5 Reasons Why You Need Heated Bathroom Floors
In the winter, are you a perpetual sock or slipper wearer? Is it painful getting out of bed in the morning or middle of the night and walking across cold bathroom floors? One of our client’s favorite upgrades is an electric radiant floor heating system in their master bath.
Radiant heated floors have been around since the Roman Empire in one form or another. In the US, floor heating is much more popular in the Northern and Midwestern states, but is becoming a popular upgrade in our region. Traditional home heating systems heat the air, which then warms up the people in the room. Radiant heating systems work by directly warming the floor, radiating up and then warming the people in the room. Most people will typically set the floor temperature between 80° F and 85° F and it can be controlled from an in wall thermostat and many manufacturers also have an app that you can control the functions via your phone.
Electric floor heating systems work by using electric heating wires woven in the subfloor underneath the tile. Always use a reputable installer and someone that is very familiar with this system to get the best finished product.
Here’s the top five reasons why you need heated floors in your master bath.
1. Uniform heating
The biggest benefit of floor heating systems is their ability to uniformly heat a room and floor. Forced air heating systems use vents to distribute warm air throughout a room. The location of the vents determines which parts of the room will be warmer than others. In contrast, radiant floor heating systems heat the entire floor, which leads to an evenly heated room and for an even ambient temperature around a person’s body. This means that you will feel more comfortable at a lower ambient temperature level because you won’t experience cold drafts. Imagine a warm towel enveloping your entire body. Ahhhhhhh.
2. No cold seats
We especially love to run the heated floor system into the shower floor and top of the bench. Many people run the hot water for a while to “warm up” the shower. With a heated floor system inside the shower, the space is already warm, so you actually SAVE water and have a more pleasurable showering experience.
3. Energy efficient
Instead of raising the temperature inside your entire home to get a bathroom that is warm enough to be comfortable on cold mornings, a heated floor system gives you heat for just the space you need it in. Most systems only take about 30-60 minutes to heat up and are programmable via a thermostat or app so the space is warm and toasty when you are ready for it.
4. Helps dry tile
Not only does it help warm the room, but it also helps dry out the tile. This is especially helpful in the shower to help keep mold and mildew down and everything stays cleaner.
5. It’s nice
Let’s be honest-this is a luxury. But it is a feature that really enhances your bathroom and turns a chore into a pleasurable experience.
The cost to add a heated floor system to an average size master bath is about $3,000 for the system and the installation. The radiant floor heating cost to operate is very low. For a typical bathroom, it will cost you less than a dollar a day to run the system.
I’d love to hear if you have heated floors and what your favorite feature is. Email me at Jessica@webbercoleman.com