If you’re tired of stepping out of the shower onto a freezing cold tile floor, maybe it’s time to investigate radiant floor heat. Radiant floor heating is warm and cozy underfoot—in fact, it warms your entire body quietly and invisibly with radiant energy instead of by blowing warmed air into the room the way a typical forced-air heating system does.

Radiant floor heating systems are either hydronic (hot water) or electric. Hydronic systems utilize a system of tubes that wind beneath the floor, transferring warmth from the hot water that circulates within them. They require a special water heater. Electric radiant systems employ special electric-resistance panels, coils, or foil to radiate heat. Because these are essentially like the innards of a large toaster, they use considerable electric energy.

Unless you have great access to the underside of the floor you want to heat, radiant floor heating is not easy to retrofit. It’s easiest to install it in new construction or when you’re tearing up the floor during a major remodeling project.

For more specific information about radiant floor heating, read the various HomeTips articles in this section.