One of the most common reasons that homeowners choose underfloor heating kits is to avoid the shock of stepping on the cold tile floor after a hot shower or early in the mornings of the winter season.  In cases such as these, underfloor heating is more of a convenience than a heating necessity.  But there are other advantages to installing either a water or electric underfloor heating system.

Underfloor heating solutions actually reduce the hot circulating air throughout your home.  In turn, it also reduces the germs and bacteria that are circulated with that hot air.  If you or anyone in your household tends to get sick frequently, underfloor heating may be the ideal solution.  Furthermore, there is very little maintenance required to sustain such a floor heating system.

Once installed, underfloor heating systems are incredibly cost efficient and cost just a few cents each day.  Additionally, underfloor electric heating as well as wet underfloor heating are both relatively simple to install, though the water-based method may be slightly more complicated. There are plenty of DIY underfloor heating kits available or you may consult professionals for installation.

- How efficient is your current heating system?
- Is the heating system still cost-effective?
- Is your current heating system environmentally friendly?
- Do you think it is as effective as an underfloor heating system?

Installing an electric underfloor heating system or a water underfloor heating system should be considered if you answered “no” to any of the above questions.  If you’re an avid handyman or home remodeler, this makes for a great DIY underfloor heating project.  However, you need to take a few things into consideration when you are contemplating taking a project like this on.

Where overall cost-effectiveness and efficiency are concerned, the key component involved during the installation process is the insulation and the amount of it.  Granted, you can install an underfloor heating system without using insulation, but before it will heat up the room, it will be heating up an even colder sub-floor.  The amount of Marmox insulation that you use is going to depend entirely on the type of building you live in.

Finally, the thicker the layer of insulation that you install, the more cost-effective and efficient your underfloor heating system will be.  It is easier to install thick insulation when the home or structure is being built.  However if it is a DIY underfloor heating project, the thickness of the insulation is going to depend on how high the level of the finished floor is going to be.

The downside with designer radiators is that they can be quite expensive. Some represent greater bargains than others, but there is no doubt you need to spend some time shopping around to find the best bargains on designer radiators.

The easiest way to begin is to search online, because you have instant access to all kinds of suppliers and websites such as UK Bathrooms who  have a wide range of designer radiators. Since designer radiators vary widely in style between suppliers, you can expect to find lots of different styles in the course of your search.  Ensure you check all the websites you come across and think about what kind of style of designer radiator you would ideally like to have.

For example, do you want a retro style of designer radiator or would something more modern be better suited to your bathroom? Once you have a good idea of the style you want, you can look for designer radiators that fit into the price range you have in mind. You should be prepared to spend a bit more on a designer radiator, but you may be surprised at how cheaply you can buy them if you have a good look around.

In most cases, a 65-75 mm cement screed is required, but water underfloor heating systems can also be installed over timber subfloors.  When you install a wet underfloor heating system in the case of a cement subfloor, the thermal mass will then become a background heat store. The temperature offset can be dealt with during off-peak or overnight times.

With a wet underfloor heating system, it is advisable that the floor heating not be turned off completely during the cooler months.  The reason behind this is that the cement screed would cool down way too much to be efficient when turning it back on.  It could delay room warming for up to two hours!  It is a good idea to select a constant temperature and stick to it, depending on the time of year. This is where your underfloor heating thermostat will be most useful to you.

When compared to traditional radiator heating, wet underfloor heating definitely has its advantages, especially when installing it at the time of construction.  Remember, when the pipe work is incorporated into the flooring, the installation costs are no more than a traditional home heating system.  It is later that you will find the added savings of a water underfloor heating system. 

Standard versus high output heating cable

Most electric cable used in underfloor heating systems comes in one of two wattages: 150w and 200w. Standard output (150w) is suited for most projects. However, in instances where the room suffers high heat loss, like in a conservatory, high output (200w) underfloor heating is a better choice.

Loose heated cable versus heated cable mats

Electric underfloor heating comes as a loose cable or in mat form. Determining which is best depends upon the room you are installing the system into. Small areas like bathrooms, or complicated rooms where the shape or size is not conducive to a mat, are better suited to loose heated cable. In the same vein, underfloor heating mat systems are perfect for larger, more straightforward areas.

Heating large areas

For larger rooms, a combination of two or more mats running in parallel generally works well, as long as it does not exceed a maximum of 3,680 watts, or 16 amps. For even larger areas where only one underfloor heating thermostat is required, a contactor can be used to control up to 22,000 watts, or 96 amps.

Underfloor heating insulation

While not always mandatory, using underfloor heating insulation in conjunction with an underfloor electric heating system will improve the system’s performance and speed up warm-up times. The specific type of insulation to install will depend upon the type of flooring.

Measure the portion of the room where the underfloor heating is to be installed. This will help determine what size kit you will need. Remove inward opening doors.

Your mat should always start and finish in the same place, so plan out the heating wire position so that the ends meet near a power supply. Mark the floor accordingly. Never place the matting under kitchen units.

Read the manufacturer’s instructions for trimming guidelines. Mesh DIY underfloor heating kits can usually be trimmed. However, you must be careful not to cut the wires themselves. Do not allow any overlapping.

Near the position where the underfloor heating thermostat is to be installed, cut a groove to hold the sensor. Place the sensor into the conduit, and use sealant to prevent any tile adhesive from setting around the sensor itself.

Apply tile adhesive on the mat, spreading it slightly thicker than normal, and fix the floor tiles. Installing DIY underfloor heating under wood or laminate may also require the use of insulation boards.

Have a qualified electrician or underfloor heating installer like Floor Heating Online come round to check the connection before plugging in to the mains.

Trim inward opening doors to accommodate the increased new floor height.

A good idea is to talk to people who may have had similar work done and find out who supplied their equipment. If this isn’t an option then a visit to a local DIY store will give you some ideas, especially if you are going to do the work yourself. If you want to have the work done for you then looking in the telephone book or yellow pages may help you. Another good way to find a supplier of underfloor heating systems is to use the internet. This will give you all the options you need both in the type of heating and also whether or not there is a stockist in your area.

Underfloor heating suppliers like floorheatingonline.com will be pleased to offer advice on what type of heating will suit your needs, and also be able to explain the options of what type of insulation and heating controls will be the best for where you live and your personal needs. It is also possible that the supplier you choose may be able to help you find someone to fit your system if you are not able to do it yourself.

The flow of the water is controlled by a manifold which has a temperature control to ensure that the system is operating at maximum efficiency.  The heat in each individual room is controlled by thermal actuators and there are electronic controls which can operate timings and temperatures in each room.

The heating system can be controlled by electronic hubs which can control each room individually or divide the building into zones.

Water at a temperature of approximately 50°C is passed through a series of looped pipes laid under the entire floor of the room.  The whole floor then becomes a radiator, warming the room gently from the floor upwards.  The pipes for each zone or room all run to and from the manifold which is conveniently located for the user. 

The temperature at which water passes through the underfloor heating system is lower than that for standard central heating as the surface of a radiator is much smaller and has to radiate much more heat to warm the room. 

Underfloor heating kits are widely available and can be easily installed and connected to other fixtures such as towel rails.  Underfloor heating will work with most boiler types and is even compatible with alternative energy sources such as solar panels. 

The bathroom is an ideal place to use underfloor heating; it is suitable for use under tiled or laminate flooring as well as wooden floors, all of which can be found in bathrooms. Underfloor heating is perfectly safe in bathrooms even when using electric underfloor heating systems. As long as the heating system has been properly fitted, even if there is a flood in the bathroom e.g., if someone were to leave a tap running, there would still be no risk and the heating unit would remain perfectly safe.

One important aspect of choosing underfloor heating is the fact that there is no need to have a radiator in what is often a small room in the home. This means that the positioning of the necessary bathroom furniture is easier and more adaptable. It is also a perfect space saving feature.

Whether you choose to use electric or wet underfloor heating this is an ideal way to heat your bathroom. It is interesting to note that the original underfloor heating was invented by the Romans who used it to heat their baths before it was used to heat the rest of the house.