The Story Of
Underfloor Heating

Underfloor heating may seem like the new kid on the block, but amazingly enough it was first introduced to Britain 2,000 years ago by the Romans!
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Benefits Of Fitting
Underfloor Heating

Underfloor heating is already a firm favourite in new European homes and is becoming increasingly popular in the UK too in new build properties. Here's why.
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Warm Water
Underfloor Heating

Warm water underfloor heating is like having a radiator that covers your entire floor, gently releasing heat to the entire room.
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Electric
Underfloor Heating

Electric underfloor heating has come a very long way since the 1960s and is now a firm favourite in extensions and conservatories.
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Underfloor Heating
Case Studies

Find out why these property owners and developers chose underfloor heating, the system they chose to employ and how things have worked out.
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Underfloor Heating
Directory

Our directory guide to suppliers and fitters of underfloor heating systems throughout the UK.
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Underfloor Heating
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The History Of
Underfloor Heating

Amazingly enough, underfloor heating was first introduced to Britain 2,000 years ago by the Romans who spread the concept of "central heating" throughout their Empire.

Initially the preserve of the rich, underfloor heating became increasingly commonplace in public buildings and villas, particularly in the colder regions of the Roman Empire.

The system the Romans employed involved "hypocausts" - ducts under the floor and flues in walls with hot air from fires travelling through them. The hot air would then warm the tiles or bricks and the heat would be passed into rooms.

What the Romans, and indeed earlier civilisations, had discovered was that this form of heating was incredibly efficient. There was no need to continually feed or stoke the fires and a relatively small furnace could heat an entire property.

In the 1960s, underfloor heating made something of a comeback in the UK, but this time electrical systems were used. Unfortunately, they proved expensive to run, were prone to mechanical failure and they often didn't deliver the required heat. Even today when you mention "under floor heating", many people think back to the old electrical heating systems.

However, in Europe a different form of underfloor heating was developed - warm water underfloor heating. It proved an instant success and has remained popular ever since, particularly in colder Northern Europe, in the likes of Germany and Scandinavia, but even in Mediterannean countries like Spain, France and Italy.

Today warm water underfloor heating is proving increasingly popular in the UK too, particularly among self-builders who can choose to install an underfloor heating system during the build. And electric underfloor heating has come along way too since first being introduced to the UK and is proving very popular in home extensions, conservatories and bathrooms as well as throughout the home in new builds and renovations.