From Chilly to Cozy: Dearborn Family Room Radiant Heat Renovation

A large, tiled family room gets a luxurious comfort upgrade with an energy-efficient electric floor warming system

DEARBORN, MI
Post-installation of living room with electric heated tile floors
Size: 270 sq.ft. Voltage: 240V Wattage: 3236 W Amps: 13 A Flooring: Tile, Marble or Stone Cost/hr *: $0.67

A 270-square-foot family room in Dearborn, Michigan, was transformed by Liberty Renovations LLC from a potentially cold, tiled space into the coziest room in the house. By installing a WarmlyYours TempZone™ electric floor heating system, the homeowners now enjoy consistent, luxurious radiant warmth underfoot. This project highlights how in-floor heating adds unmatched comfort and significant value, efficiently warming even large rooms with cold flooring materials like tile and stone.


Project Details

  • Location: Dearborn, Michigan
  • Heated Space Type: Family Room
  • Square Footage: 270 sq. ft.
  • Watts, Volts, Amps: 3236 W, 240 V, 13.4 A
  • Operating Cost: $0.67 per hour
    • ~$5.36 per day (based on 8 hours of use)
    • ~$160.80 per month (based on 8 hours of use daily)
  • Products Used:
    • TempZone™ Floor Heating Cable
    • Prodeso Uncoupling Membrane
    • nSpire Touch Programmable Thermostat


From Chilly Tile to a Warm Family Hub

When planning a large family room with beautiful, durable tile flooring, the primary challenge, especially in a place like Dearborn, Michigan, is the cold. Tile and stone are notoriously chilly, which can make a room feel uninviting, no matter how high the thermostat is set. The customer, Liberty Renovations LLC, knew that to make this 270 sq. ft. space a true family hub, they needed to address the cold floor.

They selected a WarmlyYours TempZone™ electric floor heating system to provide complete radiant floor heating. The project utilized a 3.7-watt TempZone™ Cable, meticulously spaced at 3.75 inches to ensure even, powerful warmth across the entire area. The cable was installed using the Prodeso Uncoupling Membrane, which is an ideal solution for installation over a wood subfloor. This membrane not only makes laying the cable simple but also serves as an uncoupling layer, which helps prevent tiles from cracking due to subfloor movement.

The result is a complete transformation. The family room is now the favorite spot in the house, anchored by a floor that radiates gentle, consistent warmth. The system is controlled by an nSpire Touch thermostat, allowing the homeowners to program the heating schedule for maximum efficiency and comfort, ensuring the room is always warm when they want to use it.


Featured Products

  • TempZone™ Floor Heating Cable This versatile, 3.7-watt-per-foot cable provides robust heat for high-heat-loss areas like basements or large rooms with tile. It’s easily configured on-site, making it perfect for custom-shaped rooms.
  • Prodeso Uncoupling Membrane This membrane simplifies cable installation with pre-configured channels and provides uncoupling protection to prevent tile and grout from cracking. It's the ideal partner for installing radiant floor heating under tile.
  • nSpire Touch Thermostat A premium, programmable thermostat that features a 3.5” color touchscreen, a setup wizard for easy programming, and energy use monitoring. It provides precise temperature control for ultimate comfort and efficiency.

* This powerful 270 sq. ft. radiant floor heating system costs just about $0.67 per hour to operate. Based on local Dearborn-area electricity rates (approx. $0.208/kWh), this breaks down to: $5.36 per day (for 8 hours of operation) Less than $161 per month (running 8 hours every day)

Project Gallery

Frequently Asked Questions


Operating cost is based on local electricity rates. This 270 sq. ft. system in Dearborn, MI, costs only about $0.67 per hour to run. You can manage this efficiently by using a programmable thermostat, like the nSpire Touch, to run the system only during peak times or when the room is in use.
In many cases, yes. This system was designed for "Full" coverage at 3.75" spacing, delivering significant wattage (3236 W). While it depends on the room's insulation and heat loss, a properly specified electric floor heating system can often be the primary, and most comfortable, heat source.
This system was installed under tile, which is one of the best flooring types for radiant heating. Tile, marble, and stone are excellent conductors, transferring heat quickly and efficiently to the room, making the system very effective.
Yes. Radiant floor heating is very efficient because it heats the room from the ground up, warming people and objects directly instead of just heating the air (like forced-air systems). This allows you to feel comfortable at a lower overall room temperature, which saves energy.

Quotes

These quotes are linked to this showcase and include the products used in this project or recommended for a similar-sized project.

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