In this article, we are going to look at the pros and cons of underfloor heating. Underfloor heating is a popular option with people buying new heating systems for the home. This is because it has many advantages over traditional heating options. In particular, it is cheaper to run and offers greater heat distribution. By doing this, you will have a better understanding and appreciation of this fantastic choice of heating.
Of course, it isn't all sunny rainbows, but you'll see that by the end of this article the pros definitely outweigh the cons.
The cons
I'm an optimist, so I'm going to get the bad things out of the way first. Here are some things that are not so great about underfloor heating:
- Installation costs can be expensive. This is because it can sometimes require a lot of work, such as lifting a concrete floor so that there is space between the concrete and the tiles/laminate.
With the electric underfloor heating systems, you can install it yourself more easily than the wet systems. You just need to buy an underfloor heating kit and have a decent amount of DIY experience. We would never recommend that you try to install your own wet underfloor system though as they are more complicated to install.
- Depending on the thickness of the floor, it can take a while to warm up when compared to radiators. This simply means that you probably need to pay more attention to your thermostat and timer with underfloor heating. As long as you schedule your heating well, probably won't notice the difference.
- It isn't suitable for every type of floor. There are some floors where you can't really use underfloor heating, for example, if the floor is too thick it will act as an insulator and the Heat will not be able to escape properly. This would make the system more expensive.
The pros
Ok, on to the good things, and there are many.
- The heat distribution is much better with under floor heating as long as you have installed it on a suitable floor. This is because it has a much wider spread for the radiator and it's much slower so the heat is able to warm more of the room.
- It feels amazing on your feet. You won't want to walk around with slippers anymore if you have underfloor heating. You'll just want to wear your socks, or even bare feet (but bare feet are banned in my house! Stinkers!)
- With an underfloor heating kit, you can install the heating yourself. For most people, this is practically impossible with central heating radiators or electric radiators, where you really do need a professional to install them safely.
- The heating is out of the way and so it frees up more of your room in terms of decor, but also in terms of space. You gain an entire wall that would usually have been lost to a radiator.
We hope that you have found this article useful. Underfloor heating is a great option for any household and it can even Increase the value of your property. It is definitely something worth considering if you are a homeowner.