Flooring to Warm Cold Floors
Q: We live in a tri-level house and are looking to replace the carpet in the family room. This room is quite cold for many reasons and we'd like to install flooring that may help to warm the room up a bit. Heated flooring is probably more expensive than we can manage. Thanks in advance for your help!
A: I live in the same kind of home. Carpet will be the warmest of floorings by far. You can use a dense cushion like a prime urethane or even an eight pound rebound cushion. This will help add R-value (insulation benefit) to the room.
You may also want to check with heating and air professionals in your area. They may be able to install a zone booster in your ductwork. This product acts as a fan to pull more heated or cooled air into that zone to aid in the area's climate control.
If you could find it in your budget, you might consider radiant heat in that area. Then a tile floor could be used to help keep a constant temperature in the room.
To locate some professionals to discuss your options and collect bids before deciding your best course of action, visit Home Advisor. Submit service requests for "Purchase and Install Carpeting," or "Install a Radiant Floor Heating System" to be matched with service professionals in your area.
by Kathy Maynard, reprinted courtesy of HomeAdvisor.com