Laying a smooth concrete floor

[ContrataxLtd]

Now I'm thinking if the floor needs concreting then I may as well first lay pipes for underfloor heating.

Even if these are capped off and not used for now, or ever by me, they might be a good selling point in future.

But presumably that means the concrete must be significantly deeper, and the pipes and labour of installing them would add a fair bit to the cost.

Does that sound like a good idea or is underfloor heating overrated and a bit of a gimmick?

If you go for the underfloor heating make sure you pressure test the pipes before laying the concrete, don't want a leak with a couple of inches of concrete above the pipes!

Also, make sure you sufficiently insulate and use a heat reflecting sheet below the pipes so that the concrete below doesn't simply absorb all the heat from the underfloor heating, you want as much of it going upwards as possible.

Martin

[TheFaQQer]

Now I'm thinking if the floor needs concreting then I may as well first lay pipes for underfloor heating.

Even if these are capped off and not used for now, or ever by me, they might be a good selling point in future.

But presumably that means the concrete must be significantly deeper, and the pipes and labour of installing them would add a fair bit to the cost.

Does that sound like a good idea or is underfloor heating overrated and a bit of a gimmick?

You could do the pipework yourself. If the room is big or has high ceilings etc. then it' could well be the best way to heat the room. Assuming you're looking at water-filled pipes rather than an electric coil, take up the concrete that's there, whack in the pipes, then get the floor done by a professional and polish to a high finish.

[TestMangler]

Good job you've had so much good advice Hooty !!

Always remember, a good floor is like a good woman.

Lay it right the first time and you can walk all over it for years !!

[northernladuk]

Good job you've had so much good advice Hooty !!

Always remember, a good floor is like a good woman.

Lay it right the first time and you can walk all over it for years !!

Erm, I think it's the other way around....

[TestMangler]

Erm, I think it's the other way around....

if you want to lay something 'the other way round', be it a floor or a woman, then feel free

[northernladuk]

Does that sound like a good idea or is underfloor heating overrated and a bit of a gimmick?

I've always wondered this. It must work as it's been around for years. Fad's tend to come and go but underfloor heating is still out there. I have never been in a house with it in though. The idea of burying it under concrete just doesn't sit right with me though. Just can't get my head around the fact the whole concrete warms up so heats the room evenly and all that. I'd have to see it in action before I considered it personally.

[northernladuk]

if you want to lay something 'the other way round', be it a floor or a woman, then feel free

May be it's just because I am not fussy enough

[TheFaQQer]

I've always wondered this. It must work as it's been around for years. Fad's tend to come and go but underfloor heating is still out there. I have never been in a house with it in though. The idea of burying it under concrete just doesn't sit right with me though. Just can't get my head around the fact the whole concrete warms up so heats the room evenly and all that. I'd have to see it in action before I considered it personally.

We have it in the bathroom, but that's just an electric coil under the tiles. We had it in the church when we owned that, but obviously never saw it finished - it worked fine for the bits that were habitable, though.

[northernladuk]

We have it in the bathroom, but that's just an electric coil under the tiles. We had it in the church when we owned that, but obviously never saw it finished - it worked fine for the bits that were habitable, though.

I guess it must be nice having a warm floor in a bathroom but what about other rooms like living room and kitchen? Do they not advise it for rooms like this? You can't just give it a blast of heat or turn it off if it's too hot can you?

[TheFaQQer]

I guess it must be nice having a warm floor in a bathroom but what about other rooms like living room and kitchen? Do they not advise it for rooms like this? You can't just give it a blast of heat or turn it off if it's too hot can you?

No, it doesn't give you the blast of heat. It does give residual heat, though - you switch it on a couple of hours earlier than you need it, and then it stays warm for a lot longer when it switches off. If you have a tiled or marble or concrete floor, it means that in the summer the floor still stays nice and cool (which helps cool the room as well), but in the winter you can heat the whole place more efficiently than a few radiators will (assuming it's a big enough room).

We have the bathroom floor set to 22 (I think) which is enough to make the floor comfortable when it's chilly. The downside is when you walk off the bits that are heated (the main floor) onto the little bit that isn't (round the toilet) and there's quite a difference! I don't think you get that as much with the water-filled pipes, though, since they give off more heat than the wires do, and spread it about a bit more.