Amidst the escalating cost of living across the UK, homeowners fervently seek both short and long-term practical solutions to lessen the ample expenses tied to their residences. In the realm of heating, UFH (underfloor heating), has become well-known as an innovative and cost-effective heating solution that delivers reduced running costs, enhanced control, and unparalleled comfort. Now, many homeowners looking to invest in futureproofing their homes are making the savvy decision to renovate or retrofit UFH. Beyond its manifold benefits, there exists an often overlooked yet transformative advantage to UFH over alternative solutions – the amount of space it liberates within the home.
In a 2023 study analysing 450,000 UK homes, a national home buying service uncovered a consistent decrease in living space. The findings showed that the average 2020 living room in new builds is almost 20% smaller than its 1950s counterpart, highlighting a clear shift towards higher density housing as house hunters chase less space for more money.
Tom Edmunds, Heating Expert and General Manager at Wunda Group, articulates five ways in which underfloor heating grants ultimate design freedom in any home.
- It will save you up to 15% more space.
“Underfloor heating allows you to keep the whole home at maximum comfort levels while keeping a beautiful décor throughout. By removing radiators, you will gain up to 15% more usable floor space within a home,” explains Tom. “This means you are no longer bound by radiator positioning when styling a room’s layout, and you can furnish with freedom; it’s an interior designer’s dream scenario.”
- You do not need to worry about bulky radiators.
“The firing up of the boiler, the rattle of pipes, bleeding radiators and the ongoing noise associated with heating are often amplified in larger, sprawling properties. Underfloor heating runs silently and out of sight, tamper-proof and child-friendly, meaning no hot surfaces,” states Tom. Even the most modern radiators take up space in often annoying places, and can make designing your dream home, kitchen, or bathroom a headache. With UFH, you can style the layout of a room precisely to your specification, without needing to second guess the room’s heating requirements and functionality.
- No more cold floors or inconvenient cleaning
Nobody enjoys the awkward task of having to clean or bleed a radiator, “one of the lesser-known benefits of an underfloor heating system is that it minimizes the movement of dust. Radiators circulate air around a room which moves dust that we then breathe in. This is why a UFH system is recommended for homes with asthma and allergy sufferers,” explains Tom. Additionally, UFH ends the discomfort of waking up to cold kitchen or bathroom floors, creating a consistently luxurious ambiance across the home.
- It excels in heating open plan spaces.
As the popularity of open plan spaces continues, traditional radiators prove inefficient in heating larger areas quickly. Underfloor heating, however, excels in radiant heating from the ground up, making it the ideal solution for expansive spaces, providing unmatched comfort and efficiency. Modern, stylish radiators are rising in cost, meaning UFH is not quite the expense it used to be in comparison. Additionally, systems like Wunda’s Rapid Response® Underfloor Heating system cuts out massive costs typically found in the installation process, designed to be able to be laid by DIY savvy homeowners. Once purchased and laid, the only other installation cost is found in hiring a professional to hook up and check over the final system, providing a substantial saving in comparison to systems that require professional installers.
- It frees up your walls.
Another often underestimated advantage – underfloor heating liberates valuable wall space, offering homeowners unparalleled creative freedom in decorating and arranging furniture. With the absence of radiators, walls become canvases for expressing unique styles through wall art, mirrors, shelving, and more. This newfound versatility allows individuals to infuse their living spaces with personalised aesthetics while basking in the efficient warmth provided by underfloor heating.
