Between November and April, a tile floor in an Ontario bathroom sits at around 16 °C. That is the single most common complaint we hear about tile, and in-floor heating solves it completely.
What goes in
An electric mat system goes on top of the tile cost: the mat, an uncoupling membrane rated for heating cable, and a programmable thermostat with a floor sensor. On a bathroom floor it is a modest addition — the tile cost calculator shows the effect on your floor, and we price it exactly at your free visit.
What it costs to run
An electric mat draws about 12 watts per square foot. A typical bathroom on a timer for four hours a day costs a few dollars a month at Ontario rates. Most people run it on a schedule — warm for the morning and evening, off overnight.
Where it is genuinely worth it
- Bathrooms. Bare feet on tile at 6am in February. This is the case that sells itself.
- Entryways. Helps dry salt and meltwater faster, which is a real benefit through an Ontario winter.
- Basements. Below-grade slabs are cold year round. Heating makes a basement genuinely usable rather than technically finished. See basement renovation.
Where we would skip it
Large open main floors. The square footage makes both installation and running costs add up quickly, and your furnace is already handling that space. Kitchens are borderline — you are usually standing, moving, and often wearing shoes.
The thing people get wrong
Heating mat only goes under open floor area, not under the vanity, the toilet or the tub. So the heated area is always meaningfully smaller than the room. We measure the actual usable area when quoting, which is why our number is sometimes lower than a quote based on room size.
You have to decide before the tile goes down
This is the important part. In-floor heating is installed as part of the tile job. Retrofitting means lifting the entire floor. If you are on the fence, the cost of including it is a fraction of the cost of adding it in three years.
Get a free estimate
Ultra Renovations Inc has been installing tile across Ajax, Pickering, Whitby, Oshawa and the wider GTA for over ten years. We are a registered Ontario corporation with general liability insurance.
Call (647) 648-8985 or request a free estimate and we will come out, measure properly, look at your subfloor, and give you a written quote for heated floors at no cost.