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Underfloor heating
No matter what the temperature
of the room may be, with most types
of heating, the floor remains cold.
Wouldn’t it be nice if your floor was
toasty warm underfoot? It can be
with underfloor heating.
There are two basic types of
underfloor heating - electric and
hydronic (water).
Electric underfloor heating utilises
heat wires installed in mats. The least
expensive type is an electric mat or
area rug that can simply be laid on
top of an existing floor. Area heaters
like these come in a variety of sizes,
but are not designed for room
heating. To heat an entire room, the
mats need to cover the entire surface
of the floor. This is usually achieved
by having heating mats laid prior to
laying the floor itself.
Hydronic underfloor heating
utilises a piping system that
circulates hot water through the
pipes and returns the water to
the heat source (usually gas) for
reheating. It can be more expensive
than its electric counterpart, but if
you’re looking for underfloor heating
for your entire home, it can be
comparable in cost and running costs
are usually lower.
Installing Underfloor Heating
Some underfloor heating comes
in kit form, making DIY installation a
possibility. However, DIY installation
is not recommended and definitely
shouldn’t be undertaken in wet areas
or on new floors.
With the exception of heated
area rugs, which are simply laid on
top of the floor, there are three ways
underflooring is typically installed:
• On an existing floor, the heating
mats are laid directly on the
subfloor and the flooring material
granny flats
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is laid on top of the mats.
• The heating elements can be
embedded into a concrete slab.
• The underflooring can be laid with
the screed (the top, smoothing
layer of concrete).
If you are considering installing
underfloor heating on an existing
subfloor, it’s important to keep
some things in mind:
• Timber shrinks and expands, so is
unsuitable for underfloor heating.
• Some types of engineered timber
have a high moisture content and
shouldn’t be used.
• If you are replacing a floor
covering, the addition of
underfloor heating will raise the
floor level. You will probably have
to replace the skirting boards
and your doors may need to be
trimmed.
Underfloor heating can be an
investment worth making, but it’s
worth exploring your options first
to be sure you’ve chosen the right
system for your needs.
Get quotes from a variety of
heating system installers and choose
the system that offers the best value
for money. Once your underfloor
heating is installed, it will be heating
your home for many years, so you
want to know your first choice is your
best choice.
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