Under Floor Heating

Under floor heating, as you would expect, is a system designed to heat your floor. There are a number of designs to choose from for any floor application; all under floor systems are designed to achieve the same outcome: to provide an even heat within a property at an efficient cost.

Under floor systems operate from a central heat source this being gas/oil boiler, air or ground source heat pumps, solid fuel, thermo store, solar system, or electric boiler (to name but a few!).

The principle of an under floor system is the same as a radiator – to heat the room to a set temperature via a room control.

These systems operate at a flow temperature of between 45-50 degrees centigrade compared to radiator systems that require a flow temperature of over 75-85 degrees centigrade – so we are able to see just from this that there is lesser amount of heat generated, which in turn increases the running efficiency of your heating system from day one.

Other obvious benefits are, of course, that under floor heating removes the need for unsightly radiators in rooms and freeing up wall space.

Under floor heating can be combined in ‘zones’ enabling each room to be controlled separately so giving highly energy efficient heating of any building. If you are not using a room (or rooms) the zone(s) can be shut down or just operated at a very low heat to stop any damp build up.

Under floor systems are designed to supply an even heating load to any room, favourably comparing to radiators where you often experience ‘hot spots’ in a room. This is because under floor heating heats from the floor up, as opposed to radiators which heat by air convection.

Under floor systems are used primarily in new builds, however, it is usually very easy to add this to an existing property, or any refurbishment projects. In fact, you can cover any rooms from a single shower room to a multi room property with an appropriate domestic or commercial system.

Types of under floor systems

• Within concrete floor
• Within floor screed
• Within timber floors
• Within floor joists

Floor heating can also be installed on top of existing floors. This would be an electric system requiring additional floor covering on top of heating elements. Such a system is often suitable under tiles, wood and carpet.

However, please note that floor coverings must be suitable for the under floor heating system – your flooring supplier will be able to advise you on this.