Heating in the home is one of the most critical features for any family home.
Whether it be a simple electric heater to lavish wood burners, generating heat in the home helps enhance the relaxed and secure atmosphere that you should feel in your own home.
However recently there has been a rise in under floor heating, but what is this and what benefits does it offer.
Underfloor heating is a novel and extremely convenient alternative to radiators and heaters, utilising heated mats laid underneath your choice of flooring to generate heat that rises up from the ground. This system can use either electric wires or mats and water pipe system to generate heat.
The big advantage of underfloor heating is the added convince it provides, no longer requiring radiators and heaters to be placed on the floor where you can stumble over them by accident.
This convenience goes further as using heated mats for instance, you can easily install it along with some new wood laminate flooring – making it ideal for home renovations and rebuild projects.
Another benefit to underfloor heating is how is allows you more flexibility for generating heat within the home. A study carried out by which found that 55% of their survey responses stated that, they installed underfloor heating in the bathroom.
This is understandable as electric heaters cannot be placed in the bathroom, with the only other option available being central heating. However, with underfloor heating you can have sufficient heating in your bathroom, perfect for cold nights where you want to keep warm after getting out of the bath.
This is also offers a fantastic design opportunity as you could replace your old vinyl tiles with stylish white laminate flooring, creating a unique bathroom design.
However there are some factors to look out for with underfloor heating.
The first is the heating range available. Depending on the size of your system the heat generated may not be capable of sustaining adequate room temperature by itself. Therefore, you will still need further heating options available in the room.
Another drawback to consider about underfloor heating is how long it takes to generate heat. Unlike electric heaters and radiators which offer near instantaneous heat, underfloor heating takes longer to begin generating heat. This is especially the case with water-based systems, with the water needing to be heated and then travel through the pipes.
Finally, there is the instillation of underfloor heating itself.
For those renovating their home, underfloor heating is a great option to go for. This is because the floor will be in the process of being replaced, and most home flooring options such as oak laminate flooring accommodate such systems.
However for those who are retrofitting, installing the new heating system may not be worth the hassle. This is because the original floor will need to be uprooted which could lead to complications and potential damage to your original floor. This could lead to further expense, more so if your floor is incompatible with underfloor heating systems.
However the convince and luxurious feeling of underfloor heating could outweigh there potential pitfalls and improve the atmosphere in your home.
