Radiant Floor Heat is a term that describes a concept that is actually very old. Heating by way of warming the floor started back in ancient Rome. They would build flooring systems where the exhaust gases from their furnaces would run through the floor on the way out of the building - warming the floor on the way. It was expensive to build and live that way. Thankfully, there have been significant developments in technology since then.

In the early 1900's, copper tubing was used to distribute warm water to the radiant floors. Longevity became an issue as some piping systems began to fail within 20 years. With the development of plastics, PEX tubing was introduced - making hydronic heat a possibility for the masses.

There are many ways to install PEX tubing for a hydronic heating system - here are some of the most common:

In-Slab - Tubing is installed prior to pouring a standard concrete slab.

In-Thin Slab - Tubing is installed prior to pouring a lightweight concrete or gypcrete Overpour.

Grooved SubFloor - Tubing is installed into a pre-grooved Subfloor panel.

Stapled-Up - Tubing is stapled up between the floor joists, sometimes over a crawl space - sometimes over a heated garage or basement.

There isn't really a one-size-fits-all radiant heating solution available that will fit every project. But with an experienced hydronic heat system designer - an ideal system could be created that would fit your need for radiant floor heat.

While it may seem hard to beleive, radiant floor heat was used in Rome about 2,000 years ago. Initially, only the very rich could afford the comfort of radiant heat. Gradually, public buildings and villas were constructed in ways to harness the warmth of radiant.

In colder regions of the Roman Empire, they built flue and duct systems into the floors - hypocausts - where the heated exhaust gases from fires could circulate as they made their way out of the structure. This heat then passed into the rooms where the occupants could enjoy the comfort and warmth of radiant heat.

With many technological breakthroughs over the last century, radiant floor heat has really come into its' own - bringing efficiency and comfort to many. In addition, there are many zoning and usage options available today that the Romans couldn't offer.

For instance, you can have a heated garage - or melt the snow in your driveway. You can keep guest bedroom set at a low temperature until you actually have guests. (You can also turn their thermostat down to get rid of them - if they've overstayed their welcome, not that I've ever done that....)

Bottom line - it is possible for you to enjoy the many benefits of radiant floor heat without breaking the bank. You just need to find a competent hydronic heat designer.