Electric radiant floor heating is a great investment when remodeling your home bathroom. Stepping out of a warm shower on to a nicely heated floor is more comforting than inching out onto cold tile. Investing in electric radiant heat flooring will bring a nice return on property and resale values, as this amenity is growing in popularity. Installing the radiant heat flooring is fairly simple, and relatively inexpensive.

The cost of installation in an average size bathroom costs about $700, plus the cost of tile. You will need to ensure that you have a GFCI circuit that is able to handle approximately 15 to 20 amps. You might want to bring in an electrician to handle the electrical aspect of the heat floor installation, to ensure that all of the wiring is done safely and is up to code. Everything else in the radiant heat flooring installation can be done by the homeowner, provided that the homewoner is comfortable laying tile.

You will need to decide on which type of electric radiant heat subflooring best fits your specific needs. There are two types currently on the market. The first type is heat cabling that comes in square mats, and the other is just plain cabling that runs the length of the floor. Both are excellent options, but you need to consider the size and type of application that the subflooring will be used in. You will want to draw up a floor plan, and decide which direction you will want the cabling to run.

Take the floor plan with you to the supplier, who can best help you determine the type and amount of flooring that you will need. You might consider adding a thermostat to the warmer unit, so you can adjust the temperature and save energy when needed. Prepare the subfloor by installing tile backer board and securing it with a thinset mortar. You will then want to take the cabling and install it, securing the mats or cabling with double sided tape.

Place the mats or cabling in on the subflooring by the floor plan that you had previously drawn up. Follow all of the manufacturer's instructions, and ensure that the cabling is installed properly and the wiring is connected the right way. Then, choose which tile you will need to use over the electric radiant heat subflooring. Most tiles work well with the radiant subflooring, but some cabling systems require certain types of thinset tile flooring. You will want to ask your supplier which types of tile works well with the cabling of the heat subfloor you chose. The supplier will be able to provide you with experienced information about your flooring.

Next, you will want to prepare your subflooring by cementing the mats or cabling into place with thinset mortar. Smooth the mortar down with a typical concrete trowel. Pay close attention how much pressure that you apply to the cabling with the trowel, as you do not want to damage any of the cabling. Lay the selected tile on top of the thinset mortar, as normal. To make the tile installation go smoothly and to lay the tile evenly, you might consider using tile spacers. Once the tile has been laid onto the subfloor, you will want to perform a few "tap" test to ensure that the electric radiant heating is functional after the tile has been put down.

To do a tap test, you will want to "knock" on the floor with a screwdriver or rubber hammer, and check the heat coming from the flooring. It is very important that you perform this step before the thinset mortar dries, as tearing the tile back out after the thinset dries may damage the heat cabling underneath the tile. Once everything checks out and has dried, you will want to install the thermostat into the power line and check the functionality of the thermostat. Make sure that the temperature goes up and down, and that the radiant heat flooring is able to power down.

Having the supplemental heat from your electric radiant heat flooring will be something you and your family can enjoy for a long time.