How Much Does Radiant Floor Heating Cost to Install?

What Is Radiant Floor Heating?

Have you ever felt chilled to the bone even though the central heating is cranked up high? The reason is simple: Space heating warms the air, and it takes time for this warm air to circulate properly. Radiant floor heating is different because it directly warms the floor and furniture. This means you feel the heat through your feet, which is typically the coldest part of your body. There’s nothing better than the gentle warmth of a heated floor to keep you cheerful in winter.

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What Are the Different Types of Radiant Floor Heating, and How Do They Work?

In principle, there are two types of radiant floor heating systems: hydronic, which uses hot water, and electric, which uses heated electric tapes.

Hydronic Floor Heating

This form of radiant heating uses water in pipes that are laid in the floor and filled with circulating hot water. The pipes may be encased in a thin layer of concrete or sandwiched between sheets of plywood. Energy sources include:

Boiler-Powered Hydronic Underfloor Heating

Depending on the size of the system, this form of radiant heating taps into your existing water boiler or uses a separate boiler. The hot water is circulated through pipes in the floor to warm the home. Whole-house systems may have separate zones so you can control the temperature in different rooms. For example, you can make your bathroom warmer than the bedroom and lounge.

Geothermal Radiant Heating

Geothermal underfloor heating uses the energy in the air or stored in the ground to heat the water. The most common way is to use a heat pump to warm the water. If you live in an active geothermal area, you could extract heat directly from the ground.

Solar Radiant Heating

Hydronic solar floor heating uses wet solar collectors on the roof to heat the hot water. Solar heating is free but only works during the day when it's sunny. A hot water storage tank can provide additional heat for the evening. In practice, though, a solar hydronic system is often supplemented by other forms of heating. This may be conventional central heating or a water heater installed in tandem with the solar collectors.

Electric Radiant Floor Heating

Electric radiant floor heating uses electric elements installed in the floor. There are two types of electric radiant floors:

• Electric mats. Heating elements come in mesh that’s cut to the right size. These elements are insulated and run at around 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Heating tape. These are long lengths of heating tape that are laid in a supporting membrane. They're more flexible than heating mats but cost more.

It's possible to use solar panels that generate electricity to power electric underfloor heating. However, the cost of the solar system, its controls and a storage battery (if fitted) adds considerably to the cost, and it's rarely used for whole-home underfloor heating.

How Much Does Each Type of In-Floor Heat System Cost to Install?

The cost to install the different types of radiant floor heating depends largely on the heating source. The figures below show the total installed cost of each type of system and include the cost of thermostats, heating systems, pumps and labor costs.

Hydronic Underfloor Heating

You can expect to pay between $6 and $22 (CAD 8.44 and CAD 31) per square foot for the installation of hydronic underfloor heating. These figures from Today’s Homeowner include the cost of a boiler, control system and labor but exclude flooring.

Geothermal Hydronic Floor Heating

With geothermal heating, you need to factor in the cost of the heat pump instead of a boiler. According to FIXR, the cost for the installation of a geothermal underfloor heating system varies from $7 to $20 (CAD 9.85 and CAD 28) per square foot.

Solar Hydronic Underfloor Heating

The underfloor heating cost for a solar hydronic system is slightly higher than for a standard hydronic system. This is to cover the cost of the roof-mounted solar energy collectors. According to Today’s Homeowner, the cost of a solar-heated system is between $18 and $25 (CAD 25 and CAD 35) per square foot.

Electric Radiant Floor Heating

While the actual cost of the electrical heating tapes is higher, there’s no need for additional equipment apart from a thermostat. This assumes the home's electrical system has sufficient space capacity. According to FIXR, you can expect to pay between $8 and $15 (CAD 11.25 and CAD 21) per square foot for the complete installation of electric underfloor heating.

Zone Control

If you're setting up a whole home underfloor heating system, consider creating temperature zones that provide better control. These will cost between $1,000 and $15,000 (CAD 1,406 and CAD 21,101) according to Today's Homeowner.

Radiant Flooring Options

The above figures don’t include costs for flooring — which you'll no doubt have to rip up to install radiant floor heating, then replace when that installation is complete.

You have a wide choice of flooring options that are compatible with underfloor heating, including laminate, vinyl, tile, hardwood, carpeting and more. According to Forbes Home Improvement, vinyl flooring is the cheapest option at $3 to $7 (CAD 4.22 to CAD 9.85) per square foot. Hardwood costs $7 to $23 (CAD 9.85 to CAD 28) per square foot, depending on the type of wood used. Tile floors are often the most expensive option, at $6 to $20 (CAD 8.44 to CAD 41) per square foot.

The average cost for all types of flooring works out at approximately $10 (CAD 14) per square foot.

More Related Articles:

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• What’s the Difference Between a Furnace and a Heat Pump?

• How to Bleed Your Radiator

• Here’s Why You Need to Get a Furnace Tune-up

• Need a New Furnace? Here’s What You Should Know

Can Radiant Floor Heating Be Installed in an Existing Home?

Yes, radiant heating systems can be installed in an existing home. You’ll usually have to remove the old flooring, but it's sometimes possible to lay the radiant heating on the old floor. This will increase the floor level by a few inches.

Below are the average costs per square foot to remove existing flooring based on type.

• Carpeting: $0.24 (CAD 0.34)

• Tiles: $1.01 (CAD 1.42)

• Vinyl flooring: $0.28 (CAD 0.39)

• Wood flooring: $1.11 (CAD 1.56)

• Average rounded-up cost: $1 (CAD 1.41)

How Much Does It Cost to Install Radiant Floor Heating in an Existing Home?

The cost to install radiant floor heating in an existing home depends on the underfloor heating system, the cost of flooring and the cost of removing the old flooring. These figures include the cost of a boiler, heat pump or solar collectors.

Total Hydronic Cost

The cost for hydronic heating is between $10 and $34 (CAD 14 and CAD 48) per square foot but may be higher for high-end tiling or hardwood floors. The inclusive cost of hydronic underfloor heating for a medium-size house (2,000 square feet) is $20,000 to $68,000 (CAD 28,135 to CAD 95,660).

Cost of Geothermal Heating

The cost for geothermal radiant floor heating is between $11 and $32 (CAD 15 and CAD 45) per square foot. Expect to pay between $22,000 and $64,000 (CAD 30,950 and CAD 90,030) for a medium-sized home.

Cost For Solar Powered Hydronic Heating

The cost per square foot for underfloor heating using solar hot water heaters is between $22 and $37 (CAD 31 and CAD 52). The total cost for medium-sized homes is between $44,000 and $74,000 (CAD 61,900 and CAD 104,100).

All-in Cost of Electric Radiant Floor Heating

The cost for electric radiant floor heating is between $12 and $27 (CAD 17 and CAD 38) per square foot. For medium-sized homes, the total cost is from $24,000 to $54,000 (CAD 33,760 to CAD 75,964).

Operational Costs

Radiant heating efficiency is excellent. The operational costs of a radiant heat installation compared to conventional heating are much lower. Today’s Homeowner estimates you can achieve energy savings of between 15% and 30%.