Help homeowners reduce energy bills this winter with CosyFloor

As energy costs continue to rise all over the world, this winter many homeowners will be seeking out solutions to help them reduce their monthly bills without compromising on comfort.

Flooring professionals can help by introducing these customers to the benefits of electric in-floor heating, with the potential to turn their entire floor surface into a heat source, instead of a heat sink!

Modern homes often have hard flooring like ceramic tile, marble or stone, favoured for its durability and ease of maintenance. But these materials are also good natural conductors, which means they easily absorb heat from the air or even from bare feet. As a result, rooms with tiled floors tend to feel cooler than those with carpets, leading homeowners to crank up the thermostat during the colder months.

But since tile, stone and marble are good conductors, they also have potential to do the reverse – heat the room – when combined with an electric in-floor heating system. Installing CosyFloor underneath a hard floor effectively transforms the entire floor surface into a heat source with the ability to heat the room more effectively and efficiently than forced air.

So how does it work?

CosyFloor’s electric heating cables and mats are laid on top of the subfloor and encased in thinset before the homeowner’s flooring of choice is laid on top. The thinset conducts heat from the cables to the tile, and the tile conducts heat to the air in the room as well as to objects, like furniture, that are in contact with the floor.

This method of heating is called radiant heating, as opposed to convection heating that happens when we pump warm air into a space via a duct. Because convection systems pump warm air in at one spot, they rely on air circulation to distribute heat around the room. This happens easily because the warm air rises and then falls as it cools, creating currents of air – but this in itself results in a lot of heat being lost. In addition, it can create drafts, cold spots and stir up allergens within the space.

Radiant heating

Radiant heating provides a quiet, even heat source throughout the room, warming people and objects gently. Because the entire floor acts as a heater, the whole room heats up at the same speed, eliminating drafts and cold spots. Without the ‘currents’ created by HVAC systems, the warm air stays warm for longer, which means the homeowner can run their system at a lower temperature and for less time, which still achieving the same level of comfort.

And the icing on the cake? Warm floors! Warm tile or stone underfoot has the effect of helping you to feel warmer overall because heat is not being conducted away from your body by the floor. It’s an ideal solution for bathrooms, where people are often barefoot, but also for kitchen and living areas – particularly for families with young children who tend to spend time playing or lounging on the floor.

CosyFloor electric in-floor heating systems are suitable for installation in almost any property or room, either during the construction phase or as part of a flooring renovation. The system can be used for whole home heating, or as a supplement to an existing forced air system in specific zones, which can help homeowners to further reduce energy bills by only heating the most-used areas of their home.

To find out more about CosyFloor, to locate a distributor or to enquire about becoming a stockist, get in touch!