Coventry

Underfloor Heating Coventry

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Zest Underfloor Heating Coventry

About us:

At Zest Underfloor Heating  Coventry our specially  selected local team are experts in fitting underfloor heating.

They have the technical know how to ensure that your have an efficient underfloor heating system and can advise on the best layout based on your room and budget.

Our Coventry team have all the skills to complete an underfloor heating project from start to finish so you don't need to worry about getting in multiple trades to do one aspect of work to then hand over to another. The biggest issue with such an approach is then establishing who can provide a viable guarantee for the work, should something go wrong. Unfortunately, it is well know in the building industry that one trade will point the finger at the preceding trade if something is not to their satisfaction and re-works or squabbles over who did what often end up causing a delay in completing the project or worse, issues with quality.

Our team ensures the floor is level and in a suitable state for laying underfloor heating pipes or cables and importantly know what bases, insulation, screeds and top floor surfaces will enable you to get the best possible heat transfer whilst still achieving the visual impact that you were after.

Zest Underfloor Heating Coventry Services

Underfloor Heating Installation Coventry


Regardless of which type of underfloor heating you choose, electric or water, both provide the same main benefit - namely removing the need for radiators. This can be very useful in smaller rooms which is why electric underfloor heating is particularly popular in wetrooms and bathrooms - where space is limited and most of the time you will be walking around in bare feet.

Out of the two underfloor heating options electric is the more popular of the two with well over 60% of new installations being electric in the UK. There are a few reasons why electric is more common that wet systems -  one of the main aspects being costs. Clearly if installing a wet system takes you over your budget but an electric one does not that makes things fairly clear cut and explains why the balance is almost two to one in favour of electric underfloor heating.

Underfloor Heating Installers Coventry


The installation of electric underfloor heating is generally easier than water and as a result makes it cheaper to install it. In terms or time and hassle - if you are planning to change your floor, either changing floor tiles, laminate or even vinyl in just one room combining that change with the install of underfloor heating means that it just adds a little more to what you had been planning to spend.

Since the heating from an electric system works by the heating up of a think cable which is run around the floor it is fitted within the screeding which may well be planned to level your floor to make it ready for tiling, laminates or luxury vinyl tiles (LVT). Most electric underfloor heating systems are only a few mm thick even if they are preset in electric mats. This means that the net result is a minimal, of not negligible, difference in floor height if you are going from one room which has traditional heating to the one where you are having underfloor heating installed. It's not great to be tripped up, especially in bare feet if there is a small lip to step over to get into your underfloor heated room.

Underfloor Heating Company Coventry


When laying electric underfloor heating, if you have a uniform rectangular shaped room we can use electric underfloor heating mat. The electric heating cable is pre-installed into a mesh mat which can be rolled out. Several of these can be used and connected together which makes for a fairly speedy fit for this part of the installation process.

When you have a more irregular floor space or you have some permanently fixed items in the room then utilising a loose cable will be the best option, especially as this can be laid around those awkward fixtures. As both mat and loose electric underfloor heating come in different power options we will be able to advise on which power option will be most suitable and cost effective for your particular room. We will ensure that the space between cables and the power of the cables will provide the right amount of heat taking into account the floor substrate and final floor covering.

Installing underfloor heating will often involve several layers of different materials being stalled to provide the perfect finish and minimise any heat loss away from the surface of your floor. The use of adhesives, then an insulation board followed by the heat mat or loose cabling, followed by levelling compound, if required, then adhesive before the tiles are added on top. Whilst this outlines a scenario for tiles some aspects will be the same, or changed slightly based on the existing sub floor base and what your final floor surface will be.

Electric Underfloor Heating Coventry


Whilst there are some differing opinions on the comparative ongoing running costs of an electric underfloor heating systems like most power consuming devices as well as the actual efficiency of a device, user behaviour also plays a big part in the total amount of energy, which an appliance or system will use.

Whilst underfloor heating will take longer to heat up a room than central heating due to the lower operating temperatures this can simply be overcome but setting your heating timers appropriately.

As certain floor surfaces such as tiles and polished concrete retain heat very efficiently once they are heated they require less ongoing heat to maintain a steady temperature output. Since electric heating is often retrofitted into a room rather than a whole house the proper use of the thermostat and timer should enable you to enjoy the benefits of underfloor heating with minimal effort. So in addition to kitchens and bathrooms living rooms and hallways are also popular choices for underfloor heating as this allows full use of the floor and wall space available.

If your house is already fitted with renewable energy generation such as solar panels then installing electric underfloor heating over a much wider area will be a very cost effective feasible option.

Wet Underfloor Heating Coventry


Wet underfloor heating can also be referred to a water or a hydronic heating system but all essentially mean the same thing.  For wet underfloor heating small pipes, which have heated water running through them in exactly the same fashion as radiators, are set and run along the floor to then heat up the flooring surface. One of the main reasons wet underfloor heating is less common than electric is that these pipes are much thicker than electric cables and as a result will make a much bigger impact on floor height, especially with the inclusion of insulating boards to maximise the effectiveness of the heating pipes.

To retrofit a hydronic system will therefore require extensive work to be done on the existing floor to minimise the height differential from one room to another. That's why a water underfloor heating system will more commonly be found installed as new in a new build property or across a whole floor of a house, where the floor level will be even across that floor from room to room.

Wet Underfloor Heating Installers near me


The vast majority of wet underfloor heating systems will be connected to a boiler effectively acting as a radiator. However, with many self or custom build houses this type of underfloor heating can work via a solar water-heating, ground or air-source heat pump system.
The pipe network system will be connected to your heating system through a manifold, which can also incorporate a number of thermostats to allow you to control the temperatures in different rooms or zones within your house.

The laying out of piping is much more extensive and labour intensive compared with electric underfloor heating, so the initial install cost is significantly higher which is why this is more commonly 'absorbed' as part of the total build cost in a new self build rather than as a retrofit option in just one room - although newer systems are being brought out which reduce the potential height adjustment of the floor level.

Wet Underfloor Heating Installation Coventry


If you are in a position to go for a large install of underfloor heating then one of the main reason this system is chosen is that compared to a radiator the actual temperature that the water needs to be to effect the room temperature in the same way as a radiator is much less. This is largely due to the fact that the wet underfloor heating will cover a much larger surface area than that of a radiator or two. Your boiler will therefore not need to work as hard to raise the water temperature to such high levels. The net result is that you will have a much more evenly heated room, which will be cheaper to run than radiators. The total cost will obviously depend on your gas supplier or the other system you may be using to power your boiler.

Wet Rooms Coventry


The most common places we install underfloor heating is in bathrooms and more specifically wet rooms. Rather than go into too much of a debate of what constitutes a wet room compared to a bathroom for both underfloor heating is the most natural place especially in the winter months. Walking barefoot all year round on warm floor tiles makes going to the bathroom a pleasurable experience all year round and even if some family members are prone to spreading water around the room this will soon evaporate away.

When people are planning a bathroom makeover, especially when trying to include a wet room style shower space can become a premium. You don't want to build a new wet room and still find yourself having a cramped shower or having to body swerve round a sink or toilet to get into the shower. Whilst the square footage of floor space a radiator actually takes may seem relatively small, the actual wall space and requirement to find somewhere to fit a radiator can make for massive compromises in how a bathroom can be laid out. That's why designing a new wet room most people will plan to have underfloor heating so they can fully utilise the room available and create a minimalistic, spacious feel - as well as having a very pleasant barefoot experience. 

Wet Room Installers Coventry


A 'proper' wet room will have a completely open shower with no tray or screen although for a small room a screen will be advisable to stop water from getting everywhere so you're not having to wipe down every surface in the room once you've finished your shower.

Yor Zest Underfloor heating teams are fully versed to install a watertight wet room but importantly can offer sound advise on the suitability of a wet room in your house.

Historically wet rooms were associated with wheelchair bound individuals or people who may struggle to step into a bath or into a small shower cubical and as a result most were fitted on ground floors. Ground floors provide a strong stable base as the floor will typically be concrete or screed and when laying tiles there will be no movement when weight is applied to the floor. Ensuring your floor does not move is a critical aspect of ensuring that movement doesn't lead to cracks, in either tiles or grout, which in turn doesn't lead to water ingress. Water damage can be very harmful to a property and can also be hard to rectify - especially if water damage has occurred unnoticed for a number of years slowly seeping into the fabric of the building.

However, as most family bathrooms are located on the first floor or a house the desire to have wet rooms on these floors has also increased. Wet rooms can be installed upstairs and even in loft conversions but the key to having a water tight wet room is ensuring your have a solid floor on which to lay your wet room flooring, which is most cases is tiles.

Out team will check for the amount of floor deflection and depending on this they will determine the best course of action for your installation. On occasion where cheaper joists have been used in a property we may recommend the use of a low level shower tray, as even with retrospective supports added, there may still be a risk of movement. Modern low level shower trays have come along way in recent years and can become a bit of a feature themselves, depending on the design scheme of the wet room.

The Zest Underfloor Heating teams will always ensure your wet room is properly tanked with a waterproof membrane to provide a watertight wet room which will be a delight to use for many, many years.

Wet Room Installers near me


There are quite a number of material and product choices to make when planning your wet room. From floors to walls to the shower itself, let alone the sink, toilets and any storage

One of the main considerations of a wet room will be the choice of wall materials. Tiles have traditionally and still are the most common wall choice but with many people citing low maintenance as a key factor in deciding what materials to use, shower boards are growing in popularity. Shower boards do themselves come in a variety of styles and materials but the bulk of the material will be a type of plastic. The main appeal of shower boards is the lack of grout. Most boards will butt up against each other with an almost invisible connecting line, with minimal sealant visible at corner joints. The end result is shower walls, which have no grout which can collect hard water and eventually mould. This does not mean that shower boards to not need any cleaning, they will still benefit from a regular wipe down to remove any build up of various shower, cleaning and skin treatment products, which will find themselves splashed onto the boards. However, this will be a more occasional clean and fairly easy to do. You can use shower boards across the whole of the bathroom or around the shower area. You can then tile or half tile the rest of the bathroom.

If selecting tiling for both walls and floor as well as the obvious cosmetic choices these is no reason why you can vary your tiles in a similar fashion to shower boards. You can use different tile or select different feature tiles or layout of tiles around the shower compared to the rest of the room in much the same way as your will find feature walls in living rooms. And don't forget - grout doesn't only come in white. different shade can closely match your tiles or you can choose a grout colour to contrast your tiles.

When choosing your shower think about where you may want your shower rose to sit, how big you may want this to be and whether or not you'd also want an additional hand held shower head.

Wet Room Floor Fitters Coventry


We'd outlined that you will have a number of decisions to make concerning what materials you may want to use in your wetroom, however this may also be influenced to a large degree on your design - more specifically how you plan to lay out different bathroom fixtures as this will also affect where we run the underfloor heating too.

For smaller wet rooms the position of your sink, toilet and bath, if space allows, relative to your shower may well effect how easy or frustrating your will find your new room. If you need to include a shower screen, which most people do, then it needs to be effective in preventing water from getting everywhere but also easy to get past to get into the shower itself. Fortunately, if you've opted for underfloor heating - worrying about where to put the radiators is one less thing to think about.

If the opportunity allows positioning out where you plan to put things to scale with masking tape on the floor is a very good way to get a feel of your proposed wet room lay out. Walk around the imaginary sink toilet, shower screen to see if it all flows. This exercise may only be possible once we have remove your old fitting. Please let the tam know if you'd want to do this it clearly better for all concerned to make final changes on paper than trying to move things around when they've already be partially installed. Reworking takes time and costs and depending on how far an installation has gone some replacement parts may need re-ordering, which could delay things further. We're happy to work with you to ensure your get the wet room you've been dreaming of.

Floor Levelling Service Coventry


From our perspective as well as yours having a level, flat floor is important from an underfloor heating and floor tiling perspective.

Firstly you want your heating to be even around the room but also you want to ensure that no damage to the floor is likely to occur due to poor floor preparation. Having a level floor from a flatness perspective minimises the likelihood of tiles or grout cracking. With a flat floor the tile has nowhere to move to and therefore the only possible way a tile would break would be an accident where a large heavy or sharp object was dropped onto the floor. When considering a slope in the floor, whilst underfloor heating helps evaporate water from the floor you don't want a situation where any build up of water runs towards a wall, away from the tanked shower area and provide a risk for water seepage.

Levelling a Floor Coventry


When installing a wet room as mentioned having a level floor is important for the bathroom. The only are which is an exception to this rule is under the shower itself. The floor needs to be set to have a deliberate slope so that water from the shower flows towards the drainage hole. When installing a traditional wet room the floor under the shower will be a seamless continuation of the floor tiles used in the rest of the room.  To achieve the slope to the waste pipe a wet room tray is used to create a designed slop toward to the waste hole.

Wet room trays themselves are also provide an additional protective water layer. THese trays come in various sizes and designs wi the design focussed on the position and size of the drainage hole and the form of the tray will naturally slope to wherever the drainage hole is positioned. Typically the drainage will be shaped as either a square grate which will be positioned underneath near to where you are most likely to stand under the shower head or it will be set so that when the tray if fitted it will form a longer narrower water run away which will be nearer to the wall where the shower itself is. The latter is becoming more popular as this minimises standing on the waste grid itself.

The wet room shower tray provide the angles for the tiles to follow and therefor cuts are made to floor tiles to allow them to follow the shape and slope of the wet room tray. These will be subtle yet ensure that all the water from the shower flows away towards the waste water pipe.

Floor Screeding Coventry


There are a few options we have when floor levelling however, in the vast majority of cases the actually levelling aspect will be achieve used a certain type of screed. If there is deflection in your floor we will strengthen it with additional support and ply boards. Waterproof membranes and insulation board then provide a base on which to lay screed which is primarily a mixture of sand and cement but different screed contain additional bonding agents and other substances which will favour one type of screed over another depending on the existing floor status and what will be fitted on top. Our team will asses the situation and decide on the most suitable screen as part of our total install service.

Screeding is a great way of levelling and works extremely well with when laying underfloor heating providing an excellent base on which to then lay tiles. A nice flat surface means tiles can be laid perfectly level and you will have a professional floor tile finish. In fact it provides a great foundation for Luxury vinyl tiles and laminates too.

Floor Tiler Coventry


Since our teams are expert floor tilers for wet rooms on top of underfloor heating, they are very well placed to install floor tiles in any room or section of your property. Regardless of whether or not you have fitted underfloor heating our teams can install floor tile in kitchens, hallways and porches - so regardless of the size of the room we can sort all of your tiling requirement.

Tile are increasingly popular due to their hard wearing attributes in hallways and porches which is where we are also seeing an increase in underfloor heating. Often hallways will be quite narrow and a radiator will be an obstruction or there will be no radiator creating a cold spot within the house. As a result whenever a door is opening in another room a convection current is created by the different air temperatures which will cause the cool air to rush into the warm room. By installing underfloor heating in a hallway will heard wearing floor tiles you will eliminate these problems and future proof your home.

Floor tiles, whether stone or ceramic, are designed to withstand higher impacts so in high traffic areas such as hallways they provide an excellent way of providing a quick and easy floor type to clean without you ever needing to call in a professional carpet cleaner to deal with a dirty trampled down carpet which will be the first thing you see as you step into your property. If you are considering increasing the areas of floor tiling in your home please get in touch to discuss options with our team of experts.

Tiling Floors Coventry


The other factor which we touched upon regarding floor tiling is the hygiene factor. Especially following the Covid outbreak, tiled floors can be cleaned quickly and easily. For dog owners in particular floor tiling provides a great way to clean up dog hairs and quickly mop up and paw prints. We are seeing an increasing number of home replacing their carpets with floor tiles across the whole ground floor - often when undertaking a kitchen refurbishment. Running the same floor tile across the whole floor creates a more spacious feel but can be personalised room by room with wall and floor accessories such as rugs, which also help to dampen sound and still allows rooms such as living rooms to have a cosy feel to them - especially with underfloor heating coming up through the floor tiles.

Floor Tilers near me


By far and away the most popular floor choice on top of underfloor heating is floor tiles but what are the best options to maximise the efficient transfer of heat to the floor's surface?

At the top of the list are ceramic and stone tiles they have the highest thermal conductivity however the choice of styles, patterns, colours and sizes is massive so finding something, which you can agree on, should always be possible. They are durable, stone tiles very much so - so once fitted should last decades.

The other exceptionally good alternative in terms of thermal conductivity is polished resin or screed. Whilst historically these would more commonly be found in commercial premises they have become quite 'vogue' and once heated are very good at retaining the heat acting as a thermal store, which means that your underfloor heating costs will be kept to a minimum.

Whilst wood or even engineered wood can also be suitable for use with underfloor heating laminate flooring has a few more benefits so should be considered if you are wanting a more of a 'wood finish'. The construction of laminates mean that they will be much less prone to warping than natural wood. Because laminate is more susceptible to expansion than tiles, there are a few particular pointers that need to be adhered to. Firstly the setting on your underfloor heating should prevent the temperature from getting above 27˚C to prevent laminate damage. To allow efficient heat transfer laminates under 18mm should be selected. The expansion of laminates need to be factored into the installation, so our team will either leave a small expansion gap around the edge of the floor, hidden underneath the skirting board to allow for this to prevent possible buckling.

Vinyl or Linoleum are also good choices to use with underfloor heating as with laminate care should be taken to ensure that the maximum temperature does not exceed 27˚C. Including a floor sensor is an ideal way of protecting your vinyl or laminate floor from exceeding recommended temperatures.

Just to cover all major floor types we'll give carpets a quick mention. Generally they are not commonly used with underfloor heating as they provide the lowest heat transfer levels so are the least efficient choice. If it is chosen low tog rating should be used - ideally lower than 2.5 when combined with the underlay, when using electric underfloor heating. If your home is fitted with solar panels and electricity is therefore much cheaper, than this may still be viable however, since you will have to compromise on carpet thickness compromise is the keyword here.

Hallway Tiling Coventry


Our teams tiling skills are not solely related to fitting floor tiles. As previously mentioned with more areas of a home being installed with underfloor heating typically with floor tiling a natural option if to tile the wall too. Whether floor to ceiling of part way up a wall tiling in hallways is a sensible option due to the level of traffic and narrower space which often sees these walls being knocked and scrapped leading to them picking up dirt after frequent being rubbed against.

We can transform your hallway and advise on tile selection textures or smooth, large or small and importantly how certain tiles will reflect the light and can therefore bring light into your hallway and give it a larger feel. Conversely the opposite can happen if you perhaps choose dark tiles where you have every little light entering into your hallway. We can assist with advice on sheen, slip, cleanability and durability

Kitchen Wall Tiling Coventry


If you are having a kitchen refit it is likely you will be having some wall tiling as well as floor tiling. Tiles are commonly found along the walls between kitchen work surfaces and cupboards as they provide a durable wipeable surface which is prone to various food and drink splashes. Often tiles will be fitted on the wall behind cookers for the very reason that hot grease splatters will not damage tiles and a simply wipe with a cloth or sponge will easily remove visible traces of the cooks endeavours. As tile surfaces are smooth and hard their surface means that as well as wiping away visible food traces odours and grease marks will not be left either.

The backsplash areas of kitchens can will often use slightly smaller tiles to create a pattern or checkerboard style layout sometimes with several different coloured tiles. Alternatively selecting one colour with occasional feature tiles dotted in or tile edges will create a little more interest and depth to your walls.

As kitchens are such a key room in property evaluations and often the heart of the home you should put your trust in the hands of professional tilers to ensure this room has a real wow factors whenever you step into it.

Feature Wall Tiling Coventry


A tiled feature wall is becoming popular in living rooms - especially in older properties which have a protruding section of wall which accommodated the chimney section and fireplace. Either the chimney breast section of the wall to either side make an ideal location for a feature wall.

Our team enjoy transforming rooms and typically the tile selected will add depth and texture to a wall. Popular wall tiles will create a brick or natural stone effect and be rough to the touch. They bring great character to a room and break up a uniformed square feel.

Whilst mosaic tiling is associated with bathroom selecting more natural browns or greys shades can work will in hallway, porch and living room sections too. If you're not sure which way to go get in touch to have an informal discussion so we can help you discuss design option to achieve the look you want using a selection of wall tile sizes, colours and textures along with appropriately coloured grout.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Which underfloor heating system is best?

    Best will depend on your budget, the size of your room and what floor surface ideally you would want. Our team can discuss the finer details but as a general rule of thumb: for a single room such as a bathroom or wet room - electric underfloor heating is cheaper to install. If you are looking at underfloor heating for a whole floor say constructing a self-build house, then based on current heating costs, a wet system running off your boiler would be cheaper to run longer-term. 

  • Can you fit underfloor heating under vinyl or laminate flooring

    Yes - laminate flooring is also quite a good option for underfloor heating. Heat efficiency decreases as the thickness of a laminate floor increases so to have effective underfloor heating through a laminate floor you should aim for laminates less than 18mm in thickness. The same principle would apply to wood flooring too.

    If you definitely want underfloor heating but perhaps need to shave costs elsewhere, a vinyl floor or luxury vinyl tiles (LVT) in a bathroom is a great option.

  • Can underfloor heating problems be fixed?

    Depending on what the issue is will depend on what can be fixed. As a general rule if the installation of either wet or electric underfloor heating has been tested before, during and after installation and fitted properly the pipe or cable will be protected by surrounding layers - it is unlikely to get damaged in normal use and should therefore be reliable for many years. The most likely issue will be a fault in the thermostat. If that is the case a simple thermostat replacement will get you back up and running again.

  • Is underfloor heating expensive to run?

    If set up properly underfloor heating can be more efficient than traditional central heating although not by much. Under tiled or stone floors on the tiles have been heated they retain the heat and work in a similar principle to storage heaters meaning that the floor will stay warm and give off heat even without electricity running through it. 

  • Why have underfloor heating?

    One of the main advantages of underfloor heating is the space-saving it provides and the even heating within a room. 

    Whilst modern radiators have come a long way over the years in terms of design and efficiency they still can be seen as an eyesore. As a result, sometimes sofas or other items will be placed in front of them which then results in a poorer circulation of heat. 

    Underfloor heating can be laid across the whole floor, even across irregular shaped rooms to ensure even heating throughout

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