Renovation in Umbria – underfloor heating

Remember the wooden house in Umbria? It is nearly completed now and I wanted to show you something that will not be seen again because it is buried under 5 cm of concrete screed. Instead of using the traditional (and inefficient) radiators, together with the client we decided to go for underfloor heating and therefore radiant heating. This means hundreds of metres of special polyethylene pipes embedded in screed and laid on top of a thermal insulation panel. The screed acts as a thermal mass, the water in the pipes is only about 35-40° and therefore much more economical for a boiler (an efficient condensation boiler) to produce the necessary heat, compared with the average water temperature that circulates in standard radiators (60-70°). But the difference will not only be felt by your wallet, but in the comfort that this system produces. The heat coming slowly and uniformly from the floor means no cold areas, no dust and the right temperature where it’s needed: in the first 2m upwards without the wasted heat rising up to the ceiling. Warm feet and cool head vs the cold feet and hot head that traditional radiators produce.