Most homes have air-based heating and cooling systems. While circulated air can effectively control the temperature of your home, not everyone finds the outcome to be satisfactory. In these situations, some homeowners turn to radiant heat.

What Is Radiant Heat?

Radiant heat is a heating and cooling process through the surfaces of your home. Most often, people install radiant heat in their floors, but it can also be used in the walls or other surfaces. This targeted approach provides direct heating or cooling for more palpable results. Radiant heat can be electric or water-based, and it can be installed throughout the whole home or simply in a small space.

While there are many advantages of radiant heat, it is not an apt solution for every home. Before making any type of investment, be sure to analyze your home’s features thoroughly to see if radiant heat is right for your home.

How Efficient Is Your Home?

Some homes are insulated well, keeping hot and cold air inside where it belongs. On the other hand, some homes have old windows, outdated insulation and unnecessary gaps in the siding. If you put radiant heat in these types of homes, the investment will be questionable. For very efficient homes, the improvement of radiant heat will not be dramatic enough. In homes with less efficiency, the radiant heat will not be retained sufficiently. However, for homes between those extremes, radiant heat can be a great solution for moderate heating and cooling issues.

What Surfaces Do You Have?

Radiant heat is best when used with tile or concrete. These materials conduct heat better, providing more dramatic results. If you are set on using radiant heat with wood floors, you need to select a wood that is specially designed for that purpose. It is also worth noting that you can put radiant heat in your ceilings. In fact, if you are more concerned with cooling your home, putting radiant heat in the ceiling is a superior choice.

How Often Are You In Your Home?

Radiant heat, like any home improvement, needs to be considered in terms of the return on the investment. If you are not in your home on a daily basis, the cost of installation is often not worth it. Radiant heat takes time to reach peak efficiency, which is why dramatic results are often not noticeable until the system has been running for awhile. This is why radiant heat is best in your primary dwelling. Adding it to a vacation home is usually not a worthwhile investment.

Are You Remodeling or Building Your Home?

Because radiant heat is installed beneath the surfaces of your home, it is not a great choice for homeowners who are not interested in remodeling. If you are already tearing out surfaces or replacing your floors, however, radiant heat is much easier to install. Moreover, radiant heat can be a good choice for a new home since it can be added during the construction process.

Choosing Radiant Heat

To gauge whether or not radiant heat is right for your home, be sure to consult with the experts at Alair Homes Forest Hill Toronto. We specialize in all types of custom building and upscale home renovations. Contact your local builder today.