When you think of stepping onto a cold, hard concrete floor first thing in the morning, cozy isn’t the word that comes to your mind.  However, what if that same floor was warm, cozy, and evenly heated underfoot? That is where concrete radiant floor heating comes into play. Concrete radiant floor heating is a modern innovation that has been gaining popularity among homeowners, renovators, and even commercial property developers.

This warm solution is an excellent choice for contemporary living since it combines comfort and energy efficiency, rendering it more than just a luxury.  It keeps your interiors looking clean and minimal, is easily compatible with smart thermostats, and reduces the necessity of huge radiators or vents.  And it offers continuous warmth that makes any location more comfortable during winter.

In this blog, we’ll cover all you need to know about concrete floor heating, including its working, types, advantages, and potential costs. We’ll also explain why concrete floor heating is a wise long-term investment for efficiency and comfort.

What is Concrete Radiant Floor Heating?

Let’s dive into the basics! Concrete radiant floor heating is a system where heat is produced from underneath a concrete slab or floor. Unlike conventional systems, which work by heating the air, radiant heating heats the floor itself, and from that, the heat radiates upwards to warm the whole room.

Typically, this system utilizes hydronic tubes that are embedded in or run through the concrete, or electric heating cables that are filled with hot water.  When it is turned on, the heat rises evenly, eliminating drafts and cold spots characteristic of forced-air heating systems.

It functions best in areas with smooth concrete, tile, or stone surfaces since these are capable of absorbing and radiating heat well.  It also offers quieter operation and cleaner air inside because it does not need vents or ducting.

The payoff? A smoother, more consistent temperature and a rich, warm floor to tread upon, a welcome respite on cold mornings or on cold winter nights.

How Does Concrete Radiant Heating Work?

Two most popular forms of radiant heating systems are often utilized in conjunction with concrete floors:

1. Hydronic Radiant Heating

In this system, a network of tubes is embedded below the concrete floor. Heated water passes through the tubes from a water heater or a boiler. Heat is radiated upwards through the concrete, heating the place evenly and uniformly.

Hydronic systems save energy and are especially suited to heating larger spaces or even a whole house. While the setup may be more complicated, long-term efficiency and cost savings are worth considering.

2. Electric Radiant Heating

In this system, electric cables or electric mats are placed just under the surface of the concrete. Powered, the system warms the floor throughout the room in an even heat.

Electric systems tend to be simpler and quicker to install, which makes them ideal for retrofits or smaller areas such as bathrooms, kitchens, or basements. Both electric and hydronic systems can be combined with polished concrete, tile, or even finished floors for a smooth and contemporary appearance.

Features of Heated Concrete Floors

Let’s discuss why heated concrete floors are gaining popularity among homeowners and builders.

1. Energy Efficient

Radiant heating systems, particularly hydronic systems, run at lower temperatures than forced-air systems, which implies that they consume less energy to get the same (or better) degree of warmth.

2. Consistent heating

Radiant heating provides even warmth throughout the entire floor surface, wall to wall. And because heat rises naturally, it maintains the temperature more consistently throughout the room, implying no more cold spots.

3. Cleaner Indoor Air

Old-style forced-air systems blow dust, allergens, and particles into the air. Radiant heat doesn’t need ducts or vents, which keeps the air cleaner and healthier, particularly beneficial for allergy sufferers.

4. Noiseless

No more noisy furnaces or fans turning on every hour. Radiant heat systems are quiet, and that is an extra layer of comfort you didn’t know you needed.

5. Space-Saving Design

There is no requirement for clunky radiators or floor, or wall vents. Everything is concealed below the surface, providing you with greater flexibility in terms of interior decor and furniture arrangements.

Heated Concrete Floors: Pros and Cons

Each upgrade comes with compromises. Let’s have a look at the advantages and disadvantages of the heated concrete floors so that you can make a wise choice for your homes:

Pros:

• Durable and long-lasting
• Low maintenance after installation
• Boosts property value
• Suitable for large rooms and open floor plans
• Compatible with solar and energy-efficient systems

Cons:

• More expensive initial installation cost
• Retrofitting in current homes can be invasive
• Slower to warm up than forced-air systems
• Concrete can need to be insulated to enhance efficiency

Even with the drawbacks, homeowners generally find that the convenience and long-term cost savings easily outweigh the upfront expense and installation time.

Where Does Concrete Radiant Floor Heating Work Best?

Although it can be installed in nearly any room, concrete radiant floor heating works most effectively in:

Basements – Chilly basement floors are especially suited to radiant heat.

Garages – Keeps your garage warm and functional year-round.

Kitchens – No more cold tiles while you cook your favorite meals.

Bathrooms – Provides a spa-like comfort to your daily routine..

Living Rooms & Open Spaces – Heats large areas evenly and effectively.

Numerous homeowners also employ it beneath decorative concrete, tile, or luxury vinyl flooring to integrate comfort with aesthetics.

How Much Does a Heated Concrete Floor Cost?

When planning to upgrade to a heated concrete floor, it is natural to wonder: Is it affordable? Here’s a general breakdown of the heated concrete floor cost based on the type of system:

1. Hydronic Systems

• Cost of installation: $75 – $180 per square meter (around $7 – $17 per sq. ft.)
• Recommended for: Big spaces or whole-home heating
• Long-term advantage: Lower utility bills and high energy efficiency

2. Electric Systems:

• Installation cost: $85 – $160 per square meter (approximately $8 – $15 per sq. ft.)
• Ideal for: Bathrooms, kitchens, or single-room renovations
• Long-term advantage: Easy maintenance and quicker installation

3. Annual Maintenance:

• Hydronic systems: $10 – $25 per square meter
• Electric systems: $5 – $10 per square meter

Keep in mind, costs can vary depending on various factors like floor thickness, insulation, system brand, and local labor rates. However, if you’re already planning a renovation or new construction, adding radiant heat becomes a smart and efficient upgrade.

Can You Install Radiant Heating into an Existing Concrete Floor?

Yes, you certainly can, but it requires careful planning.

Adding concrete radiant floor heating to an existing home usually means cutting into or pouring over the concrete slab. That can raise the floor level slightly, and the flooring material may need adjustment. Electric systems are typically the retrofit choice because they’re thinner and less intrusive to install.

For best results, seek the advice of a professional such as WBI Warm’s staff. They can visit your home and suggest a system that suits your configuration, budget, and comfort level.

Why Concrete Floor Heating Is a Brilliant Long-Term Investment?

Here’s the catch: radiant floor heating is not only about current comfort, it is an investment in the future.

• Your home becomes more energy-efficient, which lowers your utility bills.
• You add its resale value with state-of-the-art heating technology.
• You get to enjoy a quieter, cleaner, and more luxurious setting each day.

In so many ways, concrete radiant floor heating is a secret luxury that invests in itself over time, not only in terms of money saved, but comfort achieved.

Conclusion

If you’re constructing a new home, renovating, or simply fed up with chilly concrete floors, concrete radiant floor heating is worth looking into. No matter whether you use a hydronic or electric system, you’ll be getting a dependable, quiet, and energy-efficient means of warming your home from the ground floor up.

Apart from being comfortable, warm concrete floors can reduce long-term heating costs, increase your home’s value, and create a healthier indoor air quality by minimizing the number of allergens and dust in the air.  These systems offer design freedom and are compatible with a wide range of floor coverings. They also need less maintenance. Even though the first installation might appear like a lot of money upfront, the long-term reliability and performance of radiant systems often come close to making up the difference. 

This modern answer provides long-term comfort and convenience beneath your feet, whether you’re constructing the house of your dreams or redesigning your current home. And once you’ve taken that initial warm step on a cold morning? You’ll be asking yourself why you didn’t get around to it years ago.

Ready to Warm Things Up?

Contact the pros at WBI Warm to explore your options, get expert guidance, and find the perfect radiant heating system for your concrete floors.

👉 Get a free consultation now and take your comfort to the next level.

“You Can Feel It”: The Unspoken Comfort of Radiant Heat

“It is not warm air that makes you comfortable, but warm everything.” — James Cutler, Faia

“You can feel it the moment you walk into a room.” — Hilary Mackenzie, AIA

“Tell them it’s like the sun indoors.” — John Fantauzzi, Industry Innovator

More than 20 years ago I had the privilege of interviewing two well-known West Coast architects about their choice of radiant heating for their award-winning custom projects. Each had evolved their own vocabulary around the distinctive comfort of radiant heat, a comfort best explained by the concept of mean radiant temperature.

“You can feel it,” explains architect Hillary Mackenzie. “I have always tried to make ever better houses and buildings for my clients, and the quiet, even heat of radiant floors fits that goal. I have never had a client who didn’t love it… the comfort has a feel-good quality that is hard to describe in words, but you can feel it the moment you walk in the room.” ….So rather than simply describing the advantage of radiant heat, I recommend taking potential clients to a radiant floor-heated home, and let them feel it.

Nationally renowned architect James Cutler went beyond description of the heat itself, to explain why you feel that special quality in homes heated by hydronic radiant floors. He explained that about 98% of a home’s warmth is inherent in the mass of objects filling the interior space and radiating from surfaces, while only 2% typically comes from the heat capacity of air itself: “It is not warm air that makes you feel comfortable, but warm everything.” Cutler also appreciated that the lack of obtrusive duct work allowed him to concentrate on the bones of a structure.

The idea that with radiantly heated interiors, “the warm everything” is what makes you so comfortable is technically understood in the industry via the concept of Mean Radiant Temperature or MRT.  

I used to say, “Premium homes deserve premium heat.” And then I’d explain MRT.

Mean Radiant Temperature refers to the average temperature of all the surfaces surrounding you, including walls, windows, floors, and ceilings, even cabinetry. It represents the combined effect of radiant heat coming from all these surfaces, all contributing to a person’s perception of comfort, whether warmth or coolness. Unlike air temperature (the temperature of the air around a person), MRT represents the radiant energy exchange between a person and surrounding surfaces.

Research on MRT, human metabolic rates, and comfort, has shown that—in most cases—people in a radiantly heated home are comfortable at lower air temperatures due to the higher average surface temperature near their bodies. Typically, in a forced air home, convection drives uneven air temperatures (heat rising, for instance), which results in uneven surface temperatures: the higher parts of a room are significantly hotter, whereas in a radiant floor heated home the heat begins beneath your feet and emanates everywhere.

In calculating MRT, it is typical to take into account the surface temperatures of various surfaces within the line of sight of the person, as well as the distance from these surfaces and their respective emissivity (how well they radiate heat). Clearly, these are not intuitive calculations, but they are of consequence: the results can be felt! Since the 3 dimensional computations are very complex it is hard to represent in a drawing. But it has been well confirmed with finite element analysis and thermal imaging. 

Mean Radiant Temperature, Comfort and Energy Efficiency

There is a strong relationship between Mean Radiant Temperature and comfort in radiant floor heated homes, since most of the heat is transferred directly to a person, metabolic research has also shown that in a radiantly heated home, if the MRT is below 64°-68°F, a person will likely feel cold. If you are aiming for a comfortable space, you would usually want to keep the MRT around 72°-75°F for most people, which aligns with a neutral metabolic comfort zone for indoor settings. The gift of radiant floor heating is that, due to the average surface temperatures at body level being warm.

Because of MRT most people feel comfortable at a lower air temperature than with forced air heat because of all the warm surfaces radiating heat. In a radiant heated room, the ideal condition for comfort occurs when the MRT is balanced so that there is not a big difference between what a person feels from the surrounding surfaces, and the ideal metabolic comfort ranges referenced above. The air temperature can be lower, and people will still be comfortable, as long as the MRT is higher and more consistent (steady), which is usually the case.

So maintaining a lower air temperature (than a conventional forced air system requires) saves energy, aided by the small circulating pumps required for hydronic radiant heat, and the inherent efficiencies of using the denser medium of water, versus air, to transfer heat. Forced air systems usually involve significant duct losses, and require much more fan energy to blow compressible air through big ducts. 

Think How the Sun Works

My friend John Fantauzzi—an early proponent of radiant heat and colleague in the Original Radiant Panel Association—suggested we tell potential clients: “Tell them it’s like the sun indoors.”  When I was a radiant floor heating contractor, I hadn’t used such a brilliantly simple image, but did tell potential customers to do a similar thought experiment: “Imagine you’re basking on a warm beach on a sunny day, all that sand and air warmed by the radiant heat from the sun.” Or, more personally, I would recount my experience as a professor at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque:

In winter, our nights would often go down to 25°F then climb to 40°F by mid day. On the south side of the building where I taught, there was a courtyard between my building and a reservoir that had a high enough wall to protect the courtyard from the wind, but still allowed direct sunlight. That south-facing adobe-colored wall absorbed solar energy, its warmth radiating into my back as I sat in front of it, while the sun itself sent its radiant rays to warm my front side, too. I discovered that in this space that was radiantly heated from the sun, I could be comfortable on a 40° morning in a t-shirt!

Later, when I moved to the drearier winters in the Puget Sound, I was determined to bring some of that radiant sunlight with me. I built a house sited with southern exposure, with radiant floor heating that was exceptionally warm and comfortable. Our radiantly heated floors made us feel we’d brought some of the New Mexico sun north with us.

In this home in the winter, on a cold day the radiant floor might be 78°F, but because the surfaces were all at a higher temperature than air temperature, we were almost always comfortable at 67°F-68°F air temperature in shorts and a T shirt.

There are many graphics (like the one shown below) that illustrate the how air temperature in a radiantly heated home is distributed significantly differently than that in most forced air interiors. These drawings make a good argument for the efficiency of radiant floor heating, and show the more even temperatures common with radiant heat, but they don’t explain it the way the concept of Mean Radiant Temperature does. 

In a radiantly heated home, Mean Radiant Temperature is what determines thermal comfort because it reflects the heat exchanged from surrounding surfaces to a person. Since this is a dynamic process that takes into account the radiant energy coming from every surface, in every direction, it is best felt and understood as a large, even, low- temperature surface which, unlike forced air, has an even lower temperature profile. It is incredibly quiet, saves energy, and perhaps best of all, it’s incredibly comfortable.  

 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hoyt Corbett

Partner, Warm Brothers Inc.

Hoyt has been involved with hydronic heating since the early 1990’s and developed and sold a national brand of radiant floor heating that was acquired by Uponor. Subsequently, Hoyt was Associate Director of the Radiant Panel Association, the industry trade group.

He’s produced extensive technical writing on radiant floor heating, writing several major national hydronic vendor’s radiant heating design and installation manuals as well as founding and publishing The Radiant Flooring Guide.

Call Hoyt at 206-369-1458, 8am to 5pm central time

or

email him at: hoyt.corbett@warmbrothersinc.com

Our Company, Warm Brothers Inc. has just introduced a much faster and more convenient insulation solution for installing radiant heat in a concrete slab than was available when I was a young installer. I want to introduce this product to you; explain why you do not want to install it in the old way and point out the benefits of using InsulHeat™ instead.

So what is InsulHeat™ Underslab™? Note that it has 4 interlocking edges that make the product easy to install and align.

InsulHeat™ Underslab™ Radiant Floor Heating Panels combine rigid insulation, a vapor barrier and a PEX tubing locking mechanism into a single solution that significantly reduces installation time. The patented “mushroom” shaped nubs lock PEX tubing in place without staples or zip ties. It is design for use under concrete slabs and provides for the placement of PEX hydronic tubing held by the nubs in the foam grid. It features

• Four-sided interlocking connectors on every panel
• Durable HIPS film acts as a vapor barrier and adds composite strength
• Inter-connected channels ensure even heat distribution
• Mushroom nubs securely lock tubing
• No need for labor intensive concrete “dobies” to support steel
• Easier installation and higher compression than blueboard

Get Factory Direct Project Quote Including Freight

In the late 1980’s and 1990’s ….I was a hydronic contractor in the Puget Sound area of Washington State. We installed hundreds of thousands of square feet in concrete slabs in the “old way” that was common at the time. But there is now a much better “new way”. Let me explain how much more work it was to do it the “old way”:

In those days to install hydronic radiant heat in a slab, we would cut to fit and put down 2” thick 4’x 8’ pieces of EPS Foam, adding a vapor barrier. Then the next step was to put down 6” x 6” 8 guage steel mats and then wire them together. Then we raised the mesh up on small cement blocks called “dobies” or up on wire “chairs”. This required us to then bend way over to get our hands around the steel to attach the dobies and then later the tubing ties to the steel every foot or two. We used zip ties, the long end of which often needed to be trimmed off or use bailing wire loops with a twist tool which was a lot of work. And walking on the mesh without displacing the Dobies or chairs was often a challenge. Later if Dobies had not been used, as the concrete pour progressed, the mesh, with the tubing, had to be pulled up into the middle of the slab. This way of installing hydronic radiant heat in a slab worked but was very slow. When I was a contractor, the radiant jobs were spread around Puget Sound, sometimes even on islands. The joke among the crew was we were always either going around water or on the water in a ferry traveling to or from a job. The jobs  all involved a lot of travel time, and travel time was expensive. So, coming back another day could threaten profitability. Havin products that are efficient of time is and easy to estimate installation time is very important for all contractors.  With the new product InsulHeat™ Underslab™ from Warm Brothers Inc. we are offering a newer labor-saving way to install these systems. If I had had this product when I was a contractor, I would have greatly saved installation time, travel time, money and been more profitable. Below is a graphic of the “old way” we installed hydronic radiant heating in a slab:

 

THE OLD WAY INVOLVED THE FOLLOWING TIME-CONSUMING DETAILS

THE NEW AND BETTER WAY- INSULHEAT™ UNDERRSLAB™…JUST WALK THE TUBING IN:

This product has numerous advantages…. Speed of Install: the tubing is simply and quickly walked into the grid saving hours of back bending labor. Thus, increasing estimating certainty and improving profits. The easily handled 2’ x 4’ boards have interlocking edges that keep the boards together. There is great freedom for on-site design for experienced contractors. The tubing may be placed in multiple patterns between the nubs.  The higher Nubs allow the board to be easily walked on after the tubing is is installed. Mats of 6” x 6” steel wire may be supported on the nibs and lifted as cement is poured. Since the deeper pockets are below the tubing and wire it, is possible for the installers to easily reach down with their hands and pull the mesh up to the middle of the slab as shown below.

The panels have 4 interlocking edges for stability that keep the panels in place, deep pockets to encase the PEX pipe in cement and a vapor barrier layer that also add strength.

This product is ideal for heating barns, garages, new construction slab on grade, new basements and may be used in snow melting.

The product can be used on 6”, 9” and 12” centers. Experienced installers will discover it gives them a great deal of design freedom. Below is an example 12’ x 12’ room laid out on 9” centers. Experienced contractors can often self-design a system using this product. Less experienced users can contact us and use our design service.

Less experienced users can contact us and use our design service.

 

INSULHEAT DATA SHEET SHOWN BELOW IS AVAILABLE AT : https://wbiwarm.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Product-data-sheet-v1.pdf

 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Hoyt Corbett

Partner, Warm Brothers Inc.

Hoyt has been involved with hydronic heating since the early 1990’s and developed and sold a national brand of radiant floor heating that was acquired by Uponor. Subsequently, Hoyt was Associate Director of the Radiant Panel Association, the industry trade group.

He’s produced extensive technical writing on radiant floor heating, writing several major national hydronic vendor’s radiant heating design and installation manuals as well as founding and publishing The Radiant Flooring Guide.

Call Hoyt at 206-369-1458, 8am to 5pm PST

or

email him at: hoyt.corbett@warmbrothersinc.com

Tom Tesmar is a legendary pioneer in the introduction of Euro style modern radiant heat to North America.  We think Tom says it best.

Thermodynamics is not just a good idea….it’s the law. The output of a radiant floor is limited in two ways. First, the maximum surface temperature of a radiant floor is limited to around 87F (about 45 Btu per square foot). If the floor is operated above this temperature, the occupants are likely to complain of uncomfortably hot and sweaty feet.

The Benefits of Radiant Heat in your Ceiling vs the Floor

Secondly, radiant floors are limited by the amount of energy that can penetrate highly resistant floor coverings, such as certain carpeted and wood floors. Often, these materials limit the actual output to less than 20 Btu per square foot. Unfortunately, these beautiful and thermally resistant floor coverings are often used in the more elegant rooms, with large windows and high heating loads. Radiant floor designers often must stretch to meet the load such rooms. Also, floor coverings are likely to change significantly over the life of the building, leading to the comment “It worked until the owners placed a thick Persian rug over the wood floor”.

Radiant ceilings can easily operate at surface temperatures up to 100 F, delivering in excess of 55 Btu per square foot. Since ceilings are typically constructed of gypsum based sheet rock, they offer very little resistance to thermal transfer. Unless designers regress to the 1960’s, and resume putting shag carpeting on the ceilings, it’s likely the output of the ceiling won’t change during the life of the home.

“There seems to be some ingrained misunderstandings of the concepts. Someone will say that “heat rises, therefore you’ll have a hot head and cold feet”. Not true.”

In any discussion of radiant ceilings and comfort, there seems to be some ingrained misunderstandings of the concepts. Someone will say that “heat rises, therefore you’ll have a hot head and cold feet”. Not true.

Addressing the “Heat Rises” Myth

Heat doesn’t rise. Hot air rises. In radiant systems objects of mass are heated without heating the air. In fact, there is typically more hot air rising with a radiant floor than with a radiant ceiling. This is because air molecules that come into contact with the radiant ceiling already occupy the highest strata. In radiant floors, the cooler molecules sink and come into contact with the warm floor surface and rise as their density changes with heat, driving the convective forces that cause stratification.

Under normal conditions neither radiant floors or radiant ceilings heat the air to an uncomfortable level like in forced air systems, however.

“There are no cold floors in radiant ceiling projects.”

Another myth about radiant floors and ceilings involves the surface temperatures that are achieved. Just as the overhead rays of the sun are absorbed by the beach sand, radiant ceilings warm the floor. There are no cold floors in radiant ceiling projects. You can put a piece of Tahiti in your living room with radiant ceilings. Unless you believe tropical island comfort requires the flow of underground lava.

I also hear radiant ceilings criticized for what is termed “shadowing affects”. This is the belief that legs under tables or desks are shielded from the radiant heat and are, therefore, cold. Radiant ceilings, like floors both radiate and re-radiate. The invisible heat rays emit from the heated surface to other colder unheated surfaces. The total affect of all of this bouncing of energy is very even heat distribution.

If a person is seated at a table near an outside wall, there could be some shadowing from above with a radiant ceiling, just as there might be shadowing from below with a radiant floor when seated on a sofa near the outside wall. In most situations, shadowing for radiant ceilings or floors is negligible. More significant, however is the possibility that objects placed on the radiant floor will impede the flow of energy. Area rugs, and some furnishings such as certain sofas and beds can reduce the usable floor area, increasing the Btu load per square foot, and, perhaps, exceeding the system capability. Radiant ceilings are not subject to these types of problems.

Cost Benefits of Radiant Heat in Ceilings

Radiant ceilings accelerate fast, when needed, to meet a big change in heating load. They dissipate energy fast as well. The responsiveness of radiant ceilings makes them excellent for modern controls, placing energy where it is needed when it is needed, and achieving superior comfort and efficiency. Some high mass radiant floors are sluggish in that they take a long time to accelerate to meet the load.

In modern heating systems, too much emphasis has been placed on energy efficiency of the heat plant while wasting energy on poor distribution. This is like putting a Viper engine in a Yugo. Far more heat energy can be salvaged by not wasting it in poorly controlled buildings, than can be achieved by squeezing another Btu per hour out of a heat plant. There are some pretty interesting solutions to heat distribution problems by using radiant floors in conjunction with radiant ceilings.

“Without a doubt, radiant ceilings cost far less than radiant floors.”

In this way the floors are not required to meet the entire load, yet are conditioned to provide comfortable surface temperatures. The ceilings are heated, where necessary, to take on the severe conditions and give everyone involved the peace of mind that the system will keep up with the heat loss under severe conditions. Without a doubt, radiant ceilings cost far less than radiant floors. In most are heated, where necessary, to take on the severe conditions and give everyone involved the peace of mind that the system will keep up with the heat loss under severe conditions.

Without a doubt, radiant ceilings cost far less than radiant floors. In most cases they cost less than half of a radiant floor. Lower cost means more opportunity. They take less effort to design and install. Radiant ceilings are perfect for retrofit situations. It is very inexpensive and easy to lower a ceiling to accommodate the radiant ceiling, but difficult to raise a floor.

Radiant ceilings are not optimal over a concrete slab placed on the grade of the earth. Radiant floors are best for these situations. I also prefer radiant floors in rooms with smooth surface floors, such as bathrooms,  where occupants are often barefoot. It is a real nice touch. But when the going gets tough, the heat losses are high and the floor coverings are plush, radiant ceilings cannot be beat.”