Installing floor heating is a growing trend, and an affordable luxury that adds a new level of comfort throughout your home.
“Underfloor heating not only has physical benefits, but also financial ones,” says Rick Florence, managing director of Coldbuster Floor Heating, breaking all those myths that this is a luxury only hotels and the uber-wealthy can afford. Rick speaks to Signature@home about why this is a cost-effective investment you must consider before your floors go down and it’s too late.
Healthy, whole-room heat
“Underfloor heating is the only type of heating that evenly distributes heat,” says Rick. “And it’s a gentle, consistent and radiant heat that works from the ground up – we all know heat rises, so what’s the point in having a heater high up on a wall or ducted in the ceiling?” It fills your entire room, without cold spots, consuming less energy and keeping your utility bills down in the process, says Rick. “There’s no need for any other form of heating,” which means you have full use of your warm room, with no equipment or moving parts. From a safety perspective this is invaluable, with no high voltages, hot surfaces or combustible gasses.
The radiant heat generated is also much better for air quality, says Rick. “Compared to standard heaters, which throw around dust, pollen and other nasty particles in the air.”
Underfloor heating means entire home comfort
Another bonus is you’re heating the room, as well as the floor, says Rick. “There’s nothing better than getting out of bed on a cold morning to a warm floor.”
Which breaks another myth – underfloor heating is ideal for any room of your house, not just bathrooms, regardless of whether floors are polished concrete, carpet, tiles or floorboards. In fact, many homeowners now have underfloor heating in every room, and sometimes in spaces you would never consider. “You can extend the heating up walls to dry towels in your bathroom (yes, fully dry towels!) eliminating the need for expensive heated towel racks that dry unevenly. Or, have it in a laundry room to dry clothes and keep the space mould-free,” says Rick. It is also a good idea to run it under wall-hung vanities so that when standing at the sink, this area is warm, too. No trimmings spared… but no exorbitant costs.
Why underfloor heating is a smart, affordable luxury
“Many people think of underfloor heating as an additional cost to a project. It’s actually an alternative cost,” says Rick. “It’s the best building investment you can make – you’ll love it while you’re in your home, and if you decide to sell, it tells the market this is a luxury house, adding a whole lot of value.” While saving you a whole lot of money.
“These systems are easy to use,” says Rick. “And once installed require no maintenance or regular servicing. And they come with a 25-year guarantee to back it up.”
The other way they cut back on costs is by thinking backwards. These smart systems are not only programable remotely, but they take all the guesswork out of heating your house. Want to arrive home from work at 6pm and have your living room at a toasty 24 degrees? The system works out when to switch itself on to reach that temperature. Love waking up to warm 23-degree floors at 7am? The system monitors room temperature and switches on when it needs to reach your assigned time – no guessing required from you.
Temperatures are adjustable in each zone, with a rapid response rate so you can heat a room in as little as 30 minutes and rest assured the thermostat will only switch your system on when it’s needed. “This feature drastically reduces running costs,” says Rick. “Even more so if you have solar power. At the end of the day, the cost is far lower than people think.” Is there anything more inviting on a cold winter’s day?
Endless options
Tiles: Coldbuster Under Tile Heaters can be installed on concrete, screed, and suspended timber sub floors. Sitting directly below the tiles allows for quick response times.
Timber: Almost any engineered or natural flooring can be heated by Coldbuster’s Under Timber Heaters. They are designed to have a moderate wattage output to meet the heating specification of your timber flooring product.
Carpet: Coldbuster Under Carpet Heaters are installed by securely taping the heaters to the underlay then laying the carpet directly on top. It’s like an electric blanket for your home.
Polished concrete: Coldbuster In-Slab Heaters are secured to the reinforcement grid of your foundation. Concrete is then poured and polished. In-Slab Heaters are useful if you’d like to take advantage of off-peak electricity times because of the great thermal mass.
