Buyer's guide to underfloor heating: your cosy home starts here

There are many positives to underfloor heating, not least energy and cost saving. Here's what you need to know before getting started.

The beauty of underfloor heating – as opposed to central heating systems - is that it satisfies the three Es that will warm any budget-minded homeowner’s heart.

Economical: Heated floors provide an average saving of 15% on heating bills, thanks to the efficient way this system warms a home. 

Energy efficient: Underfloor heating takes less time to warm a room, and provides the same level of comfort at a lower temperature than radiators.

Even heat distribution: Underfloor heating warms the entire floor space of the room, and does away with those cold spots you find the further away you move from the radiator. 

Electric underfloor heating vs a wet system

There are two types of underfloor heating systems:

• Electric underfloor heating comprises a grid of wiring powered by your house’s electrical supply.
• Wet underfloor heating is a system of pipes that circulates warm water heated by your boiler or heat pump.

Advantages of electric underfloor heating

In a wet system, you have a manifold - the hub where the supply and return pipes carrying the water meet to keep it warm - whereas an electric underfloor heating system is simply connected to your home’s existing electrical circuit via a thermostat.

An electrical system is ideal for providing a source of heat quickly for a short time in spaces like a bathroom and kitchen.

Most electric underfloor heating systems are relatively flat, and therefore won’t raise the floor height of a room. This makes it an attractive option, for retrofitting or renovation projects.

Floor types compatible with underfloor heating

While electric underfloor heating works with virtually any floor material (except maybe cork and rubber), the basic scientific laws of heat conduction apply, so the harder the surface, the better it conducts thermal heat. 

Concrete, stone and tiles and ceramic tiles 

These materials heat up quickly and retain the warmth for far longer than any other floor surfaces. The Warmup StickyMat is specifically designed so that you can lay tiles directly on it, without the need for a barrier layer between the two. It comes on a roll in various widths and self-adhesive tape makes it really easy to install.

Laminates, carpet and vinyl

We all know the heat conducting properties of aluminium foil in cooking. Well, the Warmup Foil Heater System takes the same principles and uses them in an electric underfloor heating system for floor surfaces that are not so great for conducting heat - think carpets, laminate, engineered wood and vinyl - to deliver consistent and even heat distribution. It can also be installed in wet areas such as bathrooms without the need for extra earthing. 

Electric underfloor heating controls

The beauty of electric underfloor heating is that it is controlled by a thermostat, so there’s no need to switch it off when you leave the house, and then have to wait for it to heat up when you get home on chilly evenings.  Some thermostats are very smart, such as the Warmup app-controlled 4ie Wifi. It remembers how and when you use your heating, and calculates the most efficient settings for your consumption.

World of Tiles is the exclusive supplier of Warmup underfloor heating products in Ireland.