Can carpet be used with underfloor heating?

Can carpet be used with underfloor heating?

When considering underfloor heating, it probably conjures up images of tiled or concreted rooms that are lovely and warm underfoot.

But did you know you can also use underfloor heating with carpet?

While most people probably quite fancy the idea of padding barefoot across a nice warm floor, many assume that this can only be achieved with laminate, stone, concrete or tiles and so on.

However, if you prefer a carpeted floor, you can still opt for underfloor heating – there are just a few points to consider. First, it helps to understand how underfloor heating works.

How underfloor heating works

Underfloor heating spreads warmth evenly throughout a home, rather than suffering the hot and cold spots experienced with radiators. This is because it uses radiant heat, rather than convection heating.

With radiant heating, the floor is heated by the hot pipes looping underneath it and the floor, in turn, heats the objects in a room.

The floor covering, therefore, is a vital part of the process. It needs to not only allow this heat through, but also to conduct it sufficiently.

Best flooring to use with underfloor heating

Tile, slate and concrete are excellent at conducting heat and are the optimum choices for efficiency and performance. Other hard floors, such as laminate, also do the job well.

Although not quite as good at conducting heat as the hard floorings, carpet can be used with underfloor heating as long as it is not too thick.

Like duvets, carpet has a TOG rating. If you prefer carpeted floors, we recommend choosing carpets with a maximum TOG rating of 1.5. This will ensure it’s not too thick to stop the heat penetrating through the carpet as the floor heats up and attempts to radiate that warmth through the room. Anything above 1.5 might be too thick to allow the underfloor heating work to its maximum effect.

Insulation for underfloor heating

Another important point to consider when it comes to maximising the performance of your underfloor heating system is insulation.

Your home needs to be well insulated to get the most out of underfloor heating.

Sub-floor insulation – This stops heat being lost into the ground and is installed at the same time as your underfloor heating kit.

Edge of the room – Insulating the edges of the room can also be beneficial to overall performance and is often suggested by professional installers.

Home insulation – Insulation throughout the home needs to be of a high standard to get the most out of your underfloor heating. This includes loft insulation, double glazing and cavity or solid wall insulation.

Our specialist advisors at Underfloor Heating Supply have more than 20 years of experience in the industry and are ready to help should you have any more frequently asked questions about underfloor heating or if you need an underfloor heating quote for your home or business.

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