Is my Radiant Heating dream practical? (hardwood floor, how much, installation, bathroom)

[CloudyDaysForever]

Living in Minnesota, I deal with the cold a lot. But I'm in love with the idea of having radiant heating in my bathroom.

The bathroom I want to install it in is in the basement. Right now, there's tile that was put down poorly on top of the cement. I can literally pry it off with my fingers.
Question 1) How much height will Radiant Heating add to the floor?

It might be kind of weird to have a 1" step up into the bathroom. I'm pretty leery about ripping up my foundation.

I have central air (gas). The bathroom does have unfinished space near it. Question 2) What kind of Radiant Heating would be best for me?

Question 3) Approximately how much is this going to cost me if I do the labor myself?

Is there anything else I should know?

[GaryH3]

We used a brand by Danfoss called Warmzone. It consisted of electric cable 1/8" diameter that is installed in thinset. I can't comment on the do-it-yourself aspect as I had it installed as part of a complete bathroom. We put porcelain tile over it. The adjacent bedroom has cork tiles over the slab and there is almost no difference in floor height between the two rooms. Here is a photo of the installation.

[Eusibius2]

I just had Radiant Flooring (electric) installed in our bathroom too. We ripped out everything in it down to the subfloor (it is on the 2nd floor of our house). After the new subfloor was installed, we laid down Laticrete brand rolls. It's maybe 3/16" thick. After that, thinset and porcelain tile. The hallway is original hardwood floor and we can't tell any difference in floor height between the two. I'm fairly certain Laticrete brand can be installed directly on concrete, although something is nagging me that you might need something else... check their website to be sure.

Our costs: Thermostat: $150. Floor mat $75 (for 4'x6' area). Electrician to hookup $150.

Hope this helps

[CloudyDaysForever]

Thank you, Garyh3 and Eusibius2, I think that answers my questions quite well. I think I'll move forward with the idea

[Ellwood]

I noticed Costco is selling radiant heating floors now, so if you are a member, you might look into it.