Does Your Conservatory Floor Feel Like an Ice Rink?

Does your conservatory feel like an igloo during the winter? Does the floor feel like you are stepping out onto an ice-rink without skates? This doesn’t make for a very inviting environment; either for you and your friends and family. The good news is you don’t need to tip-toe around either the conservatory or the problem any longer. If you have a cold conservatory floor under floor heating is something that every owner should definitely consider.

Under floor heating (UFH) was once perceived as something of a luxury, but the benefits of the system quickly spread and now many homeowners don’t give it a second thought. It has proven to be a very popular option throughout. This type of heating offers an efficient yet gentle way of heating your entire conservatory and because there are no pipes, grilles or radiators on the walls, you can make better use of your room by having more wall space to play with.

What Are My Floor Heating Options?

When it comes to selecting under floor heating for your conservatory, you have two choices – wet or electric. Each one of these choices offers their own unique factors, so its important to get the right one before you invest.

Wet/Water Under Floor Heating

This type of under floor heating uses hot water, it takes its heat from your existing central heating system. Water is circulated through plastic pipes that are laid in a sub floor under the main floor surface.

One of the advantages of this system is that it uses heated water more efficiently than your radiators, to generate a comfortable floor temperature of between 23-32 C, and heating will costs you less over time and provides residual heat to gently warm the rest of the room.

A wet system is ideal for conservatories because it’s easy to include the installation as part of the project. The only caveat to this is that you may need to purchase a new boiler in order to heat the wet under floor system along with existing central heating.

Electric Under Floor Heating

This form of under floor heating is the more popular choice of the two due to it being cheaper to install than water under floor heating.  Similar to the other option Electric UFH is delivered by a system of interconnected elements, usually in rolls of matting.

This is spread over the floor and connected to your thermostat and mains power.  Electric systems can also be installed more easily under existing floors, and can even be fitted under carpets, as well as in upstairs rooms.

The electric UFH is less expensive initially to install but costs more to run that a wet system. Again through heating the floor the warmth will steadily rise through the conservatory making it warmer overall.

How Do I Know If My Flooring Is Compatible for Under Floor Heating?

Whether you are having a new build conservatory and are currently decided on carpet, tile or stone or have and older conservatory and are stuck with existing flooring, under floor heating works well with most types of flooring.

One of our specialists will be able to advise you on how to get the best out of your conservatory, including whether it is suitable for under floor heating. They will utilise their wealth of experience in the industry to ensure you get the perfect fit for your floor.

Carpet, Tile/Stone Floors and All Other Types of Flooring

Under floor heating (UFH) can be used with most types of carpets but you need make sure the carpets underlay is not a good thermal insulator (less than 2.5 tog of thermal resistance) due to the heat not being able to seep through the carpet itself.

UFH also works well under stone, ceramic tile and terracotta flooring but will take longer to warm up the room - depending on the thickness of the tiles. That being said, once a flagstone floor has warmed up its heat retention is excellent.

Timber flooring is also suitable for use with UFH, although it is always best to seek advice from your supplier first. UFH can be used under some vinyl and laminate flooring, but not all types are compatible, so again, always check first.

Find Your Nearest Approved Ultra Installer

When combined with effective under floor heating, our leading conservatory systems are sure to be a comfortable place to be no matter the weather. Our Ultraframe specialists are well versed in our products, which means they will be on hand to help you find the perfect choice for your property and budget.

Find your nearest Approved Ultra Installer today to benefit from leading standards of product design and installation. We make sure to vet and test all of our specialists before we approve them, ensuring they operate to a professional, reliable and prompt standard. It’s never been easier to enhance your home with the best.