Most North American homes are heated by blowing hot air around. It is called convection heating, and it is pretty inefficient. There is a much better solution from radiant heating systems, and strangely enough it has been around for much longer.
Radiant heat flooring - underfloor heating - was installed in the homes of rich Romans during their Empire days. When people say the Romans invented central heating this is what they are talking about. It is a deceptively simple idea - you pump hot water around pipes laid under the floor. That is all there is to a radiant heat system.
So why is it better? Well, in fact there are plenty of reasons, but one of the best is the comfortable heat that a radiant floor heat layout can provide.
Most people with radiant floor heat report that it gives a more comfortable heat - it is often thought of as human-centered heating because it heats from the floor (where humans spend their time sitting or standing) upwards instead of heating the top of the room and the ceiling fittings.
More importantly for many people, radiant heating does not dry out the air and push dust around the room. This is a great help for those with chest problems and reduces the number of colds and coughs in the rest of us.