Electric floor warming turns cold tile and stone floors into warm, luxurious surfaces. With progress made in the industry, these thin electric cable systems are now quite easy to install, even for the do-it-yourselfer.

Electric floor warming is very popular in bathrooms, because there's nothing quite like stepping out of your shower into a custom heated floor. The heat feels very nice underfoot, and it is a big change compared to the cold tile most people have in their bathroom or kitchen.

Let's look at one installation we did with the help of WarmlyYours. We wish to thank Fred Selvais from WarmlyYours for his expert instructions and help in the process.

To custom fit the room you’ll have to shape the roll through a series of “cut-&-turns”. This is when the supporting mesh is cut at the loop thereby releasing the remaining portion of the roll to reverse direction.

The heating wire is never cut so there are no difficult splices or electrical connections.

This is how you cut-&-turn the mat without cutting the heating wire:

After all the wires are in place, the mesh of the rolls will hold the wires in position but you may want to provide additional security with staples (not on the wire of course), glue, or small pieces of tape.

Now is a good time to install your floor sensor. Most of these floor warming systems are sold with a programmable thermostat that comes with a floor sensor. Understand that the floor sensor will be influenced by its surroundings. A place where a bath mat, laundry hamper, or trash receptacle is likely to be placed is probably not the ideal place for a floor sensor. Anything that traps the heat will artificially trick the sensor into thinking the rest of the floor is warmer than it actually is.

For back-up, although the wires are strong it’s possible that a direct blow or slice to the wire could cause damage. Throughout the installation, it’s wise to use a tester that will immediately warn you in the event of damage. A continuity tester can be found at your local hardware store, some companies sell these devices as an option, or WarmlyYours offers their SafetySiren free in every box. A continuity tester is very helpful because it gives you peace of mind: you know that the system is working at all time throughout the installation.

This is is the Continuity tester provided by WarmlyYours (The SafetySiren):

A hole is drilled that will allow the wires to enter the floor plate just above the subfloor and then the wires are fished up through the wall to the junction box. It is a good idea to reconnect the alarm buzzer if it was disconnected during this step.

Next you will have a choice. With the mesh design on a roll system it’s possible to install the tile in one step. The holes of the mesh allow for the thinset to pass and the tiles can be placed immediately in what is called a single-step installation. Some prefer to hide or bury the wires first. They will use a thin coating of self-leveling (only 1/8” is needed to bury the wires). Then let that set before coming over the top with a layer of thinset and tile.

We elected to float the mat in place with a self leveling mortar bed.

Lastly, a certified electrician should make the final connection. You’ll have 2 wires from the heating roll and one floor sensor wire coming to the gang box where the thermostat will be set. In some areas it is required they be in a conduit so make sure to check with your local codes.

Ceramic tile and stone installations require 2 to 14 days for the thinset to cure. You must allow the thinset material to fully cure before the floor warming system may be operated fully. The first time you start the system, it will take about an hour to reach a comfortable 80 degrees which feels nice underfoot. If you program the control to warm the floor a few hours before you get up in the morning, the floor will fillup the room with soothing warmth, creating the comfortable atmosphere of a fine European spa.

Use this design tool from WarmlyYours to request a quotation for your tile project
This design tool makes requesting a quotation for your project a snap: answer a few questions about your floor/subfloor, then draw your plan online using the design tool, and drag-&-drop furniture. The next day, you will get your floor heating quote and customized design layout. Free of charge. Start your design.

Not ready for a complete quote/design yet? If you would like to get a quick rough estimate for your project, you can use this simple cost calculator. A floor warming system for an average bathroom costs about $400 to $800 with the programmable thermostat.

If you have questions about the installation, feel free to talk to the WarmlyYours customer support by calling 1.800.875.5285, or visit http://www.warmlyyours.com/.