JAMES DULLEY | Cutting your utility bills Floor heating keeps toes toasty, thermostats low

Q. I thought about installing warm floor electric heating for some chilly rooms. It sounds really comfortable to have warm feet on a cold morning. What options do I have and will they cut my utility bills?
A. Getting out of bed in the morning and stepping on a heated floor does sound comfortable. Not only is the floor warm, but the warm floor radiates heat up to your body. Even though the air temperature in the bedroom, or any other room, is lower, you still feel toasty warm.
Although most electric heating is an expensive energy source for a home, using electric floor radiant heat can be a real money-saver. With your feet warm and the heat radiating up from the floor, you can set your regular furnace thermostat lower for savings without sacrificing your comfort.
Other benefits of electric floor heating systems are no moving parts, they require no maintenance, and are totally quiet. A big plus for allergy sufferers is these systems neither create or circulate airborne dust.
Options: Your options for installing an electric floor radiant system are numerous. It can be installed under an existing wood floor between the joist, on top of the floor under carpet or in concrete for room additions. Some of the systems have color-coded components for easy do-it-yourself installation.
Insulated electric heating cable, laid in various patterns on a floor, is the most common type of radiant floor heating. It can be covered with many typical floor finishes. The manufacturers have excellent customer service to help you plan how much cable you need to heat a specific room.
Other simple-to-install systems use a plastic mesh with the cable already woven through it. This helps you determine the amount of cable for an area and provides perfect spacing. You just staple it to the floor and finish the floor over it. The floor surface stays at a comfortable 85 to 90 degrees.
Heating conductors: Some systems use two layers of tough plastic film with the electrical heating conductors safely sandwiched between them. The width of this film is sized for typical floor spacing. It is often stapled between the floor joists immediately underneath the floor with insulation installed below it.
Another easy-to-install system uses a metal mesh and low-voltage current to produce the heat. A small transformer lowers the voltage to a safe 8 to 30 volts. This mesh can be installed under almost any floor material, even carpet.
Installing a separate thermostat for each room provides the best comfort and highest efficiency. Programmable thermostats are particularly effective for bedrooms. Optional combination floor/room air thermostats improve comfort too.
Q. I am considering installing a sunroom or enclosed porch over the patio in my backyard. What actually is the difference between a sunroom/greenhouse and an enclosed porch with windows?
A. Many people, including some builders, use the words interchangeably. A sunroom typically has a clear roof and thermal pane windows for nearly year-round use. It may have only a few windows that open.
An enclosed porch, like the one I built over my patio, has an insulated metal roof. All of the windows open so it is very breezy. Many do not have thermal pane glass, so they get too cold to use during the winter.
XWrite for Update Bulletin No. 729, which gives a buyer's guide of nine electric warm floor system manufacturers listing design types, sizes/heat outputs, common applications, comfort controls and installation instructions. Please send $3 and a business-size SASE to James Dulley, The Vindicator, 6906 Royalgreen Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45244. For an instant download, visit James Dulley online at www.dulley.com.