Ensuring Comfort in Your Home

Contributed by Kim Bliss, Sr. Writer, Technical Communications, Marketing Operations for Uponor

As a fun activity last weekend, my husband sent our children on a treasure hunt to find a buried chest of goodies in our backyard. My three and five year old checked the map, walked around excitedly and eventually found what they were looking for with a giant X-marks-the-spot on the ground.

When I originally titled this entry, I was going to call it “Finding Comfort in Your Home.” But then I got to thinking. When deciding to build new or remodel a home, comfort shouldn’t be some elusive treasure you’re trying to find; instead it should be something you decidedly choose.

Working for a company that envisions “enriching people’s lives”, I have learned about one of the most effective — as well as efficient — forms of bringing comfort to a home. It’s called radiant floor heating.

For those of you who have experienced radiant floor heating first hand (or, rather I should say first foot), you are probably nodding in agreement. For those unfamiliar with the concept, imagine stepping out of a shower and instead of placing your feet on chilly tile, having a warm, inviting surface beneath your feet.

Radiant floor heating systems circulate warm water through tubing located under the floor. This heating concept (which dates back to Roman times) is a highly efficient form of heating. That is because water has the capacity to transport energy 3,500 times greater than air, so a radiant floor heating system can actually heat a home much more efficiently than a forced-air furnace.

Imagine that — a system that is actually both more comfortable and more energy efficient. Plus, it can be installed during new home construction, as well as remodels, and works well under any floor surface.

So, when you are thinking about where you can add comfort in your home, think proactively. Think about what you should choose before the build instead of what you can find after the structure is built.

Now that I’ve got you thinking about comfort under your floors, have you ever thought about what’s behind your walls and ceilings? Something to think about for next week…