How do you keep warm in winter? Underfloor heating is becoming very popular in recent times because of the luxurious touch it provides to a bathroom renovation.
There is no better feeling than walking barefoot into your bathroom during the colder months and feeling the cosy warmth under your feet. It’s a great incentive to get out of bed even when the sheets are too comfortable.
However, many people are concerned that underfloor heating is complicated to install and expensive to run.
We want to debunk some of these myths and relieve all your doubts, so you can make the best decision for your home.
This is the type of system we most commonly use in Australia for installation in bathrooms. It is also known as ‘dry’ underfloor heating, because it uses electric cables that are woven together and laid under the tiles to provide heating.
Underfloor heating systems produce radiant heat, probably the most comfortable and energy efficient form of heating available.
Any type of underfloor heating needs to be installed before your floor finishes go down, whether this is tiles, floor boards or carpet. So make sure you think about underfloor heating early on in your renovation plans and make your wishes known to your builder.
Whilst you need to allow some budget for your tradesmen to lay the actual underfloor heating mat, it is a relatively quick job and shouldn’t take more than a few hours. The benefits of warm floors on cold days are timeless.
The idea of using radiant heat to gently warm a large floor surface at a low temperature was mastered over 2000 years ago by the Romans.
While the technology has changed over the years, the concept is as sound as it ever was; heating a large area at a modest temperature (21-25°C) produces the most comfortable and efficient form of heating possible.
Typical convection and fan heaters can be noisy, inefficient, expensive and unsightly. They warm a room by intensely heating the air near them. This results in a stuffy, uncomfortable atmosphere with chilly drafts.
The time frame needed to warm up your bathroom will depend on the thickness of the tiles, whether the subfloor is concrete or wood, general levels of insulation and floor insulation. On an insulated wooden subfloor it takes approximately 20 to 40 minutes for the tiles to feel warm, then approximately 45 to 90 minutes to heat the room. On an uninsulated concrete floor it will take longer.
Our homes are full of electrical goods, some of which have a much higher energy consumption than you may think. Here are some examples of the average wattage of some familiar products found in homes all over the Australia. Thermonet’s underfloor heating kits, which are available in our online shop, only use 150 Watts per square metre.
Many people assume that an electric underfloor heating system is going to be expensive to run. In actual fact, when you consider the fast response times, level of precise control and a tailored, zoned heating schedule, it is a very efficient and cost effective way to heat your home.
Underfloor heating kits come in a variety of sizes ranging from 1 square metre to 12 square metres. All you need to do is work out how much of your bathroom floor will be uncovered, e.g. you won’t need underfloor heating under your bath hob, your freestanding vanity unit or your shower enclosure.
You will find out that the square metre rate required will be relatively small, by eliminating the above. However, it is always recommended to add 10% to the final area to account for wastage and other requirements.
If you are renovating and are looking to add a luxurious spa-like feel to your bathroom, underfloor heating might be the right choice for you. It is going to be less expensive and easier than what you might have originally thought.
Just imagine walking on warm tiles in the middle of winter!
If you have any further questions, we would love to answer them for you. Reach us here.
