Underfloor Heating in Suffolk & Essex

No longer just a luxury, underfloor heating is becoming more and more popular as an effective alternative to traditional radiators or hot air heating systems.

Ok so how much will underfloor heating cost? It can be surprisingly affordable, especially if you’re thinking of renovating.

At Zenco we will calculate the cost depending on the size of the room. This will also vary depending on how you are currently heating your home and the type of system you would like.

We offer a wide range of solutions and can install energy efficient systems to avoid installing unsightly and bulky radiators. Underfloor heating systems come with a list of pros and cons which you will need to assess before making a decision on whether it is a good fit for you.

Pros

• Walk around in the winter months with an added sense of comfort. Make your previously cold and hard flooring warm and comfortable under your feet.
• Heats the room evenly. Underfloor heating will disburse the heat across your room which will result in lower running costs and may reduce your heating bills.
• Increase home value and saleability. Installing underfloor heating will no doubt increase the value of your property. As a sought after feature in homes this will make buying your home more appealing, even if it is just in one room.
• Although we always recommend a professional (like us) it is possible to install electric underfloor heating yourself at home. As such you can save on installation costs. We normally install warm water underfloor heating as standard but can install an electric system if you wish.

Cons

• Due to the nature of the way it will need to be installed it can cause some disturbance in your home. The whole room will usually need to be cleared.
• It will take longer to heat your room. We always advise controlling your underfloor heating with smart technology. This way you can setup a schedule of when you would like the heating on or off and the amount of heating needed. That way you are never left in the cold waiting for the room to heat up.
• For a water-based system, you’ll need to pay for professional installation rather than trying to do it yourself. This will have associated installation costs.

Electric Underfloor Heating

As the name suggests, electric underfloor heating requires the installation of wire that heats up under charge. Depending on the shape of the room, you can opt for pre-made heating mats which cover large areas. Heating mats are generally a bit cheaper as they are a uniform size.

Alternatively you can more accurately feed the wire into every section of the room manually. This could be a bit tricky to do well for someone with no experience.

You can install the system under a variety of different floor types including carpet. However they will need to firstly sit on top of a layer of insulation to prevent unwanted heat loss into the floor below. To avoid loss of heat you should ensure your carpet is not too thick. As this wont allow the maximum amount of heat output.

Although electric systems are cheaper and easier to install, they do cost more to run long term.

Wet Underfloor Heating

Our preferred method is to use water based underfloor heating. These are a series of small pipes installed within a insulated flooring screed. You can see some examples of this in the images on this page of our previous work.

Due to the heat being evenly disbursed throughout the room, the water will not need to be as high in temperature compared to a radiator. Not only does this save money its more efficient for your boiler long term.

Installation costs for a water based system will be higher than electric and it wouldn’t be advisable to try to install with this method without professional help. The wires are thicker and therefore although easy enough to install on new houses they can be slight more tricky on some properties. That said, we haven’t had a property that we were unable to install in as yet!

Is Underfloor Heating Right for you?

We specialise in installing all types of underfloor heating systems across Essex & Suffolk and they will save you money on your heating bills if installed correctly. The Energy Saving Trust indicates a water-based system will save you over £20.00 a year for the average home using a condensing boiler.

As the majority of costs come from installation, it is an ideal solution when building a new-build home, or building a new room, bathroom or extension.

The main attraction for underfloor heating is comfort. You will need to weigh up whether this, along with the added value to your property makes it worth installing.

For a free consultation and quote to add an underfloor heating system to your home please complete the form on the bottom of this page or give us a call on 01787 888505.