An energy efficient home is essential. By being well-insulated, it costs less to heat as well as being more comfortable overall.
So how do you go about making your home warmer with insulation?
What do Building regulations part L say?
There are various building requirements that you must adhere to when renovating or building a property. Not doing so will result in the necessary certificate being issued for the work, as well as possibly expensive repairs or changes later down the line.
Insulation of a home is covered by Part L of the Building Regulations and state that a property must be well insulated to create the most energy efficient dwelling possible.
This includes refurbished thermal elements – that is, ceilings, walls, windows and floors – which must be insulated where this is practical.
Not sure about Part L and how it applied to your project? Call your local planning department.
And the point of insulation is…?
The idea behind insulation is that the property performs better in holding on to internal heat with a slower rate of heat loss in winter but also a slower rate of heat entering it in the summer.
Insulation is not just about keeping heat in but keeping summer heat out, leaving you with a warm home in winter and a cooler home in summer.
Floor insulation and underfloor heating
Underfloor heating should be laid with insulation so that no heat is lost to the ground. This of course, means more heat in the room above and that means increased comfort for you.
But, the location and depth of underfloor insulation is important. If the insulation is below thick layers of sub-floor, the underfloor heating system will still be heating that sub-floor platform. This means it will take longer for the heat to penetrate the room above.
It will also take longer for the room to cool down as there is a thick layer of concrete etc. holding on to the heat. You may think this is a god thing but, if the room stays too warm for too long, you are more likely to open a window to let heat out and cold, refreshing air in.
The way to avoid either of these dilemmas is to have the insulation placed at the correct depth when fitting multiple or single zone underfloor heating kits – the installation company should be able to offer advice on this issue.
The Correct Underfloor Insulation
Tests have proved that when insulation is laid in the sub-floor that complies with Part L regulations, an additional thin layer of insulation directly beneath the wet or electric underfloor heating system to insulate it from the sub-floor, yields the best results for reducing heat up and cool down times.
In some tests, the heat up times was reduced from an overly long 2.5 hours to a fantastic 20 minutes which the tests also went on to show, led to savings of 50% on running costs.
Insulation and Choosing the Right Underfloor Heating System
Underfloor heating is a tried, tested and proven efficient means of heating a home. Combined with a high level of insulation in the floor, as well as windows, doors, walls and roof spaces, underfloor heating provides a far more comfortable level of heat.
However, it is a heating system that is only as efficient as the insulation in a property. With little or no maintenance, your home can be delightfully warm with no hassle and minimum fuss.
But choosing the right system is essential. There are two choices – an electric system or a wet system that used heated water circulating through sub-floor plastic piping.
Electric systems are growing in sophistication with the most advanced systems having insulated cables and mats that promote even better heat distribution across the floor.
Wet underfloor system kits are also advancing with some now being supplied with ore-routed insulated boards, perfect for use in a specified room size. For larger rooms or bespoke designs, using a wet underfloor system with a layer of screed seems to be the proven method for quick heating up time.
Smart Heating Controls
As well as essential insulation to promote energy efficiency and savings, smart heating controls are also ideal for getting the best out of underfloor heating and any other heating system in fact.
Sophisticated smart thermostats give the user more control over the level of heat in the home, when it needs to change and so on.
Traditionally, we have always controlled heating systems by time – e.g. heating the home in a morning, switching off when out at work and then for it to fire up ready for our return. But this the heating system can be pumping out heat in an empty home, with the user having no way of alerting it until they reach home.
Smart thermostats can be controlled via an app on your smart phone allowing you to save even more on heating your home.
Heating your home shouldn’t cost the earth nor leave your bank account empty – insulation and underfloor heating are the solutions!
