ᐅ Choosing a Heating System for Renovating an Older Building with Low Ceilings
Created on: 1 Nov 2022 11:04
P
pitpat123P
pitpat1231 Nov 2022 11:04Good morning,
we are currently looking more into older buildings for renovation... often we come across ceiling heights of around 2.4 to 2.7 meters (7 ft 10 in to 8 ft 10 in).
I understand that decisions ultimately need to be made on a case-by-case basis, but I would like to better understand the sensible options.
Our goal for the new heating system is clearly an air-to-water heat pump, although we are basically open to other options.
Due to cost considerations and because we want to do much of the work ourselves, the challenge of “incremental insulation” comes into play – at this point, I assume we will insulate only the roof initially and add external wall insulation later (at least that’s the plan; I’m somewhat aware of the implications, see below).
Ideally, we would prefer underfloor heating; however, I see a problem with all the door thresholds and consequently the door frames that would need to be raised, possibly replacing lintels, etc. Are there systems with very low build-up height? The screed also stores a lot of thermal energy, so I suspect there is probably nothing practical here?
Another alternative would be ceiling heating, but similarly I’m concerned about the overall room height, and I have read several times that ceiling heating can feel uncomfortable in low rooms. Does anyone have experience with this?
Wall heating is obviously not good without wall insulation, and I do not want to put it on the inside of the rooms – but it would be an interesting option, which would then mean that the external wall insulation must be done right away.
The last option is low-temperature radiators. I am completely unclear on how well or poorly this compares to surface heating systems (probably noticeably worse?). Of course, you have radiators in the room with this choice. On the other hand, it is probably the cheapest solution among those mentioned.
Another probable issue is that with different insulation approaches over time, the air-to-water heat pump would actually need to be configured differently?
Alternatively, wood pellets and radiators could be an option but definitely not our preferred choice.
Has anyone recently been thinking along similar lines and perhaps made some progress? Are there other options I am overlooking?
Best regards
Edited: Windows would be replaced directly, as well as roller shutter boxes.
we are currently looking more into older buildings for renovation... often we come across ceiling heights of around 2.4 to 2.7 meters (7 ft 10 in to 8 ft 10 in).
I understand that decisions ultimately need to be made on a case-by-case basis, but I would like to better understand the sensible options.
Our goal for the new heating system is clearly an air-to-water heat pump, although we are basically open to other options.
Due to cost considerations and because we want to do much of the work ourselves, the challenge of “incremental insulation” comes into play – at this point, I assume we will insulate only the roof initially and add external wall insulation later (at least that’s the plan; I’m somewhat aware of the implications, see below).
Ideally, we would prefer underfloor heating; however, I see a problem with all the door thresholds and consequently the door frames that would need to be raised, possibly replacing lintels, etc. Are there systems with very low build-up height? The screed also stores a lot of thermal energy, so I suspect there is probably nothing practical here?
Another alternative would be ceiling heating, but similarly I’m concerned about the overall room height, and I have read several times that ceiling heating can feel uncomfortable in low rooms. Does anyone have experience with this?
Wall heating is obviously not good without wall insulation, and I do not want to put it on the inside of the rooms – but it would be an interesting option, which would then mean that the external wall insulation must be done right away.
The last option is low-temperature radiators. I am completely unclear on how well or poorly this compares to surface heating systems (probably noticeably worse?). Of course, you have radiators in the room with this choice. On the other hand, it is probably the cheapest solution among those mentioned.
Another probable issue is that with different insulation approaches over time, the air-to-water heat pump would actually need to be configured differently?
Alternatively, wood pellets and radiators could be an option but definitely not our preferred choice.
Has anyone recently been thinking along similar lines and perhaps made some progress? Are there other options I am overlooking?
Best regards
Edited: Windows would be replaced directly, as well as roller shutter boxes.
So anything from 250cm (98 inches) is not a low ceiling for me 😉 We have 240cm (94 inches) and will remove the screed and then install underfloor heating with a heat pump. However, we are also doing a complete renovation, including the roof, photovoltaic system, and external insulation.
P
pitpat1231 Nov 2022 13:48Thank you both!
One of the houses we are currently considering has only 2.4m (7 ft 10 in) from the top edge of the joists to the bottom edge of the attic floor in the upper level. Every centimeter really affects the feeling of space. Since there is no screed installed yet—usually just battens on the joists with the floor directly on top—there isn’t much room to adjust.
Yes... maybe we have to accept fully insulating right away, which is unfortunately quite challenging with a very irregular facade and a partially converted barn.
One of the houses we are currently considering has only 2.4m (7 ft 10 in) from the top edge of the joists to the bottom edge of the attic floor in the upper level. Every centimeter really affects the feeling of space. Since there is no screed installed yet—usually just battens on the joists with the floor directly on top—there isn’t much room to adjust.
Yes... maybe we have to accept fully insulating right away, which is unfortunately quite challenging with a very irregular facade and a partially converted barn.
The upper floor is not that important when it comes to underfloor insulation because the heat will go into the living space anyway.
For the ground floor, a renovation solution with maximum insulation is WEDI boards (or other similar building panels).
You can use these as a screed replacement and mill channels for pipes directly into them. Then you are only limited to tile flooring. A 10cm (5 inches) pipe spacing is also possible. We did this in the bathroom after approval from WEDI, and it is also specified on the manufacturer’s website. Since you have very little thermal mass in the floor, you should preferably have solid walls without internal insulation.
For the ground floor, a renovation solution with maximum insulation is WEDI boards (or other similar building panels).
You can use these as a screed replacement and mill channels for pipes directly into them. Then you are only limited to tile flooring. A 10cm (5 inches) pipe spacing is also possible. We did this in the bathroom after approval from WEDI, and it is also specified on the manufacturer’s website. Since you have very little thermal mass in the floor, you should preferably have solid walls without internal insulation.
Similar topics