# Underfloor heating



## Emmastace (Feb 11, 2011)

Can those of you with underfloor heating give me some advice please. I have received a quote for the work on the new house and the builder has advised electric underfloor heating in the day room extension. Do dogs like this or is it too hot for them to lay on if comfortable for humans (bearing in mind I have very short haired dogs)
Also, can anyone throw light on why he said electric underfloor heating when he is installing a full gas boiler and heating/hot water system in the rest of the house? I would prefer to be a little knowledgeable before I speak to him about it.


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## Tyton (Mar 9, 2013)

As far as the dogs being comfortable, I don't know as ours prefer outside on cold concrete if at all possible (newfoundlands).

OH is/was a builder, and he says he would run underfloor heating from the boiler, as long as it has the capacity. He describes it like a giant radiator. Safer than electric, more efficient as it will hold the heat longer, and cheaper to install. Just one opinion, but don't know if it helps?


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## Emmastace (Feb 11, 2011)

Tyton said:


> As far as the dogs being comfortable, I don't know as ours prefer outside on cold concrete if at all possible (newfoundlands).
> 
> OH is/was a builder, and he says he would run underfloor heating from the boiler, as long as it has the capacity. He describes it like a giant radiator. Safer than electric, more efficient as it will hold the heat longer, and cheaper to install. Just one opinion, but don't know if it helps?


It does, thank you xxx


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## katysu (Aug 26, 2009)

I'm just a customer like you, but the previous post sounds very sensible - ie to run the underfloor heating off the main heat source - it may mean you would need a bigger boiler to cope. 
Electric to me sounds expensive (it isn't particularly if it is thermostat controlled).

Would a dog like it - well I presume dogs such as whippets might & cats certainly would. 
The problem for me was to keep my dog (longish thick hair) cool in summer - (use a cool mat) as the house was carpeted/lino no tiled areas.


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## Pointermum (Jul 2, 2010)

My MIL had electric underfloor heating laid her extension/conservatory, one wall/roof glass , she said it was horrendously expensive to run, they don't use that room in winter now . I know it was nice under foot for me , I bet the dogs would love it if they was really cold but may need to be able to escape from it if need be.


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## Emmastace (Feb 11, 2011)

katysu said:


> I'm just a customer like you, but the previous post sounds very sensible - ie to run the underfloor heating off the main heat source - it may mean you would need a bigger boiler to cope.
> Electric to me sounds expensive (it isn't particularly if it is thermostat controlled).
> 
> Would a dog like it - well I presume dogs such as whippets might & cats certainly would.
> The problem for me was to keep my dog (longish thick hair) cool in summer - (use a cool mat) as the house was carpeted/lino no tiled areas.


I was assuming it would work like a big radiator and you wouldn't need it on in the summer so the tiles would be cool then. I am more worried that it would feel to hot for them to lay on with their short hair, a bit like us not being able to put our feet on a hot water bottle until it cools down ....lol
xxx


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## Lexiedhb (Jun 9, 2011)

Dexter - also short coated would KILL me is I heated the floor!! Depends on the dog- he likes the cool tiles of the kitchen or wooden floor when the heating is on.....


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## GingerRogers (Sep 13, 2012)

My mum and dad have underfloor heating in their extension, Rory old boy short coated staffie x and current grandogs Ninja wire terrier and Tilly vizsla gravitate towards that space. But of course individual dogs are different.

Its very, very low level so not like a radiator in that respect hence why it is more efficient.

Reasons he may have specified electric rather than wet:

Cheaper and easier to install while still giving the benefit of the toasty feet in the winter and although not as cheap to run as wet, still very efficient as long as the system designed is up to the job. Essentially rather than a radiator its a giant storage heater  

As mentioned the boiler needs to be up to the job of running the extra distance and capacity. It means chasing a route through (concrete or timber floor) for the wet system pipes also needs a manifold control set up which takes up room. So quite a lot more expense and upheaval.

Is this the sole form of heating in the room, which way does the room orientate ie south/north facing? You describe it as a day room! What exactly do you mean? For some reason I am imagining a sun/garden room with glass wall and solid roof? Reason for questions as if its only likely to be used occasionally or as back up, then on the installation/running balance it can be cost effective! Ask him now you have a bit more info , it might be simply that he has no experience of wet systems 

Experience - 20 years as architect/specifier


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## Freddie and frank (Mar 26, 2012)

Can't really help with the technical stuff, but we had the electric type in our old conservatory and i think it was easier to install. not too sure about running costs 

In our old kitchen, there was one patch of underfloor heating run from the boiler. think it was a botch job from whoever owned the house before us. 
Freddie was GLUED to that patch all winter.  He hardly ever came into the lounge to us when the heating was on. Mind you, can't blame him, i may have fell asleep on the warm bit, on the odd occasion, after a couple of glasses of wine. Singing: 

Freddie would even squash Frank out of the way to get on the warm bit. 

I wanted it again in my new kitchen but hubby said 'no, not just for Freddie'


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## cbcdesign (Jul 3, 2014)

I bet Dogs would love a warm floor during the Winter and in the summer heating isn't on anyway.

I think its quite a pricey way to heat though (running cost wise, 20-30P a day we worked out for our Bathroom! Ouch for 1 room!) if an additional Radiator is reasonably easy to install and your Boiler can handle the extra load.


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## KimR (Aug 4, 2014)

I have electric underfloor heating in my conservatory and I don't find it too expensive to run I am tight with the heating so I like the option of having the tiled floor in the conservatory on without having to have the central heating on!
Mine is on a timer so it comes on for an hour or so in the morning and again in the evening and all say at weekends! My staffy didn't mind it and tbh I only have it set on warm to take the chill off the ceramic tiles!


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## Jobeth (May 23, 2010)

My parents have underfloor heating and both of my dogs are happy to lie down on it. They have solar panels and a heat source pump, so cost wasn't an issue.


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## Emmastace (Feb 11, 2011)

GingerRogers said:


> My mum and dad have underfloor heating in their extension, Rory old boy short coated staffie x and current grandogs Ninja wire terrier and Tilly vizsla gravitate towards that space. But of course individual dogs are different.
> 
> Its very, very low level so not like a radiator in that respect hence why it is more efficient.
> 
> ...


The house is a bit of a project and currently has two old gas fires, one in each room downstairs, and an electric immersion for the water and the extension hasn't been built yet. It is a 1930's ex local authority with the usual arrangement of central stairs and two equal size rooms (both approx 4.6m x 3.8m) running front to back each side downstairs, huge bedroom front to back upstairs with a large landing, bedroom and bathroom on the other side. 
We are moving the bathroom over to use a bit of the huge bedroom and taking out the massive airing cupboard, corridor and water tank to make a third double bedroom. We are installing a pressurised hot water tank and gas boiler in the loft and rads in all the rooms. The brick built outhouse is being lined/insulated etc and a shower/utility going in there with the gap roofed so made part of the house. The extension will be 4m x 4.5m, brick built, pitched tiled roof with velux windows, two walls are original (back wall of the house and side wall of the new shower/utility), third new solid wall then fourth wall facing the garden with french doors and windows or bi-fold doors (haven't decided). The plot runs West to East and has 140ft garden so the glass in the new room will have sun from early morning until it goes over the house. It will end up as one big space off the kitchen, so two offset rectangles with an open space where the rectangles overlap and you just walk from one to the other without a door. If that makes any sense.
I am trying to end up with a big kitchen and dog friendly day room that can be used all the time that's easy to keep clean and a totally separate lounge.


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## GingerRogers (Sep 13, 2012)

I think I understand the layout. Heating isnt my strong point, plumbing and electrics are magical things I leave to plumbers and electricians 

But if the boiler is in the loft it might be that to run a separate low temperature pipe run from there to the new room might be impractical. Both in terms of the actual installation and it might be too far a run for the low level heat to be retained?!

The obvious question is did you ask for underfloor, if not do you feel you want it? Most of us have managed quite well without it even with stone floors, just an excuse to buy nice slippers and dog beds 

If you did want it, was it to eliminate radiators on the wall or just to take the chill off the tiles, if the latter electric will do that very nicely, it wont be used very often and at such a low level it shouldn't cost a fortune if its designed correctly with radiators as back up and may be able to be limited to zones of the room, depending on how the furniture is likely to be laid out, then dogs can find warmth or cold as they wish.

If you wanted it as the sole form of heating in that space (bearing in mind it will suck heat from the kitchen) then it needs careful consideration. 

Ask the builder why and then come back to me if you have any questions, pm if you like. Its hard dealing with things like this, I even still question myself and assume builders know what they are doing, most do, some dont :eek6:!!


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## Emmastace (Feb 11, 2011)

GingerRogers said:


> I think I understand the layout. Heating isnt my strong point, plumbing and electrics are magical things I leave to plumbers and electricians
> 
> But if the boiler is in the loft it might be that to run a separate low temperature pipe run from there to the new room might be impractical. Both in terms of the actual installation and it might be too far a run for the low level heat to be retained?!
> 
> ...


That's lovely, thank you. I am meeting him on Friday to discuss it all so will take you up on your offer if I am still in the dark xxx


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## luketrig (May 10, 2015)

Hi just read this post I'm doing a very similar extension in an ex council house to and was wandering what you went for and what your dog thinks. Iv already put wet underfloor heating under the extension and am putting wire under the kitchen. Iv read the leave a cool area for a dog what do you think?


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

I think my dogs would adore underfloor heating. They make straight for any patch of sunlight and if it is a sunny day they scratch on the sunroom door to be let in and then jump on the hot tub lid and bask till they are baked then jump off, have a quick cool down and then back to over heating.


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## luketrig (May 10, 2015)

Yeah but I read on a underfloor heating site to leave a cool spot for the dog would probably get a bit much for them at winter was thinking to leave a corner off for basket bowl etc


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## Blitz (Feb 12, 2009)

luketrig said:


> Yeah but I read on a underfloor heating site to leave a cool spot for the dog would probably get a bit much for them at winter was thinking to leave a corner off for basket bowl etc


How about having a raised bed so they could get off the heated floor. Just an idea.


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## stuaz (Sep 22, 2012)

I have ceramic floor tiles and "wire" electric heating under it. This is in the kitchen and dining room which is essentially the 'dogs' room. They both lay on it no issue. Most of the time its just to take the chill off the floor unless its really cold!

They also do have a raised bed as Blitz suggested but they had that before the flooring but do tend to actively seek out the heated flooring.


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## pogo (Jul 25, 2011)

Chance would hate me if we had underfloor heating and would desperately try and find a cool spot to flop on!


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