There are a few practical things that you have to take into consideration in your home.
No gas
There is no gas connection available. Electric, ceramic or induction cookers can of course be installed in the houses.
Choice of flooring
The homes all have underfloor heating. That means that the flooring has to be carefully selected because not all types of flooring are suitable for underfloor heating.
What is possible?
Most types of natural stone, carpet, linoleum, laminate and parquet flooring can be used. If the heat resistance (Rc) is less than 0.09 (m².K/W) then the flooring is suitable. Do you have questions about this? Your flooring supplier will be able to help you.
Which type of flooring is unsuitable?
Parquet made of soft wood such as beech, whitewood and birch is not suitable. Floor covering that has to be suspended can’t be used with underfloor heating. Also foam-backed carpeting or high pile carpet are not suitable because they won’t let enough heat through. This also applies to carpet underlay.
Don’t use nails, use glue
Because the underfloor heating pipes run close to the surface, no type of flooring can be nailed to the floor. Glue is the best alternative.
Keep the floor clear
It is important to keep the floor clear as much as possible to give the heating room to get through. Installing a huge cooking island or bath, for example, restricts the amount of heat given off from under the floor.
Use of the heating system
Your home is very evenly heated all over with underfloor heating. It does take longer for your house to get up to the right temperature because geothermal heat is ‘low temperature heating’. That is why it is advisable not to change the thermostat too much at night or when you just go out for a while. Actually, heating up the home takes more energy than keeping the temperature constant. The good insulation in the house helps a lot as well.
