Bathroom Design Ideas

Underfloor heating systems can drastically reduce your monthly heating costs and reduce the amount of energy that you use each day.  These floor heating systems are suitable for just about any floor covering, but it is important to understand how each floor type is affected by underfloor heating. 

The floor covering you select for your home will inevitably become part of the floor heating system and will affect its overall efficiency.  Just as with any material, different floor coverings will have different levels of thermal resistance.  Let’s take a look at the most common household floor covering types including tile, wood, laminate, vinyl, and carpet.

Tile Floors – Tile is an excellent emitter of underfloor heat.  It allows for the rapid transfer of the heat throughout the structure and is one of the most efficient floor covering solutions when dealing with underfloor heating.

Wood & Laminate Floors – Depending on the thickness of the floor covering, wood and laminate floors may slow thermal movement.  This just means that this type of floor covering is less efficient than tile floors.  However, as long as the overall thickness is less than 22 mm, they will work well with most underfloor heating systems.

Vinyl Floors – Because vinyl flooring offers little thermal resistance, they are ideal for underfloor heating systems and can be incredibly efficient. 

Carpeted Floors – Carpeted floors can cause conflict when using underfloor heating systems.  The reason behind this is that carpets and underlays are great insulators which mean that they will not allow for efficient thermal conductivity.  If you prefer to have carpets in your home, look for those with low insulation levels.

Many people install underfloor heating systems to save on energy and money when heating their homes in the cold winter months.  However, others install underfloor heating even when they already have efficient heating sources for added comfort.  Just remember, installing underfloor heating can be costly and time consuming, so be sure before you embark on the task.

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.

As we move closer to winter, many homeowners are starting to review their current heating systems.  Now is the time to ask yourself a few questions regarding your heating system, including:

- 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.

If you are thinking of installing an underfloor heating system in your home, you may want to learn a little more about water underfloor heating.  The basic principle underlying the wet underfloor heating solution is quite simple – a series of pipes lies under the floor constantly circulating warm water.  Temperature is controlled by a mixing valve and an underfloor heating thermostat.

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. 

Once you have decided to install underfloor heating, either using a tradesman or by doing it yourself, you will need to decide which system is most suitable for your needs. Whether it is a wet system, solar powered or electric then you will need to find a supplier.

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.

Water underfloor heating is one of the most popular types of heating for the home.  It works on the same principle as standard central heating, in that hot water is piped through the system, gently warming all the rooms.  Water underfloor heating systems are more suitable for newer floors.

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. 

Where a structure has solid concrete floors it may be necessary to also install thermal underfloor heating insulation boards in conjunction with either water or electric underfloor heating.  Solid floors can lose heat under the floor as well as round the edges and the use of thermal insulation boards can help to prevent the unnecessary loss of heat.  The use of these boards can add to the cost savings that consumers can make if they opt for underfloor heating systems. 

The insulation boards can be fitted either above or below the concrete.  Above the slab means that the rooms will warm up and cool down fairly quickly in accordance with the heating system that is being used.  If the boards are installed below the concrete it will improve the thermal functioning of the building, allowing the solid floor to absorb heat and release it slowly.
 
When used with underfloor heating systems the boards should be set below the concrete, so that the water pipes or heating cables can be set into the concrete.  If the insulation boards are placed above the heating it prevents the heat from getting through.   

The boards can be made from several different materials including extruded polystyrene, rigid urethane and rigid phenolic.   They come in a range of thicknesses and can also be used on original tiles and other types of floors if required.  All of these can be used below the concrete slabs or screed floors and are easily installed, coming complete with easy to follow manufacturer’s instructions. 

Underfloor heating has been around since Roman times, and in fact one of the earliest modern versions of radiant floor heating was a variation on the Roman method, called Hydronic Radiant Heat.  Where the Romans built their floors up on tile columns and circulated hot air from an outside fireplace through the below-floor airspace, modern hydronic systems use a network of plastic pipes to circulate hot water in pipes beneath the floor.  This is typically known as a “wet” or water underfloor heating system, although the professionals prefer the term hydronic underfloor heating.

 The floor does not need to be elevated nearly as much as the Roman floors (theirs were typically built up two feet), and the pipes are generally safely embedded in a concrete slab.  As hot water circulates through the pipes it heats the concrete, which then radiates the heat into your room.  Typically, underfloor heating insulation beneath the concrete forces most of the heat up, even though heat naturally rises, lowering the loss of heat to any place other than your room.

Thermostats control the temperature in various “zones” of the house if a whole-house installation is used.  You can heat just one small area or your entire house, saving money and energy by heating only the living space that needs to be heated.  In many cases, whole-house heating is best served by a water underfloor heating system as it is slightly more energy-efficient than electric underfloor heating.

 Also, for new home construction, the floors can obviously be initially constructed with the pipes already embedded in the plastic, and the home can be designed with the needs of this heating system in mind.  This type of system is obviously a little more difficult in a home already constructed, although for additions to an existing house they can be ideal.  

A new underfloor heating system is a wise investment, but it can be made even wiser by the addition of a thin layer of insulation beneath the wires or pipes.  Of course heat rises, that’s what makes floor heating so efficient, but a certain percentage will still work its way downward; proper use of insulation will prevent unnecessary heat loss.

Underfloor heating insulation is a thin layer of material such as cork or polystyrene foam.  Sometimes a thin layer of felt with a backing of Mylar is used.  What all these materials have in common is that they stop heat loss from the pipes or wires.  The laws of physics state that heat will always disperse to colder areas. The sub-floor beneath your pipes or wires is cold, and some heat loss will occur there. The insulating layer will substantially slow that loss.

You want the vast majority of the heat you pay for to remain in the home, so you and your family can have cosy winter evenings.  Underfloor heating insulation is rarely very expensive, even for an entire house, and will more than pay for itself in the first year in energy savings alone.

Also, with an insulating layer preventing heat loss through the sub-floor, the floor you wish to heat will reach the proper temperature much faster.  The floor can switch itself off when the desired temperature is reached, saving you money.

When selecting an underfloor insulation, ask about the insulative properties of the material and how durable it is.  Since underfloor heating systems typically last decades longer than more conventional heating systems, it’s critical that you protect your investment with something that will stand the test of time. Installation of the insulation is generally a snap, and you’ll soon be enjoying a warmer floor and home, with your new underfloor system.

One of the best things about electric underfloor heating is that the systems can be installed in a variety of applications and areas, regardless of how big or small the installation area might be. In addition, because most of the underfloor heating systems are mixtures of wires, cables and mesh mats, they can be customised to fit virtually any room dimensions. So even if your bathroom or kitchen has pre-existing fitted appliances, such as a bathtub and toilet or other obstruction, the underfloor heating kit can be cut to fit.

One of the important things to keep in mind when measuring for your electric under floor heating mat is that you should always keep the edges of the mat at least 10 inches from any exterior wall or appliance. In other words, there should be a 10-inch minimum gap around the toilet in a bathroom application, as well as at least 10 inches from all walls and exterior points, such as a doorway or bath.

It is also vitally important to avoid thermally blocking the heated areas as this could result in areas of localised heat build-up. This might not only damage the underfloor heating kit itself, but could also damage the underfloor heating thermostat, as well as the tile or other flooring material put in place on top of the underfloor heating mat. Double check all your measurements to make absolutely sure that they are correct prior to ordering your underfloor heating kit.