Have you ever wondered how your favourite restaurant is able to seat customers outside during the winter? Or why your neighbour never has to shovel their driveway or path? Well, there is one answer to both of these questions: outdoor radiant heating.
What is Radiant Heating?
Radiant heating is most commonly found inside homes to heat floors in mud rooms or bathrooms. Recently it’s become increasingly popular to use outdoors as homeowners are discovering the benefits can be applied outside as well. Outdoor radiant heating takes the same form as indoor radiant heating. It is installed underneath any surface (patios, lawns, driveways) and will maintain a surface temperature, in this case, above freezing, to remove any snow or ice. This means that you no longer have to worry about shovelling your driveway or slipping on an icy walkway.
How Does Outdoor Radiant Heating Work?
Outdoor radiant heating can come in two forms. The first being a hydronic system, which uses hot water to heat the surface. The second is an electric system, which uses electric heating cables to heat the surface. In both cases, the cables or tubing are installed underneath the surface and run to cover the desired area to be heated. Hydronic systems run off a boiler and electric systems run solely on electricity. For this reason, a hydronic system is more cost-friendly as there are no high electricity bills. Both systems operate to achieve the same goal, which is to prevent snow from sticking and eventually forming ice.
Where Should You Use Outdoor Radiant Heating?
Adding outdoor radiant heating can be a great benefit to your home. As we all know, Canadian winters can be quite harsh. Installing radiant heating underneath your driveway, your foot-path to your doors, your back patio, your staircases, and even your foot-path to your hot tub will get rid of any snow or ice that would normally form. Radiant heating will also warm any object that is in contact with the surface, meaning that if you have any patio furniture outside, it will also benefit from this system. This makes your foot travels more comfortable and safe during the winter and can allow you to enjoy your outdoor living space during the cold months. It will also eliminate any need for you to shovel these areas, as well as use any salt or other products to help melt ice, which can be harmful to your surfaces and the environment.
There are many benefits to installing outdoor radiant heating. Take advantage of this great system and begin to enjoy your outdoor spaces all year-round. And don’t forget, you won’t have to shovel your driveway every morning after a snowfall — radiant heating will take care of it all! Get connected with a pro to discuss your outdoor radiant heating project today.
