Those with underfloor heating - please help!

[hex]

We're thinking of underfloor heating in our new kitchen extension (yet to be built)and we're wondering:

a) does it heat up the room or just the floor or do you need radiators as well?

b) where did you buy your underfloor heating from - and is it like an electric matting that goes down? - are there diffrent types and which is the best?

c)and crucially (for us) what sort of flooring do you have on top of it...tiles? (slate/ceramic??) real wood...laminate? - in other words, what's the best kitchen flooring to go on top of it? which retaims heat the most?
cheers

[mountaingirl]

Hi, we have underfloor heating throughout our house. It is fantastic! You don't need radiators, and depending on how high you set the thermostat the floor can be warm or coolish. If you have tiles it is perfect as it keeps the chill off. We have oak parquet flooring in the living/kitchen area, tiles in the bathroom and carpets in the bedrooms. We have heated towel rails in the bathrooms. It is like electric matting that goes down with a ? concrete surface put on top. Complete nightmare if there is a leak in the system as someone I know had, but for us it has been fab, and no ugly radiators taking up floor/wall space. Also the cat and dog love it!! We live in France so I'm afraid I don't know of a UK supplier.

[hex]

Thanks mountaingirl - good to know we won't need radiators

[Granthea]

Hello
We have underfloor heating in our large conservatory and it is wonderful. Definitely no radiators needed. There are two basic sorts, water filled,which can work off gas central heating. These are more expensive to install,but cheaper to run (so we were told) and as Mountaingirl says, leaks can be tricky. The other system, which we have, is electric. About a kilometre of wire under our conservatory but it heats up amazingly quickly, and can be programmed to come off and on like any other heating. Unfortunately we do not have it in the kitchen and the contrast on bare feet is a bit of a shock. Ours was installed by Wraysbury Warmfloor, the Orchard, Pant Lane, Gresford, LL12 8EU 01978 856078, but no doubt there are others. The conservatory builders had prepared the concrete bed, the installation which involves laying the wire and pouring a cement screed round it took less than a day, then we had ceramic tiles laid on top.No rugs required they can overheat.Go for it!

[PanicPants]

But the question is.....how much is it?


And can it go under slate?



(sorry to hijack your thread )

[PanicPants]

Apparently you can get it from Wickes.

[chipkid]

We have underfloor heating.

It is fab (but a pain if it breaks down!)

The best floor covering is natural stone as it has thermal qualities and retains the heat.

The worse in my experience is solid wood. Due to the existence of underfloor heating you have to suspend the wooden floor to prevent contraction and expansion with the changing heat. As soon as there is a gap between the underfloor heating and the floor surface, you lose heat.

We have a solid oak floor and there are cold patches due to this problem. The limestone floor however is just perfect.

[WinniethePooh]

We have underfloor heating throught our house. We just asked the plumber what we recommended. We have PolyPlumb.

It is really nice to get out of the shower on to a nice warm floor (lino is normally sold. We have tiles in our hall, downstairs loo, kitchen, dining room and utility room and oak flooring in the lounge. Everywhere else is carpeted .

We tend to wander round barefoot as the floors are really nice and warm. I throroughly recommend it.

[PanicPants]

Was it expensive? And if it does brake down does that mean you have to pull up tiles?

[PanicPants]

breaks even [tut]

[Mumpbump]

We have it under slate and it works fine. Provided it is put down carefully, I can't think of any reason why the wire would break and the thermostat is accessible so could be easily replaced. HTH.

[mamalocco]

We got ours from these people and its great!!! Was easy to lay down and have ceramic and porcelin tiles over it.

[hex]

al this is very useful information - so thanks...but could i just check with those who've posted recently...do you have radiators as well...or does it warm your rooms too like Granthea's?

[hex]

bump
really would welcome more info on this

[PanicPants]

Have no info - sorry. Was hoping you had managed to get some!!



We are looking into it, like you. We are probably going to have a slate floor.

Dp is looking at electirc cable matting, 50cm x 150cm which is £40 a sheet. But not sure how that would connect together.

Anyway, we'll probably need to go and actually talk to someone who knows what they are doing!

[hex]

Panicpants,
Would you mind posting if you do find out more
cheers

[PanicPants]

Will do, we'll go investigating at the weekend!

[PanicPants]

Hex, an update!

After all the discussions/pricing ups etc etc I think we're probably not going to do for it.

It came down to mainly the price, and the difficulty of laying it (our kitchen is on 2 levels).

We would need 4m2 and 6m2 matting, underfloor aqual panels and 2 thermostats. Which was beginning to add up a bit.

But if I can find a cheaper way of doing it, i'll let you know!!

[PanicPants]

Hex, an update!

After all the discussions/pricing ups etc etc I think we're probably not going to do for it.

It came down to mainly the price, and the difficulty of laying it (our kitchen is on 2 levels).

We would need 4m2 and 6m2 matting, underfloor aqual panels and 2 thermostats. Which was beginning to add up a bit.

But if I can find a cheaper way of doing it, i'll let you know!!

[mistypeaks]

Ours was from a company called rayotec (google it) Its electric matting and under our carpets. Unlike the other posters we didn't need to do the concrete screed ours is sandwiched between 2 special underlays. Don't need radiators.

[PanicPants]

Mistypeeks - is it worth the money?

We will have to have the concrete skim anyway. But was yours expensive?

[mistypeaks]

Well worth the money. Cost about a grand for 4 rooms. But we did fit it ourselves!! (OK DH fitted it himself - but I was 7 months pregnant and I supervised!)

[PanicPants]

Will keep looking around then, as that sounds reasonable.



Thank you

[exbury]

There are 2 distinct types. The plumbed stuff is designed to heat the whole room, is part of your central heating system, etc, etc. Several people I know have it - none have ever had issues with leaks, but some of them seem to be a bit patchy (i.e. there are distinct "hot spots")

The electric mat / cable stuff would be a v. expensive way of heating a room which is in regular year-round use - it is designed to just keep the floor warm.

Because the first sort adds at least an inch to the floor and we only had 5ft11" between floor and ceiling in the first place, we went for the electric stuff in our kitchen when it was redone. We do have a radiator as well. It added about £1000 to the price of having it tiled (I did do it myself in the bathroom in our old house, but this was just too big and complicated and DD was 4 weeks old) but it makes all the difference with stone/ceramic floor - we now have a room where DC can play on the floor and it is great

[hex]

Thanks for all this. Itr's really useful information. If you do decide to go ahead PanicPants, update me on how you get on - I'd be really interested to hear.

[Earlybird]

I'm considering whether or not to have underfloor heating put in a bathroom that will shortly be tiled (in either ceramic or travertine). I live on an upper floor in mansion block. Am I silly to think my floors won't be as cold as the ones in a house? I'd rather not spend the money, but don't want to have regrets. Anyone have thoughts?