How To Install Radiant Floor Heating In Existing House

Radiant heating works well with ceramic tile and vinyl but not with wood floors.

How to install radiant floor heating in existing house.

Radiant heat can be added under your existing floor. It can go under most existing flooring including wood tile vinyl and even carpet. A bathroom size warm floor retrofit will cost 400 to 700 including the cost of the new tile. This in floor heating system consists of one thin continuous cable heating element woven into a mat that you install under the tile.

Electric mat radiant heat is best when sandwiched between the subfloor and the finish material be it wood tile or carpet. In most houses the only place to do this is on a first floor where joist bays are open to the space below. 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. So if you have open access to your floor joists now you can add the comfort and efficiency of radiant floor heat to your home.

There are two basic types. Radiant heat systems are easily hidden under a tile floor. The best way to retrofit radiant floor heating without disturbing an existing floor is to do it from below against the underside of the subfloor. The retroheat floor heating system was designed specifically for providing electric radiant heat to existing floors by accessing the floor joists below.

If you re remodeling it s a good time to satisfy both requirements. 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. The feet are always warmer than the head. In this situation hydronic radiant heat water circulating through pipes would be easier to install than electric mat radiant heat.

According to the this old house website the retrofit costs about 700 for a bathroom including the tile. Retroheat radiant floor heating system. 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. The retroheat system can be installed to heat tile hardwood laminates.

Radiant floor heat stratifies the heat from the feet to the head.