Latest Designer Bathroom Ideas and How To Guides for your Home

Electric underfloor heating is a type of radiant heating. In contrast to water filled radiator heating, or older forms of heating such as wood, coal, oil or gas stoves, which convect heat into currents, underfloor heating emits the heat at floor level, which spreads heat out more efficiently and with a longer-lasting effect. This effect is due to the heat absorption of the floor as well as the objects in the room. With normally convected heat rising too far too quickly to be useful for most of the time, radiant heat rises more slowly through the material space in which it is installed, meaning that the heat is used to a fuller extent and permeates the room more effectively.

Electric underfloor heating technology typically consists of heating cables, mats or film heating elements. The former two are primarily designed for tiled, stone or concrete flooring, the latter for wooden or laminate flooring.

Under tile heating cables or mats are relatively unobtrusive forms of material, meaning that the level of the floor does not have to be raised for them to be incorporated. Heating cables can be laid in any formation by the installer. Installation can be contracted out to a professional firm or completed on a DIY basis. Underfloor heating kits can be bought which contain the material for a full DIY installation.  Final connecting up will need to be done by a registered plumber or electrician.

For wooden floors, film heating produces a relatively lower heat than that generated by cables or mats. Electric underfloor heating can be the sole source of heat in a room, which means that no unsightly radiators need take up useful wall space.