The best heating system that a house or apartment can have is inconspicuous electric underfloor heating. Who needs clanging radiators or humming fan heaters at night? You can easily equip your home with an evenly distributed thermal blanket. There are some advantages that are not just related to aesthetics. A floor system is a very efficient way to keep your home warm. It also increases comfort and reduces energy costs. Underfloor heating is a popular trend in new homes as well as renovations aimed at clean, comfortable and design-led living. Is it actually worth considering such a heater for your home and is it worth the cost? We will delve into the topic in this post to find out the pros and cons of this type of heating systems.
Another gray winter morning and you can feel the ice-cold ground beneath your feet. Or the tiled floor in the bathroom feels like the surface of a frozen pond? On cold days, this idea seems less luxurious than necessary. But before you decide on a major remodel, it's best to ask yourself whether electric underfloor heating is the right solution for your homespecific heating requirementsis. The main benefit cited for installing underfloor heating is increased energy efficiency. There are also a number of factors that make such heating systems more efficient than traditional systems.
In addition, such a system ensures even heat in the room. Traditional radiators need to be heated to a high temperature in order toto heat a living space effectively, while the first variant only needs to be operated at 29 degrees Celsius. This means you use less heating energy. In addition, radiant heat ensures a constantly heated area without cold spots. In contrast to conventional radiators, underfloor heating cannot overheat the interior. Instead, the temperature you want is set using a thermostat.
Comfort is of course a question of perception. Additionally, homeowners have a variety of options available to them. Heaters are compatible with electric, natural gas, solar, and even geothermal energy sources. Many homeowners know that traditional heating systems are typically limited to running on a single energy source, such as heating oil. When the market becomes volatile, prices may fluctuate and heating costs may increase. In this case it wouldn't matter how you set your temperature controller.
What are the benefits?
Underfloor heating can provide certain health benefits. The hotter the air is, the drier it becomes. On those days when you just can't warm up and find yourself needing to turn up your thermostat, your heater can suck all the moisture out of the apartment and leave your sinuses throbbing. Because you are heating the surfaces and not the air itself, electric underfloor heating is not prone to this problem. Accordingly, such heating does not rely on fans, ventilation openings and pipes to distribute hot air. This allows you to significantly reduce the amount of dust and seasonal allergens in your home.
This type of heating system is also scalable. Homeowners can consider customized solutions to meet their underfloor heating needs. If you don't want to warm up the entire apartment, you can instead modularize and heat just one or more rooms from scratch.
More space for creative freedom
With underfloor heating you can enjoy your entire interior space without radiators on the walls. Even the most modern devices take up space in the room. So you can decorate the walls as you wish or simply achieve the minimalist look no matter what style you have chosen.
Electric underfloor heating for all floor coverings
This gives you the freedom to design your home as you wish and to make optimal use of the floor space. Therefore, you have the opportunity to freely choose the type of floor covering, because electric underfloor heatingquite good with laminate, wood, tiles, stone, carpet and so on works.
Safety and comfort
With a warm floor you no longer have to worry about sharp edges or hot surfaces from radiators. Younger family members can walk around the house with peace of mind because this heating system is safely stored away and doesn't get too hot. Radiant heat is also much better for the air quality in a room as it keeps the air fresh and oxygen-rich. On the other hand, radiators increase discomfort and reduce oxygen levels. The thermal circulation from the air rising to the ceiling and back again brings all the dust into the circle, which electric underfloor heating cannot cause.
Easy installation
This type of heating system is easy to install, especially if you are having it installed in a new construction project or renovation. The electrical wires are so effortless to lay that they are all attached to the power grid to be rolled out in place. There is also additional convenience when cleaning, as you can keep the floor dust-free and without any corners or edges.
What disadvantages need to be taken into account?
However, practice shows that some of the most obvious advantages in this context can actually also be disadvantages. If you have a large house, an apartment with high ceilings, lots of windows or inadequate insulation, heating your floor may not be enough. This means you won't get the comfort you might already be used to. It's best to do a check in advance to improve energy efficiency. The changes made could add up and potentially reduce your perceived need for underfloor heating.
Installation costs
In some cases, electric underfloor heating can be a complementary rather than a universal solution. Do you perhaps remember the theory that such heating systems have lower temperature settings? Research carried out has shown that this is not necessarily the case. If your main reason is to achieve long-term savings by reducing your utility bills, other solutions, such as zoning or solar panels, may be more cost-effective. Also remember that you won't be able to cool your home with it in summer.
There is no evidence that property values are influenced positively or negatively by this. Homeowners should also be aware of the difficulties and costs associated with repairing these types of systems. A floor covering may need to be removed to identify problems with the system, let alone fix them. Furthermore, moisture beneath your home can damage the foundation, creating inviting conditions for other pests that can ruin your carpet or hardwood floors. However, depending on your priorities and budget, electric underfloor heating may be ideal as part of a larger remodel.
Installation time and floor height
You should also take into account the time that such elements need to dry completely before laying the flooring on them. As a guide, electric underfloor heating increases the floor height in a room by an average of less than 3 centimeters, depending on the system you choose. You should also place insulation panels under heaters to maximize their efficiency potential. This ensures that all the heat does not rise downwards but rather upwards. The insulation will reflect across the floor level. However, if the height in the room is not a significant issue for you, you can still go for it.
Conclusion
Electric underfloor heating is a simple and energy efficient way to keep your home and especially your feet warm and cozy. Although the installation cost is higher than traditional radiators, there are various options that you can adapt to your budget. For this reason, it is important to consider that underfloor heating can lead to significant cost savings on your energy bills in the long term. Such a variant would be particularly recommended when renovating your bathroom. This will save you a lot of money on labor costs if the floor is going to be raised and altered anyway. The convenience of operating the system on your heating bill will benefit you in the long run.
