Your contractor is feeing you a line of you know what. If properly installed, electrically heated floors can have a long life.

The contractor you talked to probably doesn't have much experience with ehated floors? Try finding a contractor that does.

What formulaross wrote.

I'd ask this guy "How many heated floors have you installed" and "What type of problems have you run in to?" and "Were the problems caused by the product itself or with the method with which it was isntalled?"

I've done a bunch, mostly under tile, some under wood, and have never had a problem.

Like formulaross, it sounds like this guy just doesn't want to get involved.

Mongo

I agree, he's feeding you a line of total B.S. In my checking around the floors presented very little problem and came with 25 year warranties!
WE LOVE OUR HEATED tile and we live in Southern CA I can't imagine living in cold climate without it! Ours is on a timer, it takes about an hour to warm up so it goes on at 9 and off at 12 then back on at 6 and off at 9 in the morning. You can set the timer for whenever you need it or all night long. There is some residual heat left after it's turned off. I don't remember which brand our contractor chose, but it's a luxury that is totally worth it!

Here's another option: heater under cabinet and heat comes out from toekick area. Our electrican says they work well. We're in the process of installing a Broan. We have a small bath in a cold space and climate. There is a control on the wall. Sorry, it's not yet finished to report how well it works. It was quite a bit less $ than the under floor options.

compumom,
You have a 25 year warranty for the heating unit only. The floor would still have to be torn up and replaced at your expense.
I don't have any personal experience with this product, but the repair would be a concern.
Mongo, how long have the heated flors been in without any problems?
Donna

The floor would still have to be torn up and replaced at your expense.

Wrong. with the tools they have to isolate the problem, it would require the removal of one, maybe two tiles, max.

As for longevity, there's no real way to give an answer to that, being that they're relatively new (within the last 5-6 years or so).

For whatever it's worth, I put johnmari's floor in two years ago, and it's still working fine, as is the first one I did about 5 years ago.

I did my first electric radiant floor back in about 1993 or '94. As of last year it was still running fine.

That floor was done with cable off a spool and stringing it around clips attached to the subfloor, no integral mats. Ah, the good old days.

I've been using mats like SunTouch and NuHeat for about the past 10 or 11 years.

If they are installed IAW the manufacturer's instructions you should have a worry-free installation.

Mongo

My husband just installed a heated floor by Warmly Yours a few weeks ago. We haven't used it yet but I am looking forward to it in the winter.

My husband is very handy, I don't think the average person would be able to do it. He even put a layer of cork under it(we are on a slab) to keep the heat going up.

I bet your contracter just isn't interested in doing it.