Should You Invest in a Heated Bathroom Floor?

As the winter months draw closer, more and more homeowners are turning up the heat. From central heating to more contemporary backyard fire pits, everyone’s got their own way of keeping warm.

One of the trends that have risen considerably in the past few years would be heated bathroom floors. Although previously associated with more extravagant homeowners, this luxury has recently become more and more accessible. A good number of homeowners have seen the merits of investing in their own heated bathroom floor, and many more have jumped on the bandwagon. As a result, they’re not as unheard of as they were five, ten years ago.

If you’re one of the curious few, keep reading. We’ve got three good reasons why a heated bathroom floor should be part of your next home remodel.

1. Cleaner & More Efficient than Traditional Forced Air

Despite the fact that forced air heating is one of the most commonly-used heating systems in residential (and sometimes commercial) setups, it is also the heating system that has the most number of disadvantages.

The biggest disadvantage is allergens. Forced air heating is so named because it takes the air from outside and forces it through the floor, wall, and ceiling ducts in order to heat up the room.

Unfortunately, the air carries allergens like dust and pollen from the outside.

There are filters to guard against that, but they need constant (and costly) maintenance. If you miss a few weeks, the air very quickly becomes polluted and may need expensive cleaning by then.

2. Naturally Compatible Flooring Material

One of the reasons why a heated bathroom floor works so efficiently is because of the nature of the flooring material.

A radiant heating system isn’t as effective under certain materials like wood or carpet, because these are too insulating for the heat to pass through. However, under flooring materials like stone, ceramic, and porcelain tile, the radiant heat can easily pass through and spread evenly. A heated bedroom or hallway floor is less common than a heated bathroom floor for this very reason.

3. Even Heat Distribution

Aside from radiant heat working perfectly with traditional bathroom flooring, the radiant heating system that a heated bathroom floor uses distributes heat cleanly and more evenly than forced air heating or furnace heating.

See, hot air is naturally inclined to rise and move to where it is needed—aka, where there is no heat or a lower temperature area. So what happens with traditional forced air is that you end up heating the entire room quickly. This isn’t cost-effective or efficient in the slightest, and it can make the bathroom feel very uncomfortable—especially on warmer days.

A heated bathroom floor is designed in such a way that the heat slowly drifts up over time, staying near the ground for as long as possible before eventually rising. This leads to much better heat distribution overall.

Some Things to Consider:

If these three points were enough to convince you to switch over, then we highly recommend doing thorough research before investing in a heated bathroom floor.

Heated Bathroom Floor Installation

As far as installation goes, this is something best left to the professionals.

Aside from general bathroom flooring installation—which, on its own, can be pretty tough without the right training and experience—you also need to handle the radiant heating system. Professionals in this field will know what tests need to be done and what measures need to be taken to ensure the whole thing works perfectly.

If you attempt any of these installations yourself (without the proper industry knowledge or certification), you could end up severely damaging your floor.

Heated Bathroom Floor Materials.

As we mentioned earlier, radiant heating systems love traditional bathroom flooring. But for best results, you’ll want to use porcelain tiles, ceramic tiles, or natural stone tiles to get really even heat distribution. Vinyl and laminate might work, too, but they won’t be as effective.

Related Content: 5 Unique Tile Ideas For Your Bathroom Remodel

So to answer the question; yes. We personally recommend more homeowners invest in heated bathroom flooring. It’s safe, it’s smart, and it can drastically improve your quality of living. But it’s always best to err on the side of caution; consult with a professional before you start buying and installing your new heated bathroom floor.