Question: Where I grew up in Europe most of the homes had heated floors. Here in the U.S. most homes are heated by blowing hot air. Why don't more homes here the U.S. having heated floors?

Answer: Radiant floor heating is not new. As a matter of fact, the Romans built fires under their stone floors starting as early as 60 A.D. There are a couple of reasons it is rare to have radiant floor heating systems here in the U.S. The first reason is that the initial cost is greater with a radiant floor heating system compared to a forced air system. The second reason is most builders and homeowners are unfamiliar with radiant floor systems in our area. The initial installation of these systems is more complex than with a typical forced air system.

Question: What are the advantages of a hydronic radiant system compared to a forced hot system?

Answer: There are several advantages. The first is comfort. Radiant heat warms you directly. There are none of the drafts that are associated with forced air HVAC systems. If you have ever gotten out of bed in the middle of the night and stepped onto a cold floor, you can appreciate the value of a warm floor. The second is radiant heating is virtually silent. Unlike a noisy forced hot air, radiant heating is virtually silent. Third, they are healthier there is no blowing of dust and allergens around the home. Fourth, is a radiant system does not require often unattractive registers, baseboard or wall radiators, there is nothing to see. Fifth, radiant heating generally uses less energy, it heat objects not the air.

Question: What heats the floors?

Answer: In most whole-home radiant floor systems the floors are heated with water. Water is up to 3,500 times more effective in heat transfer than air. After the water is heated by a high-efficiency gas or oil-fired boiler, geothermal heat pump, or solar, it travels through tubing either above or below the subflooring. Tubing often is embedded in a layer of concrete with tile, hardwood, or carpet installed on top of the concrete. Electrical resistant heat may be used as a "chill chaser" for limited bathroom floor applications, but is generally, not suitable for whole-home heating.

Question: How can I learn more?

Answer: Give me a call and I will show you a custom home in the area with such a system. After you have experienced a custom home with radiant floor heating it would be hard to go back to a home with forced air heating. It is regrettable more custom homes in area, many built in the past few years, do not have radiant floor heating.

Update: In the January column I discussed the 30% Federal Tax Credit for Solar Photovoltaic. Last month this 30% credit was expanded to include other renewable energy systems, including solar-water, wind turbines and geothermal systems (the topic of next month's column).

About the Author: Dale Schulz is the President of Schulz Homes, www.schulzhomes.com, and he has been building custom homes in our area since 1987. He also is the president and founder of Virginia Renewable Energy which retrofits existing homes with renewable energy systems, such as solar electric panels and wind turbines. You can contact him as well as send your questions for future columns to dale@schulzhomes.com. Schulz Homes phone # is 540.687.3367.