We thought we'd do the world a solid today and cover all of the underfloor heating questions we so often hear and are no doubt on the tip of your tongue. Why else would you be reading this?
Are you ready for a wave of underfloor heating information? Well, let’s get stuck in…
Why choose underfloor heating?
It’s not just weddings that give us humans cold feet. Day-to-day life can become the opposite of a paradise in your home if your toes are consistently cold. And that is why it’s really no surprise that underfloor heating has become such a popular addition to the modern family home.
But it can seem a massive, somewhat confusing step to apply underfloor heating to your rooms. Most envision a whole lot of ripping up of expensive and fancy floorings - but let us try and debunk some of those common myths.
When can underfloor heating be installed?
Now, underfloor heating installation occurs in two ways: either during the build or renovation of a home or retrofitted once the house has been built. As you can imagine, it is far easier to install underfloor heating while the floor is not yet laid.
However, there are exceptions such as fitting bathroom underfloor heating – the tiling used in home bathrooms is far easier to lift or replace than flooring found throughout main rooms. Most consider that a small price to pay for toasty feet come those frosty winter mornings getting ready in front of the sink!
Aside from the electric underfloor heating options we just shared with you, the other main variant is hydronic underfloor heating. This involves running water-filled pipes throughout the subfloor as opposed to sheets of electric heated wire.
As you can imagine, water underfloor heating is recommended for fitting during a build or renovation due to its more complex nature. It will also raise your floor slightly higher than an electric underfloor solution will do, so you will need to factor that into your interior designs.
Can underfloor heating be used for all flooring types?
Of course, any floor type will work with underfloor heating. However, some flooring materials will work better with underfloor heating than others due to the effectiveness with which they conduct heat!
You can generally bet that tile and stone floors are some of the best heat conductors, drawing your underfloor heating right up through them to most effectively reach the soles of your feet. That’s why underfloor heating is so popular in the kitchen.
However, you needn’t stay away from other flooring materials if you have your mind set on them – just factor in their thickness and the power of the underfloor heating system it would require to sufficiently penetrate them. We’re sure you can work out a way that makes the balance worth it!
Carpet, wood and laminate will then also be available to you when it comes to the best flooring for your unique underfloor heating setup.
Whether you are considering electric or hydronic underfloor heating systems, you can run your prospective underfloor heating and flooring combo past our expert team right here.
Will underfloor heating sufficiently heat my room?
Underfloor heating talks a big talk but will it step up to the performance of your favourite radiators?
Well, it depends on the heat output of the underfloor heating you have chosen, as well as the insulation of the room below which it has been laid.
Remember that you do not need to rely exclusively on underfloor heating in any room – you can augment the bottom-up heat of underfloor heating with some tactically placed heated towel radiators or other small designer radiators to best suit the room, as well as the season.
Whatever your path, you can monitor your underfloor heating performance and best direct its output with our range of underfloor heating thermostats.
Underfloor heating thermostats are futuristic and versatile, with big colour displays enabling switch-on times, individual room control and pre-programmed scenarios by season or foot-flow. Dual control can even factor in additional items such as radiators or even a heated bathroom mirror!
How much does it cost?
Underfloor heating pertains well to the minimalist aesthetic of many modern interiors. While it is not wrong to consider underfloor heating a luxury addition to your home, it is mistaken to believe it out of your price range. Underfloor heating solutions are incredibly good value.
Costs depend on many factors such as the type of underfloor heating you go for, size of the room being heated and the energy efficiency of your home. Our team can help figure all this out for you - give us a call or connect via live chat.
