This homeowner in the perpetually chilly climate of Chicago, Illinois, faced the common problem of cold, uninviting tile and stone flooring in their expansive kitchen and foyer. To transform these high-traffic areas into welcoming, cozy spaces, they chose a WarmlyYours electric radiant floor heating system. The installation utilized the flexible TempZone™ Cable, providing targeted, energy-efficient floor warming that seamlessly integrates under the tile to deliver premium comfort and significantly enhance the home's value and livability.
Project Details
- Location: Chicago, IL
- Heated Space Type: Kitchen & Foyer
- Heated Square Footage: 247 sq. ft.
- Total Insulation Surface Area: 342 sq. ft.
- Wattage: 2980 Watts
- Voltage: 240 Volts
- Amps: 12 Amps
- Flooring: Tile, Marble or Stone
- Cost to Run Per Hour: $0.19
Conquering the Cold Tile in Chicagoland
Chicago winters are notorious for extreme cold, which is magnified by the thermal properties of stone and tile flooring. The challenge for this large, combined kitchen and foyer space was to introduce reliable, luxurious floor warming without costly and complex changes to the existing concrete slab subfloor.
WarmlyYours provided a customized solution using the TempZone™ Cable laid over CeraZorb® insulating underlayment. The underlayment acts as a thermal break, directing all the heat upwards into the floor finish for maximum efficiency. The flexible cable was perfect for navigating the expansive and potentially irregular layout of the 247 sq. ft. heated area, ensuring wall-to-wall radiant warmth where it matters most.
By installing the electric floor warming system directly beneath the new tile, the homeowner solved their cold floor problem permanently. The result is a substantial, energy-efficient comfort upgrade that turns a cold welcome home into a warm embrace, even on the coldest Chicago days
Featured Products
- TempZone™ Floor Heating Cable (240V, 3.7W/ft.): The core of the system. This loose cable is highly flexible, allowing for installation in oddly shaped areas, around fixtures, and over large spaces with customized spacing (3.75" in this project) for optimal heat distribution.2 It is safely embedded in thin-set mortar under the tile.
- nSpire Touch Thermostat (UDG4-4999-WY): A programmable, easy-to-use touch-screen thermostat that includes a Class A GFCI for safety and a floor sensor to accurately monitor and maintain the desired floor temperature.
- CeraZorb® Insulating Underlayment: A high-density, low-profile synthetic cork underlayment used as a thermal break to prevent heat from escaping downward into the concrete slab, significantly increasing the system's efficiency and warm-up time.
- Prodeso Membrane Roll: A decoupling and uncoupling membrane that protects the tile and stone from cracking due to substrate movement, making it the ideal base for the TempZone™ Cable system.
