Can Floors Be Warmed Up By Dehumidifying? Here's What To Know

In many regions, winter temperatures get so low they make indoor flooring cold and uncomfortable. Homeowners rush to find solutions to this problem each year, but it's important to confirm that a floor warming method is actually reliable before trying it out. One common recommendation is to use a dehumidifier inside of the home or under a crawl space to raise the temperature of flooring. House Digest received insight on whether or not this method is effective from Micah Sherman, a virtual HVAC expert at Frontdoor. The company offers helpful HVAC information and valued services for homeowners. According to Sherman, floors cannot be warmed up with a dehumidifier.

"Although dehumidifying your crawl space is a good idea and can help keep moisture levels down, it won't help warm your floors," he explained while speaking exclusively to House Digest. With this in mind, you may want to turn to other methods to heat your floors. You can invest in heated floors if you find the cold sensation to be extremely bothersome. Heated floors may be worth the cost for those who live in a particularly cold region.

At this point, you might be wondering why some homeowners believe you can warm floors with a dehumidifier in the first place. While speaking exclusively to House Digest, Micah Sherman explained the reasoning behind this misconception. "While a dehumidifier does produce a small amount of heat during operation, it's usually not noticeable enough to make a significant difference in room temperature," the expert shared.

It may even have the opposite effect and make your home colder overall by removing warm humidity. "Adding humidity to the home will make the house feel warmer, and removing humidity will make it feel colder," Sherman revealed. Dehumidifiers aside, there are quite a few ways to effectively keep your hardwood floors warm during winter. For example, you could place rugs down to provide a cozy layer of protection between your feet and the cold floor. A regular rug should work just fine, but you could also opt for an under-rug heater, like the Woo Warmer Floor Heater.

While a dehumidifier will not warm your floors, that doesn't mean it isn't an incredibly useful machine. As Micah Sherman explained, you can use it to reduce crawl space moisture. A dehumidifier also offers the benefit of protecting your closet from mold growth. You may even want to consider using the machine in your basement, as this area often harbors high levels of moisture. It's important to position the dehumidifier correctly so that it can work as intended.

While speaking exclusively to House Digest, Sherman revealed the ideal spot to place a dehumidifier within a home. "I recommend placing it in a central location that is close to an accessible drain," the expert shared. "You need to dispose [of] the water the dehumidifier collects, and being closer to a drain makes it easier." 

Sherman brings up an important point worth noting. You can't just set a dehumidifier down and forget about it. The machine requires you to empty the water that collects inside it periodically. The exact frequency will vary depending on the moisture levels within your living space and the size of your machine. You may want to check the water collection area periodically to ensure you drain it before it becomes full.