Save Yourself from Allergens and Enjoy the Comfort

 by: Faith Williams

Discover the newest – but oldest- way to make you and your home environment healthier – radiant floor warming systems. The ancient Roman Baths used hot air and hot water for health benefits in the Romans’ bathing rituals. Today, using radiant heat, the heat stored in the floor is similar to the heat provided by a radiator – with one big difference. No longer will allergens like dust mites, dust, pollen, mold or pet hair be blown around your home and aggravate your allergy symptoms.

Allergy proofing your home isn’t easy, but can have big payoffs for the allergy sufferer. Airborne allergens are one of the hardest types of allergens to avoid. Heating and air conditioning systems have been established as harbors for molds. With vents to every room in the house, your heating and cooling system can be an effective distributor of airborne allergens such as pollen, mold, animal dander, feathers, house dust, and even dust mites.

Radiant floor warming works by heating a wire heating element under the flooring surface. The heated floor radiates heat to the people and objects in the room. The flooring surface is maintained at a comfortable, yet higher, temperature than the ambient temperature of the floor before the heat was turned on. Since the radiant heat is conducted from the floor level up, it helps provide a warm and comfortable environment for the occupants of the room. It provides even, uniform heat throughout the room. There are no moving parts to blow allergens into the air – so you are not breathing them in!

Doctors often recommend removing carpets to eliminate some trapped allergens. Even with daily vacuuming, you may not catch all the allergens that have settled down to the bottom of the carpet. You also run the risk of stirring up the dust with your vacuum cleaner. Tile, stone, and hardwoods are easier to keep clean by weekly mopping. Radiant floor warming materials are designed to work under tile, stone or hardwoods.

Using a programmable thermostat, you can have the floor turn on just before you get out of bed in the morning and turn off when you leave for work. You can even adjust it to turn on later for weekend mornings. Whatever your lifestyle, you are in control of the radiant floor warming and can help keep those airborne allergens at bay!