All You Need to Know About Slab Heating
If you are planning to install a heating system for the entire house, don’t undermine the importance of underfloor heating. It is also known as the slab heating. Maintaining a warm and comfortable temperature within a room during the colder months of the year requires the right heating method. One such method is slab heating, which plays a vital role in this endeavor. Among the various options available in the market, floor slab heating is particularly effective in ensuring proper temperature regulation within a room. As you read this article, you will be presented with a range of key considerations to consider when planning to implement slab heating in your home or office.
Things To Consider When Looking for Slab Heating
Club heating is a popular way of ensuring a warm and cozy temperature inside the house during the winter season. If you are planning to get it done for your space, there are certain parameters that should be in your consideration before taking a step ahead. Let’s discuss the following:
Type Of Floor Slab You Are Using
What are the first para meters that you should add to your list? It is the type of floor slab that you are using. If you are building a new home, then you would be pouring a new concrete floor slab. But in case of remodeling an existing property, you already have a pre-installed slab. But this condition will impact your slab heating method. Installing slab heating in a newly constructed slab is a cost-effective and straightforward process as the work begins from the foundation stage. In this case, the piping system is affixed to the steel reinforcing mesh before the concrete is poured. This process includes installing the hydraulic piping along with the structural slab. The piping is incorporated into the steel reinforcing mesh, and once the mesh is in place, the piping can be installed and the concrete poured over it, making the process more manageable.
However, if you have a pre-installed slab, then you might need to pour an additional topping over the structural slab. If you’re following this method, then it is recommended that the topping slab should be 90 mm thick. There should be two layers of steel mesh, while the bottom layer on 20 MM chairs with the hydronic pipe work type to the top. However, the second layer should be placed above the pipe. In such cases, the diameter of the pipe is usually 16 MM. A total of 50mm concrete cover is there in this case. But this process is a bit expensive.
The Heat Source You Will Use
The next para metres that you need to consider is the type of heat source that you need to use. In Australia, the hydronic heating system is popular, and in this case, gas boilers are used for the process. An alternative to this is electric heat pumps. The gas heating system might sometimes turn out to be costly, but the electric heat pumps are less expensive. Although the initial cost of installation of electric heat pumps is higher but over a period, electronic heaters are more cost-effective.
What Size Floor Area Are You Heating?
The size of the floor also impacts the cost. While in European homes, the under-floor heating runs throughout the house or the building, but in Australia, people prefer this heating system limited to a certain area of the house like the living room. Hence, installation of the heating system for slab heating may vary. You have the option of electronic underfloor heating and hydronic underfloor heating.
What are the common questions that people have is the longevity of the heating system? If you are trying to only heat bathrooms, then electronic underfloor heating is a good choice. But if you plan to install it in an open-plan living or dining room, then a hydronic heating system will be a cost-effective option in the longer run.
Wrapping it up!!!
These are the basic pointers that you need to consider when planning to go ahead with the slab heating process. There are several service providers in the market and if you are planning to hire one of them, make sure that you shortlist the options based on their experience, expertise, and customer service. Heating systems have become a necessity in modern times. With an effective heating mechanism, you can ensure a comfortable temperature inside your house throughout the winter season.