Renovating during winter is often the last thing we wish to do. But with spring in the air there’s an incentive to brighten up our world and this includes the house.
As we leave winter behind and move into the warmer weather with our enviable outdoor lifestyle, renovating parts of the house before Christmas is often next on the list.
One of the first renovations to get going in spring is the bathroom. The old drab tiles from the 1970s or the outdated vanity and tapware suddenly need to go. The bathrooms on offer now in renovation magazines show clean, easy-care spaces with little clutter. It can also be said that an updated bathroom adds to the value of a property more than any other minor renovation, and also means less time spent on housekeeping duties.
Often overlooked in a bathroom is heating. Many will say that heating is not required as we spend so little time in this room. Or that once the shower is hot then the tiles are also warm and this is all that is required. However, there are few arguments regarding heated towel rails and warm fluffy towels, or the pain and suffering caused by a mouldy shower recess. And one of the least favourite things must be walking on cold tiles with bare feet on a dark winter morning. But is this enough to justify the inclusion of warm floors in a bathroom and what are the benefits?
The benefits are substantially more than warm feet for a few minutes each morning. The bathroom has always been the coldest room in the house. Why is that the case? Normally the bathroom is located on the side of the house which does not receive any sun. This is good design practice as why waste a good aspect on a bathroom? The other reason is that water tends to build up over time under the tiles laid over the waterproof membrane. The grout is not waterproof on the floor and water gradually leaks through, leaving a puddle of water under the floor and causing the floor to be colder than it would normally be. Having a cold bathroom means any heating you use in the house will go to the bathroom first, hence the draught felt with the bathroom door open.
If the bathroom floor is heated then the water build-up does not occur, the mould does not grow and the bathroom towels become dry. Once the floor is warmed then this heat naturally rises from the floor into the bathroom air space and out into the rest of the house. Any heat used for the rest of the house will be more efficient and stay where you need it, decreasing energy consumption for heating. The cost of this is usually under 1KW of electricity and less than the cost of a shower screen for installation. Heating the bathroom floor is a design choice you will never regret and can be a reality by contacting Comfort Heat Australia.
