Radiant heat is loved by everyone once they encounter it for the first time. It is unfortunate that few houses are now built with this type of heat like they were in years past. Radiant heat is more expensive to put in a house than other kinds of heat and so builders usually install the cheaper kind. Forced air heating and cooling is what is most common now and if you want anything else, you have to install it yourself.
Radiant heat is best installed when a house is being built because it involves putting pipes or wires under the floors. It is best to put it in right from the start as the house is constructed. If you want to have this kind of heat in an older house, most people opt to install it in just a few rooms such as the master bathroom and kitchen.
Radiant heat can be installed two different ways. The first is hydronic radiant heat and that is heat generated from hot water moving through pipes that are beneath the floor. Obviously, with water involved and being heated, a hydronic heating system is both expensive and difficult to install to make sure nothing leaks. If you want your house to be heated in this fashion, it is best to have it put in as the house is being built.
In preexisting houses, installing electric radiant heat is much easier and is the choice of most people. Electric pads are placed under the floors and the electric current heats things much like it does in a toaster. These pads can be put in where ever you like and most people choose to have them put in selected rooms and not the whole house.
Winter is a tough time for a person’s skin as the air is dry which damages skin. Most homes have forced heating systems that pump dry hot air throughout the house and this just makes things worse. Once you feel and try radiant heat, you will understand its many benefits and how nice it is to have in place of the forced air. Unfortunately, most people will never get to experience it.