at the most affordable pricing possible. Subsequently, Warmzone is continually updating its product offerings. When new systems or products hit the market, Warmzone carefully researches and tests them to determine whether they should become part of the product line. This is a great benefit for consumers who are often overwhelmed with the vague, yet abundant volume of content offered online by less reputable radiant heat distributors. Consumers who work with Warmzone can be assured that the products and systems offered are at the very top of their class.

FloorHeat low-voltage floor heating systems

In addition to offering the most tried-and-true radiant heating products on the market, Warmzone also includes complete radiant heat system engineering and design services (with autoCAD). “A radiant heating system is only as good as its installation,” Weaver emphasized, “so by providing complete system design services all potential issues are addressed prior to beginning the installation. This ultimately saves the consumer money by eliminating any costly surprises from arising during installation.” Warmzone also has an experienced master electrician on hand to provide support during the design and installation process.

Through its website, Warmzone provides a wealth of radiant heat information, as well as radiant heating system installation manuals, technical drawings and product guides. The Warmzone website may be the most comprehensive collection of radiant heat information and product documentation online. By reviewing the content, consumers can more effectively evaluate the radiant heat systems that are available.

“We feel that the more that consumers understand about radiant heat, the more they’ll appreciate the quality and selection of solutions that Warmzone offers,” added Bryan Morris, Warmzone National Sales Director. “But most of our calls are from people aren’t sure where to start, which is why we have a professional staff on hand who are happy to listen to the consumers’ needs and recommend the best option for them.”

To view the radiant floor heating systems offered by Warmzone, visit our Radiant Floor Heating Overview web page. To learn more about the radiant snow melting solutions available, visit Warmzone’s snow and ice melting web page. Warmzone also offers proven roof heating and gutter trace radiant heating systems as well as portable snowmelt solutions.

“We do the research and field testing to find the best products so that homeowners can visit our site and have a wide variety of tried and true solutions to choose from. No two installations are the same, which is why we customize each project to best meet the specific needs of the customer.

HOTNEWS

Radiant Floor Heating for Every Dimension

What’s the Best Radiant Floor Heating Solution for You?  (Part I)

Are you building a home, remodeling a room or retrofitting an existing living space with radiant heat but aren’t sure where to start? Warmzone has plenty of hot options for your next radiant heated floor project, plus the expertise and experience to support you—from budgeting and planning to design and installation.

Radiant floor heating mats being installed

Heating Tile Floors
The foundation of many Warmzone radiant heat solutions, ComfortTile heat cable is the perfect off-the-spool answer for most custom-shaped floor heating projects, including bathroom floors, kitchen and laundry room surfaces. That’s because ComfortTile cable can be rolled out and configured to fit tight or unique areas other radiant heat products, such as mats or panels, can’t. It has a mere ⅛-inch diameter and can be installed under most floor types, including marble, ceramic tile and slate flooring without floor buildup. And every ComfortTile radiant heated floor system comes complete with GFCI protected thermostat and strapping to secure and properly space the heating cable for safe, easy installation.

Of course, many radiant heat projects lack the dimensional challenges a unique layout presents. For these projects, ComfortTile cable is available in pre-configured mats. ComfortTile mats feature heat cable on an adhesive-backed fiberglass mesh. The cable is pre-spaced to maximize overall performance and take the guesswork out of radiant heated floor installation. ComfortTile floor heating mats can be used in 120 and 240 volt applications, and require only one cold lead connection. The mats are available in various lengths at a width of 24 inches, and are flexible, practical, affordable radiant heat solutions for most homeowners and do-it-yourselfers.

Radiant Heat for Wet and Dry Applications
Are you ready to take radiant heat to the garden level? If you’re looking for a versatile radiant floor heating product that’s safe for use in both wet and dry applications such as basement floors, then Warmzone In-Slab heat cable is for you. Waterproofed and protected by a metal shield, In-Slab heat cable is great for a variety of concrete applications. Featuring an extremely fast response time, In-Slab heat cable produces 10-15 watts per square foot and can efficiently radiate heat through any flooring, from ceramic to marble, hardwood and slate, so it’s good for small and large areas alike.

Retrofitting Floors with Radiant Heat
Installing the RetroHeat floor heating element. It’s never a bad time to purchase and install radiant heated floors, because for every application, Warmzone has the experts and the expertise necessary to take on any radiant heat installation challenge. With RetroHeat, you can reap the same benefits of radiant floor heat without disturbing your existing floors. The RetroHeat under floor heating system consists of heating panels, connection materials, and unique digital thermostat that includes a 16-amp GFCI breaker and floor sensor for accurate programming. Heating panels are available for joists with 12, 16, and 24-inch spacing and can be cut on site and safely stapled between the floor joists to deliver warm, even heat throughout your home.

To learn more about Warmzone’s complete line of radiant heat products, call 888.488.9276 today.