Basement Floor Heating: 3 Options

Good basement floor heating choices can make a basement much more comfortable. It can also reduce basement humidity and moisture, which can lead to mold or fungus growth that can cause or aggravate asthma and allergies. Here are some basement floor heating options to consider.

Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating

Hydronic radiant basement floor heating uses hot water to heat the floor. A boiler is used to heat the water up and the hot water is circulated through the floor in plastic pipes installed directly in the concrete. The warmth from the hot water seeps through the concrete and heats up the basement. The temperature in different areas of your basement can be controlled with a single thermostat that controls the flow of heated water to various individual tubing circuits in each basement zone.

This type of basement floor heating is very expensive to install but can be placed in established homes as easily as new homes. A licensed installer must put hydronic radiant floor heating in your basement and it's not a job for a do-it-yourselfer. Compared to other basement flooring heating sources, hydronic radiant heating systems can save 20% to 40% on the cost of operation.

Electric Radiant Basement Floor Heating

This type of flooring can be installed by the do-it-yourselfer home owner and is installed directly under most types of flooring including carpet, wood, tile and stone. Manufacturers typically suggest a licensed electrician complete the final electrical hook-up. No other special skills are required. No special tools are previous electric radiant floor heating installation experience are required.

WarmlyYours electric radiant heating systems are ultra-thin and can be installed by the DIY homeowner or floor covering professional. No special tools or prior installation experience is required. All you need is a WarmlyYours radiant roll and a simple thermostat control. Final electrical hook-up should be performed by a licensed electrician. Cost is significantly less than hydronic radiant floor heating. It's important to make sure your home meets the electrical requirements to run electric radiant basement floor heating. A dedicated 15-amp to 20-am circuit is recommended by most manufacturers. This can usually be done is less than two hours by a licensed electrician.

Floor Heating Mats

Floor heating mats are another basement floor heating options. Most manufacturers of this type of floor heating option have cables that provide an even spread of heat so it's guaranteed that there's no hot or cold spots. A fabric backing underneath the heating cables reduces the chance of the mat slipping. They're very thin and rarely are thicker than three millimeters. For the do-it-yourselfer, they're available with only one connection cable for easy installation. Floor heating mats provide no electro magnetic field. Some sort of covering must be applied over the mats. It's possible to use a large, thick throw rug. Floor heating mats provide enough enough heat to go through thick tile.