What could be nicer than an elegant, high-gloss polished concrete floor in your kitchen? Well, for many of our clients, a heated polished concrete floor goes the extra mile in luxurious living. With underfloor heating becoming a popular option in newly built properties, the DirectStone team is increasingly being asked, ‘does underfloor heating work with polished concrete flooring?’.
Yes, is the simple answer to that question. In this blog we look at the advantages of integrating UFH into your concrete flooring, and the precautions required when first implementing it.
Why Concrete and UFH Work Well Together
Concrete has a high thermal-mass, and it is this quality that makes it the perfect material for underfloor heating. Concrete heats up fast, and it retains the heat well. It is also an excellent distributer of heat across the expanse of your flooring. Finally, concrete stores heat from solar gain, which means you use less fuel to heat your kitchen living space.
Guidance For Using Underfloor Heating With Polished Concrete
Once the heating is in place and the concrete slab has been poured, it will need to cure before you turn the heating on. This can take between 21-28 days, and we would recommend that you seek specific advice from your concrete installer about the timing. If underfloor heating is used before curing is complete, the concrete is in danger of drying out too quickly, and cracking as a result.
Once curing is complete, the heating needs to be introduced gently, with a daily increase of 1°C, rising to a water temperature no higher than 30°C.
5 Benefits of Underfloor Heating and Polished Concrete
Of course, there’s the obvious benefit of being able to enjoy barefoot living throughout the year, but there are plenty of other advantages, too:
- Minimalist Style. Clients who choose polished concrete flooring tend to be lovers of a minimalist approach to indoor décor. Underfloor heating takes this approach one step further; no more unsightly radiators determining how your furniture is distributed!
- Excellent Heat Distribution. Central heating warms up the air in your home. As heated air rises, cooler air is sucked in beneath and warmed in a cycle. Underfloor heating provides radiant heat which heats up surfaces and stores the accumulated warmth. The distribution is more efficient and effective.
- Underfloor Heating Retains Moisture in the Air. Heated air loses its moisture, which is why many of us feel ‘stuffed up’ during the winter months. By contrast, underfloor heating retains the moisture in the air by warming the surfaces and allowing heat to radiate.
- Less Dust With UFH. Quite apart from the fact that radiators tend to be dust traps, central heating creates more dust in the air than UFH. This can cause irritation for people who suffer with allergies and create a lot more housework!
- Silence! Most households learn to filter out the gurgling, taps and bangs that a central heating system can produce on a daily basis. By contrast, underfloor heating is very quiet, so you’ll find the quality of silence in your home deepens as a result of installing it.
About DirectStone
We hope we’ve answered the question ‘does underfloor heating work with polished concrete flooring?’ comprehensively. DirectStone is an established family-run business situated in the grounds of Wrest Park in Bedfordshire. Our flooring experts have over 10 years of experience polishing, restoring, and repairing concrete floors.
We work with residential and commercial clients throughout the UK mainly in London, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk.
If you would like to find out installing concrete flooring in your new home, call us direct on 01525 20863920. We always offer free no obligation quotes, no matter the job size.
