Does Radiant Floor Heating Add Value to Your Home?

Radiant floor heating is a popular choice for people who want to improve their home’s comfort and energy efficiency. But does it also add value to your home?

Yes, radiant floor heating can add value to your home. But it is expensive — before adding floor heating, ensure your house is well-insulated, as insulation gives you a much better return on investment.

Radiant floor heating adds value to your home in the following ways:

  • It keeps your house warm and makes it easier for you to relax
  • It significantly increases the resell value of your house
  • It ensures a safe and clean environment for your house
  • It provides a sense of satisfaction and pride, resulting in some emotional value

Radiant floor heating is becoming increasingly popular in new homes and can be a selling point for potential buyers.

In this article, I will mainly discuss the value that radiant floor heating adds to your house so that you can seriously consider this as an important commodity for your house

What Exactly is Radiant Floor Heating?

Radiant floor heating is a type of floor heating that supplies heat directly to the floor instead of warming the air inside the room. The radiated heat is then transferred to other objects in the room.

Radiant floor heating is one of the most efficient ways to heat a space because the heat is produced directly beneath the floor surface, where it can be evenly distributed throughout the room.

It comprises heating elements and water tubes in your house beneath the floor. The entire system basically works on an infrared radiation mechanism that heats up an object, and you can feel the heat that the object emits even through a certain distance.

This heat is what you feel when you walk on the floors of your house, and it makes your house relaxing and comfortable.

Radiant floor heating can be achieved through mainly two mechanisms. One uses electricity to heat the flooring, and the other uses hydronic sources as a source of energy. 

Radiant floor heating has numerous advantages. The most prominent advantages are being energy efficient to eliminate duct losses, preventing the spread of allergic substances, maintaining a constant temperature throughout the house, and requiring almost little to no maintenance. 

How Does Radiant Flooring Add Value to Your Home?

Radiant flooring adds comfort and emotional value to not only your house but also your monetary value. There are numerous benefits of radiant flooring, and I will discuss each in detail.

Considering all the values that it brings forth, you can make the right decision about adding radiant flooring to your house. 

#1 Heated Floors Make Your House Comfortable and Cozy

If you live in a chilly area where it gets really cold in winter, you wouldn’t want to wake up and step on a cold floor in such weather, would you? This is exactly what heated floors can do for you. They can make your life easier in harsh weather and keep your house warm and cozy throughout harsh seasons.

Besides knocking the chill off the floors, radiant floor heating would also elevate the temperature of your room and bring it to a more comfortable level.

You can use heated floors in your bathrooms or basement, which generally get very cold, and enjoy the experience of walking on warm and cozy floors.

Radiant floor heating would give your house an added sense of comfort and luxury and allow your house to have a more relaxing and calm environment. It could be the next step in upgrading your house and making it more pleasant for you. 

#2 Radiant Floor Heating Increases Resale Value

If you are someone who plans to sell their house five to ten years down the lane, then radiant floor heating is an ideal option for you. Radiant heating systems increase the resale value of the house. 

If there are any potential homebuyers and they see that your house contains radiant floor heating, they would automatically understand that you have a luxury house and you are asking the right money for it.

You can also land a higher offer based solely on your house’s radiant floor heating.

If you plan to sell the house in a few months or a year, installing radiant floor heating won’t be a good idea because it requires some investment. Therefore, you should first fully use it for its worth and then plan on leaving it for someone else. 

Radiant floor heating in any house represents luxury, and many people are attracted by it. Thus, it makes for a great marketing and selling point and lands the right offer.

#3 Heated Floors Increase Energy Efficiency 

One of the most amazing features of radiant floor heating is its energy efficiency. These systems are virtually 100% efficient because of the way they operate. 

Usually, the heating systems force-blow the air through vents. However, radiant floor heating systems work a little differently. These systems do not have a vent; thus, the heat produced just travels upwards and spreads out evenly, potentially having no room to escape. 

You can use your thermostat to regulate the radiant heating systems and ensure they are only used when needed. You can schedule the times to turn on or off the radiating systems on your thermostat.

Besides increasing energy efficiency, another advantage of radiant heating systems is that they can be used to balance out some areas that don’t balance out with the rest of the house and usually remain cold.

These systems can assist your HVAC systems and eliminate the need for them to overwork to keep your house warm. 

» Also read: 20 Cheapest Ways to Cool a Room & House

#4 Radiant Floor Heating Reduces Noise Pollution

If you have installed forced-air heating systems in your home, then you would be no stranger to the whirring, banging, and kicking noise that the furnaces of these systems produce.

You can say goodbye to all those noises and enjoy sweet silence if you switch to the radiant floor heating. 

Lower noise pollution can help you focus on your work and get things done more efficiently. Thus, from now on, you can focus on your work better and move around more easily in your house. 

No noise pollution due to radiant floor heating systems can significantly increase your sleep quality, even in cold weather when you have to switch on the heating systems. 

Radiant heating systems make little to no noise and help your house become more relaxing and comfortable, leading you to focus better and be more productive. 

#5 Floor Heating Systems Are Hypoallergenic

The radiant floor heating systems are hypoallergenic because they do not involve spreading dust and other allergens. To understand how the floor heating systems are hypoallergenic, you would need to understand how they work. 

Unlike forced-air heat systems, which recirculate heated air and transmit dust and other particles, radiant floor heating works through a different mechanism. 

Instead of recirculating heated air, the radiant floor heating systems heat up the air through an electrical or a hydronic energy source.

Since radiant floor heating does not recirculate the air, they limit the spread of allergens in your house and can maintain a constant temperature despite that. 

#6 Radiant Heating Systems Are Low-maintenance

Radiant heating systems require little to no maintenance. These systems are highly efficient and, thus, do not need to be constantly maintained or serviced.

That is mainly because it is present underneath the floor and is a highly compact and protected system that can not get damaged by external influences such as rodents or other animals. 

Moreover, radiant heating systems do not age easily and are made to function long-term. Most of them come with a 25-year guarantee; if anything unlikely occurs, you can get it repaired then. 

This means that radiant heating systems are just a one-time investment, and you would not be required to make hefty arrangements for their maintenance because they easily function for many years. 

#7 Constant Temperature and Even Heating Distribution

One of the many interesting features of radiant heating systems is their ability to keep the room temperature constant throughout the day and night.

This is mainly because it stores energy during the day and uses it at night to maintain the temperature and keep your floor from getting cold. 

An added advantage of this feature is that even if the power goes out for some reason, your radiant floor heating will be able to provide warmth for quite some time due to the energy it has stored in it.

The radiant heating systems are one-of-a-kind in providing your house with even heating distribution.

The reason for even heat distribution is that it allows the heat to come from every square foot of the flooring, and since the heat has a tendency to rise, the underground location of these systems is ideal for providing your house with relaxing warmth.

#8 Increased Safety and Comfortable Heat

When you use a stove or a heater to heat up your house, there is always the risk of uneven distribution of heat and someone burning themselves while adjusting these devices. 

With the radiant floor heating system, you can prevent that. These systems are highly safe because the heating source is underneath the ground and cannot harm you.

Besides safety, the radiant floor heating provides comfortable heat that feels soft on your feet as you walk on the flooring. These heating systems are often called a ‘heated blanket’ and are particularly useful for people in the winter. 

#9 Long-term Investment and Peace Of Mind

Though radiant floor heating requires some hefty investment, once you install it, you will understand that it is totally worth it.

Radiant floor heating systems do not require any maintenance and provide numerous comfort, monetary, and health benefits that are hard to find in any other heating system.

Moreover, once you install the radiant floor heating systems, you will have peace of mind and not have to think about them again. You can enjoy the benefits of these systems for a long time, and once you go to radiant floor heating, you will not be able to find your way back!

Cons Of Radiant Floor Heating

Here are some cons of radiant floor heating:

#1 Radiant Floor Heating Is Expensive

Radiant floor heating is expensive. Sometimes the contractors may even charge you more. Though this is a one-time investment, it is pretty hefty, and you should consider your decision.

One way to save money could be to hire a contractor you know personally, but you should not compromise on quality and ensure that they know the work properly. 

#2 Difficult to Find Contractors to Install It

Since radiant floor heating systems are extensive and complicated, you rarely find the person rightly qualified for the job. 

Since the trend of radiant floor heating has just started to catch up, most contractors do not know how to install it. Thus, before hiring a contractor, you should thoroughly check that they will install it properly and will not mess it up for you.

#3 Time Lag Of Heat Movement

One con of a radiant floor heating system is that it takes time to spread evenly and would not instantly heat up the floors.

Many areas of your house are already receiving heat from solar energy, and if the heat produced by these systems reaches those floor areas, it may lead to an overheating problem. 

To avoid this problem, you shouldn’t install radiant heat floor slabs where you think that the air directly gets heated by sunlight. 

Types Of Radiant Floor Heating

If you have decided to install radiant floor heating systems, you must look for the type of radiant floor heating you want.

There are three types of radiant floor heating, and they have different qualities.

#1 Electric

Electric heating systems use electric coils to generate heat. They use electrical cables or electrically conductive mats installed beneath the flooring. 

Though installing these systems is cost-effective and cheaper than hydronic systems, the fuel (electricity) you are using to operate these systems would be more expensive long-term. 

This option is usually used for single rooms like bathrooms to provide luxury and comfort. However, they can also be used for small houses. 

#2 Hydronic

Hydronic heating systems are probably the most frequently used and cost-effective systems out there. These systems operate by pumping water heated from a boiler and converting it into gas. 

This system has the tubing laid out in a pattern that allows maximal heat distribution under the floor. Moreover, if your home already uses a water heater, these systems are ideal for you.

#3 Air-Heated

Air-heated systems are also another type of radiant floor heating system, but they are rarely used because they are not great at functioning simply because air cannot hold and transfer large amounts of heat. 

Besides low functionality, these systems are not even cost-effective and are not a viable option for your residential property.

Is Radiant Floor Heat Worth the Money?

The radiant floor heating systems are worth your money. Though these systems are expensive to install, they provide substantial value for your house in the long run. 

You should also remember that the underground floor heating systems allow you to save more in the long run by keeping your house energy efficient and saving up on bills. 

If you do not have a very high budget, you can always make adjustments and look at different options that you may find more appropriate. 

Which Types of Floor Heating Bring the Most Value?

Electric radiant floor heating systems bring the most value to your home. They’re less expensive and can cut more maintenance costs than hydronic systems.

Additionally, electric floor heating systems are more energy efficient than gas-fired alternatives.

Hydroponic radiant systems use heating pipes that run through the concrete, absorbing the heat from the heated water.

You also risk water leakage and potential damage to your home if you choose this heating system. Any accident can lead to significantly less home value.

Electric radiant floor heating is risk-free and efficient, making it the best value for your money.

When trying to determine which type of floor heating is the best investment for your property, there are a few factors that you should take into account.

Some of the things to consider include the following:

  • The cost of installation and maintenance
  • How efficient will the system be in terms of heat distribution
  • How long will it last
  • The style of flooring that will be installed

How Much Does a Radiant Floor Heating Installation Cost?

A radiant floor heating installation costs between $1,700 and $6,000, with an average of $3,800 per installation project. However, this cost depends on the size and type of installation.

Factors that will affect the price include:

  • Area of the floor
  • Labor
  • Your location (urban or suburban)
  • Type of flooring being installed (ceramic, vinyl, wood)
  • Installing a new system or upgrading an existing one,
  • The complexity of the installation.
  • Labor costs

Floor Area

Typically, you should expect to pay $6 to $20 per square feet for a radiant floor heating system installation. Hence, if you own a 1,600 square feet house and are looking to install a radiant floor heating system, you could expect to pay around $9,600 to $32,000.

Maintenance Costs

Radiant floor heating systems will need zero maintenance over the years. However, if your heating system is damaged for some reason, you can expect to pay around $1,300.

Labor Costs for Radiant Floor Heating Installation

The average labor cost for radiant floor heating installation is between $550 and $2,500, depending on the floor area. However, if you’re going for a DIY floor heating project, it can save a few extra thousand dollars.

Which Government Incentives Are There For Installing Radiant Floor Heating?

The government of the U.S. does not incentivize floor heating as it’s not inherently environmentally friendly. However, the source of floor heating (such as solar or electrical systems) can bring some incentives depending on your state.

For example, you can qualify for a financial incentive if you lie in the category of the California Solar Initiative (CSI) Thermal Low-Income program.

Or you can get some tax credits for installing geothermal heating systems.

You can explore more incentives on the DSIRE USA site.

Final Words

Radiant floor heating is a valuable addition to any house. It not only provides comfort and luxury but also increases the house’s energy efficiency and keeps a healthy environment.

These systems are well-operated and require low maintenance, making them the ideal heating options for your house. 

Even though these systems require a good investment, you will be able to make their worth by using them for subsequent years to add comfort and warmth to your house.

If you want your house to be comfortable and cozy and want to save up on high energy bills, radiant floor heating is indeed the right way to go!