Underfloor Heating On Suspended Timber Floors Construction

One of if not the most important of which is floor construction.

Underfloor heating on suspended timber floors construction.

Previously floor timbers had been prone to damp and rot thanks to their direct contact with the moist ground. Warm water underfloor heating ufh in a suspended timber floor offers all the benefits associated with this form of heating without adding height to the overall floor construction. At the turn of the 18th century when construction techniques moved from boarded floors installed directly on the ground to suspended timber floors over a ventilated chamber the innovation solved a significant problem. This construction is similar to the timber floor above but uses either pre cast concrete planks or small pre cast concrete beams with concrete blocks laid between the beams.

By utilising the space in the joist void with effective insulation underfloor heating maximises heat output and allows an even distribution of heat across the entire floor space. Retrofitting underfloor heating and insulation on suspended floors involves a different process than if you are looking to do the same with a solid concrete floor so please bear that in mind as you read this article. Also note that we can offer many different floor constructions. Now the property in question was a victorian semi in primrose hill with solid walls and suspended timber floors throughout.

Underfloor heating can be installed on any suspended timber floor with wooden joists whether on ground or upper floor levels. When we refer to suspended timber floors we refer to joisted floor constructions typically found on the upper floors of a standard house and sometimes on the ground floor of older houses too. Suspended timber floors consist of timber floorboards being laid on floor joists which are supported above the subfloor on small pillars or walls called tassel walls or sleeper walls. Ventilation is required in the same way as a suspended timber floor.

Wet underfloor heating systems are an effective way of incorporating a heating system into a joisted floor construction for both new build and refurbishment situations. This is great for the ground floor as it is generally relatively simple to have a concrete ground floor. Before choosing underfloor heating many factors need to be considered. By decreasing the temperature of the water produced by the heating system less energy is required to provide the heating to a building.

Suspended timber floors can be drafty cold and potentially damper than a solid floor and they do not conduct. Underfloor heating on suspended timber floors. Profloor end return panels are used with the profloor pre grooved panels to allow the underfloor heating pipes to run back into room offering an easy installation of water circulation heating systems in timber suspended floor structures with no greater spacings of 400mm centres. They can normally span greater distances than timber joists.