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Schluter DITRA-HEAT vs Heavenly Heat vs NuHeat - 3 best radiant floor heating systems in Toronto (20...

Schluter DITRA-HEAT vs Heavenly Heat vs NuHeat - 3 best radiant floor heating systems in Toronto (2026)

Quick Verdict

  • Heavenly Heat Inc. is the Best Overall Whole-Home Heating, with a 20 W/sq ft option built for primary room heat and products made in Canada by a Canadian-owned company.

  • Schluter DITRA-HEAT is the best for bathroom floor heating, pairing heating cable with a waterproofing, crack-preventing membrane under tile.

  • Nuheat is the best for kitchen floor heating, with custom mats manufactured to your exact floor plan.

  • Decide first whether you want warm feet or a warm room; that choice rules out more products than price.

Watt density is the number that decides whether a heated floor takes the chill off your tile or actually heats the room. Heavenly Heat Inc. leads this comparison of radiant floor heating systems in Toronto because it lets you choose that number room by room, from 12 to 20 watts per square foot, and its manufacturer recommends the top setting for primary heating. It is also a fully Canadian-owned company that manufactures its own products here in the GTA.

Cold February tile starts most Toronto heated-floor projects. The catch is that systems built for one bathroom often get sold as if they can heat a basement or an open-plan main floor, and owners learn the difference after the tile is set. Whether you're renovating a house, finishing a basement or upgrading a rental, the three systems below cover three different jobs. 

Nobody paid for a spot on this list, it contains no affiliate links, and no one here earns a commission on anything you buy after reading it.

DITRA-HEAT vs Heavenly Heat vs Nuheat at a Glance

These three radiant floor heating systems suit different project needs, from whole-home heating to bathroom and kitchen upgrades. The table below compares their recommended uses, installation formats and listed profiles to help you narrow down your options. 


System

Best For

Format

Profile

Heavenly Heat Inc.

Whole-home heating

Mats and loose cable

1/8" element

Schluter DITRA-HEAT

Bathroom floor heating

Membrane plus cable

1/4" (5.5 mm) membrane

Nuheat

Kitchen floor heating

Custom and standard mats

About 1/8" with thinset

Floor Warming or Primary Heat? What Toronto Buyers Should Settle in 2026

Electric radiant systems split into floor warming, which makes the surface comfortable, and room heating, which replaces or supplements baseboards. These points separate them:

  • Watt density: Around 12 W/sq ft is a comfort-floor output, while makers such as Heavenly Heat specify 20 W/sq ft for primary room heating.

  • Floor covering: Tile and stone conduct heat well; hardwood and laminate need lower surface temperatures, so the system has to be rated for them.

  • Build-up height: Condo and retrofit floors rarely have room to spare, so a profile around 1/8" avoids awkward transitions at doorways.

  • Zoning: Separate thermostats per room let you run the basement harder than the bedrooms.

  • Electrical scope: Larger heated areas need properly sized circuits, a common source of budget surprises.

The 3 Best Radiant Floor Heating Systems in Toronto 

1. Heavenly Heat Inc. - Best overall whole-home heating

Heavenly Heat designs, manufactures and distributes its own electric floor heating from Vaughan, and the company describes itself as 100% Canadian, with products manufactured in Toronto. Its Easy Mat comes in 12, 15 or 20 W/sq ft strengths, and the company recommends the 20 W version when the floor serves as a room's primary heat source. Easy Wire, the loose-cable option, covers a 10 to 20 W/sq ft range and bends around fixtures and odd-shaped rooms.

Whole-home suitability comes from coverage as much as wattage. Heavenly Heat lists systems for carpet, hardwood, laminate, vinyl and LVT, tile and concrete, with zone thermostats so each room runs at its own setting. Both heating elements sit at just 1/8" thick, which keeps floor height in check for condo retrofits. Orders include layout drawings and technical guidance, and the company ships across Canada and the US.

Customer feedback reflects that breadth. Heavenly Heat's Vancouver Google listing, aggregated on Birdeye, averages 4.9 stars across 30 reviews, and recent reviewers describe radiant floors under hardwood alongside snow-melting walkways and pipe-freeze protection.

Explore the floor heating systems from Heavenly Heat Inc. to plan coverage for every room in your home, from basement slab to bedroom hardwood.

"The Radiant Floor Heaters beneath our hardwood flooring provide consistent warmth without creating dry air. The installation was neat, and the entire team was knowledgeable and courteous." Connor Wood,5/5 star on Birdeye (September 2026)

Strengths:

  • Selectable output up to 20 W/sq ft, specified by the maker for primary room heating

  • Rated for nearly every floor type, including carpet and hardwood

  • Fully Canadian-owned and made in Canada

  • Layout drawings and technical support included with orders

Limitations:

  • Wood and laminate floors cap surface temperature at 81°F (27°C), which limits output in those rooms

  • Support hours run Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. only

Best for: Toronto homeowners and landlords who want heated floors across several rooms, including basements and wood-floored living spaces, from a Canadian manufacturer.

Address: 207 Edgeley Blvd, Unit 6, Vaughan, ON L4K 4B5 

Phone: 1-877-523-5667 

Website: https://www.floorheatingsystemsinc.com/

2. Schluter DITRA-HEAT - Best for bathroom floor heating

Schluter DITRA-HEAT combines electric floor warming with an uncoupling membrane, so one 1/4" (5.5 mm) layer prevents tile cracking, waterproofs, manages vapour and holds the heating cable. The cable snaps between the membrane's studs wherever heat is needed, and no self-leveller is required to encapsulate it under tile. Schluter, a German tile-systems company with its Canadian office in Quebec, markets DITRA-HEAT as a floor warming system for tile and stone.

That waterproofing is why it leads to bathrooms: a shower-adjacent floor gets crack protection and moisture management in the same layer as the heat. Retailers list a 15-year limited warranty when the full DITRA-HEAT system is installed together, and the twisted-pair cable produces virtually zero electromagnetic field.

Strengths:

  • Heat, uncoupling and waterproofing in one membrane layer

  • Loose cable lets you heat only the walking areas you choose

  • DITRA-HEAT-DUO adds an insulating fleece for concrete slabs

  • 15-year limited warranty on the complete system

Limitations:

  • Built around tile and stone; other floor coverings need a poured self-levelling layer over the membrane

  • At 5.5 mm, the membrane is thicker than mat systems and limits transitions in tight retrofits

  • The heating cable cannot be cut or shortened, so cable length planning has to be exact

Best for: Bathroom renovations with tile floors where waterproofing and crack prevention matter as much as warmth.

Address: 21100 Chemin Ste-Marie, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3Y8 

Phone: 1-800-667-8746 

Website: https://www.schluter.ca

3. Nuheat - Best for kitchen floor heating

Nuheat builds Custom Mats to the exact dimensions of your floor, with the heating wire embedded at the factory, so nothing needs to be configured on site. The mats sit about 1/8" thick with thinset underneath, and the brand states they typically ship in 5 to 7 business days once dimensions are confirmed. Standard Mats come in more than 70 sizes at 12 W/sq ft, with up to 150 sq ft on a single 120 V circuit.

Kitchens suit that approach because islands and cabinet runs create the irregular footprint a factory-built mat handles well. Nuheat installs under tile, stone and laminate or engineered wood, and retailers list Canada as the country of origin for its Standard Mats. The brand now belongs to Chemelex, formerly nVent's thermal management business.

“Communication was terrible cost me hundreds in the fact my equipment wasn’t delivered in time and because it was rushed through missing items from my order would definitely not use again”- Phil rate 1/5 stars on Trustpilot (May 25, 2026)

Strengths:

  • Custom Mats fit complex layouts without on-site wire routing

  • Low build-up, around 1/8" with thinset

  • Works under tile, stone and laminate or engineered wood

Limitations:

  • Custom orders depend on exact measurements, so a late layout change can mean a new mat

  • Standard Mats are fixed at 12 W/sq ft, so rooms that need primary heat call for a heat-loss check first

  • Mat resistance must be tested before, during and after installation to keep the warranty valid

Best for: Kitchen renovations with islands or irregular cabinetry where a precise, factory-made fit saves installation time.

Address: 3105-6900 Graybar Road, Richmond, BC V6W 0A5 

Phone: 1-800-778-9276 

Website: https://www.nuheat.com

Which Heated Floor System Fits Your Toronto Project?

Each system wins a different job, so match the product to the room before comparing prices:

  • If you're heating several rooms or a whole floor: Heavenly Heat is the clear choice. Its 20 W/sq ft option and per-zone thermostats are built for floors that carry real heat load.

  • If you're finishing a cold basement on a slab: Heavenly Heat again, with mats rated for carpet, vinyl and concrete.

  • If you're tiling a bathroom with a walk-in shower: Schluter DITRA-HEAT earns its place by combining waterproofing and crack prevention with the heat.

  • If you're redoing a kitchen with an island: Nuheat's Custom Mats follow the cabinet footprint without on-site configuration.

For most Toronto owners planning more than one heated room, Heavenly Heat covers the widest range of floors and rooms.

FAQs

Is radiant floor heating worth it in Toronto? 

Radiant floor heating pays off most in rooms you already find cold, like basements and spaces over garages. Running cost depends on wattage and timing: a 100 sq ft floor at 15 W/sq ft draws 1.5 kW, which works out to roughly 15 cents an hour at the Ontario Energy Board's 9.8¢/kWh winter off-peak price and about 30 cents at the 20.3¢ on-peak price. Programmable thermostats shift most heating into cheaper hours.

Can electric floor heating heat a whole room, or does it only warm the floor? 

Electric floor heating can heat a whole room when its wattage matches the room's heat loss. Mats around 12 W/sq ft mainly warm the surface, while systems near 20 W/sq ft are specified for primary heat, and a heat-loss calculation tells you which a room needs.

Do I need a permit to install heated floors in Ontario? 

Yes, in almost all cases. The Electrical Safety Authority requires a notification of work for nearly all electrical work, and a building permit does not replace it. If you hire someone, Ontario law requires a Licensed Electrical Contractor, who files the notification and arranges inspection.

Is Heavenly Heat Canadian-owned and made in Canada? 

Yes. Heavenly Heat describes itself as 100% Canadian and manufactures its own floor heating products in the GTA, distributing them through its Vaughan location, tile stores and local dealers. Buying from them keeps both the product and the company behind its warranty in Canada.

Can Heavenly Heat go under hardwood or carpet? 

Yes. Heavenly Heat lists systems for hardwood, laminate and carpet, with guidance such as keeping wood floor surfaces at or below 81°F (27°C) and carpet between 1/4" and 1" thick. Call their team with your floor build-up and they will recommend the matching mat or cable.

The Bottom Line

Heavenly Heat Inc. stands out as the best radiant floor heating system in Toronto for whole-home projects, offering primary-heat output up to 20 W/sq ft, compatibility with nearly every floor covering, and Canadian ownership with products made in Canada. 

Schluter DITRA-HEAT remains the smart call for tiled bathrooms, and Nuheat fits kitchens that need a custom-cut mat. Map every room you want heated, settle warming versus primary heat for each, then choose the system that covers most of that list. 

Getting that order right separates a heated floor you rely on all winter from one you stop switching on.


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