North Leeds Plumbing & Heating – Home Improvement and DIY Advice

Underfloor heating systems are a unique way to heat the home. It was assumed that it was invented by the Romans, but there is some evidence that it was actually the Koreans who used it first in the Bronze Age. The heating system used was to warm air or smoke in a furnace which was positioned at one side of a void under the floor of the building. This would then work its way through the void to the chimney which was usually located at the opposite side of the building, warming the floors and consequently the rooms above it as it went.

The Roman system was similar but they used hot water or steam which passed through ducts under floors that were suspended on pillars of stones and in the same way heated the air in the rooms. Again the steam was expelled through chimneys at the corners of the rooms. The optimum height of these voids was about two feet to allow the steam to heat the house. The furnace that provided this water was placed close to the bathroom and so it heated the water for bathing before it warmed the rest of the building.

Today underfloor heating systems are popular as they are more economical and healthier than conventional types of heating and are an easy addition to new build homes. It can be more expensive and difficult to install into older buildings although it is possible to do. It is compatible with most types of flooring and the lack of radiators helps to keep rooms simple and easy to decorate.