Hands up who loves the idea of stepping out of the shower or bath onto a perfectly warm floor? Ok, let’s be honest – when you’re in cooler climate areas like Melbourne, having heated floors in any part of the house is a dream! This is a big reason we find people install hydronic underfloor heating in their homes – so they can have bathroom underfloor heating.
Whilst there are a few things to consider when installing heated floors, having underfloor heating in your bathroom can provide you with gentle comfort year-round and provide your home with a number of benefits.
Here’s 3 hot reasons why you should consider bathroom floor heating:
Reason 1: Reduce the growth of harmful bacteria
Who doesn’t love a weekend spent scrubbing the bathroom tile grout to remove mould growth? No thanks. Cleaning woes aside, mould can pose a serious risk to anyone’s respiratory health, particularly those with allergies and asthma.
Mould is known to grow in any damp environment in the home, but bathrooms in particular are a favourite spot for the fungus to thrive.
This problem is exacerbated if your bathroom doesn’t have any windows or adequate ventilation, which can be found with some ensuite bathrooms, particularly in units and apartments. We also see this in some older homes where the main bathroom is on the side of the house and close to a fence line meaning there is very little natural light.
How does underfloor bathroom heating help reduce the growth of mold?
The radiant heat produced by hydronic underfloor heating increases the air temperature which helps to dry the bathroom of excess water quickly and in turn prevents mold growth. By keeping your bathroom evenly and consistently warm, you will definitely notice the reduction in mold growth, if any at all.
An extractor fan can help
Ensure you have a quality extractor fan installed, which sucks the moisture out of the air and pushes it outside. This will support the underfloor heating in removing excess dampness from the bathroom, particularly after hot showers and baths. Keeping your extractor air vent clean for optimal performance is also important.
Heated towel rails
Another way to support your efforts for reducing moisture in the bathroom is to install a towel warmer. When you hang up your damp towels, the heated rail will dry them quickly and further reduce any damp in the space.
And let’s face it, who doesn’t love a toasty warm towel to wrap themselves in after a shower or bath? With a wide range of radiant heated towel rails to choose from, you are sure to find a product that compliments your existing bathroom style, or gives it a new feature altogether.
Reason 2: Safest bathroom heating option
Hydronic underfloor heating is the safest climate control solution for any wet room or bathroom. This is particularly important for those with children, elderly residents, or those with physical disabilities.
A couple of factors that make it the safest choice for your bathroom:
No trip hazards
The lack of cables, cords and physical heating unit taking up floor space means there is nothing to potentially trip over as the product is laid underneath the floor tiles, or within the concrete slab.
Low surface temperature
Unlike blow heaters or some panel heaters, underfloor heating will not pose a burn risk as the surface temperature is never hot enough. You can alter the temperature via thermostat to your desired comfort level to ensure warm feet and increased ambient temperature, but it will not be able to get so hot as to cause burns on contact.
Note: To ensure safety, quality and optimal performance of your underfloor heating system, it is vital that the product is selected and installed properly by a qualified and experienced professional.
Reason 3: Even heat distribution
Hydronic underfloor heating creates an even heat distribution that warms up the objects within the space, including towels, bathmats, tiling and people. Known as ‘radiant heat’, it can take a little while longer to warm up the space than a blow heater, but the fundamental difference is that the temperature is comfortably even.
Does underfloor heating heat the whole room?
Yes. Underfloor bathroom heating will generate heat that is evenly distributed throughout the whole bathroom and is proven to be a more energy efficient approach than any other bathroom heating solution.
You won’t find any uncomfortable ‘cold spots’ within the bathroom where the warmth hasn’t reached – but a consistent temperature throughout the space.
Does underfloor heating stay on all the time?
If you live in a particularly cold climate, a high-quality underfloor heating system in your bathroom, such as hydronic underfloor bathroom heating, can be kept on all day.
The best approach is to adjust the temperature throughout the day and night to reflect your usage of the space. For instance, you can set on your thermostat timer to increase the temperature leading up to the times most likely for the bathroom to be used for bathing and showering and then a lower temperature in the times between.
This enables the space to remain comfortably warm and to heat faster at the times when you need it most, and save energy when you don’t.
The wrap up
If you’re looking for a safe, healthy and comfortable heating option home, underfloor heating ticks all the boxes for new build properties, existing homes and renovation projects – especially when you can incorporate your bathrooms and wet areas. Over 100,000 homes of all sizes across Australia have hydronic heating solutions from Hunt Heating installed, providing residents with first class climate control and comfort.
Whether you’re ready to book a consult for underfloor heating, or would like to chat through which hydronic heating options would best suit your home heating needs, get in touch with the experienced team at Hunt Heating to guide you to the appropriate product selection and solutions for your needs.
