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Radiant Floor Heat

Versatile, Comfortable

By Rod King

Scott Patton operates two businesses under the same roof in Angola. He started Indiana Warm Floors in 1979, and about 12 years ago, he added Red Hot Golf Carts, which he says he can’t keep in stock.

Patton was one of the first to install radiant floor heat in Northeast Indiana. “That was back when no one really knew how to do it,” he said. “In our research, we found that delivering heat in a home by making the floors warm would give the best results to our clients. After about 10 years, we got so busy that we quit designing and building solar-efficient homes to concentrate strictly on designing and installing radiant heating systems.” His team of three employees now designs radiant systems for floors, walls and ceilings in residential homes, commercial buildings and farm structures. The company also installs hydronic systems and snow-melt systems for driveways and sidewalks.

“With an energy-efficient/air-tight home, the floor temperature only needs to be warm enough to meet the heat loss of the walls and windows,” Patton said. “So, the floor temperature might only need to be 75 degrees, which to some home-owners might not feel warm enough. That’s why educating customers about their radiant heating system and how it operates is so important. In other words, we have to manage their expectations. We actually have to caution them about what to expect so that they’re not disappointed when the floors aren’t as warm as they expected.”

Over the years, acceptance of radiant heating has become more and more wide-spread. “Homeowners in our area are pretty knowledgeable about it. They’ve either read something about it, seen it advertised, know someone who has it, or have seen it on some home and garden television program. Now,” he added, “architects are specifying it on their blueprints.”

What pushed Patton into deciding to focus his efforts on designing and installing radiant heating systems was America’s dependence on oil back in the 1970s. “There were shortages of gasoline and heating oil, long lines at gas stations and prices were skyrocketing,” he said. “An alternative was needed. I think it’s even more important now. That’s when I went to radiant floor heat, geothermal and snow-melt systems.

“The versatility of radiant heat allows us to maximize comfort and efficiency for our customers through the use of specific home zones,” he explained. “For instance, a thermostat in a master bedroom can control the temperature just for that room. We can put a floor sensor in the master bathroom to regulate the heat of the floor so the homeowner can step out of the shower onto a warm floor.”

Indiana Warm Floors utilizes separate thermostats in the basement, first floor, second floor, and in the garage to account for their different use, different exposure to the sun, heat load and different floor coverings.

Indiana Warm Floors’ 250-mile service area covers all of Indiana, a good portion of Michigan and Ohio and part of northern Kentucky.