Underfloor heating with natural stone is not a particularly new idea, though some salesmen may want you to think so. The enterprising Romans are known to have devised a form of early underfloor heating for the natural stone and tiled flooring of their houses.
That was some 2,000 years ago. They built their homes with specially designed channels running under the floors. Heated air from wood burning furnaces was made to flow through the channels, thereby heating the rooms above.
Today's underfloor heating methods are broadly similar in purpose, though technology has of course moved on. The efficiency of modern underfloor heating systems is naturally far ahead of the relatively crude Roman invention.
Natural stone is a natural choice for underfloor heating. It does of course take a while for the heat to seep through after the system is initiated as stone is slow to warm up. But once it gets going it stays as hot as you need it to be for as long as you need it. No more agonising tiptoeing over cold floors on cold winter mornings; underfloor heating with natural stone is a luxury to be savoured and appreciated.
Underfloor heating has many advantages over the more traditional radiant heating or convection heating, or even forced air heating. Radiant heating from a relatively small unit tends to be directional and takes time to warm a room thoroughly, while convection heating is great for producing a hot ceiling, but usually there's no one is up there to appreciate it.
Underfloor heating on the other hand, especially when natural stone is the floor covering chosen, heats a room more evenly and more thoroughly. It's a natural choice for anyone who detests cold winters and cold feet.
Heating a room or a whole house from under the floor has distinct advantages from the point of view of distribution, noise and cost. When properly designed the heat is distributed evenly from every part of the floor, thereby producing an evenly heated room. There is no annoying fan noises switching on and off at regular intervals, and the cost of operating an underfloor heating system can be surprisingly low.
There are basically two different types of heating systems positioned underfloor: a dry system and a wet system. The dry system uses electricity as the power source. This is a radiant system, but as the entire floor is the radiant source, the heat is evenly distributed.
The wet system utilises a radiant heated water system, a bit like a huge underfloor radiator if you like. There are pros and cons of both systems and it's really a matter of weighing them up and deciding which one works best for you.
Another consideration for underfloor heating with natural stone is to allow for the expansion and contraction of the stone due to heating and cooling. It is always best to install the natural stone and the heating system together as an integrated unit, rather than adding the heating system later. Improperly installed systems can crack stone tiles, or cause other damage. Always consider the overall effects to save yourself time and money.
No comments:
Post a Comment