When it comes to keeping your home warm and comfortable in the colder months there are more options than ever these days. Some homeowners choose their heating solutions based on wanting a certain look and feel, for instance, wanting a period fireplace that suits their decor or liking the cosy feel of a pellet stove. Other people prioritise energy efficiency, and others still prefer one solution for one room and a different one for another – after all, a statement fireplace in every main room isn’t always practical!
However, one of the most popular ways of heating that are being installed in lots of new properties, as well as being moved over to by people planning to overhaul their existing heating, is underfloor heating. Underfloor heating can be an excellent solution in a lot of places but does require quite a lot of work to be done to install usually, and so is not something you can switch to as easily as having new radiators installed.
Here are some of the things you need to know about the benefits and disadvantages if you are thinking about whether underfloor heating could be right for your property.
Invisible Heating
One of the biggest advantages from many people’s perspective when it comes to underfloor heating is that it is completely invisible once it is installed, and so you don’t have to factor it into your interior design choices at all. No more worrying about how to arrange your furniture so that it isn’t blocking a radiator, or making radiators match your colour scheme. This may be a minor downside if you like feature heating, such as stoves or open fireplaces, however, you can still create fake fireplace areas in the home that can provide the same sort of visual feature.
Uniformity of Heating
Another of the big advantages to underfloor heating is that it provides uniform heating to the whole of your property (assuming it is installed in every room). Underfloor heating is designed to bring rooms up to a comfortable ambient temperature throughout, so you don’t have any spaces that are really warm or any that aren’t heated at all, as can be the case with fires or radiators. This means that if you are someone who doesn’t really want to think about your heating at all, and just wants your home to feel comfortable through the winter season without you having to really do anything, then underfloor heating is the ideal choice.
Warm Floors
Underfloor heating doesn’t make anything hot, but it will make the floors feel pleasantly warm when it is running. This can be a nice feature in the colder months, as you’ll be able to get out of bed or walk around barefoot without the shock of putting your feet on a cold floor. It can also be quite pleasant for pets, especially cats, who tend to love a warm surface! Having warm floors all year round can be a very nice side effect to underfloor heating that you may not even realise that you wanted until you have it.
Energy Efficiency
Underfloor heating systems, when paired with good insulation, can be one of the most energy-efficient ways to heat your whole home. No heat is wasted as the system is not designed to produce very high temperatures, but a comfortable room temperature throughout the house. Additionally, if you happen to live in a condo or have your underfloor heating on the upper floors of your property, the heating system itself can add a powerful layer of insulation.
Underfloor heating systems are managed by a thermostat that essentially keeps them running whenever needed to maintain a desirable ambient temperature, and so they do not waste power by running when you don’t need them, even without you having to set timers or remember to turn heaters on and off.
If you’re going to save energy here, you may also want to get a solar hot water system installed too. This will ultimately save you money as well as making your home eco-friendlier. You can learn more about what a solar hot water system is and the many benefits by visiting Pascoe’s electricians.
Adding Value
A final thing to consider if you are wondering whether to take the plunge and get underfloor heating in a home you are building, buying or updating is that it will normally add value to the property. Underfloor heating is seen as desirable, however, because it is a bigger undertaking to install than some other types of heating, some house buyers who want it will be more drawn to homes that already have it as a feature.
As you can see, underfloor heating has a lot of merits, both in terms of design, and functionality. If these things appeal to you it could be well worth looking into whether you can get it installed in your home.