The Pros and Cons of Installing Heated Flooring in Your Bathroom

November 15, 2017

Posted in macstaff

Do you want to warm up your hardwood flooring? Have you considered adding radiant heat to your bathroom so that you never have to get out of the shower and step on a cold floor? We cover the top reasons to install and to forget about heated flooring in your bath below.

5 advantages of heated bathroom floors:

1. Durability

One of the best benefits of using heated flooring is that it lasts a long time. If you take care of your bathroom floor system, it can last as long as 35 years. That is a long time when you own a home.

2. Energy savings

When you heat your floors, you may find that it is much easier to keep the thermostat down in your home. No cold toes, so no need to turn up the furnace. Did you know that using heated floors can reduce your allergy symptoms?

3. Easy to add to programmable thermostats

All systems come with a thermostat for easy use. Some are programmable. Check the manufacturer’s features and inclusions to see which models let you program the heating.

4. Safe for even the most sensitive toes

Another great benefit of floor heat in the bath is that you will never burn your toes. Every radiant heat model has safety features that keep you from getting burnt. This news is excellent for families with young children and aging parents.

5. Higher resell value

Your house is worth more with floor heat in the bath. Imagine telling potential buyers they will never step onto a cold floor after showering. Warm floors after a bath are a huge plus.

4 disadvantages of heated bathroom floors:

1. Repairs may be costly and require extensive work

One big problem is that any repairs could need the contractor to tear up your beautiful hardwood flooring to fix. This solution will cost you. It will be noisy.

2. Old homes may not have the electric service to handle heated floors without upgrades

Are you buying a fixer-upper? Is your home more than ten years old? Beware of additional costs for adding new electric service when you want warm floors in an older house.

3. Tearing up new floors is costly and a hassle

Unless you are already planning to rip out your bathroom floor, it can cost a pretty penny to take up new floors. If you are planning a renovation, then you are doing the right thing by adding heated floors at the same time. Otherwise, you cost yourself money.

4. Heating with floor heat takes a while

Unless you go with the programmable model, your floors may take a while to heat. You may have to turn the flooring heat on before bed to get an early shower.

Final Thoughts

There are definite pros and cons to heated floors. Picking the best time to install is a huge consideration. The upfront cost is another thing to investigate before making plans to add heat to your bathroom floor. Can you install radiant heating under wood floors?