Floor Heat and Safety in the Bathroom
There are other benefits to radiant floor heating than just comfort. Particularly, the bathroom is a place where floor heat can do more for you and your family. Surely stepping out of a nice warm shower onto cold tile can be particularly unpleasant, but more pressing issues are at hand as well. This is one of the reasons U.S. Floor Heating recommends radiant heat for bathrooms specifically
The steam from a shower is heated water vapor. While the steam feels nice (and can also be used to minimize wrinkles in any clothes that are hung up in the bathroom) it can add an unwanted danger to the room. When the water vapor comes in contact with a cooler floor it turns back into its liquid form. This is known as condensation. The liquid water can make floor tiling quite slippery and dangerous.
One common solution to the problem is that of a bath rug or bath mat. While a rug will work it only covers a small portion of the floor. Let's say you want to head to the sink to brush your teeth. As soon as you step off of it you are back onto tile that might be slippery. Also, these bath mats can often become dirty and a breeding ground for mold and other bacteria.
A heated floor can eliminate this dangerous situation. When the floor is warmer than the air above it water will not condense there. Without condensation there will be no slippery spots that are dangerous to walk on. Of course, U.S. Floor Heating always designs with safety as the top priority. Although heated flooring eliminates condensation on the floor there could still be water on the bottom of your feet. Make sure to always ensure that both the floor and your feet are dry before stepping out confidently.
Perhaps just as important, the floor heating cable used in a U.S. Floor Heating system is controlled with a thermostat that prevent overheating. Steam radiators can get to the point of causing burns, especially on small children. They need to get that hot to heat the whole room. The thermostat will keep the floors surface under 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Since this heat is spread evenly throughout the floor this is a sufficient temperature to keep the floor dry and the room cozy.
Bathroom floors see more moisture than almost any other room, and a warm floor helps that moisture evaporate instead of sitting on the tile as a slip hazard. U.S. Floor Heating designs the layout around your tub, shower, and vanity footprint, and the finished system is controlled by the same wall thermostat you'd use for any other room.