Go Green and Be Warm with Heated Floors!

It's that time of year again! We're feeling a chill in the air and the leaves are turning, you know it’s time to load up the fireplaces with wood, close up the windows, and turn on the floors.

Say what? Turn on the floors? Yes, radiant heating is as attractive to cold toes, it's better than wool socks!

These days radiant floors are becoming more popular especially for those interested in green design. There are several benefits for the environment and your pocketbook. As the floors get toasty warm, they help heat the rest of the room by warming it up and making it more comfortable on a cold night.

A lot of people rely on central heating systems and while these work, they often fill the upper part of the room with hot air--making it stuffy and not quite providing the warmth needed where people are actually present in the room. The even heat distribution helps lower the cost of the home’s heating bill.

But perhaps the two biggest advantages are silent and unseen heating. With no heat registers or radiators, you can place furniture how you like without being concerned about blocking a heating system. Of course, there will be no forced hot-air fan noise, making this an invisible heating design.

The concept isn’t new, heated floors date back centuries. The Romans used to channel hot air underneath their floors to warm their villas. Today, it’s the allure of going green that also adds to the interest of installing radiant floors.

My RGE bill just came...

As head of household and someone that to pay bills each month, I am learning the importance of energy conservation. I can tell you honestly that my bills have been increasing and I imagine yours are too. And with everything I have going on, conserving energy is not always top of mind… until the bill comes…I think there is a disconnect here?

There is a solution! But you need to be proactive. There are several ways to conserve energy and you may find that you can actually save money here. Energy costs continue to rise and they are not likely to come down. So, if you want to cut your bill down, then, you must use less energy.

Here Are Some Ideas and Tips from our friends at Park 37 Staging and Design to help with your energy savings and recycling:

1. Use energy saving bulbs.

2. Use low-flow faucet aerators for sinks and shower heads. This will save a considerable amount of water and money from your water bills.

3. Ceiling fans can help save on the cost of air conditioning by circulating the air quicker and more efficiently.

4. Reduce the temperature of your water heater. A high temperature is using more electricity.

5. Trees can help block out too much of the sun's heat if planted in the right places.

6. Make sure your home has enough or the proper insulation. This can save on your yearly energy costs.

7. Recycle when building or renovating: You don't have to always use new products when renovating.

8. When doing laundry you should avoid doing a bunch of small loads and wait (if possible) to do one larger one to cut back on water and electric usage.

9. Use low-flow toilets and save money on your water bill.

10. Weather strip windows instead of replacing them.

11. Use green cleaners and low-VOC paints.

12. Save rain water in a barrel for watering your potted plants of if you have a small garden.

13. Donate: Give your old kitchen cabinets or bathroom vanity to charity to be used again instead of adding to the trash piles.

14. Plant drought-tolerant plants instead of high water consuming grass to make your outdoors a different shade of green.

15. Compost. Use home recycling bins for kitchen food waste.

16. Use larger windows on the south side of a building for greater heat gain in the winter.

17. Use cellulose insulation because manufacturers add borate or borax to fire proof, insect proof and mold proof your home.

18. Engineered flooring is 1/4-inch thick hardwood laminated with plywood to create a stable floor that stretches our hardwood resources.

19. Don't add that worn tub to the trash piles...have it re-glazed.

20. Buy locally if possible because products travel fewer miles and result in less vehicle air and global pollution.

See? There are lots of ways we can cut down on the amount of energy that we use. Make a game of it with your family and reward them for conserving energy! See if you can save just $5 this month on your electric bill. Not only will you be helping your wallet, but you will be saving the earth too! A win-win for all….