| There are two major types of heating available | | | | heating uses heating elements placed within your |
| to most houses, forced air and radiant heating. | | | | floor to provide a nice, even heat to the room. |
| Forced air heating uses a furnace to heat up the | | | | This type of heating is really quite amazing. There |
| air, which is then sent through the house by | | | | are no visible heating elements in the room, but |
| means of ducts. Radiant heating systems work | | | | you will feel a warm, luxurious heat rising up from |
| differently. Instead of heating up the air, they | | | | the floor. There are no cold spots, funny clanks, |
| employ some sort of device to radiate heat | | | | or allergy causing dust particles. Just pure, simple |
| outwards into the air. The most obvious example | | | | warmth. |
| of this sort of system are the classic on wall | | | | Radiant floor heating is generally executed in one |
| radiators. | | | | of two ways. The most common system is |
| As is turns out, both the conventional forced air | | | | hydronic radiant floor heating. These systems use |
| and on wall heating systems have their downsides. | | | | a boiler to heat water, which is then pumped |
| Forced air heating systems rely on an intermittent | | | | through a series of interwoven pipes underneath |
| supply of warm air, from ducts located in certain | | | | your floor. The heat radiates upwards from this |
| parts of the room. This can often lead to | | | | network of pipes. This is the most efficient form |
| intermittent, uneven heating. Also, the use of | | | | of radiant floor heating. |
| moving air in ducts means that dust is moved | | | | There is also electric radiant floor heating. You can |
| around the house, which can aggravate many | | | | picture this as being like an electric blanket that is |
| people's allergies. | | | | installed underneath your floor. Resistive heating |
| On wall radiators have their downsides, too. They | | | | elements beneath your floor provide the radiant |
| don't provide very even heat, because they are | | | | heat. These systems are far less efficient that |
| located in only one area of the room. They can | | | | hydronic systems, but since they don't require a |
| also be irritatingly loud, particularly when you're | | | | boiler, can be much easier to install in many |
| trying to go to sleep! | | | | situations. |
| Fortunately, there is another solution. In floor | | | | This should give you a good, basic overview of in |
| radiant heat works somewhat like a radiator, in | | | | floor radiant heat systems, and how they work. |
| that it simply radiates the heat into the room | | | | If you're building or remodeling your home, be |
| rather than directly heating the air. However, | | | | sure to give these systems a look. You'll be glad |
| instead of having an on wall radiator, radiant floor | | | | you did. |