Latest Designer Bathroom Ideas and How To Guides for your Home

Ever step onto the cold tile in the middle of winter and wish you had underfloor heating?  Underfloor heating systems are a heating solution that relies on radiant heat and heat conduction rather than forcing heated air through ducts.  Under tile heating provides heat through electric cables, film heaters, mesh, or circulated hot water.

Well, getting an underfloor heating system in your home isn’t as far off as you might think.  There are plenty of DIY underfloor heating solutions available which remove the hassle of finding and hiring a professional, which can get expensive.  DIY underfloor heating kits allow you to install floor heating solutions all without the help of a professional technician.

However, be aware that just because there is a wide variety of DIY floor heating kits out there it doesn’t mean they aren’t complex.  There is a fair amount of intricacy and they will take time to install.  Always be sure to follow the manufacturer instructions step-by-step to ensure that your floor’s heating system functions properly and efficiently.

DIY underfloor heating can definitely save you a ton of money on the installation, but there are other benefits as well.  Such floor heating systems are completely invisible because they are situated under the floor, which frees up plenty of space in your home.  This removes radiators from your walls and unnecessary ductwork.  Additionally, such floor heating systems also distribute heat more evenly, which means that your overall heating costs will ultimately be reduced.

Heating your home shouldn’t be a challenge.  In the cold winter months a warm, cosy house shouldn’t be a luxury.  With an underfloor heating system, your home can stay evenly warm and you won’t have to break the bank in the winter.  The basic idea behind underfloor heating solutions is that a system of heating pipes or cables is embedded under the floor surface.

Underfloor heating insulation can be installed in both existing buildings as well as during initial construction of new buildings.  Underfloor heating kits include piping or heating mats that are laid on the surface of the floor screed and then covered by a floor surface such as timber, tile, or laminate.  When using DIY underfloor heating kits, just remember that this may affect doors and skirting boards – so measure and plan well.

If you have a suspended wooden floor, you can still install underfloor heating systems.  The piping or cables are typically mounted between the joists of the flooring.  However, it is important to remember that solid timber provides excellent insulation, so you may need some special materials like aluminium plates and mortar.

When installing underfloor heating systems you should also think about the type of flooring that you have.  Other than solid timber, many homes have carpet, laminate, tile, and even vinyl floors.  Depending on the type of flooring you already have the underfloor heating system installation method may vary.

Before settling on any underfloor heating solution be sure to do a little research so that you know which system may be best for your home.

Whether you’re starting on a property development overhaul devised by architects or just wanting to remove a radiator to do some painting and decorating or plastering, you’re going to need to drain down your hot water system. Thankfully, you’re not going to need to be an expert in the building trade for this – it’s a ‘doable’ DIY job.

Turn off the electricity or gas to your boiler and locate the expansion tank in the loft – it’ll be the smaller of two tanks. Place a wooden batten across it and tie the float-operated valve to it to stop water inflow. Now find the drain nozzle (there might be more than one, which is good). It’ll be in the lowest part of the system and looks like a little brass barrel pointing downwards from a pipe. That’s where you attach a length of hose, running the other end outside where water can drain away. Turn the little square key on the nozzle with a spanner to open it.

Starting upstairs, open all the bleed valves on your radiators. If you have an airlock, undo the float-operated valve and let about 150mm of water flow into the tank – it should drain out immediately (tie the valve back up again).

Then, complete the work you want to do, and reverse the steps you took earlier: remove the hose, close the drain valve and the bleed valves on the radiators, release the float-operated valve and let the system refill. Bleed all the radiators (beginning downstairs this time) once the tank has filled, and switch the boiler back on.

Do you know how your underfloor heating system works?  If you don’t already know, we’ve put together some of the basics to give you a better understanding.

Basically, underfloor heating systems work to provide even distribution of heat throughout the rooms in which they exist. These floor heating systems are typically easy to install and very cost efficient.  In fact, today DIY underfloor heating is very popular.  There are no special skills or knowledge other than a little research and reading required in order to successfully install an underfloor heating system.

All underfloor heating systems are unobtrusive and unrestricted.  That means that because they lie under the floor, you have the freedom to place furniture as you see fit.  Furthermore, such heating systems require very little maintenance.

There are two main types of underfloor heating systems – electric and wet.  With the wet underfloor heating system pipes are buried in the foundation or right under the floor surface to distribute the heated water to heat the home.  Some systems even allow for water to simply be running beneath the surface. Electric underfloor heating systems are generally more expensive than their wet counterparts and are not highly recommended for wood floors. 

Regardless of the type of underfloor heating system you choose, there will be benefits and disadvantages to both.  For instance, neither is an instant heating solution – they will take time to take effect if they have been turned off.  They will also require cool down time.  So, depending on your preference and your budget, you may find that the wet underfloor heating system is better suited to your home than a dry one or vice versa.

Bathrooms have long been underrepresented by interior designers, that is until now. Finally, one of the most critical rooms of the house is getting a makeover and the one item most people ignore, the bathroom radiator, is standing out with style.

Designer radiators are making their way into homes everywhere. People are finding that a designer radiator is an inexpensive way to quickly add dash and style to a room, while increasing comfort and energy efficiency. Old radiators can be horribly inefficient, wasting your hard-earned money on inefficient heating. Today’s new designer radiators can heat your bathroom for much less money, in fact, many of them are programmable or can be installed with a programmable thermostat, which only turns on when you want it to.

Radiators by Reina, Lazzarini and others are so sleek and slim that you’ll gain floor space as well as warmth and comfort. In fact, many of the designer radiators can be mounted on the wall or in a corner and also hold towels. Imagine nice warm towels after your bath and a designer radiator to update the room.

Today’s designer radiators are much more reasonably priced than you might think. Compare the cost of an old, stodgy radiator to the sleek chrome or brushed metal designer models and you’ll see that for just a little more money you can purchase a radiator that has had attention to style incorporated into the design. 

When friends and relatives visit, they invariably use your bathroom, so why not treat them to a room that reflects you and your unique style? Take that old, inefficient radiator out and install a sleek, efficient designer radiator. You’ll wish you had done it sooner.

When you are contemplating installing an underfloor heating system, you have a few decisions to make including whether you want it professionally installed or if you want to take on a DIY underfloor heating project.  Additionally, you will need to decide on the heating technology you want to use.  Here are some considerations if you are thinking about installing an electric underfloor heating system.

If there is a smaller area to heat (one to three rooms), an electric underfloor heating system costs less and is easier to install.  Additionally, they have a lower start-up cost than other types of heating systems.  However, you should be aware of the fact that the efficiency factor involved with the use of fossil fuels to generate electricity is considerably lower.

If you want to handle the installation as a DIY underfloor heating project rather than having it done by professional contractors, electric systems are relatively easy to install.  In addition to this, they are still more energy-efficient than conventional forced-air heating systems.  You can “zone” individual rooms and install an underfloor heating thermostat so that one room can be heated independently of the others.  This will save you money on your monthly utility bills.

Another advantage of electric underfloor heating systems is that the floor height build-up can be as thin as 1 mm.  The electric cables required for the system are usually placed on an installation board, or they can be installed directly onto the carpet padding or on top of the sub flooring.

In recent years underfloor heating, also known as UFH, has become quite popular throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, and the United States.  Underfloor heating systems are easily installed in both existing homes and new builds.  Of course, there are various things to consider when installing an underfloor heating system that will affect which method of installation and heating will work best for your home.

In the case of a good underfloor heating system, your floor will become an integral part of that system.  In fact, the floor will actually become part of the insulation and heat emitting process.  Heating from the floor up will allow for a more uniform temperature throughout a room and a more evenly heated home.

There are two main types of underfloor heating systems – electric and water based.  The way they work is almost identical except in where they get their heat from.  Obviously, wet underfloor heating systems work with warmed water whereas electric underfloor heating draws warmth from electric heating cables.

The water-based underfloor heating system is ideal for homes equipped with high-efficiency condensing boilers.  It is also suitable for use with heat pumps and solar water heaters.  Heat is generated by mixing the water in the underfloor heating system’s pipes with hot water from the boiler.  Electric underfloor heating systems draw warmth from the heating elements, mats, and cables.

Just remember, different underfloor heating kits are manufactured for different installation methods.  Always be sure that you read each system’s instructions carefully before actually tearing up your floor or making any plans.

Installing an underfloor heating system makes for an excellent DIY project if you are skilled at performing home improvements.  However, there are a few aspects of this endeavour that you should be aware of before jumping into the project.  The following is some advice to follow if you are planning on installing an electric underfloor heating system in your home.

- Remember the old adage “failing to plan means that you are planning to fail”.  This is especially true when you consider installing an underfloor heating system, whether it is a dry (electric) or wet (water) heating system.  Consider what electricity costs where you live in the UK because some areas are more expensive than others.  If the electricity is too costly, then you should consider going with a wet underfloor heating system.

- Depending on the quality of insulation that you have and the number of rooms that you are planning to heat, your usage will vary compared to other homes in your area.

- You can control the amount of energy that is consumed by installing an independent underfloor heating thermostat in each room that is going to be heated.  This is a very cost-effective measure as it will allow a lower temperature to be set in unoccupied rooms.

- Remember that as you are installing the underfloor heating system, the room that you are working in cannot be occupied and must be cleared of furniture.  You should install the underfloor heating system in the rooms that are used most often before those that are rarely used.

Many people are now opting for underfloor heating rather than standard central heating as it has several benefits for the consumer. 

Operating an underfloor heating system can often work out to be a cost efficient alternative to other types of heating.  Using water underfloor heating can be a cheaper alternative as the water is heated to a lower temperature than in a system that uses wall mounted radiators.  This system also runs more quietly than conventional central heating. 

Underfloor heating is often installed as standard in newly built homes, particularly in small buildings.  It allows maximum use of space without radiators taking up wall space.  This also means that radiators are not gathering dust and are not causing problems when it comes to decorating a room. 

This also offers health and safety benefits, as there are no hot pipes or radiators for people to burn themselves on and the fixtures will not harbour dust mites which may be irritating for those who have allergies.  Having to cover radiators defeated the object of having heating as it meant that the heat was restricted. 

When floor heating is used in rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms which are prone to wet floors and condensation, the user will find that they will dry out much more quickly and damp will be less of a problem. 

Having underfloor heating is an advantage to home owners as potential buyers will often see it as an unusual feature that adds value to a property and will offer long term benefits.

Living in the cold climate of the United Kingdom, central heating radiators are an essential part of any household. Bathroom radiator designs, however, have come a long way from their bland, cold, purely functional origins. In recent years, however, radiator designers have realised that there is a large consumer demand for radiators that do more than just warm the house, but also compliment the interior decoration of it in surprising, colourful and tasteful ways.

The old fashioned white rectangle radiator has slowly but surely disappeared from the majority of British households, replaced by an almost unending choice of radiators in all colours and many sizes and shapes, including some truly bizarre and memorable ones such as spirals and whorls, and even some that resemble kinds of abstract works of art! This newfound wide variation of designer radiators also means that not only can you have a more aesthetically pleasing and imaginative kind of radiator, but that you can have radiators in different shapes, styles and colours in every room of the house if you so wish, for example children’s rooms can be adorned with designer radiators built in the shape of animals etc.

A bathroom radiator is essential and bathroom radiators come in many styles and colours. The variety of shapes and sizes has enough impact above and beyond mere style, of course – it also means that they can fit into almost any area of the room you wish to have one in. Modern radiators also heat up a lot quicker than the old fashioned models due to their use of materials such as aluminium and stainless steel as heat conductors. Searching through a radiator suppliers website such as UK Bathrooms will give a good idea of what designer radiators are out there and help you to make the perfect choice for your home.

Designer radiators have truly taken the radiator into the 21st century; a designer radiator can add an element of class and sophistication to any room.