underfloor heating Electric underfloor heating with a timber suspended floor and floorboard finish - possible or just inefficient?

[Chris HB]

Hi, I’m going to be at the will of building control/planning as to whether or not I can keep a suspended timber ground floor in my Small Mission Hall in the Outer Hebrides. 
 

Whilst I wait for the outcome, I wanted to look into both options.
 

It’s a small building internally (7.500m x 4.500m) so I’m not having a main boiler/central heating system/heat source pump etc. so water is out, I’ll be going for an electric system. I maybe looking at a solar feed system as well. 
 

A replacement concrete floor with electric underfloor heating seems a little more straightforward. Possibly better because of its thermal mass acting a bit like a storage heater?

 

However, is it possible to do similar with a replacement suspended timber floor and still utilise relaying the existing floorboards? Would the result (if possible) be equal in terms of its thermal performance compared to a concrete floor?

 

What are the pros/cons either way? Any advice or suggestions welcome…

[HughF]

Air to air is what you want….

 

Forget direct electric underfloor. It costs a fortune to run.

Edited November 10, 2023 by HughF

[Marvin]

47 minutes ago, HughF said:

Forget direct electric underfloor. It costs a fortune to run.

Plus 1

 

However the underfloor heating idea depends a lot on the amount of insulation between the source of the heat and the airgap or ground below. If you do use underfloor heating a concrete slab set on PIR insulation will indeed be a a heat store in winter and hopefully a cool store in summer. PV would be a win. What were your thoughts on hot water?

[Chris HB]

Either route would be fully insulated to the max, along with the rest of the building 👍🏼

 

For hot water my thoughts so fare are; Electric shower in the bathroom and a mini under unit boiler for on demand hot water in the kitchen area. 

[crooksey]

I would be specify air to air or infared heating, underfloor doesn't really suit the spec.

[SteamyTea]

A2A is probably your best bet,

Avoid infra-red, it is only resistance heating after all.

You could cost out storage heating, it is cheap and easy to install, though running costs are tariff dependant.  I currently pay 11p/kWh at night and 40p/kWh during the day.  But if you are installing solar, you can get them to contribute (divert) to the storage heater.

What are you doing about hot water?