Do You Need Underfloor Heating Under Tiles?

Underfloor heating systems aren’t a standard feature in most flats and houses. Most people aren’t sure whether they are worth the trouble or the cost of installing.

So, do you need underfloor heating under the tiles in your living space? This handy guide can help you to make your choice.

Any questions? Contact us at info@atlasceramics.co.uk and we will be happy to help you with you enquiries.

Do You Need Underfloor Heating Under Tiles?

Nobody likes the feeling of an icy cold floor first thing in the morning on a freezing day.

Underfloor heating is a good idea for any house that cools down during the winter months. It is also great for an area that gets spells of mild or cold weather throughout the year.

If you’ve ever winced from the feeling of cold tiles under your feet, you could use underfloor heating.

Will Your Floor Be Cold Without It?

Most tiled floors are a magnet for the cold.

When temperatures drop, either in cold weather or the earlier morning hours, the tiles are one of the first parts of your house affected by the change. Most houses with floor tiles are known for having notorious “cold spots”. Underfloor heating solves these spot problems by providing heating directly through the floor under the tiles.

Are Normal Radiators Enough to Heat Floor Tiles?

Most people know that heat rises. This is why normal radiators might warm up some of the immediate area around the radiator, but they do nothing to warm up the floor underneath.

If you want to warm floor tiles up properly, the heat needs to come from underneath the tiles. Normal radiators can also come with associated health risks, like taking moisture out of the air around them. Therefore, underfloor heating is a highly recommended investment for your home.

Can Underfloor Heating Be Dangerous?

Underfloor heating is completely safe to install and use. There are more risks associated with using older models of traditional radiators than there are with using underfloor heating.

Is Underfloor Heating Risky If You’ve Spilled Something?

A lot of owners are worried that underfloor heating might present a danger should a liquid accidentally be spilled on their tiles.

Properly installed underfloor heating doesn’t present a safety or health risk if you spill something and immediately wipe it up. When underfloor heating has been installed the right way, the circuits are protected from the outside by a perimeter edging strip. These strips are applied to the perimeter of the room before tile installation. The tape is waterproof, so even a large spill can’t penetrate through.

The next question would be “what if my spillage seeps through the grout of the tiles?”. In answer to this, most grouts are made out of waterproof materials as more research has gone into grouting. We recommend weber joint premium grout for tile installations as they are fully waterproof and stain resistant.

Is It Difficult or Expensive to Install underfloor heating?

The cost of installing underfloor heating in your home can cost less than a year’s worth of electricity. In most cases, underfloor heating is something homeowners only need to have installed once.

How Does Underfloor Heating Affect Your Electricity Bill?

Electricity bills are known to spike to great heights during the colder months of the year. People are far more inclined to leave their lights on longer, and put more electricity into attempts to warm up their houses with radiators.

Many people are afraid that underfloor heating might raise their electricity bill. The reality is that it can actually lower your overall electricity bills instead.

The cost of keeping underfloor heating running is minimal, and when your house is warmed from the tiles upwards, you will be less inclined to need other heating sources like radiators to heat up your living space.

Can Underfloor Heating Present Health Risks?

Underfloor heating is considered completely safe, and carries much less associated health risks than traditional older radiator models that are known for drawing moisture out of the air or gathering dust and other allergens.

If you or someone in your home has allergies or chronic conditions that are made worse by radiator heating, underfloor tile heating offers a viable long-term solution that provides a safer form of heat.

Can Heating Tiles Cause Cracking?

Underfloor heating rarely presents with any risks, but if there are any weak spots or visible cracks in your tiles, heating up these tiles from the bottom can crack tiles.

These weak spots and cracks might be present in older tiles when the underfloor heating is installed, or these cracks might happen when the heating system is already there – for example where heavy objects are dropped on to the floors.

Which Underfloor Heating System Should I Choose?

There are different types of underfloor heating systems available; Most of them are installed directly under the tiles of your home or apartment and pull electricity from the rest of your home’s power grid.

It’s recommended to get in touch with an expert who can help you choose the right system for the amount of floor area to heat your house properly.

Watch Our Video

Want to know more about how underfloor heating under tiles in your home works, or would you like to see how DIY experts go about installing them? Watch our video by Mike Head.