Underfloor Heating - What the Romans Did for Us

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. What the Romans, and indeed earlier civilizations had discovered, was that this form of floor heating was incredibly efficient.

The system the Romans employed involved "hypocausts". The hypocaust system was a little like modern underfloor heating. Under the floor would be an empty space with brick or stone pillars at regular intervals to support the floor. A furnace would be lit at one end of the room and the heat from the fire would circulate freely within the under floor space, heating the floor above. Flues or channels within the walls would carry the hot air upwards warming the tiles or bricks and passing the heat into the rooms on other storeys.

After 2,000 years of cold floors, underfloor heating made something of a comeback in the UK in the 1960s, 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. These earlier systems employed high output heating cables buried into the screed, wasting an enormous amount of expensive electricity, heating several inches of concrete in the process. Floor Insulation was never used and so these earlier systems were completely inefficient as a result.

Today, electric underfloor heating has come a long way since first being introduced to the UK over 40 years ago and is proving very popular in home extensions, conservatories and bathrooms, as well as throughout the home in new builds and renovations. Advances in resistance wire technology are such that manufacturers now offer 10-year guarantees for their electric cable products. A new generation of high performance, extruded polystyrene, thermal floor insulation is now available that is making significant strides in improving the efficiency of modern underfloor heating installations.

It has never been easier to install electric underfloor heating: now you too can enjoy a luxurious warm floor at the touch of a button, without all the fuss of getting your slaves to stoke up the fire!

For more information on installing an electric underfloor heating system, why not visit the Floor Heating website where you’ll find a comprehensive Installation Guide and plenty of useful tips and practical advice.

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