Underfloor Heating Derby

Underfloor heating is often specified as part of a wet room, because it keeps the room looking minimal with no radiators, and it's pleasant underfoot in bare feet. It's increasingly popular in kitchens and living rooms too, and we install it in bathrooms, wet rooms and any room in the house.

It's so popular in wet rooms because ceramic tiles are one of the best materials for heat transfer, and we fit those too, so we can provide the complete floor. Underfloor heating under a thick carpet in a living room won't make the best use of the system, but LVT flooring is ideal. We'll advise on where underfloor heating will work best for you and which finishes give the best results for your budget.

The floor makes a big difference to how efficient the system is: the better the floor conducts heat, the better the heat transfer. Proper floor preparation, levelling and screeding is vital to an efficient system, and we handle all of it.

There are two main types of underfloor heating: wet (water) and electric. Wet systems have traditionally been the most popular when a whole floor of a property is being done, mainly because running costs are lower: the warm water comes from your boiler or heat pump. The installation cost is much higher, though, which can rule it out for smaller areas.

Electric underfloor heating costs more to run but much less to install, which makes it the more affordable choice for a single room, especially as part of a wet room upgrade. If you have, or plan to add, renewable energy such as solar panels, electric underfloor heating is a natural fit. Wet systems, meanwhile, work very well with heat pumps, which run most efficiently at the lower water temperatures underfloor heating uses.

Electric underfloor heating is much simpler to lay and connect, which is why it costs less to install. For regular-shaped floors, mat systems with the cable pre-set into a roll-out mat speed the job up. The floor must be level, and the cables are often set into screed to give a flat surface for tiles and maximise heat transfer.

Irregular rooms need a loose-wire system, or one using a fixing membrane that can be reconfigured, which is also the better option if the subfloor is likely to move slightly. Either lets our team run the cable around the room and around toilets, baths and cabinets. Because electric cable is much thinner than water pipes, it takes up less floor height.

Electrical work for underfloor heating must meet the IET Wiring Regulations (BS 7671), which require floor heating circuits to have 30 mA RCD protection. Work in a bathroom, or a new circuit, is also likely to be notifiable under Part P of the Building Regulations, so the final connection should be made and certified by a registered electrician. Check with us about how the connection is arranged for your job.

Wet underfloor heating, also called water or hydronic heating, uses small pipes carrying heated water across the floor, much like radiators laid flat. The pipes are thicker than electric cables and raise the floor more, especially with insulation boards added. Retrofitting a wet system means significant work on the existing floor to manage the height difference, which is why wet systems are most common in new builds, or across a whole floor where the level is consistent.

The installation starts with removing the old floor and making sure the subfloor is clean and level. Insulation boards go down to improve efficiency, then the pipes are laid in circuits across the floor at the right spacing. The pipes are connected to the boiler or heat source and pressure tested for leaks. Finally, a screed or suitable board goes over the pipes to give a smooth surface for the finished floor — ideally tiles or LVT for the best efficiency.