In our previous blog, we talked about the wonders of underfloor heating and how it pairs so wonderfully with terrazzo. After the rough overview, we thought it important to take a moment to explain the differences between the two common types of underfloor heating elements: Hydronic and electric.
Either Way
Simply put, for terrazzo flooring, either type of underfloor heating is fine. In fact, for most applications, they essentially achieve the same result, just in different ways. There are differences in upfront cost and carrying costs over time that should be considered, but if you’re worried about which one to pair with your terrazzo flooring, don’t worry too much about one or the other. The most important thing is that you decide and lay your underfloor heating before you put down terrazzo flooring, as tearing up your terrazzo to make the switch later will require more than just grinding equipment, but a full tear out and reinstall. In either case, if you have the foresight to install underfloor heating in addition to or in place of your forced air system, you’ll enjoy even warmth throughout your space, often at a fraction of the cost.
Electric
If you’ve ever seen a bathroom with floors that warm up for the users’ comfort, odds are it was an electric underfloor heating system. Electric is typically considered to be more cost effective for small, especially isolated, areas, such as a single bathroom. Other benefits to going with electric are the relative ease of installation and lower upfront costs; in fact, electric underfloor heating requires very little more than laying it down and flooring over the top. The last scenario where electric flooring is ideal lies in the individual instances of home or business owners not having ready access to affordable natural gas or an abundance of electric power, such as from solar panels or wind turbines. Just as they sound, electric underfloor heating uses raw power converted to heat to pump heat through your terrazzo or other flooring.
Hydronic
Unlike electric, hyrdonic underfloor heating requires far more planning and will absolutely require professional installation since natural gas is involved. The upside to be gained is that, in most instances, the small amount of natural gas required for heating the floor equates to a far lower cost over time than simply using the home or business’ electric supply to power the heating elements. This gives hyrdonic heating the advantage when heating large areas, as the installation costs will be more comparable and bearable when doing a larger portion, plus the energy efficiency can greatly pay off over time.
We Can Help
At Klein and Company Inc, we make terrazzo flooring our business; even as one of the nation’s top terrazzo supply providers, our online store only features products used by our local terrazzo flooring installation and maintenance business. We are small business owners and project managers at heart, which gives us an edge in providing high-quality terrazzo supply to commercial and residential projects everywhere.
Contact us today to learn more about what our terrazzo products can do for your project!
