Underfloor heating is a heating system that is rapidly increasing in popularity. They can make cold bathroom tiles a joy to walk over but many are put off by concerns around cost, disruption, or whether it can be installed in their home at all.
To help you assess whether underfloor heating is the right choice for your home, we’ve rounded up some of the most common myths and shed light on the truth behind them. If you are considering the idea of underfloor heating, contact us today for more information.
Myth 1: Underfloor heating can’t replace radiators
While this isn’t necessarily a complete misconception (as underfloor heating may not let you do away with radiators in every space), a well-designed underfloor heating system, and a well-insulated home, may be able to replace radiators efficiently and provide a pleasantly even warmth. In fact, getting rid of intrusive radiators can be a key motivation for installing underfloor heating, as it frees up wall space and makes for a cleaner decorative finish. Before making any final decisions, contact us for professional help to work out if underfloor heating can realistically replace radiators. In some cases, you might need to also have a small heater or heated towel rail (in a bathroom) to top the heating up on colder days.
Myth 2: Underfloor heating can’t be installed in all homes
While it’s easy to assume that this modern, high-spec form of heating can only be fitted in equally modern properties, in fact it can be installed in virtually any home. There is a range of systems available that can be adapted to suit most home types and heating needs. And, just in case you were wondering, the storey of the building shouldn’t be a problem either; underfloor heating can be installed in any type of room or and on any level of your house. So if you live in a top-floor flat, for example, underfloor heating is still an option.
It’s worth getting advice from us on the right underfloor heating for your home as we will be able to advise on the type and power level of underfloor heating that suits your space best.
Factors that can affect your choice include:
- The size and shape of the area you want to install underfloor heating in. Typically, electric underfloor heating is better for smaller areas (such as a single bathroom), whereas water underfloor heating might be a better choice if you want it throughout your home.
- Underfloor heating tends to work more efficiently in well-insulated homes; if yours isn’t, you might need a more powerful system to reap the benefits. Whether you want it to replace, or supplement, existing radiators.
The system you’ll need to make a floor feel warm underfoot will be different to the one you’d need as a room’s only source of heat.
Myth 3: Underfloor heating doesn’t work under carpet
Contrary to common belief, carpet can work perfectly well with underfloor heating, just like most types of flooring. You may need to set the temperature a bit higher to make sure it can get through the carpet. For best results, it is advised to keep the combined tog value of the underlay and carpet below 2.5. You should also make sure that your choice of flooring is taken into consideration when designing your underfloor heating system.
Myth 4: My floor will have to be substantially raised to make space for underfloor heating
This is another popular misconception, with concerns existing about needing to cut the bottom off doors or put in half-steps between rooms, but it’s not always the case. Electric systems are typically less bulky than water underfloor heating systems, so the floor might not need to be raised in the same way. There are heating mats or heating-wire-based systems, which are often only a few millimetres thick. Water underheating systems use pipes and generally need deeper installation. The floor must also be properly prepared and insulated to make the system work efficiently. However, there are now low-profile floor systems available that you can have installed in an existing room without raising the floor considerably or significantly disturbing fittings.
Myth 5: If my underfloor heating breaks, it’ll be a real hassle to fix
Underfloor heating systems are extremely durable and reliable. Of course things can go wrong, however, it’s pretty rare. Still, there are precautions you can take to prevent future damage. It’s important for the installer to test any electric underfloor heating system by using a multimeter to check the resistance. This checks the integrity of the heating to ensure it has not been damaged during installation. If this comes back clear, then once the finished flooring has been laid down there is little chance of the system developing a fault. Even if your system does develop a fault, there’s usually no need to lift the entire floor. There are ways of pinpointing the fault by using a thermal imaging camera and specialist testing equipment. With a tiled floor, for example, this might only mean lifting a single tile. Another common concern is the risk of leaks in water underfloor heating, but faults are extremely rare in reality. In fact, underfloor heating pipe life expectancy ranges between 50 and 75 years.
In conclusion
We hope that this article has helped clear up some of the most common misconceptions when it comes to underfloor heating. If you still have questions or have some concerns that need to be addressed, contact us< for professional advice and guidance.
