Just like any important choice, those considering installing floor heating have many queries. One of these questions is: What is an electric heat mat and how does it melt snow? Essentially, an electric floor mat is a heating element that can be installed under your flooring (tile, hardwood, linoleum, etc…). A good analogy is an electric floor mat is that it`s an electric blanket under the flooring. As far as how it melts snow, the answer consists of two parts: How an electric floor mat works, and why it melts snow effectively. 1) How does an electric floor mat work? All electric heating elements work on the same principle; resistance. All conductive substances have a given level of electrical resistance. This electrical resistance creates friction as the electricity passes through the substance. This is why the majority of electric wires are made of copper rather than aluminum, a less expensive and lighter metal. Copper has less electrical resistance and permits the electricity to flow freely making it a more logical choice. Taking advantage of electrical resistance, we have learned to use various substances to capitalize on the friction caused when electrons flow through them. The result of this friction is heat. From your hair dryer to electric floor mats, this principle is at work in any electrical heating device. 2) How does an electric heat mat melt snow? When snow lands on a normal floor, a tiny quantity of the snow is melted. This melting transfers heat from the flooring to the snow, resulting in a tiny quantity of melted snow. The heat transfer additionally results in the floor covering being chilled. Quickly, a balance is reached where the floor covering does not have enough heat to continue to melt snow. Installing heated floors changes this situation. With an active heat mat under the floor covering, as heat is conducted from flooring to snow and a small quantity of snow is melted, but instead of reaching a balance, heat is then conducted from the electric floor mat to the flooring causing the process to continue until the snow is totally melted. The end result of this process is a continual melting of snow instead of a brief period with a tiny quantity of melted snow. At this point, you might be asking how this affects you. Have you ever seen the condition of your carpet after a person walks through it with snow on his or her shoes? Snow gathers dirt as someone walks around. When this snow gets dislodged, it later melts. Add snow melt (water) to dirt, and you have mud. An electric floor mat mat installed in foyer areas can limit this water to one stain resistant part of the home, instead of letting it get tracked all over the home. For anyone living in an area where snow becomes dislodged, an electric floor mat in foyer areas is a smart idea.