Year: 2020

What is the Best Electric Floor Heating System

With all of the floor heating systems out there, figuring out the best electric floor heating system can be tough. In fact, it can become even tougher when you have to consider what type of flooring you’re installing. In this article, we will go over what you need to consider when determining what electric floor heating system works best for you.

Ease of Installation

Installing an electric floor heating system is normally a difficult job. The wires in the mats will create a need for messy self-levelers and mortars to create a smooth surface for your flooring to lay on. However, mats like QuietWarmth use conductive ink technology. This makes the mats thinner than a credit card, eliminating the need for extra self-levelers and mortars. This eliminates the extra headache of worrying about extra self-levelers and messy mortars.

Energy Efficiency

Energy Efficiency plays a substantial role when considering long term expenses from your heating system. The conductive ink technology gives QuietWarmth an upper-hand in efficiency as well. Not only is the ink technology efficient by nature, but it heats the flooring more evenly compared to cables running back and forth. The cables have to run hotter to make up for the flooring area not in contact with the wire. The heat is distributed unevenly leading to hot and cold spots in the flooring.

QuietWarmth Ink Vs. Wires

We believe QuietWarmth is the best electric floor heating system for all types of floors! QuietWarmth was designed with the customer’s ease of use in mind. This is why there are three different kinds available for each type of flooring. They all heat up your floor with the same technology, but their installations differ.

Electric Floor Heating System for Laminate and Luxury Vinyl Plank

QuietWarmth for Floating floors can be installed in four simple steps – install the underlay, roll out the radiant heat film, hook wires together, have an electrician complete the final wiring. As for the underlay, QuietWarmth works best with QuietWalk as one just needs to cut the QuietWalk and run the lead wires and floor sensor inside the channel created in the underlayment. This makes the wires completely level with the heating mats, so they will not affect your flooring’s level surface. QuietWalk also creates a thermal barrier between your heating mats and your sub-floor, so the heat is pushed up into your flooring.

QuietWarmth Float Video

Electric Floor Heating System for Tile Floors

QuietWarmth Peel and Stick mats are as simple as they sound. The mats are cleverly designed with a peel and stick adhesive on the striped side of the mat. This convenient design is less expensive to install without needing any extra self-leveling mortar to adhere the mat to a properly prepared subfloor without raising the height of the flooring. This also allows for a same-day tile installation. The factory equipped anti-fracture member will even help protect your tile floors from future shifting and potential cracking of your subfloor.

Electric Floor Heating System for Existing Floors

Already have beautiful flooring installed? No problem, QuietWarmth Retrofit Radiant Heat is built specifically for the case. The mats are installed between existing floor joists. You can install them from the basement beneath or from available crawl space. Since the mats are not installed directly beneath the flooring, they are compatible with any flooring.

Every QuietWarmth system needs a thermostat to control the temperature of the flooring. We have just launched our new QuietWarmth Smart Home thermostat! We wrote an article that shows its many features here.

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    • QuietWarmth Launches New 7-Day WIFI Programmable Thermostat with Alexa and Echo Compatibility

    More and more homeowners are beginning to control their homes with a smart assistant. Smart assistants can help you control the lighting, home security, TV’s, and more. This is why QuietWarmth has Launched their New 7-day WIFI Programmable Thermostat with Alexa and Echo Compatibility.

    Smart Interaction

    The QuietWarmth 7-Day WIFI Programmable Thermostat with Alexa and Echo Compatibility is a thermostat designed to be used with any of the QuietWarmth heating mats. This includes the 120V and 240V versions. What sets this thermostat apart from the other QuietWarmth thermostats is the ability to control your floor heating system through either Amazon’s Alexa or Google’s Google Home. The new thermostat also features remote WLAN connectivity. This gives homeowners a convenient way to adjust and monitor their home heating system. Controlling through smart assistants plus having remote accessibility creates a very favorable experience when controlling your system.

    Powerful Power Logging

    You can see your floor heating system’s power consumption with a few touches on display or log into your account from an app. Don’t worry about what app store you are using because the app is compatible with Apple and Android. You can see your energy use daily, weekly, or monthly. Power consumption is automatically saved to your user account as well, ensuring you always have the information available.

    Display

    The display is a 4″ colored touch-responsive touch screen display. The user interface was designed to be simple to navigate with touch screen controls. The temperature can be displayed in either Celsius or Fahrenheit for ease of use. Users do not have to worry about power outages as the thermostat has been fitted with a 5-year battery back-up of clock and calendar. This battery also enables the thermostat to remember its current settings after power outages as well.

    Safety

    We do not take our customers safety lightly. This is why we equipped the thermostat with a built-in ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) that will cut power in the event of a power surge, helping protect you, your floors, and your radiant heat system. It is also ETL listed for the USA and Canada. A 10′ floor sensor is included with the thermostat so you can accurately measure the temperature of your heated floor. It also has a built-in ambient air sensor allowing easy monitoring of the room temperature.

    2-in-1 bundle

    Of course, a thermostat is not useful without mats, which is why we made our new QuietWarmth 2-in-1 bundle. This bundle not only includes the new thermostat but also comes with our new 2-in-1 QuietWarmth mat. The mat is 3 feet wide by 16 feet 8 inches long and can be cut in the middle to separately use both ends of the mat. This ultimately gives you two custom mat lengths, minimizing waste and saving money invested. If you want to learn more about the 2-in-1 QuietWarmth mat there is a page with everything you’ll need to know here.

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    • How to pick the right underlayment

    Transcription: You’ve picked your flooring style, now it is time to fill in the gaps for the other pieces to the project. Let’s talk about underlayments and how do you pick the right one for the job!? When choosing a flooring underlayment, not all are created equal. In fact, not all are universal for the type of subfloor you have. While concrete subfloors at or below grade have the potential for moisture emissions, most wood subfloors above grade are just the opposite. In general, work from the bottom side up first…Always understand what your subfloor is and address it’s needs first before picking out the underlayment for your flooring.

    Concrete subfloors are porous and no matter how old the slab has been around, they are always emitting moisture vapor. Some concrete subfloors will emit more moisture than others and this depends on many environmental and geographical factors and water table conditions where the construction is located.

    Concrete with qualifying moisture generally releases it as a vapor. It remains a vapor until it encounters an obstacle that causes it to form droplets or liquid. There are ways to test concrete moisture levels, check out the links in the notes to our other information and videos on that. But in general, when planning to install a flooring material over concrete, a proper vapor barrier is required in order to keep harmful moisture from damaging the overlying floor. Make certain your choice of underlayment lowers the rate of water vapor transmissions to an acceptable rate to protect the flooring choice.

    New wood construction can sometimes be inundated with moisture from inclement weather prior to getting roofing materials on. Saturated subfloors need time to dry before placing the flooring on top of them. Likewise, wood subfloors over an unfinished crawl space are subject to moisture, therefore make certain the underlayment choice does not trap moisture in a wood subfloor but allows it to safely dissipate. If you are installing over a conditioned room below on a second story where moisture isn’t a cause for any of the mentioned concerns, then finding an underlayment with little to no moisture protection is fine.

    After understanding any moisture concern the subfloor brings to the project, other considerations for picking out the right underlayment comes down to aesthetics and performance attributes that might be important for the living environment the flooring may reside in. Having a dense material like the recycled materials found in the QuietWalk family of products, blanket the underside of the flooring offering noise control…making the floor feel more solid underfoot, and helping floating floors act and perform like fastened wood floors. It will also properly support the joints of the floor, and will not crush over time due to normal traffic the floor will endure. There are ways to understand how underlayment materials will endure under pressure, check out the link in the notes below to our compression resistance video.

    Additionally, a second story and multifamily living environments may need a lab qualified underlayment under the floor like the QuietWalk products to help promote harmonious living spaces. All QuietWalk products are HOA recommended with independent lab testing available for sound control.

    There are many proclaimed “universal” types of underlayments on the market…it is always important to address how the underlayment will FIRST address and protect the subfloor concerns before moving on to the other attributes of the floor and installation. Starting from the bottom side up, first, is a good start to picking out the right underlayment for your new floor!

    MP Global has a product selector tool, which is handy….it can be used to really drill into what product you need based on the application and product features that are important.

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    • What is the Best Flooring for Underfloor Heating

    When discussing the best flooring for underfloor heating, there are many aspects to consider, such as thickness and heat retention. However, the most important is how easily the flooring material lets heat pass through or, for short, thermal conductivity. The best flooring for underfloor heating will have the highest thermal conductivity. High thermal conductivity will give you the benefit of faster heat-up times and less energy required to maintain a certain level of heat, making your system more efficient overall. Don’t worry; this does not mean radiant heating systems will not work with less conductive flooring materials. In fact, there is an underfloor system for almost every type of flooring! In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about radiant floor heating and how to choose the right floor covering to go with your system.

    Tile & Stone

    Due to their high thermal conductivity, tile and stone are the best choices available for underfloor heating. Not only do they let heat pass through very quickly, but they also retain the heat well, resulting in running your system less. They also have the highest maximum temperature, capable of reaching up to 84 degrees Fahrenheit and sometimes more. If you are looking for a system with the fastest possible heat up time, you should also consider going with a thin tile. As a general rule, anything over 3/4″ thickness will begin to slow your heat-up times.

    We recommend QuietWarmth Peel and Stick. QuietWarmth Peel and Stick uses conductive ink technology instead of traditional wiring inside mesh mats. This technology not only provides a more evenly heated floor but is also thinner than a credit card. This prevents any change in floor height and prevents you from dealing with any extra self-levelers or messy mortars. The same-day installation capability will allow you to peel and stick the mats to the sub-floor and begin tiling!

    Vinyl Flooring

    Vinyl flooring performs well as a conductor for underfloor heating. Since most vinyl floors are thin, it heats up and cools down quickly. Vinyl flooring is waterproof, helping prevent moisture issues. Vinyl floorings biggest set back is its temperature restriction. In general, vinyl flooring should not reach over 80.6 degrees Fahrenheit. It is important to check the vinyl manufacturer’s installation instructions for the specific temperature limit.

    Laminate Flooring

    Laminate has been a popular flooring option for the last 20 years. It’s cost-effective, easy to install, and can visually suit any decor need because one can find it in all shades. Laminate flooring will work well with underfloor heating; one needs to be a little extra careful when choosing their laminate flooring. Laminate tends to be thicker and denser than luxury vinyl flooring. You will want to ensure thermal conductivity. The thinner the laminate is, the quicker the heat up time will be, and the more responsive your system will be.

    Wood Flooring

    There are many different types of wood flooring that each have different thermal properties. Density and thickness are the two factors you will want to consider when looking for compatible wood flooring. The more dense and thin the boards are will typically mean increased thermal conductivity.

    Hardwood

    Hardwood tends to be prone to temperature and humidity changes. Too drastic of changes can cause crowning, gapping, and cupping. If you want to install underfloor heating with hardwood flooring make sure to check with the flooring manufacturer about compatibility.

    Engineered Timber

    Engineered timber handles changing floor temperature and humidity levels well making it the best wood floor for underfloor heating.

    Bamboo

    Bamboo is another notable wood flooring material for use with underfloor heating. It has a similar construction to engineered wood. It is also much denser than most hardwoods giving it a good thermal conductivity.

    Rubber Flooring

    Rubber flooring will depend on what kind of rubber flooring you choose. Solid rubber flooring normally is very conductive and has excellent thermal properties. However, some rubber floorings have been known to give off an odor when used with radiant heat. It is important to consult the manufacturer of the rubber flooring company to find out about its compatibility.

    Carpet Flooring

    Although there are better options for underfloor heat out there, carpet is still viable. The carpet material must not act as an insulator that blocks most of the heat. Your best bet is to choose a thinner carpet that is not designed to insulate. Once again, it is best to check with the manufacturers to ensure compatibility.

    Bottom Line

    No matter what type of flooring you wish to install, it is important to check both the manufacturer’s instructions and the underfloor heating manufacturer’s instructions. The manufacturer will most likely state the wood’s compatibility with radiant heat inside its installation instructions. If not, it is worth it to contact the manufacturer to be certain when dealing with a big investment like new flooring.

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    • What is Radiant Heat?

    Radiant heat is one of the oldest forms of heating that has ever existed. While it is an old form of heating, it has been completely revamped and is now known as one of the best ways to heat your home. Radiant heat is a type of underfloor heating that uses electromagnetic infrared waves to help heat you up. Today, some of the most luxurious homes around the world are using radiant heat.

    How Does Radiant Heat Work?

    The science behind radiant heat is fascinating. Radiant heat allows people to warm up by absorbing the electromagnetic waves that are given off. When people or other objects in a room absorb these waves they convert it to heat. Absorbing the waves allows you to immediately warm up. When the objects and people in the room warm up they are able to transfer their heat to the rest of the room.

    Unlike other forms of heating in a home, radiant heat is ideal because it warms up the objects in a room, rather than warming up the air. This allows you to be more efficient with the way you heat your home.

    If you install radiant heat in your home, it will likely take the form of underfloor heat. The installation process is simple and will allow you to receive the many benefits that it has to offer.

    Advantages of Having Radiant Heat in Your Home

    There are many advantages of having radiant heat in your home. People all over the world are looking to use radiant heat because of these amazing benefits.

    More Efficient

    One of the main advantages of having radiant heat in your home is that it is much more efficient than other forms of heat. When you have a traditional duct system in your home you often lose a great deal of heat to the crevices within the ducts. Radiant heat is also much more efficient than baseboard heating and can lower your energy costs.

    Radiant heating is one of the most efficient types of heating because it also is able to heat a room evenly. When people rely on other forms of heating they often have hot and cold spots in their house, causing them to run their system more than necessary. Radiant heating can be ran less because it heats the entire room the same. You will not need to worry about one part of the room being colder or warmer than the rest.

    Saves You Money

    Another great advantage of using radiant heat in your home is that you are able to save a great deal of money. Since radiant heat is more efficient than other types of heat you can save yourself money on your monthly energy bills.

    Improves the Quality of Air

    Everyone wants to have a clean indoor air. Radiant heat in your home improves the overall air quality. When duct systems turn on the force air through the ducts and into the home. This increases the number of allergens in the home and can be terrible for people or families with allergies. If you want the best possible air for you and your family, it’s worth considering radiant heating. It reduces the blowing around of dust and allergens leaving you breathing in fresher and cleaner air.

    Quiet System

    Radiant heat is one of the quietest heating systems available. This form of heating is silent and allows you to have peace and quiet during all parts of the day and night. Other forms of heating leave you hearing the air blowing through the vents and the noisy machinery turning on and off.

    No Maintenance

    Another great benefit of using radiant heat in your home is that you do not need to perform regular maintenance on the heating system. In fact, an underfloor heating system, like this radiant heat, requires no maintenance. This can also save you time and money in the long run.

    Installing Radiant Heat

    If you are looking to install radiant heat to heat your entire home, you will likely need help from a professional. Radiant heat is one of the ideal types of heat for any house and because of this many new homes are installing this form of underfloor heat in the homes.

    While this type of heating system is easy to install in new homes, it can be installed in existing homes. To determine if underfloor heat is capable of heating your entire home you should highly request an appointment with a professional to help you determine if your home is insulated well enough. However, if you are installing radiant heat for improved comfort and extra heat in your home, you will not need a professionals advice.

    To install this type of heat in your home you will likely need to remove your existing floors, however, this is not always essential. There are products out there like QuietWarmth Retrofit which can be installed without removing your existing floors. If you are already looking to change your floors, it may be a great opportunity to add the extra comfort to your home. If your home is air tight and insulated properly, underfloor heat is an even better option for you and your family.

    There are different ways that you can install this type of heat in your home. You can install QuietWarmth mats under floating floors, or even install QuietWarmth Peel & Stick under tile floors. These electric mats sit underneath your flooring heating it up. The flooring then transfers the heat to the objects and people within the room. These mats work well with many types of flooring, and make a great choice when improving the comfort of your home.

    The benefits of Radiant Heat Are Clear

    There are many benefits of using radiant heat in your home. If you are looking to increase your energy efficiency, reduce heating costs, improve air quality, and never have your feet cold again, this type of flooring may be the best option for you and your family. Installing this new system of heat in your home may take some time, but the benefits of this heating system far outweigh the cons. The ability to heat your home without worrying about maintenance costs is a huge benefit that all people should consider.

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    • Should You Test Your Concrete Subfloor for Moisture?

    (Intro)

    As you can see, we have marked off an area that is approximately 20in by 20in. And the idea here is to have a good clean and smooth surface inside this perimeter. So we need to brush it off, sweep it off, maybe even have to rub a little sand paper on there, something like that to get all the debris off that you can, and it might be a little bit of a dusty job so you will want to be prepared to take the steps necessary to keep it as clean as possible and not to be breathing in all that dust. But in the end, you do want a nice clean, smooth surface.

    What I’m holding here is the actual calcium chloride test and what comes with that inside of here, is the dish with the test materials inside and we are going to pop that open here in a just a second. But you also get kind of an amber colored plastic dome that has some self-adhesive tape on there that we will eventually put over the dish.

    So, what we are going to do right now, (opens dish package). What we’re doing here is removing the dish, and the top side you’ll see has some printing on it. And its also covered, or sealed up I should say, with some black electrical tape. And you want to leave that on there for the time being. The idea here is to place this on the scale, so you can get a reading, I guess you could call it a dry reading of the ingredients. And this one weighs 30 grams.

    Really any common scale will work. If you have a food scale, maybe you have a postage scale, that will work just fine. But always remember to follow the test kit manufacturers recommendations.

    So very simply, now that you have your weight. The idea here is to remove the black plastic tape from the dish. And we have already removed the protective little pieces here on your self-adhesive strips. The black plastic tape simply goes on the inside top of the dome, we will use this later. Now that we have that done, its just a simple matter of being very careful not to spill any of the contents here, set the dish down like so. Take your plastic dome, simply put it on top of here (plastic dish) and seal down the edges. And go enjoy yourself for 60-72 hours.

    Remember, in your basement you need to maintain a relative humidity of somewhere between 40 and 60 percent.

    It is imperative that you test 3 times for the first 1000 square feet in the area that you are working in. Now also please remember for each additional 1000 square feet you are going to need to perform an additional test. We are in a rather large area right here and we have already put a test over on the other side of the room that we are going to show you in a minute and that test has been there for about 72 hours. So, lets go take a look at what happened.

    Now it’s time to open up this dome to access the dish that’s inside, without disturbing the dish. And to do that, we’re just going to simply, make a cut, right here, (diagonally across the square dome). Now that we have made our cut, we’re going to carefully reach inside, and pull out the dish, being very careful not to spill any of the contents. Before we weigh any contents of the dish, we want to make sure that its sealed up with the black plastic tape that was stuck to the underside of that amber colored dome.

    Now what we’ll do, is simply place it on the scale, and the scale is set to grams. And we can see that our weight has showed up. So now that we have gotten to this point, you can either follow the formula on the screen, or for those us that are maybe a little math challenged, you can access the website of the test manufacturer and most of them will provide you with a little calculator there where you can get the results you are looking for.

    So, what do we know now? Well what we know now is we have the right information to make an educated decision as to what flooring products you are going to need to use in the environment that you are working in MP global has a great product selection tool if you have questions about our products, or how to use them.

    (Outro)

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    • Can I Use Carpet as Underlay for Laminate Flooring?

    The tough exterior layer and resin coating of laminated floors make them very durable. This type of flooring lasts between 15 and 25 years. Laminated flooring also endures exposure to high heels, cats, dogs, and even kids. They are also easier to clean than carpets and less likely to experience weather damage. These features and their other benefits make them a favorite among homeowners. Have you decided to switch up your carpeted floors for laminated flooring? If so, be careful to install your laminate floors properly to get the most performance and longevity out of your new floors.

    Consider the Carpet Pile Thickness

    The type of carpet already in use will determine if removal is necessary before installing laminate floors. Carpets are generally categorized as high-pile, medium pile, or low-pile. Low-pile carpets, usually less than a quarter-inch in height, are those commonly utilized in hotel rooms, air and bus aisle ways, and for other commercial applications. If your carpet is low-pile and is generally flat and in good condition, your laminate can be properly installed on top of the existing floors. It is important to remember that a high quality underlayment will still better serve your flooring than low-pile carpet overall.

    Medium-pile carpets are usually between a quarter-inch and a half-inch in thickness. High-pile carpets are thicker, from half-inch to ¾ inch in thickness. Medium and high-pile carpets are mostly used as plush flooring in living rooms and bedrooms of residential homes. These types of carpets should not have laminated floors installed over them as they will not provide enough stability to support your floor. Their thickness will affect the locking systems between individual planks, making the floor uneven or can result in damage as well.

    Can I lay Laminate Flooring on Carpet Underlay?

    Another question you have probably considered is, can you lay laminate flooring on top of carpet underlay? The carpet underlay usually acts as a shock absorber and enables carpets to recover or bounce back when exposed to footfall and heavy wear. The underlay will therefore prevent your pile from becoming flat and help your carpet look presentable for a longer duration.

    Although you may try to reduce your expenses by using the carpet underlay for your laminated floors, this is harmful in the long-term. When you are removing the carpet, you must remove everything until you reach the sub-floor. This removal is because the carpet underlay is too thick to properly support the newly installed laminate.

    In general, the underlay for laminate flooring is between 1mm and 3mm thick, while most carpet underlays are around 8mm to 10mm thick. This thick padding would not offer proper support to the laminated floors, possibly damaging your floors. The added height will interfere with the interlocking of the individual laminate planks, leading to a poor fit or a short-lived floor finishing.

    To ensure that the laminated floors can be correctly installed, both the carpet and carpet underlay should be removed, and the sub-floor should be smooth and free of debris. Removing all of these will give your laminate flooring a smooth and seamless surface.

    Can I Use Carpet Under Vinyl Flooring

    Installing vinyl floors is also common as this flooring is durable, comfortable, and easy to install and clean. Vinyl floors are also good for homes with heavy foot traffic. The vinyl reduces noises, which can be a great advantage for large families with kids and pets. Nonetheless, the great question is, can you use carpet underlay under vinyl flooring?

    As carpet underlays are generally thicker than what is needed, reaching up to 10 mm in thickness, it would not be advisable to install vinyl over it. Having this thick underlay under the vinyl will make the flooring unstable. Reusing your carpet underlay will make the floor too bouncy; hence it will not be stable when placing your vinyl tiles. Luxury Vinyl planks click-lock systems will also be jeopardized with too much cushion.

    You can have an underlay used for your vinyl floors. Having the appropriate vinyl underlayment can help eliminate noise, provide a cushion to the floor, add thermal properties, and provide moisture protection to your floors, making them more durable. However, the appropriate thickness for this underlay is 2mm or less. This thickness ensures that the vinyl can properly interlock during installation.

    Final Considerations

    Instead of trying to save a little money in the short-term and risking all of your hard work installing a new floor, take the time to do it right. Remove the carpet and carpet underlay and install the proper underlay for the type of flooring you are installing. You will appreciate the long-lasting durability and esthetic appeal that your new floors will add to your home or business.

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    • Are Heated Floors Dangerous?

    Floor Heating has grown in popularity over the last two decades. This growth has derived from improvements in floor heating like improved safety, efficiency, pricing, and ease of installation. Many systems are often installed in kitchens and bathrooms, where water and electric floor mats could be a dangerous combination. This ushers the question “are heated floors dangerous?” We cannot speak for all electric floor heating manufacturers, but in our case yes, QuietWarmth electric radiant heating systems are safe. QuietWarmth is UL listed, ETL listed, and offers a 25 year warranty all to help ensure the safety of our products.

    Will Heated Floors Shock Me?

    The odds of the heated floors shocking you are little to none. Our entire heating systems went through a thorough research and development process to ensure we are providing the safest product for our customers. QuietWarmth’s wires are surrounded by a durable sheath. Preventing any current leakage from reaching the floor. The systems have been UL and ETL approved meaning both the wires, and the conductive heat mats meet the national safety standards. Since the conductive ink mats are thinner than a credit card, you don’t have to worry about them raising your floor. Your flooring will not affect the mats negatively either.

    Will Heated Floors get too Hot?

    If radiant floor heating becomes too hot, it has been known to damage flooring and become uncomfortable to live on. We specifically engineered QuietWarmth to not exceed 85 degrees F. This way it is incapable of reaching a potentially dangerous temperature. Since QuietWarmth uses conductive ink technology, the heat is evenly distributed. Systems that use electrical wires running through mesh mats are more prone to leaving hot and cold spots.

    QuietWarmth vs Radiant Mesh Mat

    Can Heated Floors Short Circuit?

    In a worst case scenario, if the system becomes damaged, would it pose a risk of a short circuit of the system? No, QuietWarmth thermostats have a built-in ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI), that will automatically cut-off power if a breach is detected. National electric code requires electric radiant floor heating systems to be protected by a GFCI. The thermostats also come with a 10′ long floor sensor that allows the thermostat to accurately control the temperature of the floor.

    Heated Floors are Better for Allergies

    Radiant heating does not only give improved comfort, but also improves air quality when compared to other floor heating systems. The mats heat the floor, which then heat up people and objects in the room. Heat given off by the warmed floor gets evenly distributed throughout the room preventing drafts and cold spots. Traditional HVAC systems blow air around the house increasing the movement of dust. Extra dust in the air can be hindering for people with allergies and make breathing more difficult. Conventional systems also reduce the humidity of the room, making the air dry and uncomfortable. Considering all of these reasons, underfloor heating is the go to system for allergy suffers.

    Floors Compatible with QuietWarmth

    You have chose your flooring and have decided to install radiant heat with them. Ultimately, it is best to find your flooring manufacturers installation instructions. They will state if radiant floor heating can be used, and give certain requirements the radiant heating must fall under if radiant heating is allowed. Below is a list of common flooring manufacturers QuietWarmth has been known to work with. Each brand has many different types of flooring, so it is still important to check the installation guide for the specific flooring you are looking at. If you don’t see your brand of flooring in the list below, don’t worry, QuietWarmth fits most floors requirements.

    • LifeProof
    • Pergo
    • Hardwood
    • Mannington
    • Shaw
    • Mohawk
    • Tarkett
    • Lumber Liquidators
    • etc…

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    • What is Greenguard Gold Certification?

    When we shop for beds, furniture, or other home decors, the GreenGuard Gold Certifcation logo is popular on some products. It simply means that the product has been tested and certified for low chemical emissions. Usually, we get exposed to chemicals through the air we inhale, mostly indoor air.

    The GreenGuard Environmental Institute (GEI), corporately tailored as GreenGuard, comes as an industry-independent, third-party, and non-profit association. Its main agenda is to help maintain low chemical emissions to the environment. Typically, GEI provides four major certification programs. Three of them deals with the products we purchase for our homes, institutions, and schools. One program involves building certification.

    GEI was first formed in mid-2001 by Air Quality Sciences and operated as an indoor air quality company. Ten years later, it got acquired by the UL Environment. More importantly, all GreenGuard Gold Certifcation are globally known and acknowledged by viable programs and building codes.

    What does GreenGuard Gold Certification mean?

    A product that bears the GreenGuard Certification stamp means that it is best made for indoor uses. In other words, it has been scientifically tested for over 10,000 chemicals and proven to comply with the world’s most strict limits for chemical emissions standards. As a result, indoor air pollution and the risk of chemical exposure get reduced.

    What’s the work of GreenGuard Gold Certifications?

    According to GEI, the rate at which indoor air gets polluted is up to five times higher than that outside. Why? Well, it’s believed that airborne chemicals from furniture, building materials, flawed ventilation systems, and mold dirt contribute to this situation.

    So, a product that bears the GreenGuard Gold Certification mark gets support from a third-party. Besides, all the claims are established by experiential scientific data. In other words, GEI ensures that all the interiors of a home are healthier and safe from toxic chemical emissions. Additionally, companies with GreenGuard Gold Certification are likely to get excellent credibility when making sustainable assertions.

    Basically, the GreenGuard Indoor Air Quality Certification Program pin-points low-emission materials, finishes, and products. Therefore, it maintains quality, safe, and toxic-free indoor settings by reducing exposure to such pollutants. The program also outlines the most stringent guidelines to end the volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions.

    How does the GreenGuard Gold Certification process gets conducted?

    For a company to get this fantastic certification, its products must meet the field-authenticated and performance-based standards. As for the case of materials and products, they need to reveal the use of low chemical emission, although this may not be sufficient. That’s why GreenGuard Gold Certification comes in play. Its standards require that all products should be tested yearly for over 10,000 different volatile organic compounds (VOCs).

    However, the certification process is meant for a diverse range of indoor items and specialists. This includes furniture, flooring underlayments, indoor products, architects, designers, specifiers for products and materials, and builders. All these must meet the rigorous standards for chemical emissions to get the GreenGuard Gold Certification logo.

    Statistically, there are over 200 manufacturers who engage in this certification program willingly. Also, more than 200,000 products get presented in the GreenGuard program. You’ll find all the commodities tested in a well-structured dynamic environmental chamber with temperatures and humidity levels controlled. The products stay in the chamber for one day or a few weeks to understand how many chemicals are eliminated.

    Education Facilities/School-related products

    The GIE institute created a new standard and product certification process in 2005, which acts as an extension of the GreenGuard Indoor Air Quality Certification program. This program mainly focuses on products used at school, K-12, and healthcare institutions.

    Children are more prone to allergies, headaches, and asthma, which may be due to exposure to VOCs. The furniture in classrooms, materials used for construction, and cleaning detergents are the primary sources of VOC emissions in schools.

    So, the only practical and reliable way to maintain a healthy life for children is through this certification program. This is concerned with children’s health, attendance rate, test scores, and productivity.

    That said, it is notable that the GreenGuard Gold Certification was initially referred to as the GreenGuard Children and Schools Certification Program. Typically, it was created by evaluating children’s sensitivity to chemicals and frame structure of schools. That’s why it delivers the most strict product emissions strategy to date for low-chemical emitting materials.

    Why is GreenGuard Gold Certification important?

    Often, chemical emissions come from furniture, cleaning supplies, and other indoor products. And these occur when volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in some products splits at room temperature conditions. Since these compounds are carbon-based, they quickly get converted to gases that disappear into the air.

    Therefore, there are about 50 to 100 varieties of VOCs in our indoor spaces, which may be harmful to your health. Most importantly, the health of kids and the elderly in your home. To help prevent these effects on human life, the GreenGuard Gold Certification program is incredibly essential as follows:

    1. It limits the chemical emissions and VOCs from indoor products to the indoor air.
    2. Improves the quality of indoor air by getting rid of toxic elements and compounds.
    3. Ensures that facilities such as healthcare and schools with sensitive people are safe from indoor pollution.
    4. It is beneficial for companies intending to gain a reputation for producing quality and emission-free products.

    Limitations of GreenGuard Gold Certification

    The only challenge with this program it doesn’t always guarantee you 100% clean air. This is because some GreenGuard Gold certified products still emit certain levels of chemicals.

    Therefore, always be sure to unpack your new furniture, mattresses, or other products in an open space to avoid indoor pollution. Please leave them in a place like a garage for a couple of days before you start using them.

    Conclusion

    The GreenGuard Gold certification exists as one of the most remarkable services in the world. It ensures that all the products you have in your home have low chemical emissions. So, choosing products with GreenGuard Gold certification gives you the easiest way to create a healthier indoor space for your office, home, healthcare facility, or institution. In other words, they limit the risk of chemical exposure to your kids and older people at home.

    Want’s more, GreenGuard Gold certification standards are incredibly stringent and highly recognized in the world. Our QuietWarmth product is GeenGuard Gold Certified and therefore, you can always feel confident that these wonderful products meet the highest standards available in your home.

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    • Is Electric Floor Heating Expensive to Run?

    The big question, “Is Electric Floor Heating Expensive to Run?” Electric floor heating can make bathrooms, kitchens, and living rooms much more comfortable to live in. Many often assume a big price tag that comes along with heated floors, but that is not always the case. Electric Floor Heating systems are normally very efficient and use as much as or less energy than other floor heating systems.

    Most heated electrical floor systems are more effective than your average space heater. Electric floor heating systems heat emitted and power consumption is fitted to the rooms size for maximum efficiency. On average, electric floor heating systems use 12 watts per hour per square foot, this means a 50 sq. ft. bathroom could be heated at 600 watts an hour. While, if you had to choose a space heater they often come in 1000 and 1500 watt variants. Over heating the room, and using unnecessary electricity.

    What Causes Running Cost to Vary?

    Ultimately, there are a large number of factors to consider when calculating the cost for any heating system. Hopefully these factors explained will give you a better idea of how much electric radiant heat would cost you.

    Electricity Price

    A crucial aspect you need to be considerate of is what price per kilowatt you’re paying for in your area. This can make a very noticeable difference as 100 sq. ft. of heating matts running 24 hrs a day would cost about $33 a month in North Dakota. Where the same square footage and usage time in Connecticut would cost around $75 a month. It is worth a call to your electric company to find out how much they charge per kilowatt in your area.

    To find out your cities average price per kilowatt look at https://www.electricitylocal.com

    Frequency of Use

    In the example before both systems were used each 24 hours a day. Think about how often you would run your system. Just in the mornings? When you get home from work? Consistently in the winter months? This could potentially play a bigger role than the electricity price as running the system in Connecticut mentioned above for 4 hours in the morning would cost $16.32 monthly. Where running the same system for 4 hours in the morning and 6 hours after you get off work would cost $34.11 a month. You might be wondering “how will I run my system at precise increments each day?”. This is where thermostats come into play.

    Room Size

    If you want your electric heating system for not only floor comfort, but to increase the temperature in the room as well room size plays an important role. The bigger the room the longer and hotter you will have to run the matts for the room to heat up, leading to bigger electricity consumption.

    Floor Insulation / Underlayment

    Installing the right insulation for your electric heating system can boost its efficiency! Insulation will prevent any heat that is generated from being lost into the subfloor below. Instead, the heat is pushed upward reaching your floors first and eventually passing on to the room above. Without insulation for your electric heating, you will be looking at longer heat up times and faster cool down times. In turn, forcing you to run your mats for longer, using more electricity.

    A high quality underlayment with a high R-Value can serve as insulation. This way you don’t have to pass up on any of the benefits underlayment can provide, while still getting an insulating barrier. We prefer QuietWalk underlayment because it provides the basic underlayment qualities like moisture protection, compression support, and sound reduction. All while maintaining an R-Value of 0.58.

    Floor Covering

    Finally, the type of floor you choose will affect the efficiency of your electric radiant heating system. Tile and stone make the best flooring to go over radiant heat. This is due to their exceptional conductivity. They tend to warm quickly, yet are also slow to cool. Vinyl makes the next best option because it warms rapidly, but also cools that way too. The floor coverings that will affect the heating systems negatively are hardwood and carpet. They are dense materials that have much slower heat up times, causing your efficiency to drop. Carpet in particular, will act as an insulator and trap the heat underneath.

    Calculating the Electricity Expense of Your Heating

    Most radiant heat manufacturers will have an energy cost calculator provided for their products. You will have to enter the square footage of heating you plan on installing, the cost per kilowatt-hour your electric company charges, and the amount of time per day you will run your system.

    For our examples in this article we used MP Global’s QuietWarmth Calculator.

    Please remember these pricing calculations are approximations for illustrative purposes only. With as many different factors there are for heating specific areas expect your heating costs to vary from ours. Make sure to do plenty of research before deciding on and installing heated flooring in your home!

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    • Best Underfloor Heating for Laminate Flooring

    Finding the best underfloor heating for laminate flooring can be tricky. Will my laminate flooring work with floor heat? How long will it last? Will it discolor my floor if heat is underneath. In this article, we provide why we believe QuietWarmth radiant floor heating systems is the best underfloor heating for laminate flooring.

    Provides Consistent Heat

    Your floor is heated uniformly with no gaps and the radiant heat is dispersed evenly throughout the room. Even heat distribution llows the QuietWarmth to cycle quicker resulting in less energy consumption.

    Heat never exceeds 85 degree F, allowing your feet to have the perfect temperature while keeping the flooring from getting too much heat.

    No Discoloration

    QuietWarmth works with any flooring that is 4mm or thicker. Thicker than 4mm allows enough to not allow the heat to discolor the flooring.

    Installation is a breeze

    Average DIY warrior will be able to install the floor heat within couple of hours. Roll out film, cut mat to length and wire up to electrical wiring. Provides same day flooring installation. No mortar or waiting for underlayment to cure.

    Ability to Cut to length

    Have a unique space but can get a mesh or cable floor heating mat to fit in? QuietWarmth comes in two different widths and can be cut to length to fit your space.

    Thinner than credit card

    Film mats are thinner than a credit card preventing height difference from existing flooring.

    Works With Laminate Underlayment Such As QuietWalk

    Works perfectly with QuietWalk underlayment to subside the cables and to ensure floor is flat.

    Warranty is 25 years

    No need to worry, these mats will last. No moving parts, maintenance free and easily accessible underneath laminate flooring if issue does occur. No need to tear up mortar or self leveling underlayment.

    Excellent Reviews

    We have a ton of excellent reviews from DIY to professionals saying they love this system.

    We feel QuietWarmth is the best underfloor heating for lamiante flooring and if you want to read more information on our systems, you can click on the following link:

    QuietWarmth Underfloor Heating for Laminate Flooring

    If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us.

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    • Can you use QuietWalk Underlayment for Pergo Flooring?

    Pergo flooring offers excellent flooring choices for homeowners who are looking to brighten up their living space. From Pergo Outlast+, XP to Portfolio Series, the flooring will last you years to enjoy. When you purchase this flooring, you most likely wonder if you need flooring underlayment for your Pergo flooring. In this article, we will answer the question “Can you use quietwalk underlayment for Pergo flooring”.

    For planks without attached underlayment – According to their installation instructions, you can install over single layer of underlayment appropriate for laminate floors. Yes, you can use QuietWalk underlayment.

    For planks with attached underlayment – According to their installation instructions, it is acceptable to install Pergo FloorMate™ underlayment prior to flooring installation if desired. Make sure to follow the Pergo FloorMate™ installation instructions, taking special care to seal all foam edges with sealing tape and repair all rips and perforations in the underlayment vapor barrier prior to flooring installation. A separate vapor barrier should not be used in conjunction with Pergo FloorMate™.

    Using additional underlayment under already attached underlayment may cause “decoupling” as the underlayment can provide to much cushion at the joints. Pergo may have done testing on their Pergo FloorMate™ to ensure it won’t decouple after installation. This would be why it is acceptable to install the Pergo FlorMate™.

    With QuietWalk’s compression resistance, it exceeds the requirement for pre-attached flooring that is greater than 29 psi @50% per ASTM D1667. The high compression resistance assures that the underlayment will not contribute to floor decoupling.

    So the answer is yes, you can use QuietWalk underlayment under Pergo flooring.

    Additional features QuietWalk offers is:

    • Will not rip or give perforations during installation as it’s made with dense fibers
    • Provides moisture management to prevent moisture being trapped from underneath allowing the floor to breathe
    • No VOC’s which allows your family to breathe clean air – QuietWalk has acquired third party certification (GreenGuard Gold Certification). This allows QuietWalk to be installed in educational and healthcare facilities.
    • QuietWalk is made out of 94% post and pre-industrial fibers – saving 40,000 tons per week from landfills – In about one year we can go around the world once with QuietWalk or go across the USA 5 times
    • Thermal Insulation of 0.58
    • A separate vapor barrier can be used with conjunction with QuietWalk Underlayment. This will block any moisture from concrete subfloor.
    • Works great with QuietWarmth floor heating systems

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