Floor Heating
Comfort heated floors provide radiant heat, which uses infrared radiation to transfer heat. This is more effective than the common forced air systems or convection systems because very little heat is lost in the transfer. Radiant heating is also excellent for people with allergies as no pollutants or allergens are present. You can pick a heated floor system from a variety of technologies, all of which have their advantages and disadvantages. The 2 most common are water and electric.
Electric Radiant Heating
Electric Radiant Heat (E.R.H.) is considered to be the best in technology and efficiency. It heats your floors the quickest, with high accuracy and consistency. Electric Radiant Heating systems are the easiest to install and by far the most heat consistent. At San Diego Marble & Tile, we have chosen to partner with 2 trusted radiant floor heating systems and to offer these to our customers. These are Schluter Ditra-Heat and SunTouch. Both of these work like an electric stove in that thea coils have an electric current running through them, and this makes them radiate heat. Both of these radiant floor heating systems are safe and run at low voltage with high resistance wire. This allows them to stay warm and comfortable, and never burning hot.
Schluter Systems DITRA-HEAT
DITRA-HEAT is the only system that provides floor warming and uncoupling in a single layer. This combination helps to prevent movement due to temperature contraction and expansion thus removing the risk of cracking with the grout and tile.
Cables can be placed wherever heat is desired for customized heating zones, and no leveling compounds are required, which makes for a quick and easy installation. You will need a qualified electrician to help with the install but that is expected with any floor heating solution.
With the proven technology of our DITRA uncoupling membrane incorporated in the design, DITRA-HEAT provides the ideal solution for bringing comfort and floor warming to any tiled floor.
Water Radiant Heating
Water radiant heating is technically known as Hydronic Radiant Heat (HRH). Water radiant heating systems are unique and are one of the most efficient ways to warm your floors and also warm the air/room. They are more cost effective to operate but are not as temperature accurate as electric radiant heating and a lot more expensive to install. This type of radiant floor heating is particularly popular in colder climates and is best installed when constructing a new house rather than during a normal remodel.
For Southern California, this solution is often considered unnecessary but is a nice luxury to have if incorporated in a new build.