One of the most comforting projects you can do to a home is to add a heated floor in the bathroom. The first time you step out of the shower or tub and feel the warmth on your bare feet, you’ll smile to yourself and say how glad you are that you decided to have it installed.
There are two basic methods for doing this project, down from the top or up from underneath:
- You can add an electrical warming mat on top of the existing floor, and then put stone, tile, or wood flooring over it.
- You can add the heat source wiring under the floor so that the heat comes up through the existing material and warms it.
The method you choose will depend heavily on how your home is constructed. Frye technicians do not actually lay the stone, tile or other material over the wires, but we will work with another trade contractor to ensure the electrical part is done properly.
You might be wondering how safe it is to put electricity on the floor where it would be easy for water to drip onto it, but it is completely safe. The heating wires are specially engineered and designed to provide heat for the proper electrical resistance of the wires, and special insulation is used to provide protection and durability to them. When Frye technicians hook up the wiring to the current, there will be no safety concerns.
Here’s how a heated flooring system works. You have the option of using a thermostat to adjust it for continual operation, or a timer so that it only operates for a specific period of time. When either the thermostat or timer is active, electricity is sent into the system, the wires heat up, and the heat they give off warms up the flooring material. The heat then radiates up to warm all the objects and people in the room. What you want from this type of system is a warm floor and a warm body, so that energy is not wasted heating air that then rises up to the ceiling and is not as comforting where people are standing or sitting.
So far this all sounds great, but what about the cost? There are a variety of electrical mats, heating cables, and kits from which to choose. For a typical small bathroom, this part of the cost should be only a few hundred dollars, and it should come with a 20 year or longer warranty since there are no moving parts. Also, the daily cost should be pretty low, but it will depend on whether you operate the system as an always-on or a timed- operation. This type of heat is also very efficient because none of the heat is lost as it travels through ducts from the furnace to the room.
If you want to pamper yourself or your loved ones with a heated flooring system, give us a call at (317) 659-6899, or send us a note through our online contact form. We would be glad to give you an estimate and explain the options available to you.