Comparing Radiant Heating Floor Mats And Cables
Posted on: 1 August 2017
Radiant heating is a type of home heating solution that provides a low amount of heat radiating up from the floor. This can help improve overall comfort levels throughout the winter months, especially on floors that do not normally hold a great deal of heat, such as porcelain and ceramic tiles. However, radiant heating installations commonly come in two main variants: heating mats and heating cables. While both seek to provide heat through the floor of your home, their slight material differences mean that each carries a unique set of characteristics that better suits it to different applications. Understanding the differences between the two main types of radiant heating elements can help you choose the one that best fits your home heating needs.
Radiant Heating Floor Mats
Radiant heating floor mats, like their name would suggest, are made out of mats with heating elements spread throughout the wire. The size of the mats means that the installation process (i.e. laying the mats down on the underfloor) is completed much quicker when compared to flooring cables. This can cut down on your labor costs, and can help your remodeling project stay on schedule with little mess.
However, the downside of using mats is that they can only really fit into linear areas. Rooms with curves, walls that have alcoves, or other obstacles and obstructions can make it impractical to install mats. Further, mats have a fixed concentration of heating elements: the spacing of the elements cannot be altered, which means that the coverage of your heating can't be customized based on the room's needs (such as spacing the elements closer together to combat a draft).
Radiant Heating Floor Cables
Radiant heating floor cables are made out of a thin strand of material with a single heating element attached. As there is little excess material on the cable, the material costs of cables compared to mats is actually lower, which can help you save money. Further, cables allow for a greater degree of customization when it comes to coverage, as you can specify spacing between the cables and fit your radiant heating around curves and other odd angles in a room.
However, radiant heating floor cables do take much longer to install, as they require more care and time to lay out. This can negate the material cost savings of cables over mats, as you will have to spend more money on labor costs. For more information, talk to a company like Biggerstaff Plumbing Heating & Air.
Share