Everything about heated floors!
06 Jul 2023
Often seen as a luxury and as an expensive project, many dread the installation of heated floors. However, these will ensure the comfort of the whole family and will even allow you to save money! Who has never dreamed of absolute comfort in all rooms of the house, even the coolest and most humid places of your home… Do you want to install a heated floor? Here is everything you need to know!
The different types of heated floors
The most well-known and popular heated floors are the electric model. This is an electrical cable connected directly to a thermostat. If your concrete slab is already poured, the electric model is what will suit you beat. They can simply be installed on it without having to resort to major work. Even if they are easier to install, we still recommend an expert like the Flordeco professionals for the installation of a floor of this type. Then there are hydronic heated floors that work with water or glycol. It is important to note that if everything is well planned, hydronic floors can be the simple solution however, it must be installed as part of a home construction project, directly in the concrete slab.
Where to install your heated floors?
Bathroom
Install heated floors in your bathroom and you will thank us! Heated floor in the bathroom will leave your tiles at a uniform temperature, but it will also allow the floors to dry more quickly when water gets there. The drops of water that fall on the floor will evaporate quickly and the heating system will leave your floor clean, dry and without rings. Did you know that it is also possible to add heating wires to the bottom of your shower? If you have only one place to add heated floors, it is in a bathroom. Nothing is better than getting out of the bath and having your feet warm on a cold winter day, what do you think?
Kitchen
Ceramic Blue Savoy in color Grey
The kitchen is also a space in the house that should not be neglected. Kitchen floors are often covered with ceramic tiles, a cold material for the feet. The kitchen is one of the rooms where you are most often standing. Cooking for a long time with cold floors can be avoided if you install a heated floor in this room!
Entry
Ceramic Ceppo di Grè in color White
Heated floors in your main entrance, but why? Especially during the winter, boots, gloves and all the winter clothes can be left on the floor, you heated floor will help dry them faster. In addition, when installed in a main entrance, they are an effective way to keep your floors dry in winter. The water we enter with our boot will dry much faster if your entry floor has a heated system.
What flooring material can I use?
Ceramic
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| Ceramic Cement Mix in color Dark Grey Flake |
Ceramic Rebel in color Silver |
Ceramic Nordik Stone in color Black |
Ceramic is the number on material for the installation of heated floors. It has very good thermal conductivity which makes it easy to transfer the heat from the underfloor heating system you have installed. You will therefore consume less energy if you use tis type of flooring because ceramic is not only a good conductor, but it also retains heat very well, your flooring will stay warm longer. Consult one of the Flordeco merchants to have the best choice of ceramics for your project. In the event of a problem with you heated floor system, repairs with ceramic tiles are much less exhaustive. All you must do is remove the tiles where the breakage occurred without removing the entire floor covering from your room. Finally, ceramic tiles are of an impressive resistance, they resist wear, and they are unalterable, perfect for you future heated floor that you want to keep for a long time!
Vinyl
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| Vinyl Planks Tufino in color SK20086 | Vinyl Planks Belgrade in color Marcona |
The wood effect at a lower cost, resistant and with the possibility of installing heating wires, this is what certain vinyl planks or vinyl sheets offer. Vinyl can heat up and cool down quickly, a very interesting characteristic when it comes time to install a heated floor. Withstanding heat well, this is an option that should not be overlooked, but you must be well informed, not all models of planks and vinyl sheets are compatible with a heated floor system!
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| Vinyl Sheet Bahia in color Moonwood Burlap | Vinyl Sheet Beaufort in color Windsor Taupe |
Laminate floor
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| Laminate Floor Riptide in color Offshore | Laminate floor Armada II in color Centraurus |
Laminate floors are easy to install, simple to maintain and come in a range of prices, so there is something for everyone and every budget. Adapting to any décor, they can even be used above your heated floor wires. You must make sure that the flooring you choose is not too thick, because the heating time will be longer and it will require more energy, so it will not be very economical! As with vinyl, not all laminate floor models can be used with heated floors, consult a Flordeco expert… he will be able to help you!
Engineered wood
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| Engineered wood White Oak Nouveau 6 in color Breath of Winter | Engineered wood White Oak Nouveau 7 in color Tapestry |
Offering stability with humidity and heat, engineered wood can be a great option for you heated floors. Composed of several layers of material, it offers the beauty of hardwood while maintaining good resistance to temperature changes. Resistant to daily wear and tear, depending on the species you choose, you can install it almost anywhere and thereby keep your feet warm! Nevertheless, Hickory and Excotic floors are not recommended for the installation of a heated floor, discuss with a Flordeco merchant about the species recommended for the installation of a heated floor system.
Engineered wood White Oak Bespoke in color Northern Veranda Herringbone
Which materials are not compatible?
Hardwood
Harwood, although beautiful, is not a recommended flooring material with heated floors. Being a living material, very reactive to changed in temperature and humidity, the heating system of a heated floor will damage your hardwood floor, causing it to dry out and crack. If you want to preserve the beauty of your hardwood floors and keep them for many years, do not install a heated floor system underneath.
Cork
Cork floors are not recommended with the installation of heated floors. Cork is an extremely insulating flooring material, the heat released by your wires will not reach the surface of your flooring, it will remain trapped between the membrane and the ground. It will be a bit like heating your house with the air conditioning turned on! Cork already offers impressive comfort for the feet; it is not necessary to add a heated floor system underneath.
What are the benefits of heated floors?
Energetically and economically efficient
Heaving heated floors in multiple rooms can easily reduce your electricity consumption. Unlike electric baseboards, heated floors do not need to be running at a very high level to keep a room warm. In this way, they often consume less energy while providing the same services. Also, by having warm feet we often feel more comfortable and tend to leave electric baseboard heaters at a lower temperature. Thus, people with heated floors at home see their heating bills decrease.
Homogeneous heat unequaled comfort
Ditra-Heat Uncoupling Membrane
The main advantage of a heated floor is the comfort it provides. As the heat is diffused from a large surface, the temperature of the rooms is homogeneous and well tempered. A well-tempered soil, particularly in winter, is always very much appreciated.
Space creator
Did you know that the installation of a heated floor can avoid the installation of electric baseboards? Take bathrooms as an example, as these are generally smaller rooms, it is possible to have heated floor without having to resort to and electric baseboard heater. By the same token, they create more space in the room where they are installed as the heating elements can take up a lot of space.
Interested in heated floors? Come and visit us in store, our Flordeco experts will be able to advise you so that your feet stay warm for years.
