Underfloor Heating

Underfloor Heating (UFH) distributes radiant heat into the room from warm heating water running through pipework buried within the floor – heating the room from the floor up. Traditional radiators deliver heat through convection causing air movement and hot ceilings as they need to heat the room from the ceiling down. Underfloor Heating works more efficiently and gives greater comfort than traditional heating radiators as the heat is delivered where it is needed most and is more comfortable at head level.

Water is heated by a traditional boiler or renewable heat source such as a heat pump or biomass boiler and pumped around under the surface of the floor through a series of pipes connected to a central manifold. From here the heat is transferred from the underfloor heating pipes into the room via the floor.

Underfloor heating tends to require lower water temperatures than radiator systems and is particularly well suited to work with heat pumps which are more efficient at lower temperatures. With high temperature heat sources such as biomass, gas or oil boilers the heating fluid would need to be mixed down in temperature.

Underfloor Heating Benefits

• High Comfort Factor – Generally speaking, if our feet are warm we feel warm. Underfloor heating delivers an overall heat where it is utilised best: in the first one to one and half meters above the floor. This is different to radiators where heat rises up the wall and reaches the ceiling before being pushed down into the room by convection. The convection process continually circulates the air and with it dust particles around the room.
• Helps Reduce Running Costs – Underfloor heating pipes transfer heat through the floor surface which is a large area compared to the surface area of a radiator. This means that to achieve the same room temperature, a lower water temperature can be circulated. This is particularly beneficial when integrated with a heat pump which runs more efficiently the lower the flow temperature. This has a knock-on benefit in terms of running costs. In addition, with underfloor heating, it is possible to have the room set to a lower temperature for the same comfort levels as the heat is distributed more evenly without producing hot and cold spots around the room.
• Clean, Uncluttered Interiors – With underfloor heating, all pipes are hidden from sight and with no radiators on the walls a clean and uncluttered impression is created. Room can also be furnished without the restriction of working around radiators.

There are many different types of underfloor system to cover all floor constructions including:

• Pipes clipped in screed
• Plastic / polystyrene / cement board  over-lay panels
• Structural chipboard systems for suspended floors
• Aluminium spreader plates.

This allows installation of UFH into all types of buildings including new-build, retrofits and commercial on all floors. Our solutions can also involve a mix of underfloor heating and traditional radiator systems (new and existing).

It is important that an underfloor heating system is designed and installed correctly to get the maximum benefits in terms of comfort and efficiency, which varies depending on the heat source and building properties. Equally important is an appreciation of the floor coverings during the design phase and the level of control required within the property.