In our world today, everything is about finding a fine balance between practicality and aesthetics. One major feature that a lot of homeowners and even businesses like to implement into their spaces is hidden furnishings and electrics. By ‘hiding’ elements of a property such as wiring and pipes, it helps to keep spaces looking neat and refined.
Underfloor heating is slowly becoming more popular and demanded in homes across the nation with the underfloor heating market (UFH) having grown in the past few years with a last reported market share of 7.7%.
We’ll look through the pros and cons of this heating system to learn if it’s worth the investment.
What is underfloor heating & how does it work?
As the name suggests, this is a type of heating system that is installed underneath your floors, essentially functioning as a giant radiator. Underfloor heating provides heat distributed evenly around your house, leaving it beautifully toasty and comfortable.
There are 2 different forms of underfloor heating, water and electrical, often referred to as ‘wet’ and ‘dry’. Water systems use a continuous stretch of pipe to run heated water from your central heating system whilst electrical systems use electric wires to generate heat. Both of these will be installed on top of insulation so that the heat may rise up.
A traditional radiator’s water can reach very high temperatures, making it extremely hot to the touch while also posing a risk of increased energy waste. Due to the even distribution of the heat and the fact that underfloor heating operates at lower temperatures, less energy is wasted and heat is gradually distributed throughout your room(s).
Is my home suited for underfloor heating?
Most homes are eligible to have underfloor heating installed. Perhaps you’re concerned that because you live in a new-build, your property will not be permitted or suitable for the installation but this is not the case. In fact quite the opposite as new build homes have been constructed under the Building Regulations legislation, meaning they meet the insulation requirements stated within.
Underfloor heating can also be installed in older homes too, although if lacking in insulation, this will need to be addressed prior to any underfloor heating installations. There’s almost no limitations when it comes to underfloor heating, it’s brilliantly versatile and suited for most properties.
You can choose whether to have underfloor heating installed in just one room, multiple or under all your rooms’ floors. Typically, the most common room to have underfloor heating installed in is the bathroom, with the kitchen being the second favourite.
What are the advantages of underfloor heating?
Efficiency
Whilst many homes will typically have a radiator in roughly every room, there will always be ‘blind spots’ where a draft can be felt or where the temperature is generally lower compared to that closer to the radiator. This can make for mismatched heating within rooms and a generally uncomfortable feel. Underfloor heating is far more efficient as it heats rooms evenly and because hot air rises, the heat will eventually be distributed across every square inch of the room.
Lower energy bills
As underfloor heating is operated at much lower temperatures compared to radiators, they do not require anywhere near as much energy to power them, saving some money on bills which is a plus in most people’s books.
Opens up some space
Although not the largest objects in a room, radiators can cause some spatial issues from time to time. Underfloor heating eliminates this and frees up some wall space for decorations and any furniture that you previously could not push all the way up against the wall. Plus, you no longer would need to fish out toys and all the other bits the kids throw down the radiator.
Compatibility
There’s little to no limitation to the types of flooring you can install underfloor heating underneath. Regardless of if your home has carpets, floor tiles, lamination, vinyl, wood, stone, underfloor heating can still be used.
Safety
They may not appear unsafe on the surface, radiators can actually be fairly dangerous objects, especially with bump-prone little ones. Not only this but radiators can cause minor burns due to the incense temperatures they emit. Underfloor heating does not pose this risk as everything is tucked away and hidden beneath the floors. Out of sight, out of mind.
No maintenance
Whilst bleeding traditional radiators is quite an easy job and requires nothing more than a radiator key and some towels, it’s still extra maintenance to do on an object that most people would rather have just sit in the background. Underfloor heating practically doesn’t need you to carry out maintenance so there’s no extra hassle involved for you. It might require the occasional servicing but that’s a job for an engineer.
Silence
Particularly with older heating systems, pipes can sometimes make a fair bit of noise when you turn your heating on. Underfloor heating runs silently through your home so you won’t even notice its there.
Adds value
Since underfloor heating is a modern, luxurious and more beneficial heating system, it ticks the boxes for prospective home buyers, increasing the value of your home.
What are the disadvantages of underfloor heating?
Costs
The price tag for underfloor heating installation is never going to be the cheapest. The price will massively vary from place to place but will typically be more expensive for larger rooms or whole home installation. If the conditions of your home need some work too, such as extra insulation, then prices can go up a little more to cover this addition too.
Run time
Because underfloor heating operates at a much lower temperature than traditional radiators, it can take a little bit longer to heat up, sometimes taking up to an hour to heat up a room. But if you have flooring that is a better conductor for heat such as floor tiles, it shouldn’t take too long to heat up.
Decor restrictions
Some items of furniture may be a little too on the heavy side to be able to place above underfloor heating, meaning that there could be some restrictions on your decor choices. Plus items that have a large surface area such as rugs could potentially restrict airflow.
What are the costs of underfloor heating?
It’s always challenging to estimate the costs of installations such as these as there are so many determining factors that contribute to the overall value of an installation such as underfloor heating.
Different variables such as the types of system you decide to proceed with (water or electric), the room you pick to have underfloor heating installed in, the size of said room or rooms, if you decide to have radiators uninstalled.
So, is it worth installing underfloor heating?
It is most certainly worth investing in some underfloor heating. Even though the initial costs can be slightly pricey, it’s unlikely you will need to put much more investment towards underfloor heating in future. The long-term costs are minimal and the decrease in hits to your energy bills is a huge positive. The advantages just outweigh the disadvantages when it comes to underfloor heating.
Whether your home is slightly older or a new build, we can install underfloor heating to help combine luxury, comfort, warmth and efficiency, creating a cosy and blissful new environment for you.
Either drop us an email at [email protected] or give us a bell on 01225982222
