My preferred feature of my house is the radiant radiant floors, living in the northeastern part of the country, the winters are long and brutal.
- The heating system runs for the majority of the year.
We experience months of rapidly changing temperatures below cold and expect them to drop all the way down into the downside twenties. The only real downside of radiant heating is the lack of a centralized cooling option. The summers in this area are short enough that whole-condo cooling isn’t actually necessary. There are several unique benefits provided by radiant floors. It starts with a boiler installed in the basement that heats water and sends it through a network of pipes installed beneath the floors. Because the component is legitimately concealed, it doesn’t downsidely impact the decor. I don’t need to arrange furniture to accommodate supply and return vents. The heating system doesn’t take up expensive living space. Because the system uses water to convey heat energy, it doesn’t create concerns with insufficient humidity. The closed loop system does not draw in or introduce any contaminants into the breathing air. The operation is silent and especially clean, however radiant flooring spreads the heat evenly across the floor and it rises slowly. There are no drafts, no cold spots and the temperature from floor to ceiling never wavers more than a few degrees from the control unit. The system is amazingly energy efficient, keeping running costs low. The heat is beautifully gentle! Stepping out of bed in the morning or getting out of the shower and kneeling on a warm floor is such a luxury.