Honza

Hi all. Would like to follow up on this - I am building floor in my flat (LVT / Luxury vinyl with underfloor heating, self levelling compound on top of it): Do I need underlay in this case? Or is it only required for uneven surfaces (which after the self levelling compound, should not be an issue? What are the minimum parameters I need of the underlay - I have been advised that compressive of 400 kPa is a minimum to ensure longevity / sturdiness of floor Is it a good idea to buy the LVT with integrated / attached underlay? There seem to be quite a few of these on the market - but the underlays attached are typically IXPE or similar - which (according to some) do not meet the required criteria (compressive strength and others) Any advice welcome. Thanks Jan

Thanks, Olf - the thing is I only just bought the place and will be moving in after reconstruction, so don't know the heating costs, other than the fact that it's standard brick built block of flats with double glazing windows. Certainly around windows I asked the builders to fill any gaps / cracks there - thanks for highlighting it, very good point. For the insulation / system, my builder suggested using moulded foam panel (something similar to Underfloor Heating | Foam Insulation | Engineered Foam Products - though don't know the exact brand / type - can ask if there are differences there) to be put on the screeding. The thickness of the panel is around 2cm at the thickest point and around 3mm at the thinnest (where the UFH pipes will be) - is that sufficient, or do I need to put something more under the moulded foam to insulate more? I am really struggling with floor height and would prefer not to increase it more than necessary - around £1 a day 'wasted' would be acceptable for me, there will always be some heat losses - but significantly more than that would be a problem.

Thank you Olf for your thoughts. To answer your questions: Peak energy use for heating - don't know I'm afraid, probably around average just like everybody else what is total and available (not permanently covered by furniture) floor area? 80 square meters total, not covered by furniture would be around 50-60 I'd assume? There would not be UFH under kitchen cabinets, bath etc. But presumably there would be under bed / wardrobes as those can move from time to time I assume you have already radiators, so no need for a new boiler? I plan to get rid of radiators and get a new combi boiler (the current one is very old) Are you planning any energy efficiency improvement jobs during renovation? No - there's already double glazing windows. Other than that there's brick walls but as it's a flat, it's not up to me to insulate the walls If you define 'better' as 'longer and more disruptive installation but 1/3 of heating cost long term' then wet is better How long are you planning to stay in that place (what is you return on investment period)? - Thanks, that's basically how I define better in this case How long to stay - don't know, could be as little as 3 years or as long as 10-20 - I see UFH as an investment (if done right - which is why I am asking all these questions) even if I decide to sell / rent the place at some point You never mentioned funky stuff like wall/ceiling electric radiant panels - I prefer simple solutions that work - if there's better (cheaper etc.) ways to heat the flat (particularly smaller rooms like bathroom etc.), I'm all for it Cause on the ground floor even with 30cm EPS one loses 10% of heat as sacrifice to Mother Earth... - is there any simple rule of thumb here? For ground floor yes, insulation seems necessary based on what you're saying - for first floor I am being told the heat losses are not significant (6-10% or so maximum) without any insulation - is that right? Tiles are always a winner for UFH, with vinyls do check spec of what max temperatures they like - I'll definitely have tiles for bathroom and kitchen. For living room and bedrooms, probably luxury vinyl - which from what I have read so far, should be suitable for UFH.

Hi, can I ask for your thoughts on flooring materials for bedroom / living room - would like to get underfloor heating, water resistant, scratch resistant and overall durable material. Having done some research, it seems that the best option might be either luxury (rigid) vinyl or mineral core flooring - hardwood / engineer wood or laminate probably being less suitable. Could someone please advise on the suitability / pros and cons? Apparently the mineral core flooring is a new type of flooring, a friend of mine recommended it to me - how does it compare to luxury (rigid) vinyl floorings? I also understand that there are stone and wooden cores for vinyl floorings - with the wooden being softer to touch and probably feel more like a real wood (whereas the stone I assume might be closer to tiles - very hard)? Can someone provide some own experiences and a recommendation? Thanks

Hi, I am planning flat renovation and was wondering a few things with regards to UFH - did some basic research but it's not my area of expertise at all so thought I'd ask here as I was getting some conflicting information from various people / vendors: Wet vs electric UFH - it seems that wet is generally better (more heat, cheaper to run) - does electric have any advantages (other than being easier to install)? I was told that electric UFH generally is connected via one cable per 30 square meters (so for my 80sqm flat it would be 2-3 cables) - for more power it can be connected by one cable per 10 square meters. Is that a good idea? Insulation - what are your recommendations please? My flat is on first floor (there is another flat below mine), built in 1970s, concrete / screeding floor, presumably no insulation between floors (cannot confirm for certain unfortunately). I was told that there are systems which are as low as 1.5cm and do not require insulation (in case they are used on concrete / screeding floor) and the heat loss is only around 6-10% or even less when the flat below me is heated - is that right? If so, I am struggling to understand why there are people out there recommending 5-20cm insulation layers. Ideally I would like not to increase floor height too much (2-3cm maximum if possible) but not lose too much heat through the floor - would space blanket or something similar be good enough for the UFH to work and heat the flat sufficiently so that I can get rid of radiators? Flooring - originally I wanted hardwood flooring but having read some pros and cons, I am leaning more towards luxury / rigid vinyl floors or maybe mineral core floors (for living room) and tiles for kitchen / bathroom - are those generally suitable? Are there any better options? Heated skirting boards - again, have read about these, looks like they might be a good option for smaller areas (kitchen, bathroom etc.) - does someone have experience with them, any recommendations? I should add that the flat is in London where the winters are usually not too cold but certainly don't want to end up freezing if it ever gets to -10 outside Any thoughts / opinions are welcome - preferably in layman terms if possible, am not a builder or an expert. Thanks