Underfloor heating systems are becoming one of the most popular cost efficient ways to heat a home and there are no radiators to take valuable space which makes the room look more spacious.
When it comes to choosing flooring for your home, here is what to consider with underfloor heating systems:
Carpet
(UHF) can be used with almost all types of flooring, including carpet, providing that the carpet and underlay have a thermal resistance of less than 2.5 tog. Studies show that, for most carpet styles, but the thermal resistance will need to be less than 1 tog.
Stone, ceramic, sate and terracotta tiles
Floor tiles are becoming more fashionable within the modern home due to their price, the cast number of choices available and their versatility. When considering UFH you need to make sure that your tiles aren’t too thick as the thicker the tiles, the longer it takes to heat up a room. The good news is once the tiles have reached their maximum temperature there is no difference in heat quality between thick and thinner floor surfaces.
Timber flooring
UFH is suitable for use with many types of timber flooring, but most installers stipulate that the timber be specifically recommended for UFH use. The flooring should have a maximum temperature restriction (usually 27°C) and an expansion gap needs to be left around the edges (this is easily hidden by a skirting board or trim). Always liaise with the flooring supplier and heating installer before making your purchase.
Vinyls and laminates
Many high quality vinyl’s and laminates can be used with UHF, however this is not the case with all laminates or vinyl’s so make sure you check with the flooring manufacturer before purchasing this type of flooring with UHF. Vinyl flooring is a great option as it’s both cheap and easy to replace but as with carpet, the foil kit underneath needs to be covered with the dual overlay system to prevent the heating system and covering coming into contact with each other.
You can purchase the Warm-up range of underfloor heating systems at Crown Tiles who also stocks a range of tiles for your home. Call on 0800 156 0756 for more information.