There’s no doubt that our winters are getting colder and if the thought of Spring is leaving you with that warm, fuzzy feeling, perhaps a professionally designed and installed underfloor heating system can help to turn up the heat in your property.

Whether you choose warm water or an electric system, here’s 5 reasons why we love underfloor heating!

Design Freedom

If you’re thinking of a property renovation, extension or new-build, underfloor heating can offer you the design freedom that you’ve never had before. As heat will be radiating from beneath the floor, radiators can become a thing of the past, freeing up precious wall and floor space, allowing you to furnish and decorate exactly how you want.

You can also decide whether you want underfloor heating in just one room, or throughout the property. There’s a wide range of floor coverings that can be installed over the top including wood, tile, stone and even carpet, as long as the tog level isn’t too thick.

From an installation point of view, there are a number of floor systems that can be considered depending on whether the pipework is to be laid within screed, placed on top of solid timber of floated over joisted floors. Screed is often the most popular option for a new build, however, if it’s a renovation and you are limited with floor-to-ceiling height space then there are well-performing low profile options available. Also, with new product development, UFHN can significantly reduce installation time by offering systems that don’t need screed, meaning that your next underfloor heating installation can be easier than you think!

Healthy homes

Underfloor heating has many health benefits and is considered a safe option for people who suffer from breathing difficulties or dust allergies. Radiators can exacerbate these conditions as they use convection currents that move air in a circular motion, redistributing dust particles, which then float freely making them easier to breathe in.

Underfloor heating gently heats a room via radiation (no, not that kind!) which means there is far less air movement for dust particles. Studies show a reduction in dust particles by a huge 80% which is good news for the 60% of UK residents who say dust mites trigger their asthma symptoms (Asthma.org.uk).

There’s also a relief for arthritis sufferers, whose symptoms in their feet, ankles and legs can be alleviated by the constant, ambient temperature provided by an underfloor heating system.

Safety

We all know that radiators can get very hot. Whether it’s a family home, elderly care facility, nursery or workplace, underfloor heating can provide a safe option in all settings by eliminating the risk of burns or injury from radiators.

Saving you money

Whilst the outlay for underfloor heating will cost more than a traditional radiator system, the long-term benefits far outweigh the initial investment. How and where you heat the property can be managed easily with smart heating control and as we mentioned earlier, underfloor can be used in some rooms and not in others and can also connect to an existing boiler system.

There are many variables that will determine the cost of running an underfloor heating system from insulation to glazing and when calculated properly will improve overall EPC ratings. Whilst every system and property is different, underfloor heating is a proven efficient heating solution which can provide savings ranging from 15% – 40% against traditional heating methods.

Compatible with heat pumps

Underfloor heating is commonly connected to gas boiler systems, however, we are seeing significant demand for heat pumps and the government are hoping to achieve a staggering 600,000 installations every year by 2028. This low-carbon initiative is the result of the ban of gas boiler installations into new homes by 2025.

It is well documented that underfloor heating and air source heat pumps are the ideal partnership for heating a property. Air source heat pumps become more efficient when operated at lower temperatures, same for a well-designed and installed underfloor heating system. The two systems working in harmony is a very desirable option for many homes, not to mention environmentally friendly.

The Government’s Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme is coming to a close for new applicants on the 31st March 2022 and will be directly replaced by the Green Heat Grant scheme (or boiler upgrade scheme), a proposal to provide eligible homeowners with grants of up to £5000 for the purchase of Air source heat pumps or £6,000 for ground source heat pumps.

Now is the ideal time to speak to us about your next underfloor heating system. We can manage your project all under one roof, from expert design, supply, installation, commissioning and service options and cover all parts of the UK, from the South West up into the North.

We look after your underfloor heating so you don’t have to!

Call us on 01202 894976 or email sales@ufhn.co.uk.