Winter is just around the corner, bringing with it guests and family gatherings for the holidays. It’s the perfect time of year to make use of the additional space from a finished basement. Unfortunately, colder winter temperatures also mean cold basements. It’s not too late to make sure your basement is properly heated in time for the holidays. Whether your basement is one big room or a few smaller rooms, these top 5 ways to heat your basement offer a solution to meet your needs.
1. Add registers to your existing HVAC system.
Adding registers to your existing HVAC heating system is a great option if you have the ductwork in place and you want to make use of the entire basement. This will allow the current HVAC system to climate control the finished basement like it would the rest of the house.
In most houses, if the existing HVAC ductwork is not already in place it can be expanded to accommodate the additional space and make room for more registers. This may also require upgrading your system to accommodate the extra work. This is an excellent option to truly make the basement seem like an extension of your house.
2. Install a wood pellet stove.
These stoves burn condensed wood pellets and push out warm air with a small fan. Their dry fuel creates more heat, causing them to burn hotter and cleaner than traditional fireplaces.
Wood pellet stoves do require installation and they need to be vented to the exterior of the basement wall. The wood pellets come in mulch size bags, making them easy to store and have on hand when needed.
3. Use Electric space heaters.
If you’ve lived in Edmonton long enough, chances are you’ve used a portable space heater. They are cost efficient to purchase and do not require the help of a professional. Electric space heaters are excellent for giving heat exactly where you need it. They may not be the best choice for a large basement as they are the least energy efficient on the list. However, they work best for smaller spaces or to supplement other heating solutions.
4. Electric Baseboard heaters.
Baseboard heaters are easy to install and have a relatively low cost. They are great for Edmonton winters where heating is a priority. A baseboard heater offers a permanent way of heating your basement, but its range is limited. At least one will be needed for each room to have consistent heat in that area. They also take about 30 minutes to fully warm up.
5. Install basement radiant floor heating.
Radiant heaters are a relatively more expensive heating option to keep your basement warm, as they require installation beneath the flooring. Basement floors are made of concrete slabs allowing the cold to permeate through the floors. Electric radiant floor heating uses the concrete slab to conduct heat that is absorbed by the basements surroundings. These heaters evenly heat the room from the ground up, leaving the basement with warm, dry floors and living space.
This method of heating is the most energy efficient on the list allowing energy savings over time and they are considerably less obtrusive than baseboard heaters. Their sub-floor installation helps your finished basement to maintain more consistent temperatures, heating evenly throughout.
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Oftentimes, the basement’s heat source is either inefficient or not strong enough to heat the entire area. Being subterranean, the basement is naturally cooler and loses more heat than the rest of the house. To help your heat sources be more efficient, make sure enough wall insulation and adequate subfloor underlayment has been installed. This will limit the heat loss from the entire room, saving both money and energy.
If the basement is still struggling to stay warm, try combining several heat sources. It can be difficult for your HVAC to regulate the naturally cooler temperature of the basement and the rest of the house. Try installing baseboard heaters or using space heaters along with your HVAC to make up the difference. Having this in place can help balance your HVAC system and significantly cut back on your basement’s heating needs.
Whether it’s a new system or an upgrade to your current one, our technicians at Always Plumbing & Heating can help make your finished basement the perfect extra space. Need help with your basement heating? Call us at 780-489-8118 (Edmonton) or 587-601-1253 Fort McMurray to schedule an appointment today!
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