Hard Surface Floors Are Heating Up (NAPSA)—It happens every morning in homes across America. People make their way out of bed and are awakened bythe feel of icy cold bathroom or kitchen tile on their barefeet. Not exactly how you want to start the day? There are options. Imagine hitting that tile and your feet being greeted by a “just right” surface temperature of between 84 and 90 degrees. The growing trend of installing hard surface floors has raised the demand for warming systemsthat deliver toasty comfort rather than a frigid chill. “The floor warming industry has come a long way in a very short period of time,” said Jonathan Blair, an architect for RTKL & Associates in Chicago. “Cold tile has always been the one drawback for so many people who have wanted hard surface floors throughout their homes. Now there’s a variety of affordable solutions that can keep those floors comfortably warm.” Nuheatis one of the optionsfor those interested in an electric radiant floor warming system. This Vancouver-based company has expanded into the U.S. and manufactures %-inch think electric mats that can be installed under tile, stone and marble floors—three surfaces most popular in bathrooms and kitchens. “Nearly four million bathrooms and kitchens will be remodeled in the U.S. this year,” said John Rose, president of Nuheat. “These Warm tile floors are a growing trend in the U.S. are roomsthat typically have hard surface floors, which are more enjoyable to homeowners once we take the chill away.” Nuheat mats are composed of thin heating wires laid directly between the sub-floor and tile. The mats work muchlike an electric blanket. A certified electrician connects the system to your household wiring, and the system can then be controlled by a programmable thermostat. Electric radiant heat is a costeffective solution for warming large and small hard surface floor areas. The cost of installing the Nuheat system in an average size bathroom typically ranges around $500 and will operate on less than 10 cents a day. The mats carry a 25-year warranty.
