November 16, 2022 | Updated: June 8, 2023
You know that moment when you come in the house in winter, and the first thing you do is take off your shoes? And the second your feet come into contact with the floor, the cold chills you to the bone? In today's post, we'll explain how underfloor heating systems combat cold temperatures in the home.
What is underfloor heating?
With this heating system the heat is emitted from the ground up, evenly across the whole surface of the floor. Because the heat rises up, it doesn't get lost in the ceiling, keeping the room at a pleasant temperature for longer.
How does underfloor heating work?
It's plain and simple. There are two types of underfloor heating: hydronic (wet) with a system of water pipes under the floor that heats the floor and emits warmth; and electric, with an electrical circuit that uses heating resistors to transform energy into heat. Users can switch the system on or off using a touch screen, selecting the desired temperature.
Advantages of underfloor heating
The highlight? Walking in comfort on a warm floor. Other benefits of underfloor heating include:
How is underfloor heating installed?
It depends which system you go for, but generally speaking it works like this: Firstly, non-compressible thermal insulation is installed along with the heating system, which uses either electrical resistance or water pipes. For the latter, a guide is used to position the pipes. Next, the regulating layer is installed to offer protection from the flooring. This will be thicker for a wet heating system. Finally, the tiles used for the flooring are placed over the top.
One thing to note is that whilst Butech's electrical underfloor heating only requires one thermostat per room, a hot water (or wet) system requires a boiler, pipe manifold, valves and other water system elements and temperature control systems.
How thick is underfloor heating?
This varies depending on the system used: from a thickness of just 2 mm for Butech's underfloor heating, to several centimetres for a wet system. These thicknesses don't include the thermal insulation layer, which is an essential for these heating systems.
Butech underfloor heating
The PORCELANOSA Group engineering firm offers electrical underfloor heating which allows independent and fully customised temperature control in each room, and comprises two elements:
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