First house, want to retrofit Underfloor Heating. Many Questions

[rolyberkin]

With with a floating floor, I'm told by many that there's absolutely no requirement for screed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BpH65IsNy0

UFH is good when you are well insulated from below and are warming a large slab of screed to work as a thermal store at low heat, it is good, I have two rooms where I have it.

I haven't used this stuff but it will add a significant depth to your existing floors, this will have to go all through the house or you will have steps to trip up and down. Self-leveling compound isn't really self-leveling, you will have to get someone in to do it properly it has to be levelled properly using a float, it is expensive to buy and to level.

To fit this stuff properly you will have to take off all your skirting boards and architrave and refit all of your doors. there is not much of a thermal store in a few cm's of compound so in effect you will be using it like a radiator in any case. To fit a wet central heating system a plumber will be in and out in a couple of days, job done, nice and toasty!

 

[Midwest]

Sadly we don't plan to use it as a daily...more of a cetre piece when we have guests over.

I don't know what it is, i just really hate rediators, they take up space, are complete eyesores and far from efficient. This is why it's hard for me to throw my plans for ufh out and fit radiators. My wife's from South Korea, where radiators just don't exist, when she first came to the uk 7 years ago, she didn't realise they were actually used for anything more than vintage designing, lol. Visiting her family so many times, i've been spoiled experiencing really efficient ufh, it's so nice on the feet.

We have a multi fuel burner. Small one, but sufficient to heat our moderately sized living room. We turn the CH down at night (or I do) and just use the burner to keep us nice & warm. Again, your have to think of your heating design. Any multi fuel burner over 5kw needs some ventilation.

As stated several times here, wet UFH in an existing property will require considerable disruption & expense. It's your money, but I'm sure that can easily be spent on the refurbishment of your new acquisition. Create a spending plan for all the other projects you will have on your refurbishment, and see what penny's you have left.

Modern radiators are more efficient these days, and include some attractive modern designs, if that's your style.

 

[davesparks]

With with a floating floor, I'm told by many that there's absolutely no requirement for screed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BpH65IsNy0

They are right, there is no requirement to screed over the pipes in those systems. But to get a system which works well you will want to bury the pipes in screed with a thick insulation layer under the pipes

 

[sean_ork]

No screed = no thermal mass = fast heat up + fast cool down = bad

Screed or concrete slab with wet UFH embedded with + 250mm insulation below + 50mm perimeter = slow heat up + slow cool down = very good

Please don't consider electric heating unless you massively insulate the entire house - leccy heating is popular with landlords as its cheapish and quick to install with minimal disruption - but its not the landlord that will be paying the ongoing bills.

 

[davesparks]

No screed = no thermal mass = fast heat up + fast cool down = bad

Screed or concrete slab with wet UFH embedded with + 250mm insulation below + 50mm perimeter = slow heat up + slow cool down = very good

Please don't consider electric heating unless you massively insulate the entire house - leccy heating is popular with landlords as its cheapish and quick to install with minimal disruption - but its not the landlord that will be paying the ongoing bills.

Plus electric heating has its active elements under the floor which can go faulty and require a massive effort to dig it up to fix it.
Wet systems only have a pipe under the floor with all the active components at the manifold, much easier to fix if it hoes wrong

 

[Midwest]

Don't think we are going to convince the OP against ufh. Think he's been advised as best as we can.

 

[sean_ork]

Don't think we are going to convince the OP against ufh. Think he's been advised as best as we can.

Nothing wrong with UFH, as long as its the right type, and done as a combined job of installing lots and lots of insulation, and a fair bit of digging down.

 

[Midwest]

Nothing wrong with UFH, as long as its the right type, and done as a combined job of installing lots and lots of insulation, and a fair bit of digging down.

Not disagreeing, if you've read my other posts. Just not realistically achievable with this property.

 

[sean_ork]

Not disagreeing, if you've read my other posts. Just not realistically achievable with this property.

There's nothing structurally preventing proper wet UFH being installed, thats just money, effort and time - perhaps the disruption and need to have it all in with 2 months makes doing the job properly unrealistic.

 

[Midwest]

There's nothing structurally preventing proper wet UFH being installed, thats just money, effort and time - perhaps the disruption and need to have it all in with 2 months makes doing the job properly unrealistic.

Give me strength!