How to Install Electric Mat Radiant Floor Heat

Heated flooring is often called radiant heat, and it can be used as the primary heat source for an entire room or as supplemental heat to make a cold floor a little more comfortable. One type of heated flooring is hydronic radiant heat, which just means that the floor is heated with hot water. The water is circulated through plastic tubing that is installed in the subfloor which can be wood or concrete. Installing hydronic floor heat can be complicated because it requires a boiler and circulator pumps, and because the tubing is thick, it may raise the height of the finished floor about 3/4-inch or more. Electric floor heat is often easier to install; instead of tubing filled with hot water, it uses thin wires to heat the floor. The wires are often installed in mats made out of fabric or mesh. The mats come in many different sizes to fit different rooms and configurations, and you can also have a mat custom-made to the exact dimensions you need. Learn how to install electric mat radiant floor heat in this video by The Home Depot: