Are you preparing for the colder months and thinking of radiant floor heating? Read the disadvantages of radiant floor heating before proceeding further. When talking about the radiant floor heating system, it supplies heat directly to the floor or to panels in the wall or ceiling of a house.
The radiant floor heating system depends on radiant heat transfer, which delivers heat directly from the hitting surface to the people and objects in the room via infrared radiation. This type of heating system is needed in countries with cold weather. Radiant healing system turns your floor into a large-area radiator and your floor becomes a heated surface that directly warms the home. Let’s have a look at the disadvantages of radiant floor heating.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Radiant Floor Heating?
The disadvantages of radiant floor heating may clear you whether you should install it or not. Here are some radiant floor heating disadvantages mentioned.
- High Installation Cost
- High-performance Green Homes Would Benefit Very Little From It
- Time Lag Of Heat Movement Through Flooring
- To Be Effective, Floor Covering Must Be Thin
- Consistent Heat May Not Be Desirable For Some People
- Less Efficient For Bigger Rooms
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Disadvantages Of Radiant Floor Heating
Radiant floor heating is a popular option in various countries but there are some problems with radiant floor heating. To make you aware of them, we have given a detailed explanation of the some dominant yet significant disadvantages of radiant floor heating.
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High Installation Cost
Radiant heat cost per month is between $65 to $250, which is low but at the time of installation you need to do a bulky investment. To install radiant heating, you need to remove existing flooring to install heaters. That increases the installation costs. To avoid this you can use the specially designed pads between floor joists below your floor. However, this method needs access to the underside of your floors via a crawl space or basement areas.
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High-performance Green Homes Would Benefit Very Little From It
Electric radiant floor heating may not be a good option for high-performance homes as such homes need low heating. So, for a little heating you don’t need to install such an expensive heating system. Other less expensive heating options can provide the same level of comfort, especially when the building envelope already does a fine job.
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Time Lag Of Heat Movement Through Flooring
While knowing the pros and cons of hydronic radiant floor heating, you should know that there is a time lag of heat movement through the flooring. And this can lead to an overheating if there are other sources including passive solar, already delivering heat to a space. It might be best to disable or avoid installing radiant heating system slabs where solar heat will already heat the air more directly.
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To Be Effective, Floor Covering Must Be Thin
After installation of the radiant flooring you need to buy some attractive and thin covering for it. The covering should not insulate the heating system from the room so, they should be conductive. Ceramic tile is an excellent and effective floor covering for radiant floor heating systems, but thin carpeting and wood are also used.
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Consistent Heat May Not Be Desirable For Some People
Some homeowners don’t want continued heat so for them radiant floor heating is not a good choice. So, then you don’t need to pay out the high radiant heat flooring cost. Some people like to turn their heat on and off at different times of the day.
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Less Efficient For Bigger Rooms
Hot water radiant floor heating systems are good for small sized rooms with lower roofs but they are not effective when installed in bigger rooms.
Advantages Of Radiant Floor Heating
The advantages of radiant floor heating are,
- More efficient than baseboard heating
- Safe
- Easy installation
- Easy operation
- Space saving
- Wide variety of flooring
- Very quiet
- Makes less dust
Everything has its disadvantages on Disadvantagess you will get to know more.
FAQ
Is Radiant Floor Heating Enough To Heat A House?
Yes!
The heating system goes right into the floor, heating water or using electricity in an infrastructure of pipes. While it generally is room-specific (i.e., for the kitchen or bathroom, where you are standing a great deal, or might be in bare feet), it is a viable and effective way to heat your home.
How Long Does Radiant Floor Heating Last?
Radiant floor heating systems do not require any maintenance. Once they are installed, they will last for 20+ years without any issues.
What Type Of Flooring Is Best With Radiant Heat?
Porcelain and ceramic tile are widely regarded as the best choice for radiant floor heating. These tiles are thin and conduct heat extremely well. This reduces the energy (and time) needed to warm up a room. Tile will also retain the heat longer than other types of flooring, increasing your efficiency even more.
Does Radiant Heat Ruin Hardwood Floors?
It is not only beautiful to look at; it adds a high degree of comfort to the room. According to Mickey Moore, Technical Director of the National Oak Flooring Manufacturers Association, the temperatures used in floor heating will not damage the wood in any way.
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Do Heated Floors Use A Lot Of Electricity?
If you’ve ever wondered, “Do heated floors use a lot of electricity?”, the answer is: less than you would think. In reality, a radiant heating system for a small bathroom uses about the same amount of energy as a freezer.
Does Radiant Floor Heat Increase Home Value?
Added Value
Many prospective homebuyers see radiant heat flooring as a value upgrade. Much like a renovated kitchen or bathroom, it can be sold as an improvement to an existing home. In a competitive market, it can even end up being the thing that cinches the deal.
Conclusion
Radiant floor heating is good for some homes and unsuitable for some homes, that you have learned from this article. Most of the residential flooring is suitable for radiant heating systems. However, because of their conducting properties, ceramic tile, stone, and concrete are able bear higher temperatures. Basically, there are two types of radiant heating used in residential buildings and they are electric and hydronic radiant heating systems. So, this was all about the disadvantages of radiant floor heating.
What are the disadvantages of radiant floor heating?