Electric radiant heat beneath the floor and patio heaters are two ways to keep your home cozy during the colder months.

Heat your feet

Planning to renovate a kitchen, bathroom or living area in the next few months? One of the hottest trends in home renovations is to add the affordable luxury of electric radiant heat underneath the floor. Not only does it take the chill off a tile, stone, engineered wood or laminate floor, but it can also reduce winter heating bills.

Pre-built like an electric blanket, these 1/8" thick electric mats are embedded with thin heating wires and laid directly between the subfloor and tile. A certified electrician connects the system to your household wiring, and the system can then be controlled by a seven-day programmable thermostat.

Radiant heating warms the occupant, not the air in the room. This means that you can keep the thermostat at a lower temperature while getting the same effect as a balmy summer day, making radiant heat a popular solution for chilly basements or family rooms.

So the next time you shiver as you're getting out of the shower, imagine stepping onto a gently warmed floor. Even better: The cost of installing the system in an average-size bathroom typically ranges around $500 and will operate on less than 10 cents a day.

A warming trend

According to a recent study, 64 percent of Americans won't spend an extended amount of time on their patio or deck if the temperature is 50 degrees or colder. For many people, that means they can't use their outdoor space for several months of the year.

One suggestion for extending the life of your outdoor space is to set up a patio heater. The latest models are capable of raising the temperature in a 20x20-foot area up to 10 degrees, effectively insuring that most gatherings will go off without a hitch even if the temperature tumbles.

The new generation of patio heaters is also safer than ever; with built-in carbon monoxide detectors and external casings that remain safe to the touch, you also don't have to worry about leaving the heater on around small children and pets.

The bottom line

With the right heating accessories, you can be sure winter doesn't turn your home into an icebox. Instead, by finding creative ways to turn up the heat, you can make your home a cozy haven.

This article published in The Alaska Star on Thursday, September 14, 2006.