Chicago Housing Authority’s Renovated Senior Apartment Building

Project Information

In a first for Chicago’s public housing, senior citizens living in the Chicago Housing Authority’s (CHA) newly rehabbed Kenmore Senior Apartments now have heated bathroom floors in their residences. The CHA chose WarmlyYours radiant floor heating systems — an easy-to-install electric floor warming product line — to make the units more comfortable for senior residents during the harsh Chicago winter months.

Under the CHA’s Plan for Transformation, the city is redeveloping and rehabilitating all public housing sites in Chicago with the assistance of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The Kenmore Senior Apartments, located at 5040 N. Kenmore on Chicago’s North Side, were a $16.8 million rehabilitation project that began in May 2009 and were completed in December 2009.

The WarmlyYours TempZone radiant floor system installed in all unit bathrooms consists of ultra-thin heating cables that are affixed to rolls of mesh and positioned invisibly between the subfloor and floor covering. Each installed system costs less than 16 cents per day to operate – a lesser cost than two 75-watt light bulbs in the space of an average size master bathroom. The system is UL listed for safety and utilizes in-floor sensors that just a matter of allow for precise temperature comfort. It’s a control.

“Even with adequate heating systems warming the apartments as a whole, the bathroom floor tile can get extremely cold during the winter months. This is a real problem for seniors who are easily chilled and susceptible to illness,” said Veronica Gonzalez, development manager for the CHA. “Installing WarmlyYours heated floors in the Kenmore rehab project eliminated that discomfort at low cost, both in upfront investment and energy consumption over the long term, and with no maintenance expenses at all.”

For senior citizens, warmth is not just a matter of comfort. It’s a matter of health. The CHA recognized the value of radiant heating systems in making the Kenmore apartments more livable and healthier for senior residents.

ART: Adaptive Radiant Technology

Based on the principle of the warm heat from the sun, radiant heat is a sustainable, adaptive, and healthy heat that is absorbed and is not prone to heat loss or overheating. A Harvard University Study confirmed that physical warmth, caused by radiant heating, directly affects and improves emotional well being, while influencing positive behavior.

Not only does radiant heating improve emotional health, but it also increases energy efficiency. With the use of radiant heat as a primary heating source, temperature levels can be maintained, on an average of 5.6% lower than any other form of heating. That means, for every degree you lower your thermostat, you can save 5% off