Yes it can be – especially if you are using tile backer boards. However, the use of underfloor heating insulation results in long-term savings that far outweighs the initial costs of the insulation board itself.

What kind of underfloor heating insulation provides the best performance for all-round use?

While certain underfloor heating insulation works better in specific situations than others, when it comes to all round performance, extruded polystyrene foams are best. Polystyrene has high compressive strength and good insulation properties. It is waterproof, rot-resistant, lightweight, easy to handle, and easy to cut and shape. It is also low cost, and available in a wide range of depths.

How much underfloor heating insulation do I need?

The rule of thumb is: the thicker your insulation board, the better the performance. For new-build homes, this is easily accomplished during the design phase. However, when re-fitting an already existing home, it is not always possible to use thicker boards due to height restrictions. But for the best results, always go with the thickest you can get away with.

Can underfloor heating insulation boards be used without an underfloor heating system?

Yes. Even if you do not choose to install an underfloor heating system straight away (or ever), affixing underfloor heating insulation boards to your sub-flooring will keep your floors warmer.

Can I install underfloor heating without using insulation boards?

Yes you can, but it is not advisable. The short-term cost savings will not outweigh the long-term loss because, without insulation, heat will continually dissipate into the sub-flooring.

The heat from an installed electric underfloor heating system travels in two directions: up and down. While one is desirable to heat your floor and room, the other is a waste of valuable energy, with cement floors serving as a heat sink, absorbing energy, and causing the heating system to work harder to do less. This means loss of heat, and an additional drain on your wallet via increased electricity bills.

The quickest and most-efficient way to stop this drag on performance, and your pocketbook, is to install underfloor heating thermal insulation. Working as a barrier between the heat source and the sub-floor, underfloor heating thermal insulation speeds up initial warm-up times and decreases overall heat loss. This means your room gets warmer faster and stays warmer longer.

Cutting electric underfloor heating system mats

The first rule of thumb when using an electric underfloor heating mat system is never cut the cable. This ruins the mat and invalidates the manufacturer’s guarantee. The only part of a mat system that can be cut is the mesh.

Also, when cutting your mat, remember that the heating cable itself should never sit closer than 50 mm from the walls or any other fixed elements within the room, such as baths, shower stalls, kitchen or bath storage units. Never try to hide or bury the cable. If need be, scrap your work and start again. If you have ordered the wrong size, and the mat has not been cut, you can usually exchange it.

The type of carpet and underlay used has to be one not exceeding a 1.5 tog rating, although new research funded by the Carpet Foundation has shown that a tog rating of 2.5 can also be used in some cases. Should the salesman not be aware of the carpet tog rating, it is highly likely to be on the technical description of the carpet.

It may be advisable to put more piping and insulation into the floor when using underfloor heating in carpeted rooms; some carpets are stamped on the back and it is also necessary to use a suitable underlay as well.

There are four types of underlay that can be used with a carpet heating system. They are felt, sponge rubber, recycled crumb rubber and recycled polymer foam. It may be necessary to lay the carpet onto a wooden sub frame but your carpet fitter or the people who install the heating will advise you as to the best way of getting the most effective amount of heat from your underfloor heating on carpeted floors.

While the heating is being used there must be no piles of bedding or rugs, papers or boxes left on it for any length of time.

Another solution is to have either water or electric underfloor heating installed when the conservatory is built, though it is relatively easy to have it installed at a later date.  Underfloor heating systems are also more practical in that they do not take up wall space as a radiator would. 

As a conservatory is considered to be one of the highest heat loss rooms in a house, it is essential that the heat output of the underfloor heating there is slightly higher than the rest of the house.  And as many people will opt for a tiled or laminate floor in a conservatory, it may feel even colder.  Underfloor heating reduces the chill that can be felt from these types of floors. 

With electric underfloor heating there are no moving parts and the electricity comes direct from the mains.  Heat is controlled by an independent thermostat.  Water underfloor heating requires connection to the boiler and thermostats to control the temperature in the room.  Water underfloor heating is a good option if it can be installed as the conservatory is being built.
 
For those who have an existing central heating system a single room underfloor heating kit is available and it is ideal for those who are thinking of adding a conservatory to their home.

Electric underfloor heating comes in a number of forms.  Depending on the type of floor in the room, the electric heating may be in the form of a loose heating cable or heating mats.  This will also depend on the size and shape of the room to be heated.  Both of these forms can be used in screed floors or suspended timber floors or under tiles in an adhesive layer, and this would not raise the level of the floor much.

The addition of electric underfloor heating to any home will help to add value, as well as increase the amount of space in a room, as radiators which take up wall space are not required.  There are a number of health and safety benefits to underfloor heating, including the fact that there are no radiators to gather dust and harbour dust mites and there is no danger of anybody hurting themselves on hot pipes or radiators.

The use of underfloor heating will also ensure that the entire room is warmed.  If using a traditional radiator, it is much harder to warm the whole room as it is possible that the use of radiator covers or bulky furniture can lead to cold spots.

Electric underfloor heating is one of the best choices when the floor is tiled.  Some cables have a thickness of just 3mm, meaning that they will not interfere with the floor height.  Those who may be worried about damp creeping into the underfloor heating systems can be reassured by the fact that these electric systems are waterproof and meet all the necessary health and safety requirements. 

The use of electric heating mats is a good option, particularly if the consumer is installing the heating themselves.  They can be set in place very quickly and trimmed to fit around the fixtures such as kitchen cupboards. 

If using stone tiles as a floor covering users will find that these work very well with underfloor heating systems as they retain heat and require very little maintenance.  By using a durable flooring material over the underfloor heating, the user should find that both will last for a long time.

Underfloor heating has health and safety benefits as there are no radiators to gather dust and when used in conjunction with tiled flooring there are no carpets to harbour dust mites either, thereby helping to control allergies and conditions such as asthma.

Especially for small rooms like bathrooms that may have a very limited heating source, a remodel that incorporates electric underfloor heating will change your world.  You’ll wonder how you ever got along without it.  There’s nothing quite like the warmth of radiant floor heat on a cold winter morning.  No more tiptoeing to the bathroom or ducking in and out as fast as you can; you don’t even have to look for your slippers, as cold floor surfaces are now only a memory

Floor heating is also very economical, costing only pennies per day to operate.  As heat travels through small wires embedded in a mat beneath your floor, heat radiates up and out.  Your floor warms, as does your furniture, and eventually, you. 

Compare this to a standard radiator that warms the air.  The air in any room is the largest mass in it, and heating that huge mass just so the mass of your body (which is much smaller) can be warmed is a waste of money.  Also, heat naturally rises.  That means that a radiator throws off heat which rises to the ceiling, then has to circulate along the walls as it cools, eventually reaching you.

An underfloor heating system heats the floor, which then naturally radiates up and warms you, the furniture, and eventually the air.  But by the time the air is warm, so are you.  Mission accomplished, and in far shorter time than the radiator took.

Underfloor heating insulation products have to be strong, thin, narrow and versatile enough in order to fit in small internal spaces, to fill bespoke needs and support the weight of a floor. Above all, of course, underfloor heating insulation products have to keep out thermal external flows, such as ground temperature and cold, and ensure the heat from electric cables or mats or water pipes is transferred upwards and not down into the ground.

A lot of underfloor heating insulation products are made in such a way as to be compatible with any form of underfloor heating. A major difference is dictated by the presence of a tiled, stone or a wooden or laminated flooring type, as this has implications for the weight the insulation has to be able to support.

Underfloor heating insulation products are characteristically light in weight, waterproof, rot resistant, flexible, easily shaped and relatively low cost. Underfloor insulation products can be stuck onto flooring with a minimum need for adhesives. They can be installed by a professional or as part of a DIY underfloor heating installation; they can be bought in addition to an underfloor heating kit.

Fitting DIY underfloor heating has become something of a trend as more and more people come to realise that under tile heating and underfloor heating overall is not only extremely affordable, but also lowers the average heating bill for the homeowner because it is a more efficient way of heating the home. Underfloor heating systems also create a much more comfortable living space.

Whether you choose to install an electric under tile heating system or a water underfloor heating system, there are now a wide variety of underfloor heating kits available for the consumer to choose from. If you want a heated bathroom floor or a floor heating system to keep the kitchen floor warm, or simply an under tile heating system for the living room, underfloor heating kits can be installed in any area of the home. This is yet another reason why they have risen in popularity. Floor heating systems can be purchased at any local home improvement store. Underfloor heating kits are supplied complete with an underfloor heating thermostat as well full as instructions on how to install the system.

Underfloor heating installation can be relatively cheap and straightforward, both in existing floors as well as in new builds. Underfloor heating kits provide a DIY option to install underfloor heating, with instructions and technical support options commonly offered.

The thing to consider when installing underfloor heating is the type of floor covering that is compatible with water or electric based systems. Ceramic tiling is often the most common floor covering, which conducts heat from the floor and stores the heat for relatively long time periods.

Vinyl, linoleum sheets, carpets and wood are compatible, but can decrease the amount of heat radiated by the water or electric underfloor heating system as they act as insulators rather than heat conductors. Carpets should ideally be thin and sparsely used over the surface of the floor. It may be advisable to use a more powerful water or electric underfloor heating system in rooms where there is some type of floor covering, and lower fuel consumption systems where there is not.

Wooden floor covering should ideally be laminated, not solid wood. The heat can detrimentally affect solid wood, as it shrinks and expands with changes in temperature. Eventually such sustained shrinking and expansion can crack the wooden floor, resulting in lasting damage.