On a cold winter’s morning, there’s nothing quite like stepping out of the shower and onto a heated bathroom floor. A heated bathroom floor is a luxury, but one that is surprisingly affordable, and if you’re considering a bathroom remodel, you may want to include a heated flooring system.

A radiant heated flooring system is simply a floor like any other, but with heating elements installed beneath the floor. Heat radiates from the floor to warm the floor, but it also helps to heat the entire room.

There are basically two types of heated flooring systems.

• Electric heating-Here electric cables are embedded in thin mats that can be installed underneath just about any hard surface flooring.
• Hydronic heating-This type of system consists of running hot water from a water heater through tubes attached to thick plywood panels or mortared in below the flooring surface.

Besides the obvious comfort you’ll enjoy, a heated flooring system offers some other distinct advantages:

• Energy efficiency-A conventional forced air heating system pushes heated air into a room, but that warmth quickly rises, leaving the floor cold again. With radiant heat, the floor remains warm, while it warms the entire room.
• Dust free-A radiant flooring system doesn’t collect dust like other heaters, so you won’t get that “smell” the first cold morning when you turn it on.
• Quiet operation-A radiant flooring system is silent. It just comes on quietly when you need it.
• Low or no maintenance-Once this type of system is installed, it will run for years with little or no maintenance.
• Ease of operation-These systems come with a thermostat so that you can set the ideal temperature, and they also have timers. You can set the timer to switch the heat on before you walk into the bathroom to begin your morning routine.
• Higher resale value-Adding this touch of luxury will increase the resale value of your home.

Despite these and other benefits, there are a couple of issues you may need to consider:

• Cost-Installation be very costly. To add to an existing floor, the floor would have to be pulled up and reinstalled over the radiant system. The best time to add a system would be when installing a new floor.
• Floor damage-Although extremely rare, a broken or leaking pipe in a hydronic system or a short circuit in an electrical system could damage the floor and require a costly repair.

For over 30 years, Capitol Design Build has been delivering high-end kitchen and bath renovations to property owners from Springfield, VA to Washington, D.C. Our expert designs and quality workmanship have allowed us to earn a sterling reputation for excellence. We treat you like family and your home like our own, and always strive for 100% customer satisfaction. To learn more about our services or to schedule your free design consultation, visit our website or call us at 703-436-2069