UnderFloor Heating with insulated concrete flooring
- Lynden Dighton
Underfloor heating is becoming more popular in the construction industry. Underfloor heating is a green and cost-efficient way of heating a home. Not only is this appealing to the consumer, it is also a boon for contractors. Contractors and developers are under pressure to produce homes that are more energy efficient. This makes underfloor heating a natural companion to thermally efficient, EPS based flooring systems such as eFloor Plus.
Underfloor heating (UFH) is a highly efficient form of space heating. It generates heat through electric or hydronic heating elements embedded beneath the surface of the floor.
Why use UnderFloor Heating?
Underfloor heating emits a higher proportion of its heat as radiant heat in the lower, occupied part of the room, not up at the ceiling. This is much more comfortable to the body, and therefore the heat is concentrated where it is required.
The humidity is higher so the room will not become stuffy, and as the heat is even over the whole area of the floor, there are no cold draughts.
Underfloor heating is much more efficient than the conventional way of heating a building with the use of radiators. Underfloor heating is efficient because it effectively turns the whole floor into a radiator. The large surface area means it doesn’t have to be a high temperature to warm the room, only a couple of degrees warmer than typical room temperature. It uses 15-40% less energy than traditional radiators.
Another problem with radiators is that placement limits them, both in heat emission and furniture arrangement.
Underfloor heating gives total freedom to decorate a room and does not use up wall space. Decorating is simpler; there are no radiators to paint, and wallpapering is easier.
UFH and Screed
Apart from serving as a level surface to receive the final floor finish, a good screed plays the important role of conducting the heat evenly across the surface of the floor, without any hot or cold spots.
A good quality screed, laid to the right depth, helps to retain the heat for longer, reducing the energy required at the source and improving the energy efficiency of the UFH system.
The heating elements for the underfloor heating are normally encased in a layer of screed before the installation of the final floor covering. Traditional sand and cement screeds are often used for screeding over underfloor heating. Other self-levelling and ‘flow’ screeds are also growing in popularity.
Types of Screed
Traditional Screed
Cement and sand is mixed with water and mixed with reinforcing fibres, microfibers for increased strength and to reduce cracking
Anhydrate Screeds
Unlike the usual screeds, this screed is composed of a mixture of calcium sulphate, sand and water, and is liquid inconsistency. These screeds have the advantage of being easy to install and level as the liquid can be poured quickly to cover a larger area.
Fast-Drying Screed
This type of screed have additives mixed with cement and sand to improve the drying time. The additives may come ready-mixed or can be site-mixed as per requirement.
Why use UnderFloor Heating with eFloor
EPS is an emerging technology in the industry. As such, there is a degree of uncertainty regarding its compatibility with UFH. eFloor Plus combines well with underfloor heating.
When designing homes with energy efficiency in mind, using UFH in conjunction with eFloor Plus makes a lot of sense. eFloor Plus can achieve very low U-Values, meaning that it has much better heat transfer properties than traditional beam and block or concrete slab. So, while UFH is efficient at heating a dwelling, eFloor Plus holds the heat in for as long as possible.
Installation is straightforward. eFloor Plus’ top sheet is suitable for clipping the pipes onto and the reinforced screed can then be laid over the top. If a damp-proof membrane is required alongside the underfloor heating, this can be laid between the beams and the top sheet layer to avoid penetrating the membrane.
All in all, oversheet thermal flooring is well-matched with all major UFH systems and installation is relatively straightforward..
The combination of eFloor Plus and UFH works well with the required structural concrete screed, and we can offer advice on the appropriate type and depth for your project.
