New and Exciting? Well, exciting, certainly. The installation of electric floor heating is not new.In fact, heated floors have been installed under bathroom and kitchen tile in the United States for the past 10 years. These floor warming mats continue to gain popularity. Many in the kitchen and bath industry expect radiant floors to continue to play a big role among homeowners who crave comfort features.

Joan McCloskey, editorial marketing director for Better Homes and Gardens magazine, told home builders at the 2003 International Builders Show that the use of floor warming mats to heat bathroom tile is on the list of must-have comforts. “Our bathrooms set the mood for the day and homeowners want it light, comfortable, and cheerful,” she said. “Toys in this room and the master include heated floors, little refrigerators, steam showers with multiple shower heads, soaking tubs, towel warmers, fireplaces, and coffee nooks.”

These thin electric floor warming mats have been very popular in bathrooms and kitchens for a long time. However, the installation of these systems under carpet and hardwood was not practical because they needed to be embedded in a layer of thin-set cement, which you normally don’t use when you install a new carpet or floating wood floor.

As a result, very few people would opt for a heated floor under carpet or floating wood. However, now with the introduction of floor warming mats, you can get heated floors under carpets, hardwood, and other flooring without the need for cement under layers.