Radiant floor heating

With radiant floor heating, the heat source is built into the floor and warms the room from below as it rises. Building a new house or replacing a floor is the ideal time to install this efficient system.

It makes a home both more comfortable and more energy efficient.

With forced air or convection heating, warm air goes straight up to the ceiling. The top of the room becomes much warmer than the lower part, where people actually are. Radiant floor heating greatly reduces this difference, so you can keep the thermostat at a lower setting. The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers reports that people with this system can usually lower the thermostat by 6 to 8 degrees and still feel comfortable. Over the years, that adds up to large savings, especially where winters are long and cold.

Radiant heat also does not dry out the air like conventional systems, so there is no need for a humidifier. That means less electricity and less water.

It also stirs up far less dust and fewer allergens than forced air heating. People with poor circulation who often have cold feet tend to love it. As said above, the best time to install it is during construction or a major renovation.