Underfloor Heating - future proofing a 1930s house in Bromley

Underfloor heating has been a popular choice for home owners carrying out substantial renovation works. And there is a good reason. When it comes to fitting wet underfloor heating systems the biggest expense is not the system itself but the extra labour involved in stripping old flooring, leveling, insulation and installing brand new floor finish.

During significant renovation such as re-configuration of layout or adding additional rooms, entire floor finishes are usually replaced. This means when comparing between replacing all radiators and fitting underfloor heating systems the costs are much closer if the flooring is taken out of the equation. In some spaces with permanent floor fixtures i.e kitchens or bathrooms it is a no brainer to get the underfloor in as soon as old units have been taken out.

Our Bromley customer had just the right scenario and approached us for advice. Another big plus in their case was compatibility with heat pump technology as the customer has also planned to fit an air source heat pump. Subsequently as part of our involvement in the project we carried out a full heat loss survey to make sure the underfloor heating system was going to keep the whole of downstairs of the house warm in winter.

Entire property plan (doors, windows, make up of every wall ) was copied to specialist software for this step.

When both us and the customer were satisfied with the results of the heat loss calculation we set about installing the underfloor heating system (and the heat pump, more on that in another blog).

Our overlay sheet of choice in this project was Tekwarm Cement Coated Underfloor Heating XPS Board. The entire ground floor was first covered by these sheets before 16mm pert-al-pert (three layer plastic pipe where pert stands for polyethylene plastic shells and al stands for aluminium which acts as a stiffener and oxygen barrier).

Screeding was also carried out - although this was not necessary as the boards fitted are rated to receive any type of floor finish from carpet and engineered wood to tiles and amtico. FITnFIX team concluded the job with a pressure test and controls set up - although in this case the whole system was controlled as a single zone to aid the heat pump. In normal circumstances the ability to zone each room quite easily and cheaply is another great benefit of an underfloor heating system.

Aside from the cleaner look that underfloor heating gives by taking away radiators and pipes below is a quick summary of benefits of choosing this system over traditional radiators for a typical property (we will ignore the heat pump aspect that was particular to this project).

• Even, gradual heat providing an extra sense of comfort.

• No dry air and dust accumulation associated with radiators.

• Lower maintenance costs and longer service life.

• Individual room-by-room temperature control.

Although the initial cost can be off putting, by combining underfloor heating installation with other works which already involve the floor finish replacement a system can be fitted for relatively moderate premium over a similar radiator based system. In the long the underfloor heating system costs less to maintain, and it's compatibility with low temperature heating such as heat pumps makes underfloor heating a great option which should be considered by any homeowner looking to undertake significant renovation works.

At FITnFIX we welcome any underfloor heating enquiries and frequently guide our customers helping them avoid mistakes when preparing for heating upgrade projects. Along with this free advice we are also keen to offer our full coverage installation services - from design to heat source and heat emitters. More information on our underfloor heating work and contact details are available via n our dedicated underfloor heating page on our website.