Radiant floor heating systems do not require ductwork. This means architects and builders have greater architectural freedom that they would when designing a home with a forced air heating system. Builders and interior designers can stop worrying about designing around visually intrusive radiators and wall vents, and homeowners can place their furniture where they wish without wondering if they’re blocking immovable heating registers, baseboard vents and radiators.
Home Design
Your Home, Your Rules
Architects are free to design expansive ceilings and vast open spaces without considering the heat loss and energy costs. Dramatic ceilings and open floor plans are in vogue, and a radiant heating system makes homes with these features easy to heat. Forced air heating results in the hot air going straight to the ceiling and leaving the rest of the room cold, but radiant heating heats from below, ensuring that the space near the floor — where people actually live — remains warm. And energy-efficient radiant heating keeps the heating bills manageable.