Heated floors in the bathroom seem to trend nowadays in the bathroom remodeling industry. What does it mean “Heated Floors” on your bath? Is it safe and easy to install? Is it a luxury or a need for my current bathroom?
When it comes to bathroom remodeling, you can easily come up with various plans and designs especially if you have plenty of ideas in mind. But I believe that the bottom line and common question each would ask if this plan and design are ultimately needed. Does it suit your needs or not? Should you have it or not?
It is important to answer these equally important questions too. The answers may lead you to quick planning and implementation and result in an amazingly comfortable and technologically updated beautiful bathroom.
Yet, no one wants to spend a large amount of money if they can’t recoup a good portion of the cost one day. That’s why being strategic about your bathroom upgrades is vital.
One way to upgrade your bath is the installation of the “Heated Floors.” They are a great upgrade in the bathroom remodel due to their ability to warm up inherently cold flooring specially to tiles and stone flooring.
On the other hand, if you are into buy, remodel and sell modus, the words “heated floors” are enough to make any buyer look twice at a home listing. Radiant floor heat is truly “the gift that keeps on giving” for current and future homeowners.
Are Heated Floors Worth it?
Absolutely Yes! Most especially if you already have plans to replace the flooring in a room, then installing in-floor heating is definitely worth it. These systems must be installed under the flooring. That means the best time to install heated floors is when you’re updating the flooring anyway.
Electric floor heating is the top choice for remodeling projects because of its ease of installation. Plus, its ability to tie into the home’s existing circuit.
Heated floors deliver a good return on investment for three primary reasons:
Heated Floors Deliver Comfort/Luxury
- Comfort is the most obvious reason. You’d be hard-pressed to find a homeowner who wouldn’t appreciate the comfort that comes along with heated bathroom floors.
- Heated floors give any room the added boost it needs to knock that chill off the flooring and raise the temperature in the room to a more comfortable level.
- Radiant floor heat delivers comfort like none other. It also exudes luxury, making it an in-demand feature in any home.
Selling a Home with Heated Floors Offers Incentive
As I have mentioned, when it comes to resale, the term “heated floors” carries its own secret meaning: Luxury!
Generally, if you spot “heated floors” in a home’s description, you can presume you’re looking at a luxury home. Therefore, if you’re selling a home with heated floors, be sure to call them out. You may get a few more showings because of it. Your “luxury home” might even land a higher offer because of them.
Heated Flooring Offsets Install Costs with Energy Efficiency
Yes, You read it right! The most tangible way that in-floor heating saves money is by saving energy. Why? It’s because:
- Radiant heated floors are virtually 100 percent energy efficient because of the way they operate.
- Unlike forced-air systems that blow heated air through vents, electric floor-heating systems quietly radiate heat upward through the flooring. Because there are no vents, there is nowhere for the heat to escape.
- A programmable thermostat can help support energy efficiency by ensuring that the system is only on when it’s in use.
Programmable touchscreen thermostat for the DITRA-HEAT system
- By scheduling the times that you typically use your heated floors, you can program your thermostat to turn on and off — or up and down — accordingly.
Non-programmable digital thermostat for the DITRA-HEAT system
When heating systems are simply not working as designed, you may spend an exorbitant amount of money. You would try to heat an area that just won’t balance out with the rest of the house. In these cases, radiant heat is a great supplement that can provide the additional warmth needed while eliminating the need for your HVAC system to work overtime to heat the cold area. In turn, this saves money on utility bills.
Moreover, do you know that generally heated floors cost $10-$12 per square foot? They can be less or more depending on the size and complexity of the layout of the project.
The cost to operate a radiant heating system also varies, but it typically only costs pennies a day. For instance, if a floor-heating system in an average-size master bathroom ran 8 hours a day, it would only cost $0.09 a day, on average.
What are the Pros and Cons of Heated Floors?
Pros
- Heats up the entire room without spreading dust and allergens (like a traditional forced-air can).
- Produces a smooth, even heat.
- Works well with traditional bathroom flooring materials.
- In-floor radiant heating systems are quiet and efficient in operation. There is no sound emanated from the pipes or coils underneath, unlike furnaces that can get noisy.
- If you live in an older home, you can choose to install in-floor radiant heat only in certain parts of your home. Electric radiant heat systems require less work to install as compared to the hydronic versions.
- There is more freedom in furniture placement because there are no vents to leave unblocked.
Cons
- Requires tearing up the existing floor to install.
- In the unlikely event that something goes wrong, you’ll have to remove and replace the flooring.
- It has large upfront costs as compared to a traditional furnace system. Most people find these costs too high and may prefer a furnace heating system.
- It requires little care or maintenance. However, any damage to the system, especially if it is hydronic, can result in costly repairs.
- It is also very difficult to detect problems in the pipes or coils, because of the under-floor layout.
Are Heated Floors Easy to Install?
I strongly recommend having it installed by a professional. Improper installation can lead to serious issues and fixing them can be a big headache. A professional installer will perform a resistance test before covering the heating elements.
This will ensure the system is working properly and none of the mechanics have been compromised during installation. If you skip this test and discover after the fact that there’s a problem your only option is to tear out the floor and start again.
I personally prefer to use Ditra Heat by Schluter Systems. It’s an electric system that incorporates uncoupling technology to ensure floors aren’t susceptible to cracks. The cables can be placed wherever heat is desired that you can completely customize it for your room. Since bathrooms tend to be awkward spaces, the ability to customize is a big plus.