Install a heated tile floor

Renovating a room or building one from scratch often gives you the freedom to include amenities you might not otherwise consider. So when my husband, Kevin, and I decided to put a bathroom in our basement, our wish list pretty much wrote itself.

“Whirlpool tub! Whirlpool tub!” I calmly suggested; the thought of getting into a relaxing whirlpool bath seemed irresistible. But, then again, the thought of getting out of the relaxing whirlpool bath was quite the opposite. Stepping onto cold ceramic tile, especially down in a basement, can literally send a chill up your spine. So Kevin recommended we install radiant floor heating, which would heat the bathroom floor tiles–and us–quietly and invisibly. Whirlpool tub… check! Heated floor…check!

Not a new concept, radiant floor heating has been in practice for centuries. Unlike conventional forced-air systems, which heat the air around you, radiant heat works like the sun, warming the actual object directly. Because radiant floor heating systems distribute heat evenly from the bottom up, venting or ductwork is not required, thus eliminating drafts and blowing dust. That also allows for more decorating flexibility.

For our one-room project, we chose an electric radiant floor heating system (see “Radiant Floor Resources” on next page). Instead of affixing heating wires directly to the substrate before covering them with mortar, we opted for a more convenient, easy-to-install electric mat, which already has the cable arranged in a serpentine pattern, that you sandwich between layers of thinset cement, then lay down your floor covering over top. The temperature is controlled by a wall-mounted thermostat.

Most companies have numerous standard-sized mats available or will custom-make a mat for you, which is what we had done. We provided our bathroom floor plan to Nuheat, which in turn sent us a final layout for our approval. Within a few days, our 1/8"-thick mat arrived; within a few hours, our heated flooring system was in place.

Radiant floor resources

Most residential radiant floor heating systems are either electric or hydronic (water). Although both electric and hydronic installations are possible for DIYers to install, hydronic is typically more complex, as it requires a separate heat source, such as a boiler, to heat the water, as well as a system of valves and manifolds. The hot water is pumped through a looped circuit of specially designed tubing laid under or within the flooring (which can be tile, carpeting, vinyl or wood). Hydronic systems-popular as a primary heating source in new-home construction-can be installed either “wet” or “dry.” Wet installations require embedding the tubing in concrete, whereas the tubing in dry installations is either suspended beneath a subfloor between joists or sandwiched between two layers of subfloor.

For new construction or renovations, electric radiant floors are ideal for localized areas or individual rooms such as a bathroom, as was the case here. Optimal floor coverings are generally ceramic tile, marble, slate or stone.

Consult with a professional to determine which system (or whether a combination of the two) is best for your situation. And keep your own DIY skill level in mind. The following companies either ship throughout Canada or can provide you with agents in your area:

Electric

• Floor Heatech, 877-523-5667
• Nuheat, 800-778-9276
• Therma-Ray, 506-457-4600

Hydronic

• HeatLink, 800-661-5332
• WattsRadiant Canada, 888-208-8927 (electric also available)