ᐅ Underfloor Heating / Wall Heating / Ceiling Heating – Alternatives?

Hello,

I’m currently stuck with our heat distribution system.

I’ll briefly explain the situation... we currently have an oil heating system (not new, but also not old enough to replace). Our first thought (and still is) was to install underfloor heating in all rooms. The radiators are old and not particularly attractive (they interfere with the windows, etc.).

Now a colleague of mine made me quite uncertain (his father is an architect, now retired), and he doesn’t think much of underfloor heating (says it doesn’t heat well, and if something goes wrong it’s hard to access, etc.).

Does underfloor heating even make sense? Will it be able to warm the house sufficiently (since it’s not a low-energy building)? Another disadvantage is that if something breaks, you have to break up the floor again.

We also have a huge glass facade (the windows will only be replaced later due to cost; it’s a tilt-and-slide element made of mahogany with double glazing. The glazing was replaced five years ago, but the frames are old) in the living room. There is currently a radiator recessed into a trench with a grille on top — not very nice but probably there for a good reason given its size.

Our exterior walls are insulated on the inside with calcium silicate panels (is that correct?). Tiles will be installed, and in the living room a suitable wooden floor will be laid on top.

What alternatives are there anyway (it should be hydronic, so no electric heating)? I found heating baseboards online (very nice aesthetically, because they are very unobtrusive), but I am not sure if they would be sufficient.

Thanks and best regards,
Claudia

Why shouldn’t underfloor heating provide warmth? It simply needs to be designed to meet the heating demand. In fact, it’s usually the opposite: underfloor heating typically operates at a lower supply temperature than conventional radiators because the heated surface area is much larger.

A downside when switching to underfloor heating is that the screed has to be removed and then reapplied. After that, it needs a long drying time, making it less suitable for renovating an occupied house.

There are also attractive radiators available. I consider heated skirting boards more of a gimmick, though I have no personal experience with them.

We are not living in it yet... we have already accepted the screed removal. Currently, we are planning for about six months of renovation time.

If more work needs to be done, we will surely have questions for you from time to time in all areas 😉

Yes, unfortunately, the radiators get in the way almost everywhere, no matter the design, which is why we decided to go with underfloor heating.

In general, Tentakel is right that underfloor heating can provide sufficient warmth if properly designed. The question is whether the heat losses through the walls can be balanced with the relatively low supply temperatures of underfloor heating, or if it only works effectively with higher supply temperatures.

An oil or gas boiler generally tolerates slightly higher supply temperatures better than, for example, a heat pump. There are also differences between heat pump types depending on the heat source.

You should therefore be clear whether you plan to stay with an oil heating system in the long term or if a heat pump is planned for the future. In that case, the calculations should be done to ensure the underfloor heating works efficiently with a heat pump.

A heat pump probably isn’t worthwhile for us... the house is too large, the insulation is not suitable for it, and geothermal energy is also not an option due to the soil conditions.

We also don’t really have space for a heat pump on the surface; I don’t want that bulky unit in the garden, and there is no area in front of the house because it is located in a residential area/pedestrian zone, and the pathways and green areas belong to the municipality. Although it might be possible to discuss this with the municipality (but I’m not sure).

Currently, we can use oil or gas. Since the heating system is not yet due for replacement, we will stick with oil for at least 5-10 years, then we will reconsider what options are available on the market.

All exterior walls will be insulated from the inside (since external insulation is not possible) using calcium silicate boards, with insulation behind them. Some windows will be partially replaced, but our budget limits us here—just the large windows in the living room cost around 15,000 euros without the crane truck needed to lift them into the garden. This is where the largest heat loss is expected.

We still have a fireplace for heating, but it’s currently open, meaning either a conversion or installing an unattractive fireplace insert (probably a conversion planned for later).

The heating and plumbing specialist made a really good impression (after dealing with less competent people), and even calculated two different versions for us since it was not yet decided whether all windows would be replaced.

DieScholz´ens schrieb:

The heating and plumbing specialist made a great impression (after all the scatterbrains) and even calculated 2 versions for us (since it wasn’t yet decided if all windows, etc. would be replaced).

Then you should have it in writing whether or not underfloor heating will work.