Shaughnn covered everything. Agree with shaughnn. In each sentence, one could add a detail or a "but not if"; this does not change the overall thrust of what he wrote. If I had to work for Shaughnn, or if had to hire him I know I could talk and communicate about everything necessary. The majority of people experienced with heating cables would not think of mentioning the difference between an installation on a concrete slab or on a wood structure. Go figure. It makes a huge difference, and they don't mention it. Operating costs depend on Watts. More wattage, more heat, more power, more consumption, more cost, they are all the same things (wattage = heat = power = consumption = cost) as long as the building's insulation is effective. If you heat a slab that you own both sides of, and that you live both sides of, you get all the heat energy back as it acts as a radiator on both sides. If you heat a slab on grade, in a damp basement, you are heating Mother Earth and using (cold) ground water as the conductor (heat conductor) to accelerate the heat transfer into the Earth. Not as good. This is where a thermal break is a good thing. If you heat a slab on grade, and you think it's dry and won't conduct as much into the Earth as a damper comparative slab, you are right but you will still spend a lot to heat the slab, and most of the heat you are paying to produce will go into the ground. "Most" is how much? Since it's a sink, in thermal conductivity terms, it's way way more than half. As shaughnn wrote, a question about brands will never get any specific answer, as a heating coil is a heating coil, as dumb and simple as a toaster. They are all the same as far as heating goes. In a toaster, the heating coil is "a heating coil" and nobody asks if one or another is better or the best, in a toaster. Same thing with a heating cable in a floor heating system. "It's a toaster" is a common phrase in certain engineering circles, meaning if you're consuming power, you are generating heat. It also means that's the end of that analysis, move on to the next subject, there is nothing more to ask about here. Power = heat. Yes one can put heating coils under tubs / showers, near toilets too, and a little bit into cabinet space (but this is best when you know how to plan for heat transfer and air movement, and not advisable to the average bear, or else you get a very warm box that thwarts your goals because you have to reduce heat to compensate for the box heat, or you have to leave the cabinet door ajar, or drill holes somewhere, or...) Mats yes. Loose cables can be pulled off a mat if needed. Buying a long loose cable is just a few extra days work, nothing serious if you have all the time in the world and nothing else to do. To find out if he / she got it right, the average person reading about heat cables needs to post about "watts per square foot" they might want to have, and tons of information about their slab or subfloor, and the cork or other insulator or membrane as a heat break between the cables and the slab or subfloor, or about the insulation under the subfloor or about their building envelope. Although it IS possible to use electric cable radiant heatings systems as a primary heating source for a room, the average homeowner should not try to achieve this after a bit of internet reading. There are so many reasons why you may be less than satisfied that it's best not to get your hopes up. plumberry asked for confirmation that electric is the way to go. I guess this means "electric and not a hydronic loop" but this was not specified. Since we received no information from plumberry about anything, the answer is NO, not yet, not enough is known about plumberry's situation. But it is true that electric is a great way to warm one room. . Here is a link that might be useful: A thread that shows all the problems and ends in a Thank_You

Can’t help you with your dilemma, but I would like to say a nay for a niche. Yucky to clean. If you have this possibility, use a shelf instead.

Do we start on the lengthwise wall first or do we start with the walls at the foot or head of the bathtub or does it make any difference? Doesn't matter. Next we will be using 4" x 8" subway tiles surrounding just the walls above the tub, and wainscoting on the rest of the walls. I was thinking of using 1/16 grout lines for this or would 1/8 grout lines be better? That depends on the tile. If it's a wall tile made with a ridge or little "nubs" on the edges for self spacing, you can butt them together, and that'll give you a 1/16" grout joint. I've yet to ever see 4x8 tile like that though-- doesn't mean it doesn't exist. If it DOESN'T have the spacers built into the edges, you might be better off to go with a little larger joint size.

Thank you pllog! According to my admittedly limited research, white subway tiles were primarily what was used during 1913 (not colored tiles just yet), or else white or cream-colored wainscoting. I know the colorful tile was used on fireplace faces though, as is the case on ours - but I think the whole sterile kitchen and bathroom look was going on in 1913 (?). I know my house originally had it cause not only is 2x6 white subway tile in the original bathroom upstairs, but the previous owners, who I am friends with, remember it having been in the house at one time. The previous owner now in her 80's moved in with her parents in the '40's when she was a teenager. There was only one family that lived in the house before them, which is kind of neat to know. I'd love to find out more about them someday if possible. All that said, if I had the time further to obsess (I'm already taking LOADS of time away from my kids to obsess over every detail that I am already!), and the eye/confidence/creativity, or a designer, and the money, I'd do something much more fun and much more "me" in a NY heartbeat. But alas, I don't. Maybe someday. The following cut/paste link is to absolutely inspiring backsplashes, which you'd probably love: http://finishedbacksplashes2.blogspot.com/ It would be impossible for me to do if the tile were to get up to $100/SF. How did you come up w/ that calculation? Oh dear - I'd better do the math again! I was told that by going to a fabricator with big machinery, it wouldn't take that long at all for a back splash my size - but that was just one person who said that; he could have been wrong. One consideration for a backup plan for me has been white or off-white minibrick. I think with a non-matching grout - e.g. a noncommittal but darker sand color (sand having both tan and grey in it?), all those little lines would be more interesting w/ the stainless than the bigger subway tile (or, maybe that would also be the case w/ standard 2x6 tile w/ darker grout?). I wish I could find the link I've lost to ceramic minibrick (if that's the word for it) that's attractive to me. I imagine they didn't have that size in 1913 though (does anyone know?) but it's still a nice classic look. If I find it on my other computer I'll post it! I've looked at Thassos which does seem too white. The in-person samples of calcutta are too grey from a distance (I don't want it to match my stainless counter so precisely) but yes I have time to keep looking. I also still pine for the Walker Zanger lightly crackled and glazed 2x6 tile I was all excited about when I thought I would do a honed black counter. haven't ruled that out completely, but it's $25/SF. Thanks!