Waukesha County Home

Dear Jim: We are adding a family room and a bedroom to our house. We are consid- ering electric radiant in-floor heating. Is it costly to operate and does it work well with carpeting? — Anne V. Dear Anne: Electric in-floor heating is one type of electrical resistance heating. Resistance heating is typically the most expensive to operate, but in-floor electric radiant heating is the exception. In addi- tion to keeping your feet toasty warm, it offers some advantages over forced air heating systems such as gas-oil furnaces and heat pumps. Since there will be no ducts in your new rooms, consider adding a small mini-split ductless air-conditioning system for sum- mer cooling. For just slightly more initial cost, install a heat pump model. This can also be used to heat the rooms during mild spring and fall weather. Although it is most often used for con- crete and tile flooring, electric radiant in- floor heating can also be used under carpet- ing, hardwood and laminate flooring. Each type of flooring requires a different design of heating materials. All of them are typi- cally less expensive to install than a stan- dard ducted heating system. The primary advantage of in-floor radi- ant heating is improved comfort. It sounds as though you sense that when your feet are warm, you feel warm all over. This benefit of radiant heating allows most people to set the room air temperature lower and still be comfortable. Anytime the thermostat is set lower, less energy is needed to keep the room warm. With the low-intensity heat emanating from the floor and less air movement, there is less stratification in the room. This means less hot air ends up at the ceiling instead of down closer to the floor where people are. There also often is less dust and particles floating in the room air. Most room additions are done over a con- crete slab, so installing electric heating cable is effective and a relatively simple project. The electric heating cable is usual- ly placed in a serpentine pattern and then covered with thinset or other floor leveling material. The thermal mass of the slab yields even heating, but the temperature reacts slowly to wall thermostat changes. The above installation technique is also common in bathrooms and kitchens where ceramic tile is used for the flooring surface. The in-floor heating system manufacturer can do calculations to determine how much cable you will need for your climate and size room. Many of the radiant floor heat- ing systems are designed for do-it-yourself installation. When installing under carpeting, hard- wood, or laminate flooring, the heating cables are installed in rolls of fiberglass mesh and are easily interconnected. Con- tact the flooring material manufacturer to make sure the maximum heating mesh tem- perature does not exceed the maximum allowable for the flooring material. WarmlyYours provides a do-it-yourself electric radiant floor heating kit with heat- ing wires in foil. It is wafer-thin and ideal for use between carpet padding and the car- pet. Heatizon offers a kit with thin mesh which is stapled to the subflooring. It is low- voltage, making it very safe for simple installation. The following companies offer electric in- floor heating systems: Calorique, 800-922- 9276, www.calorique.com; Heatizon, 888-239- 1232, www.heatizon.com; Orbit Radiant Heating, 888-895-0958, www.orbitradianthe- ating.com; Suntouch, 888-432-8932, www.suntouch.net; and WarmlyYours, 800- 875-5285, www.warmlyyours.com. Dear Jim: I have a water heater insula- tion jacket, but it's not long enough to cover my entire new electric water heater. Will it be effective if the water heater is covered only three-quarters of the way down? — Sue K. Dear Sue: Although it is best to insulate the entire tank, your water heater jacket should still be effective. The water at the top of the tank is hotter than at the bottom. If you have some old fiberglass or rock wool wall insulation, wrap a layer of it around the bottom uncovered area. Face the vapor barrier to the outside and use it to staple the ends of the insulation together. A gas water heater does needs an open area at the bottom for combustion air. (Send inquiries to James Dulley, The Free- man, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45244 or visit www.dulley.com.) Fo r m o re i n fo r m a t i o n , c o n t a c t B e t h Wa l s h a t 414 . 3 3 3 . 5 8 5 3 o r v i s i t w w w. Fox L a k e Vi l l a g e . c o m 2 5 2 3 6 2 0 0 3 Speculative Homes Under Construction Now 45 N EW LOTS AVAI LABLE NOW Hurry! $5,000 Construction Discount for Lots Reserved Prior to 3/31/17 • 23-acre water feature • Fully improved homesites with city sewer and city water • Homesites from $86,900 and speculative home/lot packages from $415,900 • Waterfront homesites available Enjoy the best of all worlds in this community as you discover the beauty of nature, as well as the conveniences that the City of Waukesha provides. The Easton Ranch $449,500 Exceptional design prevails in this new 3BR/2BA ranch home to be ready on 2/1/17. Open concept great room/kitchen with painted cabinetry and huge island. Fully exposed basement with 9' poured walls and large windows. MLS#1497959 HOMES PLUS FEBRUARY 2017 6 JAMES DULLEY Heatizon Electric radiant heating cable/mesh is placed on a kitchen floor before the ceramic tile is installed. The manufacturer can advise about how much to use. Methods of in-floor heating vary, but there are several options for do-it-yourselfers Best to insulate entire water heater, but a jacket can also get the job done

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