April 28, 2012

Electric Floor Heating Systems

By: rbonnevie / Projects

Electric Heating Systems for Flooring

Although not new …electric floor heating is fast becoming more and more popular and not just for under tile floors either. Now when you do a basement renovation laminates and wood veneers can be used over the heated mats.

First lets take a look at a few of the Manufactures out there. Most have similar systems and its hard to say just who has the best one, they are all URL approved and do a fine job when installed properly.

I’ve gone ahead and cut and pasted just some key facts and information from a few manufactures but i also suggest you do your own homework before you decide or talk to a building professional like Bonnevie Construction to help you make the best choice for your renovation project.

  1. Made with Insulayment™ sound and temperature insulating pad. Insulates the cold slab below while suppressing noise and warming your floor. The randomly air-laid filaments in the laminate under floor heat pad create a capillary affect to cushion the floor and absorb impact sound. No other laminate in floor heating or electric radiant floor heating system is constructed like it!
  2. Minimizes raising the floor with ultra-thin (less than 1/8″) heated pads that smooth out minor imperfections on the subfloor. The laminate radiant floor heating pads match the thickness of most laminate floor underlayment pads.
  3. Installs on any structurally solid sub-floor: concrete, wood or vinyl for wood floor heating, electric radiant floor heat and laminate floor heat.
  4. Maximize energy efficiency with our programmable thermostat.*
  5. Safety certified by ETL for electric radiant floor heating in the USA and Canada.
  6. Made in the USA
  7. ThermoFloor™ laminate radiant floor heating pads for floating floors will last a long time. The laminate under floor heating pads are well protected under your floor and warranted for 10 years.
  8. Made with ThermoSoft’s patented FiberThermics® electro-conductive fiber heating elements. Temperature self-limiting properties prevent overheating of your laminate floor heat and wood floor heating systems. The heating elements are insulated with cross-linked polymers to protect against moisture and damage

 

Enjoy the luxury of radiant warmth under your floating floors while reducing energy costs up to 40%! ThermoFloor™ is ideal for basements, kitchens and any room where laminate,

 

floating wood or engineered wood flooring is desired. Also approved for use under floating snap lock tiles! With ThermoSoft electric radiant floor heat, laminate floor heat and wood floor heating systems you can add warmth where you need it most – near the floor, not the ceiling.

 

 Consider radiant heating. On a cold, rainy day, there’s nothing that feels better upon waking than putting bare feet onto a warm floor heated by a radiant in-floor system.

Rather than rely on inefficient forced-air systems — which start with cold outside air, and then must expend energy to heat it before moving it inside — radiant heating uses a warm surface to transfer heat into a space. It’s much like shining a light on a wall. And as we learned in physics class, warm air rises, so a heated floor soon means a heated room.

 

Choose from a selection of  4 to 5 controls and thermostats each with it’s own unique set of features. Ranging from the basic on/off timer to the intelligent and highly customizable Thermostats.

So if your in the market for a new bathroom, kitchen or basement renovation or wherever you may want some extra heat and floor comfort. Check the above listed leaders in this new paradox of renovation specialties and see if it might be a system you may want. With our extensive knowledge of the different types of electric floor heating systems there is bound to be one that’s just right for you. The results are undeniable and the benefits are instant. A luxury that adds not only comfort but value to any home.

 

Available in 120v or 240v these systems cost just penny’s a day to operate.

 

 

What You Need To Know When Buying SunTouch Mats

SunTouch Floor Heating Systems provide soothing warmth to most floor surfaces including tile, stone, marble, granite, slate, laminates, engineered wood, and carpet floors.

SunTouch becomes part of your floor and is secured and covered with mortar to ensure a safe, invisible, durable and long lived installation.

    • Any Shape Square or rectangular – SunTouch standard mats in 3 widths work ideally in most room layouts. Our electric floor heating system can use one or a combination of in floor heating mats to deliver under floor heat for the entire room.SunTouch radiant heat mats come in many different standard sizes and are available in both 120 & 240 volt formats. No Need to wait for a custom plan from us – we likely have the perfect mat ready to ship today.
    • An Irregular room shape with curves, angles or offsets – SunTouch Mats let you customize on site so your floor is completely heated.
    • Shower Floor or Wet Area – SunTouch works here too. Use the same or a separate mat for the main bath floor and shower floor – don’t forget the seat or tub deck!
    • SunTouch thermostats sense the floor and air temperature. All have built-in GFCI for safety, 2 and 3 year warrantees, and are the most feature-rich and stylish. Choose a SunTouch SunStat Pro – Our most popular thermostat.
  • Replace Baseboard Heaters with floor heat. SunTouch is invisible under floor heating and is silent, maintenance free and safe. Most baseboard heaters produce 15% less heat than SunTouch’s 41 BTUs/SF

 

About SunTouch

SunTouch is the North American Leader in electric underfloor heating

It’s also the brand name for the Electric Radiant Floor Heat systems manufactured by Watts Radiant in Springfield , MO , U.S.A. In-house Manufacturing allows tight Quality Control – It’s all under one roof at SunTouch!

Watts is a $1.4 Billion Company with over a 135 year history in the USA; Watts has manufactured safety devices for heating since 1874. You can purchase with confidence – Watts Radiant is committed to Radiant Floor Heat and has been for a long time! Our company slogan is “Watts makes it safe” and this priority is evident in the engineering and assembly of SunTouch’s floor warming system and products.

 

About Radiant Heating Technology

Based on the principle of the warm heat from the sun, radiant heat is a sustainable healthy heat that is absorbed.
Radiant heat is not prone to losing heat and does not overheat any surface. With the use of radiant heat as a
primary heating source, temperature levels are on an average of 5.6% lower than any other form of heating. That
means, for every degree you lower your thermostat, you can save 5% off your current heating bill. That’s a 25-30%
annual savings!
Radiant Floor Heating systems have been an affordable source of luxury for many years and will continue to be
for many years more. There is little that can compare to the feeling of a warm floor under your feet on a cold
morning or those long frozen winter nights.

 

 

Although i have not used WarmlyYours I have used and installed each of the other two and Thermosoft more recently for a basement renovation and master bathe remodel we did in Exeter, NH. Both types of mats were used and although the mess type was a little tricky the solid mat type was a lot easier to work with it also provided for the underlayment required for the Laminate floor we installed by incorporating all the electric wiring within the mats. Quality of the mats were good although I have no others to compare them to.

All in all I think this is a system that’s definitely worth thinking about and looking into if your considering a remodeling project in your home. I believe this will also add some additional value to your home for a relatively small investment in the product. I mean if your doing your floors over you should consider this as a practical source of heat to the room. So give us a call today at Bonnevie Construction, Inc …603-580-5680 and let us help get your project that little extra something to make it just that much more special when it’s done.