Radiant Floor Heating Sales Hit Decade High

Radiant heating sales hit growth levels in the first quarter of 2021 that haven’t been seen in more than 10 years.

This is according to a recent industry report by WarmlyYours whose floor heating sales were up over 31 per cent year-over-year. The report analyzed the sales of the company’s radiant heating products within the wider context of the national housing and remodelling markets.

WarmlyYours president Julia Billen says increased optimism about the worldwide pandemic is likely one of the main factors behind this growth.

“I think a lot of people are starting to see light at the end of the tunnel as (Covid-19) case levels continue to drop,” says Billen. “That positive energy has to go somewhere and for a lot of homeowners that has turned into a renewed focus on home improvement projects.”

The report also found there has been a shift in the types of floor coverings being paired with radiant heating. While tile continues to make up the majority of floor heating projects, it only accounted for 80.7 per cent of projects in the first quarter of 2021, as opposed to the typical 88 per cent. Vinyl, particularly luxury vinyl tile and plank, made up 5.5 per cent of all floor heating projects during the same time period. These floor coverings have been growing in popularity for the last couple of years.

Billen thinks this shift may represent a permanent change.

“Tile will always be king in terms of total sales but other flooring materials like (luxury vinyl tile) and engineered wood are going to play a crucial role moving forward, particularly as floor heating is applied to more rooms outside of the bathroom and kitchen,” says Billen.