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You may be familiar with heated floors, but have you ever heard of a heated island countertop? By using electric radiant heat instead of traditional hydronic systems, you can use radiant heat for applications and in places that would have previously been unfathomable.
So, what are the benefits of a heated island countertop? How are they installed? Keep reading to find out everything you need to know.
The Benefits of Radiant Heating In a Kitchen Island Countertop
Whether in the comfort of your own bathroom, the mudroom of a friend’s house, or the sauna at a resort spa, you have likely experienced the luxurious comfort of radiant floor heating. Why stop there? Why not implement the incredible luxury of electric radiant heating in parts of the home other than floors?
If you love to host and entertain, then a heated kitchen island countertop might be just the innovation you’ve been waiting for.
Take the Fishers in Holland, MI, for example; Marti and Guy Fisher are frequent party hosts, and they wanted to do something that would enhance their kitchen for all of their visitors. They decided to install a new quartz countertop embedded with electric radiant heating cables. The result was a heated kitchen island that works as the ultimate serving station.
The party host’s ultimate tool, a heated kitchen island countertop, can keep entire countertops worth of food warm. Gone are the days of keeping appetizers in the oven, microwaving ten different plates, and scheduling oven time for each guest to warm up their dish. A heated island countertop allows you to turn your kitchen space into a gourmet serving station with the push of a button. Your guests won’t believe their eyes (or their mouths).
How to Install Radiant Heating in a Kitchen Island Countertop
Before beginning, always check local codes. Some municipalities may not allow it. When installing radiant heat in a kitchen island countertop, there are several things to consider.
1. Proper planning and preparation should always be your first step
Before you begin, ensure you have all the measurements, tools, materials, and other resources required for the job.
2. The actual installation
With good prep work, this phase should be easy and straightforward.
3. Finishing touches
Even diamonds need polishing. Make sure everything is perfect.
Planning and Preparation
Proper planning and preparation are the keys to any successful project. To set yourself up for success, you will need to:
- Determine the size and layout of the radiant heating system in the countertop.
- Gather the necessary tools and materials.
Your materials will include all radiant heating materials, including heat cables, thermostats, etc.
In addition to your standard hand tools like a tape measure, hammer, etc., you will need a grinder with multiple diamond blades for cutting and grinding; you will use this for cutting in the grooves for the radiant heating cable.
- Seek professional guidance if necessary.
Most countertop companies will do all of this work for you.
Installing the Radiant Heating System
Installing radiant heat in a countertop is a multiple-step process.
- Use cabinet dimension for 3/4″ sanded plywood
- Use DCM-PRO Membrane Peel-and-Stick with primer
- Lay DCM-PRO Cable
- Skimcoat/pack cable
- Test the heating system to make sure that it is functioning correctly.
Finishing Touches
Before installing your new heated island countertop, a few finishing touches need to be done. Give the heating system a final test to verify the connection with the thermostat. Finally, lightly sand the skim-coated thinset to ensure your countertop can sit flat on your cabinets.
As with the other steps in this process, you can leave it to professional contractors; they will be happy to assist you.
Work with Warmup to Install a Heated Kitchen Island Countertop
When Marti and Guy Fisher wanted to transform their island countertop into the ultimate tool for hosting and entertaining, they turned to Warmup for their electric radiant heating needs.
With over 25 years of experience and over 2 million systems sold worldwide, Warmup had the products and expertise to help the Fishers transform their home; let them help you do the same.
Products like Warmup’s 6iE Smart WiFi Thermostat utilize innovative features like SmartGeo technology to intuitively turn the heat down while you’re away and back up when you’re on your way home. Pairing the 6iE with heating systems like the DCM-PRO can optimize your home for comfort and efficiency while saving you up to 25% on your heating bills!
Don’t spend another winter in the cold; say goodbye to cold spots, pricey heating bills, and loud dusty heating vents, and hello to cozy, efficient heat with Warmup.
Contact Warmup’s customer support center or get an instant quote online today and find out why Warmup is the world’s best-selling floor heating brand!