Building a home or a commercial space? Consider in-slab heating as a great alternative to traditional methods of heating. In-slab heating is a form of radiant heat that is becoming known as one of the most comfortable, safest and most energy efficient methods for warming properties throughout Australia.
If you don’t know much about in-slab heating, here are a few reasons why you should consider it in your next build.
Choose Between Electric and Hydronic Heating
Radiant in-slab heating works by heating the floor so it can transfer warmth into a room’s space. This heating can occur via warm water in tubes (hydronic heating) or by laying electrical wiring elements within or underneath the floor material or concrete (electrical heating).
Perfect for Large Spaces
With both hydronic in-slab heating and electric in-slab heating, you have the option of heating large areas. This heating has a rather slow response time of anywhere between 10 and 24 hours but off-peak power can be used for in-slab heating.
Best for New Builds
You should choose in-slab heating for a new building because of the nature of the installation. Of course, it can be installed in an existing floor, but there are a few very important factors that help in-slab heating to function at its best.
The first factor is insulation. With any underfloor heating, insulation is going to be very important. If you install the heated slabs without insulation, the slab can change as the ground’s temperature changes. The radiant heat will not move up into the home as it’s meant to, but rather it will move down into the soil or even up basement walls and along its perimeters.
Read more about the importance of insulation with heated slabs here [link to that blog].
The second important factor is that in-slab heating is most often installed into concrete slabs. Whether you choose electronic or hydronic, the heating elements will be embedded into the concrete, making it more effective in the long run.
Benefits of Radiant Heat
Installing in-slab heating in your floors is a great way to experience the benefits of radiant heat. Radiant heat functions by warming your surfaces and evenly transferring a gentle and ambient heat into the room.
Compared to traditional heating systems, this type of heating is far more efficient and it doesn’t sacrifice any of the comforts. In fact, many of our customers say that radiant heat produces an even better thermal environment because there are no cold zones and there is no forced air circulating allergens and bacteria throughout the rooms. As well as this, you can’t hear underfloor heating and it doesn’t take up any space in the room.
For more information about choosing in-slab heating for your next build, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Comfort Heat in Sydney.