Underfloor heating for wooden floors

Chickereeeee

I am considering having an extension built which would add approx. 30% to the floor area of both floors (1920's detached house) and am wondering what to do about heating. 

Everything seems to be pointing towards heat pumps and (preferably) under floor heating. Is it possible to retrofit effective UFH in the lower part of the house (mostly suspended wooden floors, about 25% of kitchen is solid), while incorporating UFH in the new part? What is to be done about the first (bedroom) floor‽

Has anybody tackled this issue.

Thanks. 

Rosa_Damascena

I found myself in the same position last year, even done to the 1920s house....

Retrofitting is perfectly possible but a great deal of hassle. Consider changing your flooring at the same time - this will add another few thousand to the bill - as there is a good chance that your existing flooring won't survive. The factor in the cost of fuel; if you are cutting back you may find that you barely use the UFH in an effort to save costs (this is the situation I find myself in, and am glad that I insisted on radiators as well as UFH).

In going ahead it's going to mean finding alternative storage for your furniture. I wouldn't bother at all for the upstairs rooms; good enough is good enough.

tacpot12

The alternative to UFH is large radiators. Large radiators will allow the lower flow temperatures of a heat pump to still heat your house adequately. 

Rosa_Damascena

tacpot12 said:

The alternative to UFH is large radiators. Large radiators will allow the lower flow temperatures of a heat pump to still heat your house adequately. 

And they do! (When I turn them on).

Chickereeeee

Rosa_Damascena said:

I found myself in the same position last year, even done to the 1920s house....

Retrofitting is perfectly possible but a great deal of hassle. Consider changing your flooring at the same time - this will add another few thousand to the bill - as there is a good chance that your existing flooring won't survive. The factor in the cost of fuel; if you are cutting back you may find that you barely use the UFH in an effort to save costs (this is the situation I find myself in, and am glad that I insisted on radiators as well as UFH).

In going ahead it's going to mean finding alternative storage for your furniture. I wouldn't bother at all for the upstairs rooms; good enough is good enough.

What UFH did you use?

laceythomson

tacpot12 said:

The alternative to UFH is large radiators. Large radiators will allow the lower flow temperatures of a heat pump to still heat your house adequately. 

Thats True!

Chickereeeee

tacpot12 said:

The alternative to UFH is large radiators. Large radiators will allow the lower flow temperatures of a heat pump to still heat your house adequately. 

How large is 'large'?

Doozergirl

Chickereeeee said:

tacpot12 said:

The alternative to UFH is large radiators. Large radiators will allow the lower flow temperatures of a heat pump to still heat your house adequately. 

How large is 'large'?

Double the calculated required output for a 'normal' rad. 

The key is insulation first.  If your house cannot hold hear then heat provided via lower temperatures will disappear before you feel it. 

We have UFH in a brand new, heavily insulated and airtight house.  We have oversized rads upstairs but they rarely ever need to come on.  The temperature is ambient.  No warm/cold spots.  If we lived in our old 1930s house with no wall insulation and random draughts, I think I'd be freezing.  

Chickereeeee

Doozergirl said:

Chickereeeee said:

tacpot12 said:

The alternative to UFH is large radiators. Large radiators will allow the lower flow temperatures of a heat pump to still heat your house adequately. 

How large is 'large'?

Double the calculated required output for a 'normal' rad. 

The key is insulation first.  If your house cannot hold hear then heat provided via lower temperatures will disappear before you feel it. 

We have UFH in a brand new, heavily insulated and airtight house.  We have oversized rads upstairs but they rarely ever need to come on.  The temperature is ambient.  No warm/cold spots.  If we lived in our old 1930s house with no wall insulation and random draughts, I think I'd be freezing.  

Thanks.
My 1920's house (cavity wall) is draught free and double glazed. Walls are not insulated (could fill the narrow cavity, but that can bring its own issues).