If you live in a cold climate and are considering renovating your home, of course, you might have thought about installing a heating system. You know how it feels to live in a cold place. You wake up but don't want to step out of your soft and comfortable bed. But you have to start your day somehow. You have to go to the bathroom to take a shower; you have to enter the kitchen to make your breakfast; you have to be ready for the office. What if I say that you can have a toasty warm floor throughout your entire home? Of course, it will become easier for you to leave your bed and start your day.

Yes, you can be privileged enough to have a toasty, warm floor in your home. While renovating your house, install an underfloor heating system in your home. Let's see what a low-voltage floor heating system is and how it keeps your floor and room warm.

Low-voltage floor heating system and its working mechanism

An underfloor heating system is the most efficient way of heating your space. It works on the principle of electrical resistance. The floor heating mats woven from protected electrical cables are laid out under the floor during the construction or renovation of your home. These cables are then connected to a thermostat, a device used to operate the heating system. Upon turning on the system, the floor heating mats start heating. Then the heat starts rising from this heated floor mat, which further heats the floor surface. Then the heat rises again and radiates throughout the space, making the entire room warm.

Apart from heating your space, it offers a lot more benefits, including:

  • Easy to operate: One can easily operate an underfloor heating system with the help of a thermostat. Temperature and time can be adjusted with the touch of a button on the thermostat. What's best? They come with a guarantee of 25 years or more and require no maintenance at all.
  • Energy-efficient: For effectively heating a room, a traditional heating system's temperature needs to be between 149 and 167 degrees Fahrenheit. While the underfloor heating system needs to be run at 84 degrees Fahrenheit to function effectively. They can bring down your energy bills as they use almost half of the energy when compared to traditional heaters. Due to their energy efficiency, low-voltage floor heating systems typically save 15% or more on heating costs.
  • Completely safe: A low-voltage floor heating system is safe, in contrast to conventional radiators. Put an end to your anxiety about scorching surfaces or jagged edges that could hurt the family pet or young children. A radiant floor heating system is installed discreetly beneath the floors, so no one can see or touch it. Additionally, your home's air quality will be greatly improved because it works by heating the floor and not by circulating hot air. It means that with the underfloor heating system, you get clean and oxygen-rich air. This is the best option for people who suffer from asthma or allergies.

Apart from all these benefits, it offers zoning features that let you and your family set their preferred temperatures in their own rooms. Low-voltage floor heating systems are more energy-efficient, more cost-effective, and the best heating systems when compared to traditional furnaces and heaters.

Why prefer installing a low voltage floor heating system during construction or renovation

It will be the best and most cost-effective if you install an underfloor heating system during the construction or renovation of your home; otherwise, it will be more laborious and costly. It means you will have to take everything out of the room before removing the tile. And once the system is installed under the floor, you will have to put everything back in its place. During construction or renovation, you don't have to do all these things.

During the renovation, you can install an underfloor heating system under your floor. Although any flooring material can be used with an underfloor heating system, it will be best if you use flooring materials such as tile and hardwood. The heat-retention capacity of tile and hardwood is high. It means these flooring materials will be warm long after turning off the system. This will help you save up to $200 or more on your annual heating costs.

The best type of flooring used with an underfloor heating system

The following factors should be considered while choosing the ideal flooring for radiant heat:

  • Not too thick
  • Possesses a high thermal conductivity
  • Not prone to expansion and contraction
  • Very tolerant of heat and moisture

A poor flooring choice can damage your floor and reduce the efficiency of your underfloor heating system.

The most popular choice for radiant floor heating is porcelain or ceramic tile.

These thin tiles have excellent heat conductivity. This lowers the amount of energy (and time) required to warm a room. Tile will more effectively increase your efficiency because it will hold onto the heat longer than other forms of flooring.

You can also use natural stone tile, laminate flooring, engineered wood flooring, and certain types of vinyl flooring. Or we can say that almost every type of flooring material can be used with low-voltage floor heating systems. Each flooring material has its own qualities, and you need to consider some factors before using any of them with a low-voltage floor heating system.

If you are renovating your home, you can add value to it by installing an underfloor heating system. During construction and renovation, it is easy and cost-effective for you to lay down a heated floor mat under the floor. Otherwise, it will be more laborious when you remove all the tile just to install a radiant floor heating system. However, the one-time effort is worthwhile because it makes every day of your life warmer and more comfortable.