Heating Floors – The Right Way

Hardwood floors are an upgrade that many homeowners are eager to install in their new or existing homes. Heated flooring is the perfect on-trend upgrade to offer to your customers with their new hardwood flooring. Installing radiant heated floors under hardwood is just as simple as with any other flooring, and can give your business the edge over a competitor. At ProLine, contractors have access to industry leading heated floor systems that can add value to your business and attract new customers.

When choosing a heated floor system to pair with hardwood flooring, there are a few things to consider. While most radiant heat systems are compatible with hardwood flooring, there are a few specifics that can make pairing radiant heat and hardwood flooring easier. When advising clients about heating hardwood floors with radiant heat, be aware that certain woods such as cherry, walnut, and mesquite are better suited for radiant heat. Other good options include floating floors, engineered wood flooring, and laminates. Strip flooring is also preferable to plank when working with radiant heat, as strips will contract less than larger planks. But radiant heat from ProLine is designed for safe use under just about any type of floor.

Heated hardwood floor

ProLine has offerings for contractors looking to help customers pick the perfect system for their new flooring. ProLine’s floor heating cable, also known as TileHeat, is one of the most versatile and reliable systems available. As ProLine’s most popular floor heating solution, TileHeat is commonly installed to heat tile floors, laminates, marble, carpet, hardwood, and more. The thin, twin conductor cable features a single point connection and is insulated with Fluoropolymer, with high temperature PVC on the outside. It is rated at 120 or 240 volts and has ground fault protection (GFCI) and carries a generous 25-year manufacturer’s warranty.

The cable is available off the spool or in mats for easy “roll-out” installation. The mats feature cable that is pre-spaced and secured on a flexible mesh with an adhesive backing, so they can be easily rolled out and secured to the subflooring. Turns can be made with these mats by cutting the mesh backing, but installers must be sure to avoid cutting the heat cable. TileHeat mats are available in various lengths and heat an area 24 inches wide. The system provides a great way to add value to your business by providing an energy efficient way to heat their home.

ProLine also offers an innovative polypropylene uncoupling and waterproofing system for heating floors and other surfaces without movement or expansion joints in the screed. The membrane is simply laid out into the subfloor, and TileHeat heating cable is installed into the channels of the membrane, providing perfect spacing and protecting it from water or other damage. The Prodeso membrane also helps prevent movement or expansion of joints in the screed, making it a great installation choice for any flooring.

Heated hardwood floor with cutaway
Heated hardwood floor with cutaway showing the thin “film” heating element.

ProLine also carries thin heating panels designed especially for heating floating floors. The “film” heating element is only .016-inch thick and efficiently heats your floors without causing any floor buildup. When installing the system, the heating panels are cut to their proper length on site, and then installed on the subfloor. After the FilmHeat heating elements are secured, the electrical connections are then made and the laminate floor is installed directly over the panels. There’s no need for alarms, special tools or self-leveling compounds.

TileHeat systems consist of heating cable (or mats), and a thermostat. TileHeat heating cable has top of the line components- it is a single point connection, twin conductor cable insulated with Fluoropolymer on the inside, and high temperature PVC on the outside. It is rated at 120 or 240 volts and has ground fault protection (GFCI).  This great cable also comes with a 25-year manufacturer’s warranty to assure against any manufacturing defects. This cable is also safety approved for wet locations, making it a great choice for kitchens and bathrooms. Cable comes on large spools ready for installation. The cable itself is a great way to heat oddly shaped rooms where FoilHeat or other heating options may not be flexible enough. All adjustments can be made on site, including coverage and cable spacing.

For larger areas, TileHeat heating cable also comes in mats. These mats have TileHeat heating cable pre-spaced on an adhesive backed fiberglass mesh. This makes for quick and easy installation, mats are simply rolled out and secured to the subflooring. Turns can be made with these mats by cutting the mesh backing, but installers must be sure to avoid cutting the heat cable.  Heating mats make installation super-efficient and saves contractors time and money. TileHeat mats are available in various lengths and are 24 inches wide. TileHeat is one of industry’s most trusted and effective floor heating systems available, and features rapid response times. All these factors make TileHeat a great way to add value to your business by providing an energy efficient way to heat their home.

If installing heating cable in areas that are more likely to be wet is a concern for your business, ProLine also offers the innovative Prodeso waterproofing system. The Prodeso membrane is a waterproofing membrane that offers polypropylene uncoupling and crack isolation. This membrane is simply laid out into the subfloor, and TileHeat heating cable is installed into the channels of the membrane, protecting it from water or other damage. The Prodeso membrane also helps prevent movement or expansion of joints in the screed, making it a great installation choice for any flooring.

When offering hardwood, tile, or laminate flooring installation, offering radiant heat is a great way to add value to your business. ProLine backs up every system with industry leading customer services, so we make it easy for you. ProLine includes free installation training, professional system design and layout, and installation support. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to offer your customers radiant heat installation. If you have any questions about ProLine and its vast selection of floor heating systems, please contact a ProLine representative at 866.676.9276, or check us out online.