On a chilly winter morning nothing is more jarring than that first step into the bathroom and onto its ice-cold tile floor. This unpleasant wake-up routine is perhaps what brought radiant heating into the residential space a few years ago; as homeowners renovated their bathrooms, they were wooed by the idea of toasty warm flooring greeting their bare feet each morning. But imagine this constant, cozy heat throughout your entire home. It’s a trend that is gaining traction as more people learn about the many benefits of radiant heating.

What is radiant heating?

Radiant heating is a heat source that instead of coming through an air vent, baseboard, or radiator, runs directly below the flooring of a room. Most residential radiant heat systems are hydronic, meaning they use hot water to generate heat. Water is heated, pumped through tubing beneath the floors, and then sent back to the boiler again, keeping a steady flow of warmth underneath your feet at all times.

What are the benefits of radiant heating?

You mean aside from the ability to walk bare foot through the house in winter? Actually, there are quite a few benefits.

Efficiency. Traditional forced-air systems rely on ductwork to transport heat. Ducts can have holes, dents, be next to freezing cold walls, or designed poorly. These issues decrease the amount of hot air that makes it to your room. With radiant heat, there is no place for the heat to escape, so you enjoy every bit of heat you are paying for.

Health. Have allergies? Ductwork connects to the outdoors meaning dust, pollen, and other allergens can enter and be blown around your home. A closed radiant heat system keeps those annoying irritants outside.

Sound. Radiators rattle, ducts bend and pop, and forced air can roar. Radiant heating systems are almost silent.

Reliability. Forced air heating systems have more mechanical and moving parts than radiant heat systems do. Odds are, one of these mechanisms will have operational problems at some point. The simplicity of radiant heating often means less trouble.

Design. You want your home to be beautiful and well designed, but a large radiator or an awkwardly placed air vent can prohibit you from placing furniture where you want. With radiant heating the eyesores are gone and you have the freedom to decorate as you choose.

Interested in learning more about the benefits of radiant heating and how it might work in your home? Contact us today.