Our Avonhead High Performance Home has in slab heating throughout the entire house. The heating is from water pipes run off a polar energy system which heats the floor and domestic hot water.
We and our clients love central heating for a number of reasons.
1 Comfort, the entire house is warm, so no more heating only the living space and sleeping in cold bedrooms.
2 Health benefits of having a warmer home, mean fewer sick days.
3 Dry home means no mould, another health benefit
In slab heating needs to be paired with slab insulation. We used MAXRaft which gives under slab and edge insulation.
We detail the water pipes to be installed directly onto the EPS insulation.
There are a number of reasons for this:
1 Cost
Less concrete is required. When the pipes are on top of the reinforcing mesh an extra 20-30mm of concrete is required for cover. The pipe install is quicker directly onto the EPS.
2 Avoids pipes damage
With the pipes kept at a lower level there is no risk of damage from concrete saw cuts or hold down bolts.
3 Future alterations
Should a client wish to move a wall there is no risk of damaging the pipe work.
We use in slab heating when the client is wanting either a tiled floor or an exposed concrete floor.
In this case we have gone with exposed concrete.
In slab heating is best with tiles or exposed concrete floors.
There are many reasons for this:
1 - Energy Efficiency
Floor coverings like carpet and timber insulate heated floors from the space being heated. The system therefore needs to be run at a higher temperature to achieve the desired indoor temperature.
2 - Timber moves
While some timber suppliers state their timber can be installed over heated floors there is always a risk of timber movement and cracking as timber is a natural material.
3 - Durability
Tiles and concrete are very durable materials so will last a long time and this adds to their sustainability.
4 - Chemical free cleaning
Hard floors are easy to keep clean, we recommend clients use micro fibre wet and dry mops without the use of chemical cleaners.
5 - Life Cycle Analysis
Carpets need replacing a number of times over the life of a building and this really pushes up the carbon footprint.
6 - Health
Carpet can harbour dust mites which can cause allergies and asthma However, a warm home with low humidity will not allow dust mites to survive.
Clients with tiled or concrete floors can still have some carpet but these tend to be rugs which decorate their spaces and help provide zones within open plan living spaces.
