When to Use In-Floor Heating and Snow Melt Systems?
In-Floor Heating is a heating system with the difference that it is located on the floor. It has some advantages over the radiator or heat pump system but there are also some considerations to take into account when deciding whether or not it can be installed in your home.
How is In-Floor Heating installed?
The In-Floor heating is installed on the ground employing high-density polyethylene pipes. A layer of expanded polystyrene thermal insulation is used to hold it in place, which in turn ensures that the heat is transmitted to the upper part of the floor and not to the floor below. Finally, a layer of mortar is poured on top, a layer of cement glue and finally the finish we want to give it.
If you have thought or are thinking of installing this type of heating, you should seek the help of professionals in the industry. Such is the case of Excel Heating & Air Conditioning, a company dedicated to the maintenance and installation of air conditioning and heating systems. With almost 30 years of experience, this company has the best experts in the industry.
Recommendations on the flooring to be used
I will start by saying that not all materials are optimal for use on In-Floor Heating. Solid wood, for example, suffers a lot with expansion and also does not transmit heat well (it is insulating) so it would not be the most advisable material. In this sense, if you want a wood finish, it would be better to opt for laminated wood flooring.
In any case, the best option will always be ceramic or porcelain tiles, which transmit heat well and also, have good thermal inertia, it is to say, they keep it well once the heating is turned off.
Aspects to take into account
To build an in-floor heating, you need 10cm. This means that you will lose 10cm of free height and that, in the case of a renovation, you will have to cut all the doors or raise them, which implies relatively important carpentry works.
On the other hand, it is necessary to calculate if the structure of the house will be able to support the extra weight that is being placed. This overweight, in wooden structures, could cause bending of the floor slab and cracks in the lower floor, especially in the case of older homes.
Advantages of In-Floor Heating
There are several advantages of in-floor heating. Probably any professional from Excel Heating & Air Conditioning would tell you that a heating system like this has many benefits. Here are the three most important ones.
- First of all, it is heating that works at low temperatures, so we will have significant energy savings. It is for this reason that it is perfect to combine it if we have a solar energy system.
- Solar energy can only reach certain temperatures, so with common radiators, the boiler must heat the water to the right temperature, which does not happen with in-floor heating.
- Secondly, it is a homogeneous system; it covers the whole room, so there will be no colder corners.
- Thirdly, by working with lower temperatures, there are not so many air currents and the air, therefore, dries out less as it would occur with heat pump systems.
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