DIY Underfloor Heating

Compared with panel radiators an underfloor heating system radiates heat more evenly and over a wider area. This produces a more comfortable environment. It is also energy efficient because it operates at a lower temperature than other central heating systems.

Underfloor systems can be incorporated in any type of floor construction including solid concrete, floating and suspended timber. The heat emanates from a continuous length of plastic tube that snakes across the floor forming parallel loops.

When underfloor heating is installed in a new building the plastic tubes are usually set into a solid concrete floor. Flooring insulation is laid over the base concrete and rows of special pipe clips are fixed to the insulation. The tubes are then clipped into place and concrete screed is poured on top.

With a boarded floating floor a layer of grooved insulation is laid over the concrete base and the pipes are set in aluminium diffusion plates inserted into the grooves. The entire floor is then covered with chipboard. The heating pipes can be fastened with clips to the underside of the suspended floor. Clearance holes are drilled in the joists.