Planning your SunTouch Project
- Do you make SunTouch in custom sizes?
SunTouch isn't made in custom sizes, because our standard mats can fit any space. Start with the right sized mat and then cut the orange weave to make right turns, left turns and U-turns. Don't cut the blue heating wire. By using these turns, and sometimes pulling out the blue heating wire from the mat to fill small areas, you can precisely heat any size or shape room. You can view hundreds of drawings in our Design Library.
- Can SunTouch heated floors serve as my only heat source or do I need supplemental heat?
For most people, SunTouch serves as a floor warming supplement to your existing heating system. However, the mat does generate over 40 BTUs per square foot of heated area, which is as much as any hydronic floor heating system. Because SunTouch isn't installed under built-ins, cabinets, or walls, the mat may not be able to match the heating load of the room. If you plan to use SunTouch as the primary heat for your space, send us a floor plan, noting exposed walls, windows, ceiling, etc and all the associated R-values. If you don't know the R-values, just tell us the thickness of the walls and ceiling and whether the windows are single- or double-pane. We'll calculate the heat load of the room and select a heated floor mat that meets that load or comes as close as possible.
- Do you have a product that will warm carpet or a floating wood floor?
Yes. Secure SunTouch mats to your subfloor and pour a thin layer of self leveling mortar on top. This will add only slightly more than a quarter inch rise to your floor and will meet the UL listing for the mat. The mortar spreads the heat evenly and helps protect the heating wires from sharp objects that might penetrate the floor.
- Does it make sense to heat my sunroom with SunTouch radiant floor mats?
Sunrooms can be hard to heat, but radiant costs less than the alternatives. Baseboard units take up valuable space and they heat the air which immediately stratifies at the top of the room where it is wasted. Forced air systems are even worse. With a SunTouch system, you'll have warm feet in your room during any weather, day or night. A programmable thermostat will allow you to heat on your schedule. If the heat loss from your room is more than SunTouch mats can provide, we'll recommend supplementary heat. Sunrooms and SunTouch are a natural combination.
- Are 120 volt SunTouch mats more efficient than 240 volt mats?
No. Both have the same efficiency and both radiant floor mats use 12 watts per square foot. 240 volt mats operate with half the amperage (current) of 120 volt models at the same size. The 240 volt models are more popular for larger commercial installations, for rooms where you want a lower amperage service, or for many foreign countries where higher voltage service is the norm.
- Is 3/4" granite too thick or too heavy for SunTouch radiant floor mats?
Granite is a great conductor of heat. 3/4" thickness is not a problem for heat transfer or weight unless, of course you drop a slab on edge and damage the wire! As with all slab heated systems, you should take advantage of a programmable thermostat with a set-back feature. This control keeps your floor at the perfect temperature; turns the system down to save energy when you're gone; but keeps it ready to respond quickly when you need more heat.
- Are glass tiles suitable for a SunTouch warm floor?
Yes, they are. Glass, ceramic, porcelain, stone, marble and slate floors are all excellent choices with SunTouch.
- Do you make radiant floor mats for very small spaces?
Yes. Our smallest production mat is 1' x 10', which can be cut and shaped to fit in your space. If you have a little radiant floor mat left over, you can always use up a square foot of mat by pulling out the blue wire and laying it along side and behind the toilet. Never cut the blue wire.
- How close can I put my SunTouch radiant floor mat to a wall?
We recommend you stay 3 to 6 inches away from walls to make sure trim nails or screws don't penetrate the wire during construction. Otherwise, you can put it as close to the wall as you need.
- Do I need a drawing showing how SunTouch radiant floor mats lay out in my bathroom?
No. Using our Project Estimator you can enter your project specifications to get an estimate for the radiant floor mat size you need. Then use our Design Library to find similar projects and look at all the layouts on file there. We believe you'll find a design that is very similar to yours. Use these actual examples as a guide to shaping the mat to your space and watch the installation video that comes in every installation kit.
- Besides baths and kitchens, what are other popular places for SunTouch?
We hear frequent stories from people who have bathrooms over garages. Regardless of the insulation level in the floor, the temperature in that room is going to approach the temperature in the garage. While that might be OK for a car, your feet will be ice cold. Similarly, any room that is cantilevered over an open area or illuminated with big north facing windows is going to be a comfort problem. SunTouch radiant heated floor mats can make a wonderful improvement in those rooms.
- Does it make sense to put SunTouch under carpet?
In some cases, yes. In other cases, a pad and carpet will insulate your SunTouch mat while an un-insulated slab below carries warmth away from the room. For many people, carpet is a way to avoid the discomfort of cold floors which is a problem that SunTouch can solve for any type of floor covering. If carpet is your preferred floor covering and you want radiant below, we recommend you secure the mat to a substrate and then cover with a minimum 1/4" self leveling masonry before installing carpet and pad. Leave an unheated area at the perimeter of the room to allow for nail strips. Before you begin however, consider a more popular option: install SunTouch under ceramic tile, stone or slate and then use area rugs.
The other popular option is to install floating laminate flooring over SunTouch heated floor mats that are covered with a minimum 1/4 inch layer of self leveling masonry. The hardwood strips vs. laminate decision is yours, but both options will feel warmer with a SunTouch system below.
- If I install SunTouch floor heat in only part of my bathroom, will I notice the cold areas?
Yes, so plan ahead. Install the radiant floor mat right up the face of vanities and into the kick space where your toes will be. Install 4-6 inches from the wax ring of the toilet and 3-4 inches from where you emerge from a shower or bath. Any walkways or doorways are good choices for SunTouch. A radiant floor feels so good that cold areas are quite noticeable.
- How far will heat travel from each blue heating wire?
We weave our wires 2.75 inches apart because people can't feel any cold area between the blue wires at that spacing. If your tile extends three inches past the wire, you will probably feel a temperature drop. Your radiant heated floor temperature can also be affected by the presence of ductwork below, insulation variations, solar gain, and heat loss outside. All of these are good reasons to plan your layout so you can install the heated floor mats where they will do the most good.
- Can I use SunTouch mats to melt snow on outside concrete steps?
Our radiant floor mats are Underwriter's Laboratory (UL)-Listed for interior heating. We're not UL-Listed for snow melting because the wire is not designed to give off enough heat for that purpose. . However, SunTouch heated floor mats do work great for heating steps around spas and tubs.
- What electrical service do I size for my SunTouch floor heat system?
All sizes of SunTouch heated floor mats are designed to put out the same amount of energy: 12 watts per square foot. For every 10 square feet of 120 VAC (Volts Alternating Current) mat, you will need 1 amp of electrical service. Each square foot of mat puts out almost 40 BTU's (British Thermal Units. One BTU is about the same amount of energy that is released if you completely burn one wooden kitchen match). A typical SunTouch floor heat system with 50 square feet of mat would use 600 watts of energy and would require a 5 amp service. This 50 sq. ft. system would deliver 2000 BTUs per hour of heating to your space under optimal conditions and less when you take into account heat loss below or to the edge of your floor. The SunTouch 240 volt mats put out the same amount of BTU's, but they do it with half the amperage. The formula for electrical energy is Voltage x Amperage = Watts. Using the 240 VAC mats allow you to reduce the amperage requirement for that space by 1/2.
