Installing Radiant Floor Heating In Old Home

Homeowners may also assume that because a radiant floor heating system can be viewed and financed as a home improvement its installation will immediately raise their home s value.

Installing radiant floor heating in old home.

No evidence exists suggesting that in floor heating either positively or negatively affects property values. Radiant heat systems are easily hidden under a tile floor. This in floor heating system consists of one thin continuous cable heating element woven into a mat that you install under the tile. Many radiant floors most using copper tubing buried within concrete slabs were installed and used success fully in the 1960 s and 70 s.

According to the this old house website the retrofit costs about 700 for a bathroom including the tile. Controlled by their own thermostat these electric floor heating systems don t replace your main heating unit they augment it. Copper within con crete is highly susceptible to corrosion and a lifespan of 50 years for a radiant floor was considered exceptional. If you re installing radiant floor heat in an existing room you ll need a dedicated 15 to 20 amp gfci protected circuit to power the system and an excuse to lay a new tile floor.

Radiant heating works well with ceramic tile and vinyl but not with wood floors. It supplies heat only not air conditioning electric under floor radiant systems like those made by thermofloor and schluter ditra heat are also easy to install under new finish floors of wood or tile. But they all suffered from one primary problem longevity. It is a flexible system good for old house rehabs when the flooring is accessible from underneath or can be replaced.

These heated floors are a project best done when overhauling or changing the floor covering of an existing room or when adding a new room. Its success with carpeted floors depends on the length of the weave thick carpets or those with thick pads won t work well as heat generated by the system will stay trapped in the floor.