Groove cut under floor heating

Yellow_Fern · 04-12-2019 6:30am #1

Hi,
I am interested in fitting under floor heating in my insulated concrete floor. I have heard it been fitted in groves cut into existing cement floors. I know cutting concrete is very messy but companies exist in the UK that have a method that is dust free. Do any Irish companies offer this? Seems obvious with all the heat pumps being retrofitted now. I dont want to dig up my floor and clip on methods will lose ceiling space.

sydthebeat · 04-12-2019 8:46am

Sounds like a method that would seriously effect the structural integrity of your floor slab

Also, if inadequate insulation is under this slab, then its a waste of money

Markcheese · 04-12-2019 9:53am

Isn't there a system with a plastic grid fixed to existing floor, that you click the pipes in and then "float" a floor over it, obviously it raises your floor and your existing insulation needs to be good,.
as to where I saw it....

Markcheese · 04-12-2019 9:59am

https://youtu.be/yzMpZPitrf0

Just Googled retro fitting underfloor heating , this came up, it works with a screed, no idea how "good it is" or if its easily available in Ireland,
But seems less extreme than cutting the ****e out of your floor...
There's other crowds doing similar...

Gumbo · 04-12-2019 10:08am

Yellow_Fern wrote: »

Hi,
I am interested in fitting under floor heating in my insulated concrete floor. I have heard it been fitted in groves cut into existing cement floors. I know cutting concrete is very messy but companies exist in the UK that have a method that is dust free. Do any Irish companies offer this? Seems obvious with all the heat pumps being retrofitted now. I dont want to dig up my floor and clip on methods will lose ceiling space.

When was your concrete floor slab poured?
o you know the thickness and what insulation is under it?

Dudda · 04-12-2019 12:53pm

I'm using something like this in an area of my house.

In areas of my house I dug out the floor and subfloor so I could put down lots of insulation but from the areas I couldn't did out (due to cost and disruption it causes) I'm using something like this
https://www.wundatrade.co.uk/product-category/home/overfloor-retro-fit-solutions/reftro-fit-floor-heating-kits/ *
I've an ok amount of insulation. Obviously the more insulation you have the better it works. It will raise the finished floor level if you put it over the existing. I really wouldn't go cutting groves out of a concrete floor. It sounds like a disaster and half a$$ way of doing it.
An option might be to just dig out the screed and put down some insulation and the above kit like what I'm at. This is presuming you've a concrete sub floor.

*Obviously lots of products are available and I've no link to this company.

Yellow_Fern · 04-12-2019 6:12pm

The groves go down about 16 mm. I hadn't thought if they could damage the cement floor but perhaps so. I have a regular modern insulated cement floor. These retrofit plate UFH systems look great but I am wondered about door thresholds and uneven steps.

Dudda · 04-12-2019 6:23pm

Yellow_Fern wrote: »

The groves go down about 16 mm. I hadn't thought if they could damage the cement floor but perhaps so. I have a regular modern insulated cement floor. These retrofit plate UFH systems look great but I am wondered about door thresholds and uneven steps.

Do you know the buildup? Is it from bottom; crushed stone, then reinforced concrete subfloor, then insulation and then cement screed or do you have crushed stone, then insulation and reinforced concrete floor with a flat finish?

autumnalcore · 05-12-2019 11:26am

What year was it built? There's no such thing as a regular modern insulated concrete floor. Things in Ireland are generally built to the minimum prevailing spec at the time they were built (if you're lucky)

Simplest solution is insulation boards with built in aluminium spreader plates (don't go for the cheaper foil ones), you'll gain about 20mm in floor height though and as said if insulation isn't sufficient then you are throwing away money especially if you cover it with timber.

Yellow_Fern · 05-12-2019 11:46am

autumnalcore wrote: »

What year was it built? There's no such thing as a regular modern insulated concrete floor. Things in Ireland are generally built to the minimum prevailing spec at the time they were built (if you're lucky)

Simplest solution is insulation boards with built in aluminium spreader plates (don't go for the cheaper foil ones), you'll gain about 20mm in floor height though and as said if insulation isn't sufficient then you are throwing away money especially if you cover it with timber.

Built in the last four years. Would you not have an off step on step 1 and step 2? I hate uneven steps in sheds and castles.

sydthebeat · 05-12-2019 12:15pm

built in the last four years would lead me to ask the question "why do you want to do this"?

whats your current heat supply? oil? A2W?

i assume a radiator system currently?

do you want to do UFH everywhere?

Yellow_Fern · 05-12-2019 6:34pm

It is just a gas powered house with radiators everywhere. We try want to try UFH to save space and have warmer floors while heating the house. We are not sure if we really wish for it on every floor just yet.

randombar · 10-02-2023 11:51am

Resurrecting an old one here. Looking at an UFH retrofit myself, just in the kitchen initially.

existing floor:

150mm 804

Radon

140mm Xtratherm thin r

150mm 30n concrete

In two mins about milling.

As I'm only doing the retro one area at a time there will be a step.

Also as I'm mixing radiators with UFH would there be a greater risk of blockages in the UFH especially with thin pipes.

Hard to tell what's better tbh.

Groove cut under floor heating

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