As you pull yourself out of bed in the morning and shuffle towards the bathroom, there is nothing more uncomfortable than cold air, drafts, and chilly temperatures. It may wake you up, but it can also be an ongoing source of frustration for homeowners. There are many ways to heat your home, and we’re going to explore two popular options — radiant floor heating ¹ and radiators. In the sections below, we’ll explain the differences between the two to help you make an informed decision.

Installation

The costs to install radiant floor heating ¹ can be quite high, and in most cases, it can’t be installed on existing flooring. This means that your flooring will need to be ripped up and replaced along with the installation of the radiant heating system, making this type of improvement best when doing a full remodel of an existing home or building a new one. Retrofitting often takes longer than installing tubing over a floor that is clear of existing fixtures. In a new build, coils or tubing can be directly set in large areas on the subfloor  ³, requiring less labor.

Individual radiator units are best installed in the coldest part of a room, and this usually means directly underneath a window or along an exterior wall. Multiple units are likely needed in larger rooms in order to heat the space more evenly and consistently, meaning that costs are likely to be higher if you’re looking to heat a large living room versus a small bedroom. It’s also important to ensure that radiators aren’t placed near drapes or by furniture that could block heat from radiating into the space.

Energy Efficiency

Radiant floor heating  ¹ can be very energy efficient as it is typically zoned and controlled by individual thermostats ² in each room. This allows you to only heat areas of your home that you’re occupying. Heat generated in the floor and radiated to surrounding objects stays at foot level, rather than rising and cooling through convection processes. This means that you’re not paying to force heat upwards towards your ceiling, and you stay warmer. It’s even distribution of heat across the entire flooring surface in a room means that regardless of where you sit in your space, the temperature is consistent. On average, thermostats ² can be set 4 to 5 degrees lower than with other heating systems, which can add up to significant cost savings year over year.

Generally, radiators are less efficient as the heat they generate is cycled throughout a room using convection. This naturally occurring process sees heated air from the radiator rise to the ceiling, cool, and then sink downwards. Convection can produce hot and cold spots throughout a room, which may mean you need to turn up the temperature in order to warm a room properly. This will result in using more fuel to heat the water in your radiator and pipes. Because of the placement of radiators near windows and along exterior walls, heat is lost to the outside, reducing efficiency.

Type of Flooring Required

Radiant heat flooring has several considerations and restrictions when it comes to what type of flooring material you can install over it. While non-insulating, manmade materials like tile and laminate will give you the best, most consistent heat, it’s still possible to use radiant heat with other floors. When using radiant heat with carpeting, make sure that you set these rooms on a separate thermostat ², as they will require more energy due to carpeting’s insulating properties. A high-density, low R-value pad ⁴ is required to use radiant heat with carpets. When installing radiant heat beneath wood flooring, you will need to take care to use the right type of wood to avoid cupping or swelling of the boards due to rapid changes in moisture caused by the heat drying out the wood. To counteract this, always heat the floors slowly, or choose more stable flooring, such as engineered hardwood, which is not subject to the same moisture changes as solid hardwood. Narrow planks - less than 3-inches in width - warp less than wider planks, making them the better choice.

Radiators do not affect the type of flooring you have, and can be used with any flooring type.

Resale Value

Radiant floor heating ¹ is thought of as a “high-end” or luxury feature in a home and may increase resale value. Radiators have no impact on the resale value of a home. Proper maintenance and care of all heating systems is an important factor in any property sale.

Remodeling Terms Cheat Sheet

¹ Radiant floor heating: (Also known as Radiant floor) A heating system using tubes or electric wires installed underneath the flooring

² Thermostat: A device that senses and regulates temperature by turning heating and cooling devices on and off

³ Subfloor: The bottom-most layer of a floor, supported by joists, over which finished flooring material is laid

⁴ Pad: A cushion placed under a carpet to absorb impact, thus extending the life of the carpet

⁵ Pumps: A device used to move air, liquid, or gas by mechanical means