There are not many dwellings around these days that are not blessed with Central Heating but if you are one of the few and are contemplating having it installed within the next few months read on before you reach a decision. Even if you have central heating and fancy a change then perhaps you may glean a few tips from this article.

With lower installation costing and lower maintenance costs under floor heating is becoming one of the most popular forms of home heating.  Those of us of a certain age can well remember the days before central heating when we all sat round the fire trying to get the best vantage point for the heat to warm us up.  Even these modern times with radiators there is always a chance especially in large rooms that the heat may fail to circulate amply and consequently sometimes the heat is more centred around the radiator area rather than the whole room.  

It is possible to have under floor heating in any room you wish or all of them if you prefer.  It can be used with wooden floors, concrete floors and various types of floor covering for example, stone, wood and vinyl etc.  Just imagine no more cold floors on a winter morning and being able to get out if the bath on to a warm floor.  To me one of the main attractions of under floor heating is the ability to do away with radiators altogether and give a better appearance to the room.  Dad's armchair can now stand against the wall rather than a few feet into the room because a radiator is there.  It produces more space at a stroke.

Basically there is a choice of two types of under floor heating labelled quite distinctly ‘wet' and ‘dry'.

The wet or hot water system has s scheme of pipes and tubes below the floor through which the water flows. Heat is emitted and the floor is warmed. Quite easily done as the saying goes. 

A hot water system usually has pipes buried in the foundation when the house is being built or if they are being inserted later perhaps as a DIY project you will be able to lay them just under the floor surface.  These pipes distribute the water and are about half an inch in diameter.  The water runs through the pipes giving out the heat and warming the floor.   Unless you are very skilled as a DIY enthusiast it is recommended that you employ experts to do the job for you.  Specialist equipment will be required as well as tools and their skills.

With ‘dry' or electric under floor heating the popularity is increasing and the installation is far simpler than wet systems.  With the electric cables situated just below the floor the house will warm up quicker and consequently the system becomes cheaper to run.  The electric cables or coils are usually fitted on to an insulation board and covered by the floor covering of your choice.  Most systems will have a temperature control in each room to which the under floor heating is run.

 The recommendation for fitting is as above.  Unless your specialist DIY skills are paramount then call in the professionals and look forward to a cold winter outside but a warm and snug winter indoors.  

 Rob Stone writes many articles on Home Improvement from Interior Design to Lean To Conservatory Prices available online.