underfloor heating and carpets / wooden floors

elydas

Hi,
We in the final stages of our self build. We have underfloor heating using geothermal heat source. We are finding it very difficult to get some sound practical advice regarding floor coverings that are suitable. Tiles are the best but of course we cannot lay tiles everywhere. Has anyone any experience of using carpets and/or wooden floors with underfloor heating. I know they say to use a tog value not greater than 1.5 for carpets but carpet suppliers don't seem to be able to tell us the tog values.

Any practical advice/experience would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

RKQ

Underfloor heating is really turning the floor slab into a gaint storage heater or radiator. Naturally if you put clothers over a radiator it will not heat the room as efficiently.

Tiles are used because they are ideal. Especially as they don't scratch. (I used to find high heels attractive!)

Porcleain are great as they hold the heat. Tiles are standard in all rooms in countries like Spain. Semi-solid floating floors can work well, Carpet will trap more heat underneath but some thin carpets can be ok.

I have Geothermal underfloor - tiles are great. Sitting here in my socks.
Semi-solid oak works but I would never consider carpet. (Use carpet on first floor if you have rads). I suppose its about costs really- if you pump enough heat into it most materials will heat up but why spend the extra money heating a material that is an insulant.

elydas

Hi,
Thanks for that.
Any other experiences or advice would be also greatly appreciated!

CJhaughey

We have solid red deal flooring 20mm and a layer of the white PE foam underlay.
Our UFH works perfectly, heat rises and a small layer of carpet/foam/wood will make little difference.
If carpet is such a fabulous insulating material how come people don't use it as insulation in the ceiling?
There is a perception that if the floor does not feel warm then the UFH must not be functioning, not true as long as the room is warm.

RKQ

CJhaughey wrote: »

carpet is such a fabulous insulating material how come people don't use it as insulation in the ceiling?

Who said carpet was a fabulous insulating material?????

The OP wants personal experience therefore all experiences are Valid!
I've given my opinion. Its free - take it or leave it..... some people like to learn the hard way.

CJhaughey

I wasn't attacking you RKQ at all.
If It did seem so my apologies, I have seen a few threads that Carpet is a no-no with UFH and was just pointing out that carpet will not stop heat from coming through the floorjust slow it down, which can be no bad thing.

RKQ

I didn't think you were attaching me CJhaughey. No need to apologise. No offence taken. I have always read your posts with interest.

I understand what been said in other threads. I can only go by my personal experience, as I am not involved in geothermal sales or installation.
I offer my opinion freely as I feel its unbiased.

Carpet, timber, tiles are personal choices. I tried to explain that above.
IMO Geothermal is more efficient if a 100mm screed is used - others will differ, but I feel the warmer the slab by cheap night rate ESB the better. Therefore the thicker the screed the better the storage of heat. Naturally it comes on during the day and evening. But half price electricity is a bonus.

Slow release is important too. Maybe a carpet would slow the release which would be benefical. I would consider tiling all our ground floors if given the choice again.

mwexford

We have geothermal underfloor heating in operation for the past year in a new-built house, with 100 ml screed upstairs and downstairs, and are delighted with the heating.
For floor covering, I have tiles in kitchen, hall and loos with the same (cheap) laminate flooring everywhere else.
The house is beautifully warm, with the bonus of actual heat in the floors, which is better quicker from the tiled floors, but still considerable from all floors.
We also use night-rate electricity and it def keeps the costs down.
Good luck with your build.
I'm really glad not to be back at that stage again!

that should read 100mm!

CJhaughey

CJhaughey wrote: »

There is a perception that if the floor does not feel warm then the UFH must not be functioning, not true as long as the room is warm.

I concur, we have tiles throughout and a well insulated house, most of the time the floors feel cool to touch but the rooms are nice and warm.

In fact the only room that has a warm floor is the airing cupboard - that is where the manifold is!

DA-LAD

Any experience with solid timer with underfloor lads?

DA-LAD

DA-LAD wrote: »

Any experience with solid timer with underfloor lads?

No personal experience, but have heard of one person who had it warp quite badly.

CJhaughey

Yep, no problem at all, 20mm red deal t+g+v
If you are floating, use a polyethylene layer under the underlay to stop the moisture from the concrete affecting the bottom of the flooring.

Jill

Hi there

I am in the same boat - just finishing house - have underfloor heating. Using a good deal of tiling but want to put wooden floors in the living rooms and bedrooms. Was going to go with engineered boards in the living rooms and laminate in the bedrooms but am getting conflicting advice in relation to the laminate.

can anyone advise - does laminate work ok with underfloor heating? If so what type of underlay should be used ? Has anyone used these ?

Thanks

jb7

It seems very difficult to find the correct carpet underlay for underfloor heating in this country- the carpet salesmen will do anything to get a sale, and try to sell you an actual insulant.

Does anyone know of a source for the correct type of underlay in Ireland?

joseph

iei044775

i have moved into new house about 4 months ago and have underfloor heating throughout. We have tiles, engineered oak floors and carpet in all the bedrooms. I agree that not many carpet companies had a clue about what underlay was correct for UFH, but we eventually found a company in the north that had an underlay specifically for UFH and it seems to work a treat, all the rooms are heating very even with a similar flow rate to each. I would recommend glue for the wooden floors though, it's expensive but eliminates air gaps and gaurantees an even spread of heat through the floor boards.

williamsrk

i installed underfloor heating to all of my house upstairs and down i have 20mm solid timber floor with routed edges bit like t&g but not at ends and a special self addhesive underlay which was expensive but i was able to put it all down in 6 hours very fast with special underlay oh all the boards were 250 mm long but had no problems at all and a nice even heat too

1702marie

iei044775 wrote: »

i have moved into new house about 4 months ago and have underfloor heating throughout. We have tiles, engineered oak floors and carpet in all the bedrooms. I agree that not many carpet companies had a clue about what underlay was correct for UFH, but we eventually found a company in the north that had an underlay specifically for UFH and it seems to work a treat, all the rooms are heating very even with a similar flow rate to each. I would recommend glue for the wooden floors though, it's expensive but eliminates air gaps and gaurantees an even spread of heat through the floor boards.

Hi. can you give me name details of company you found in North for the underfloor heating carpet underlay? getting conflicting answers from variety of carpet companies on underly for unfloor heating. some say don't do others say special underly doesn't work etc.etc. thanks.

muffler

Just a gentle reminder that all names/recommendations to be given by PM.

Cheers.

i71jskz5xu42pb

DA-LAD wrote: »

Any experience with solid timer with underfloor lads?

I've seen underfloor heating (gas powered if it makes a difference) under solid timber boards. Shrank all the boards made them look really bad. Granted this was an old house (start of last century) so perhaps modern boards are prepared differently. It's a question I'd be asking the supplier of your boards in any case.

elydas

Thanks Marie,
So you put underlay underneath the carpet? We have just moved in and are still trying to play around with the flow rates and programs etc. It takes ages to heat up, doesn't it? How have you found your ESB bills?
Could you please pm me the name of the company you found good.
Thanks