Electric resistance heated floor

[theoldwizard1]

Okay, it is not in a garage.

My daughter wants to convert a typical midwest basement in to a playroom. These basements are always "cool" especially in winter. I want to install a raised floor (DriCore unless someone else has a better recommendation). After that, I was think if electric resistance heating pad (switched/thermostat) and carpeting. There is forced air heat in the basement so this would be just a "little extra" to keep the kids feet warm.

Has any one done anything like this ? Is it overkill ?

 

[NXGTS]

Very interested too. I plan to install a tile floor in our master bathroom. It already has a very cold floor in the winter and the tile will probably make it worse.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Very interested too. I plan to install a tile floor in our master bathroom. It already has a very cold floor in the winter and the tile will probably make it worse.

It works great under tile. I just don't know how fast it can raise the floor temp from "cool" to "comfortable" because I don't think you want to run it continuously (operating cost).

 

[Quantum Coatings]

Odd because up here in Edmonton basements are the warmest part of the house in the winter, hahaha.

My parents house is entirely heated by underfloor heating (for a house built in the late 80's it was pretty cutting edge). The upstairs bathroom had a tile floor that was always cold in the winter. Despite having underfloor heating, it shared a zone with two of the bedrooms, which they like to keep quite cool, so it was not on very often.

We pulled out the old tile, installed an electric heating element, smoothed out a coat of thinset, then tiled as you normally would. Now the bathroom has its own independent heat source, and its own thermostat, which they have on a timer that heats half an hour before they get up and also in the evening and is off the rest of the day, which saves big on power. They had no noticeable change in power bills, it was just one room but it was a large (~350sqft) bathroom. My parents are extremely happy and swear by it!