Tag Archives: Radiant heated floors

HOTNEWS

Radiant Heated Floors: A Solid Home Improvement Investment

If you’re looking to increase the overall appeal as well as the resale value of your home, retrofitting a bathroom or recreational room with radiant floor heat can help. Add to that the benefit of reducing your dependency on fossil fuels associated with forced air systems, and you’ve hit one out of the park in terms of savings.

Radiant heat is a very efficient way to heat your home. Why? Warmth generated by electric radiant heat radiates up through the floor and transfers heat through objects for more consistent, even heat distribution. With traditional forced air systems that kick on and off in an effort to maintain the desired temperature, the heat quickly rises, and you’re subject to the unpleasant effects of drafts throughout your home.

How much can you save in heating costs, just by keeping it warm and cozy right down to the floor boards? Radiant heated floors can save you up to 50 percent in costs compared to a traditional forced air system, and can outlast a forced air system by as much as 15 years. Unlike forced air systems, the standard thermostat controls can be programmed to control different zones of your home, so you can time heating, room by room, to respond to the way you live your life.

With no moving parts, electric heated floors are virtually maintenance free. There are no vents to clean or filters to replace. Unlike forced air systems, there’s no noise, dust, or allergens blowing through your home – just quiet, comfortable warmth.

If you are ambitious, you can install much of the radiant heated floor system yourself. (But it is important that a qualified electrician perform all the wiring.) Depending on the pre-existing construction and the system you choose, installation can be relatively easy. Warmzone offers a variety of safe, proven radiant heat flooring solutions for your home, along with the service and support you’ll need to complete the installation yourself, including personal, expert installation support and resources such as system diagrams, installation manuals and more.

You may or may not be surprised to know that radiant heat is affordable. Radiant heat is a relative newcomer to the home heating arena. And that makes it more of an “exotic” home improvement project that will attract a lot of interest from neighbors and perspective home buyers alike. But by no means is it costly. For a few hundred bucks, you can upgrade a bathroom or foyer, and significantly downgrade your heat bill.

If going green is your goal, you also score major points with radiant heat. Not only can you improve the air quality of your home while reducing your dependence on fossil fuels, you can also sync a radiant floor heating system with solar or wind power to help you make your move off the grid.

If you’re contemplating an equity building home improvement project, you may want to consider adding radiant heat to your list of options. To learn more about a viable radiant heat system for your home, call Warmzone at 888.488.9276 or visit www.warmzone.com.

Beat Next Year’s Snowfall Now with a Radiant Heat Snow Melting Solution

Spring has sprung, and you’re undoubtedly ready to leave the ice and snow behind. You can leave it behind permanently by installing an electric snow melting solution for your driveway and walkways. And right now couldn’t be a better time. The spring and summer months are a great time to take advantage of better prices and install a radiant heated driveway before the winter rush.

What’s really great about radiant heat systems is their cost relative to other home improvement projects. Heating your walkways and driveways doesn’t have to involve a completely new pour or tear up of these areas. Retrofits are particularly adaptable to asphalt driveway heating. Choose Warmzone and you’ll also have a seasoned team of radiant heat professionals in your corner that can take your requirements and budget, and turn both into a system that exceeds your expectations.

When all is said and done, the initial cost of installing radiant heat in your walkway or driveway could more than pay for itself in the money you’ll stand to save. Taking on the added expense of a typical snow removal service can cost you. In most cases, you’re paying for a specific period of time, or package. Depending on the amount of snowfall, there’s a good chance you’ll never even benefit from the services you’ve paid for. Add to that the hassle of waiting for your service to show up. In a particularly heavy snow storm, the wait could be quite long.

Whether this is your first time or you’re an experienced do-it-yourselfer, if you’re willing to take on the project, you’ll find Warmzone has many tested and true options for snow removal that won’t have you scratching your head at installation time. From ClearZone radiant snow melting mats to heating cable off the spool, Warmzone can match your skill level and ambition. In addition to a wide variety of products, Warmzone also offers personal installation support as well as installation manuals. Detailed system design layouts are also provided to ensure that all the power and installation issues are addressed prior to any installation taking place.

What’s really cool—you’ll have a snow removal system that does the work for you. All Warmzone snow melting systems are fully automated. They feature a high-tech snow sensor that can detect the slightest changes in temperature and precipitation in anticipation of a snow event, so the system is working just as the first snowflake hits the ground. The best part—you can sit inside enjoying that morning cup of joe to the sound of your neighbor’s snow blowers and shovels because your radiant heated driveway is already clear and dry.

Of course the other benefit of installing radiant heat now is the mild conditions spring and summer provide. And the timing is perfect if your plans include a concrete or asphalt pour. So why not beat the inclement weather with a radiant heated snow melting solution? Call Warmzone at 888.488.9276 or visit them at www.warmzone.com for more in-depth information and professional consulting, all free of charge, of course!

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.

Articles

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.

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

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

Jazz Up Your Floors with Radiant Heat

Heated Floors are Jazzy and Snazzy

Word with “z’s” are fun. Say them with me…buzz, fizz, zipper. Installing heated floors means you can add a couple of “z” words to your conversations. You can subtly (or not so subtly) interject into conversations how you have jazzy and/or snazzy floors that produce epic warmth and comfort. You may get a few raised eyebrows or muffled conversations behind your back but you’ll be the one laughing as you walk merrily across your jazzy heated floors.

Heated hardwood floor

Radiant heated floors are gaining speed in popularity and don’t just jazz up your floors but they save you money down the road as your energy bills diminish thanks to the efficient heating power. Heated floors have a lot of impact in cold basements, tiled entryways, bathrooms, and kitchens. These spaces usually have cold spots but with radiant heat the warmth oozes (another word with Z!) around every nook and cranny creating crazy (Z, la, la, la) comfort. Heated floors create a cozy place for you to walk barefoot and enjoy the new found efficient heat that radiant heat can offer. Even if you are not a fan of Jazz music, you can agree that jazzing anything up deserves a little celebration so put on a record and zip around your floor with nothing on your feet but radiant heat and jazzy joy.

Radiant Heat News

Quiet the Gentle Roar of Your Furnace

Radiant Floor Heating is Silent and Efficient

Forced air furnaces can be loud and inefficient and exacerbate allergies. People still use them and enjoy the heat they provide, but perhaps they don’t know there is a better way to heat your home. After reading this, you will be able to say that you now know about radiant floor heating and the silent, efficient ways it can heat your home. If you’ve ever wanted to quiet the gentle roar of your furnace, lower dust and cut energy costs; you might just find the answer to all those conundrums lies with radiant heated floors.

Dad and baby on heated floor

Radiant heated floors are efficient and affordable for all homeowners now. The heat cables generate radiant heat using minimal energy yet producing powerful heating output. The radiant heat warms objects in your room so the warmth permeates everything not just trying to force warm air over cold air. The heating cables are warmed beneath the surface of your floor using power, but are relatively sound free as they go about their heating business. People with radiant heated floors comment that they enjoy how silent the systems operates compared to a rushing, gushing furnace kicking out artificially heated air through inefficient ducts, often through poorly insulated parts of your home. Radiant floor heat offers silent, efficient, affordable heat.

Radiant Heat News

Roman Ruins Have Evidence of Heated Floors

Radiant heated floors are nothing new. There are Roman ruins that have radiant heating, proving that radiant heat stands the test of time. Newer products have such great technology that includes radiant heat cables that come with warranties that last longer and longer. Proving still that radiant heat is here to stay and will outlast the homes it heats. Radiant heated floors have long been prevalent and popular in Europe but are rapidly gaining use and popularity across the country. We’ve seen tremendous growth in radiant heated flooring.

A typical residential radiant heating system utilizes around 2,000 lineal feet of radiant heat cable. Industry sales have gone from 29.8 million lineal feet of cable in the early 90’s to more than 99 million in the late 90’s.* That is close to a 25 percent growth rate per year, which shows the gain in radiant heated flooring popularity. Some people are installing radiant heat throughout their homes; others prefer to use it in smaller areas like bathrooms or basement family rooms. Rooms with high ceilings are harder to heat so radiant floors are a good choice for these types of rooms as well. The Romans were on to something when they started using radiant heat and we still see benefits. As the technology as become perfected more and more modern day use is proving to be invaluable in home heating.

Articles

Radiant Floor Heating in Chicago

Many homeowners in the Chicago area are installing radiant heated floors for use as their primary home heating source as well as in select rooms to supplement their existing home heating system. As many owners of radiant floor heating systems attest, nothing is finer than walking on a warm floor during a cold winter day. Radiant heated floors are also ideal for rooms where children spend a lot of time playing on the floor.

Warmzone offers a variety of electric radiant floor heating systems, as well as hydronic heated floors for homeowners in Chicago and the Midwest. And because Warmzone manufactures and carries the industry’s most trusted floor heating systems, our experts can evaluate your needs and determine the ideal system for heating your specific floor type. Our selection helps to ensure that you receive the most effective floor heating system for the unique layout and floor type of your home.

While there are some standout radiant floor heating systems, 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 a provider who can offer you a wide selection of reputable floor heating options without bias towards one system. 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.

ComfortTile heat cable can also be used in conjunction with the Prodeso underlayment membrane. The membrane is placed over the subfloor, and the thin heat cable is installed in the channels provided by the series of reliefs. The floor surface is then installed over the membrane and cable.

Heating Hardwood and Laminate Floors
Many homes in the Chicago 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. Because the flexible heating element is so thin, it won’t affect the floor buildup, weight loads, or your choice of flooring.

Heated hardwood floor

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. (Learn more about heating hardwood floors. and 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 Chicago 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.