The Benefits of Under Floor Heating

If you’ve ever watched Channel 4’s Grand Designs you may have noticed an increasing amount of home-builders installing under floor heating. Ever wondered why? In a nutshell, here are the main reasons:

• Installation is relatively inexpensive
• Economical to run
• No ongoing maintenance
• Total heat distribution
• No radiators, freeing up wall space
• Can be installed under most types of flooring
• In addition, under floor heating can even be laid on existing flooring and covered with tiles.

There are two types of under floor heating: wet (water fed) and electric. Wet systems are more suited to new builds where access to the under floor area is unrestricted whereas electric systems are better for existing floors because the heating cables have such a low profile (3mm) and as such are a great choice for refurbishments.

Although under floor heating can be installed by a competent DIYer, an electric system must be connected to the mains and signed off by a fully qualified electrician.