In Florida, we normally don’t think about heating our house very often since the temperature outside normally resembles the surface of the sun. However, during those few winter days and those moments when your feet touch a cold tile floor after a warm shower, you will probably be wishing your floor was heated. So how much does radiant floor heating cost and will it save you money?

To start off there are two different type of flooring: electric and hydronic radiant floor heating.

Electric Radiant Floor Heating

This type of floor heating the come in mats of electric cables that are installed below your flooring of choice. If you are thinking DIY you’re way to warm floors you can find these mats at hardware stores and online vendors around $5 to $11per square foot. Plus since this floor heating is rather easy to install especially if you are already doing a renovation. This would be a relatively affordable luxury. However, one of the downsides is since the electricity is expensive, this kind of heated flooring is best for small spaces.

Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating

If you are looking to heat the whole house this is the way to go. This method involves tubes of water heated by your water heater or boiler run below the floor. Kits cost $6 to $12 per square foot, plus installation costs. You also need a big enough water heater or boiler to handle the added load, plus thermostats compatible with floor sensors. Heated water is far more efficient than electricity to warm a home, resulting in lower energy bills. However, one major downside is the easiest way to install this heated floor is as part of a new build. If you aren’t already tearing up the flooring for a remodel, installation becomes more complicated and expensive. The tubing is attached from the underside of the subfloor, assuming it can be accessed from a basement. For second and third stories, it may require removing ceilings from some rooms.

The Downsides

Aside from the increased cost of installing radiant floor heating, the biggest con is that unlike a forced-air system, it does not work as a cooling system in the summer. Although radiant floor cooling does exist, it doesn’t work quite as well because it can make floors feel damp. Although this can be solved with a geothermal heat pump. If something goes wrong, radiant flooring heating can be difficult to repair, because you need to get underneath the floor to fix any leaks or electrical problems.