Underfloor Electric Heating for Wooden Floors

[eyeofthebeholder]

Hi All,

I am looking to install electric heating under engineered wood floor in our study.

As we already have a radiator in the room (about 9m2), this will be a secondary heat source to take the edge off the cold floor - it is on the ground (concreate) floor of a town house.

Looking online for various products, there seem to be quite a few - so what are the best products for this. One I am leaning to is: http://www.theunderfloorheatingstore-onlineshop.com/underwood-heating-kit-covers-90-m2-141-p.asp

From what I have seen, you can get thermal floor primer. I will be getting the insualtion boards so is the primer worth it? eg: http://www.theunderfloorheatingstore-onlineshop.com/thermalite-thermal-floor-primer-325-p.asp

Any help/advise appriciated.

Thanks

Adam.

 

[mointainwalker]

I don't know if the paint is worth it but since the insulation in the kit is almost worthless (in insulation terms but not money !) it may be needed.

Since the insulation effect of your floor-covering is likely to be near to that of the "insulating mat ", close to 50% of the energy is going to be wasted into the slab and ground.

 

[eyeofthebeholder]

Is there any 'good' insulation boards out there, or do all send around half the energy into the concrete?

 

[mointainwalker]

There are no magic solutions: in this instance performance is directly related to thickness and you need at least 40/50 mm to begin to get modestly good insulation.

To give a comparison, regs now require 270 mm insulation (R 6.8 ) in the loft so compare that to the amount we are talking about here.

Since there is no insulated screed/slab to soak up the energy at cheap rates, you are going to be heating your floor in "real time " so to speak, which means you will be using electricity at peak prices.

 

[eyeofthebeholder]

So, taking it that any/most insulation for underfloor heating is

going to basically be rubbish, what would you actually recommend for

the heating itself?

As I said in my orginal post, there seems to be quite a few different

products out there, and I can't tell what is actually better.

I would be grateful for someone who has installed products for under wood flooring for any advise on what to look out for or avoid.

Thanks

Adam.