Although retro-fitting an in-floor heating system makes sense if you are carrying out extensive renovation works in your home, it is often better to keep going with your current central heating system in most cases. Only when you are talking about new build homes or extensions to existing ones do underfloor heating systems come into their own. This is because they are part of the fabric of the building which, unlike conventional pipework and radiators, cannot be easily installed unless the structure is stripped back to its bare essentials. In other words, in-floor heating makes sense if you are installing a system during the construction phase. So, if you are extending your home, why would it be a good idea to opt for a floor heating installation?
Cheaper to Fit
Underfloor heating is expensive to retrofit, generally speaking, because of all the work that is necessary to bury the heating element beneath the floor, usually embedded in concrete. However, when the floor has yet to be installed, doing so is very cost-efficient. Most home extensions can have underfloor heating elements installed in a day by simply coiling the heating element back and forth and pouring concrete over the top.
Improved Warmth
One of the best things about floor heating is that you get a more even distribution of heat. With radiators or storage heaters, the warmth is localised to certain parts of the room, something that is a particular problem with open-plan living spaces. This is not the case with underfloor heating because it warms all of the air above uniformly.
No Radiators
If you don't like the look of radiators fixed to your walls, then floor heating is for you because your extension will not have to have them, nor any of the pipework that feeds them. In turn, this gives you a lot more freedom when it comes to placing furniture around your extension because there won't be any radiators in the way. As such, you can push furniture right back against the wall if you wish and not worry that things like sofas are going to block the heat you want to feel.
Lower Utility Bills
Another key aspect of underfloor heating is that it is less expensive to run than most conventional heating systems. This is due to the fact that the floor will offer fewer thermal losses than the walls, so you need to use less energy to keep your home warm. This will mean spending less on heating your extension than you otherwise would achieve by simply extending your current central heating system.
