If a bathroom remodel is on your list for 2027, and you want to add a little luxury to your mornings, you might want to consider heated floors.
Here’s what to know about how it works, which floors pair best with it, and where it makes the most sense.
How Does Radiant Floor Heating Work?
Electric radiant heat uses thin heating cables or mats installed under your finished floor. The heat rises up through the floor and warms you, along with everything in the room, from the ground up. There are no vents, no blowing air, and no noise.
A thermostat on the wall controls it, with a sensor in the floor to keep the surface from getting too hot. WarmlyYours, the radiant heating brand we carry, says most electric systems warm up in 30 to 60 minutes. With a programmable thermostat, you can set the floor to be warm before you get out of bed.
Which Flooring Works Best with Radiant Heat?
Porcelain, ceramic, and natural stone. These are the best match. Tile and stone hold heat well and stay warm long after the system cycles off.
Engineered hardwood. This works well with the right system. WarmlyYours makes a mat called Environ that rolls out under floating floors like engineered wood and laminate, no mortar or glue needed.
Luxury vinyl and laminate. Compatible, but check the flooring manufacturer's specs first.
Solid hardwood is typically not a good fit for heated flooring as solid wood can warp with temperature swings.
Which Rooms Benefit the Most?
Bathrooms. This is where most people start, and for good reason. Pair a heated floor with a towel warmer, which we also carry, and your bathroom feels like a spa on the coldest mornings.
Mudrooms and entryways. A heated floor helps wet boots and snow and mud puddles dry faster.
Kitchens. Tile kitchens can feel chilly, especially in the early morning when you're making coffee.
Basements. Floors over a concrete slab tend to stay cold. Radiant heat can make a lower-level guest suite or TV room much more comfortable.
Is Radiant Floor Heating Worth It?
For many Asheville homes, yes. But the honest answer is it depends on timing.
Installing radiant heat means installing a new floor. So the best time to add it is when you're already remodeling a bathroom, redoing a kitchen, or building a new home. Adding it to a floor you otherwise love is a much bigger project.
Operating costs are lower than most people expect. WarmlyYours estimates an electric heated floor can cost as little as a few cents an hour to run. That depends on room size, how long it runs, and your electric rate, and a programmable thermostat helps keep it low.
Can radiant floor heating heat a whole room?
In a well-insulated room, it often can. In older homes with drafty windows or exterior walls, it usually works best alongside your main heat source.
Can I add heated floors without remodeling?
Not really. The heating mat or cable goes under the finished floor, so the existing floor has to come up. That's why we recommend planning it as part of a remodel.
See Heated Flooring at HomeSource
Thinking about adding radiant heat to your next project? Come by the HomeSource Design Center at 172 Charlotte Street in Asheville. We'll help you pick the right tile or flooring and the right WarmlyYours system for the room.
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