| The installation of underfloor heating is an | | | | economical. |
| excellent way to improve your home in your next | | | | Floor heating is now gaining popularity once again |
| remodelling project. It has been in use for over | | | | as systems become more economical and |
| 7,000 years and modern systems are very | | | | efficient. This is particularly the case as energy |
| efficient and have some significant benefits over | | | | becomes more expensive and the many benefits |
| conventional heating systems. | | | | of floor heating become more widely recognised. |
| History | | | | Benefits |
| The Romans have been widely credited with the | | | | If you are looking to remodel your home consider |
| invention and introduction of floor heating. More | | | | the many advantages of electric floor heating: |
| recent archeological evidence suggests that the | | | | - Energy Efficiency: With radiant floor heating |
| practise probably originated 5000 BC in the Indus | | | | systems, approximately half the energy is |
| Valley, South Asia. | | | | emitted into the room as low temperature radiant |
| The Indus Valley was home to the largest of the | | | | heat. This process is very efficient as it provides |
| four ancient urban civilizations of India, | | | | a lower ambient air temperature allowing you to |
| Mesopotamia, Egypt and China. Undiscovered until | | | | feel warmer at a lower temperature because the |
| the 1920's most of its ruins have yet to be | | | | radiant heat lowers the heat loss from your body |
| excavated. | | | | - Healthier Heating: Radiant floor heating is healthier |
| There is evidence for the Indus Valley civilisation | | | | than other forms of heating as the entire floor |
| dating from 6000 BC and continuing until as late | | | | acts as one huge radiator there are no hot-spots |
| as 1000 BC. The civilisation gradually disappeared | | | | to generate big air-currents that carry irritants |
| as a result of significant changes in local river | | | | around the room. |
| systems. | | | | - Silent Operation: Electric underfloor heating is |
| The archaeological evidence suggests that | | | | silent as there are no moving parts so no banging |
| underfloor heating was invented by these great | | | | and knocking noises like you always get from |
| cultures and came to the Romans via trade and | | | | radiators. |
| the interchange of people. The Romans used floor | | | | - No Radiators: Nothing unsightly (like radiators) |
| heating extensively and they spread the practise | | | | projecting into your rooms looking ugly and |
| throughout their empire as they expanded their | | | | preventing you from placing that piece of |
| dominion. | | | | furniture exactly where you want it! |
| The Romans used a system of networks under | | | | - Comfortable Heat Radiant heat is the most |
| floors and circulated hot air through the walls so | | | | comfortable form of heat. It gently and evenly |
| that both the walls and floors were heated. This | | | | warms us in the same way as the sun. It mimics |
| form of heating was strictly for the wealthy as | | | | the type of warmth we associate with a perfect |
| many slaves were needed to constantly tend the | | | | summer's day: warm, but not stuffy. |
| furnaces. | | | | Whoever invented floor heating there is no doubt |
| With the advent of central heating the use of | | | | that the efficiency & effectiveness of |
| floor heating became less popular and wasn't | | | | modern day systems are bringing a resurgence of |
| really re-introduced until the 1960's as both | | | | this most comfortable form of heating. |
| electrical and hydronic systems became more | | | | |