Underfloor Heating in Different Rooms

Different Rooms Require Different Solutions

Underfloor heating can heat up anything from small bathrooms to the whole house. Before starting installation, there are a few things you need to consider, for example: the room conditions, surfaces and floor material used. On this page, we will guide you to making the right choice for your home.

Power Consumption In Different Rooms

Here are guidelines for heating a whole area in an insulated home. One can generally say that tile and stone floors require a slightly higher power than wooden or laminate flooring. If you are unsure of what power to choose, it may be a good idea to have a high power outlet allowing you to control the system with a Thermostat.

Tiled Floor Rooms

Ceramic tiles and natural stone floors are common in the hallway, kitchen and bathroom. Ceramic material has a high conductivity which make the tiles feel cold without underfloor heating. Yet it is this conductivity which allows heat from the underfloor heating cable to spread directly and quickly  to the entire floor. Please note that you must wait four weeks after installation before turning on the heat. This is the amount of time required for curing . Curing requires moisture, therefore starting the underfloor heating too early would dry out the necessary moisture too quickly. Then the seams can pulverize and floor tiles release from the floor. A very good underfloor heating choice for tiled floors are: Cable Kit or Thermoflex Kit

Bathroom

Remember that there must be an approved waterproofing under the floor in bathrooms, whether you have underfloor heating or not. Floor heating is always added before the sealing layer on the dry part of the floor. There are clear authority regulations for installation of under floor heating in bathrooms which are very important to follow.

Wooden Floored Rooms

It works just as well to have underfloor heating under wooden floors in living rooms and bedrooms. But, because wood is a living material that moves, you should consider a few things to avoid cracks in the floor. Humidity is important, if it is too dry, the floor movements increase. Beech and maple wood is particularly sensitive to temperature and moisture fluctuations. Therefore it is advised to choose another wood material. We recommend that you install up to 75 W/m² and never let the temperature rise over 27 degrees. Also avoid adding thick carpets, mattresses etc. on the floor for long periods. The floor sensor ensures that there is no risk of overheating, however the blocked heat could dry out the floor. A good underfloor kit for wooden floor is: Foil Kit

Basement

Laying the underfloor heating directly on a concrete floor in an uninsulated basement is not a good idea, even if the concrete slabs are thick. Old slabs are often cast on uneven surfaces and can be very thin in places. The heat therefore disappears into the concrete slabs and your energy loss increases. When you heat up concrete slabs instead of the room it creates a pocket of heat between the soil and the concrete floor. If the underfloor heating is then turned off, the concrete slab cools faster than the ground. Therefore soil moisture is transported upwards. This is called reverse migration of dampness.

The solution is to add insulation to the existing floor before installing underfloor heating. A modern insulation mat is effective, thin and flexible. It ensures that heat is reflected upwards and keeps out the cold from below. Ebeco Cable Board is made of extruded polystyrene, which means no moisture is collected in the mat. The holes in the mat and the installation allows the construction to breathe. Even if you have a well-insulated floor, an insulation mat is a good idea because you get a faster underfloor heating system, both in terms of installation and heating. Particularly good choices in the basement are: Cable Board togeher with Cable Kit 300th.

Conservatory

Underfloor heating is an excellent solution to extend the season in the conservatory. It gives a good heat distribution with less draft and, unlike conventional heaters, an even heat no matter where you are sitting in the room. Electric underfloor heating will not freeze during winter, which unfortunately can happen with other underfloor heating systems.

A heating cable can both be embedded directly into a new floor or put in filler on an existing floor, depending on what suits you best. Remember that conservatories make higher demands on heating systems compared to indoor heating. Higher power is needed for heating, up to 160 W/m² is needed. It also means that the cable needed to supply such temperatures should have a high resistance and long life. Especially good choices for conservatories are: Cable Kit 300 and Multiflex 20.