Anyone have radiant flooring? (heated floors)

[House4Me]

Anyone have radiant flooring/heated wood or tile floors? If so, did you install when the house was built or after? Can you give me a cost estimate based on square footage. Do you like them? 

[happyhomemaker]

We have it and we installed it as part of a reno. I love having it. Sorry I can't help with cost.

[mandiespharm]

I'm getting it in the kitchen when we start the remodel next month. I don't remember how much our guy said. It wasn't too bad. I'm thinking $750 for a decent sized open area??? I could be way off though....

[hoteldweller]

We did it last year in our large master bath (about 50 sf??) renovation under tile. I think the product was about $700 and our guy charged us about $200 to install it. It's seriously the nicest, most indulgent-seeming thing we have in our home. We love it! Our electric bill really didn't go up much at all, and we have it on about 4 hours a day in the winter-spring.

[Laura Palmer]

I can't comment on cost, but my dad installed it in their entryway by the garage a few years ago and it's AMAZING.

[House4Me]

Did anyone get it installed on a second floor or main floor with a basement underneath your house? Or just on concrete slab?

[212]

Our master bath has them. No idea on the cost, but they're basically the best thing ever. Warm marble? Yes please.

[kris356]

Are you thinking electric pads or running tubing and heating with water?

At work, we use about $5 a square foot for contractors for equipment. This is using tubing and water.
Electric is cheaper but is more expensive to operate. To get an idea, I would google NuHeat. They are pretty much the gold standard for electric radiant mats.

ETA: When looking for flooring, not all woods can be heated. You usually have to go with either tile or an engineered wood.

[hoteldweller]

Oct 27, 2014 5:24:20 GMT -5 House4Me said:

Did anyone get it installed on a second floor or main floor with a basement underneath your house? Or just on concrete slab?

Ours is upstairs on top of subflooring. 

[House4Me]

Oct 27, 2014 8:38:42 GMT -5 kris356 said:

Are you thinking electric pads or running tubing and heating with water?

At work, we use about $5 a square foot for contractors for equipment. This is using tubing and water.
Electric is cheaper but is more expensive to operate. To get an idea, I would google NuHeat. They are pretty much the gold standard for electric radiant mats.

ETA: When looking for flooring, not all woods can be heated. You usually have to go with either tile or an engineered wood.

So there would be a cost more than $5/sq foot for the client since that is about the charge for the contractor, right? What do you mean by more expensive to operate? If someone builds a new construction today what do they usually put in the tubing with water or the electric mats?

[kris356]

Oct 28, 2014 6:20:12 GMT -5 House4Me said:

Oct 27, 2014 8:38:42 GMT -5 kris356 said:

Are you thinking electric pads or running tubing and heating with water?

At work, we use about $5 a square foot for contractors for equipment. This is using tubing and water.
Electric is cheaper but is more expensive to operate. To get an idea, I would google NuHeat. They are pretty much the gold standard for electric radiant mats.

ETA: When looking for flooring, not all woods can be heated. You usually have to go with either tile or an engineered wood.

So there would be a cost more than $5/sq foot for the client since that is about the charge for the contractor, right? What do you mean by more expensive to operate? If someone builds a new construction today what do they usually put in the tubing with water or the electric mats?

Well, in my area natural gas is cheaper than electricity so in the long run an electric mat cost more to operate than a water heated by gas.

We have done electric, but our specialty is hydronic. We are mostly commercial but we do work with contractors are larger residential project and they most always use tubing. And contractors that do their own houses use tubing. We use Uponor/Wirsbo. There website offers some good information.

If I was doing new construction and had the budget, I would do radiant in a heartbeat. We are adding radiant when we replace our floor in our addition but we will have to do electric because of the situation. We will have a custom mat made by NuHeat. My parents and sister both have electric in their houses and it is awesome. Electric was the best choice for the application.

[kris356]

Oct 28, 2014 6:20:12 GMT -5 House4Me said:

Oct 27, 2014 8:38:42 GMT -5 kris356 said:

Are you thinking electric pads or running tubing and heating with water?

At work, we use about $5 a square foot for contractors for equipment. This is using tubing and water.
Electric is cheaper but is more expensive to operate. To get an idea, I would google NuHeat. They are pretty much the gold standard for electric radiant mats.

ETA: When looking for flooring, not all woods can be heated. You usually have to go with either tile or an engineered wood.

So there would be a cost more than $5/sq foot for the client since that is about the charge for the contractor, right? What do you mean by more expensive to operate? If someone builds a new construction today what do they usually put in the tubing with water or the electric mats?

Well, in my area natural gas is cheaper than electricity so in the long run an electric mat cost more to operate than a water heated by gas.

We have done electric, but our specialty is hydronic. We are mostly commercial but we do work with contractors are larger residential project and they most always use tubing. And contractors that do their own houses use tubing. We use Uponor/Wirsbo. There website offers some good information.

If I was doing new construction and had the budget, I would do radiant in a heartbeat. We are adding radiant when we replace our floor in our addition but we will have to do electric because of the situation. We will have a custom mat made by NuHeat. My parents and sister both have electric in their houses and it is awesome. Electric was the best choice for the application.