Underfloor Heating with Infrared Heating

With infrared underfloor heating we do not cover the whole floor area with heating film: the heating film is installed on 50-70% of the area to be heated, depending on the building's energy loss. A very well insulated house, for example a passive house, needs 50-60% coverage, a more weakly insulated property 60-70% – for a 100 m² house that means 50-70 m² of heating film.

An ancient heating method with a modern heat source

Underfloor heating is one of the oldest heating methods: it was already used in antiquity, but it only became truly widespread in the 20th century. Underfloor heating built with infrared heating realises the same principle – the warm floor – with a modern heat source: the heating film laid under the floor covering converts electricity into radiant heat. We most often install heating film as underfloor heating.

How much area has to be covered with heating film?

The coverage ratio is determined by the building's energy loss: the less heat the house loses, the smaller the heated area that is enough for the same comfort.

We plan the exact coverage and the output of the film from the heat loss of the house. For this we carry out an on-site survey.

Under the concrete, or directly under the floor covering?

In new construction: under the screed concrete

When building a new house, the heating film goes under the screed concrete. The concrete above it works as heat storage: after warming up, it gives off the heat slowly, so the floor temperature is more even and the heating runs in a more balanced way. The steps of such an installation are shown in our report on the installation at Mátraszentimre.

In a renovation: under a warm floor covering

In a renovation, a warm floor covering – for example laminate parquet – often goes on the floor. Under this the heating film can be installed quickly, without a concrete layer. The laminate parquet layer structure is shown layer by layer in the diagrams of our installation in Sitke.

Heating film under furniture

With older heating film types, a 4-5 cm air gap had to be left between the floor and the furniture. If it was missing, the heat could not escape, the film became very hot, and drastically shortened the life of the parquet or the furniture. That is why, when the article appeared in 2016, we recommended only 3rd-generation, smart heating film for underfloor heating; today we install 4th-generation heating film.

The other solution, leaving the heating film out from under the furniture, is also risky: with a later rearrangement or renovation, important areas may be left without heating. It is therefore worth agreeing the furnishing with the installer already when designing the heating.

Why is heating film underfloor heating popular?

• The warmth arrives evenly from the large surface of the floor.
• No boiler, pipework or visible heater.
• It can be built in both in new construction and in renovation.
• It can be controlled room by room.

You can find a summary of the layer structures, floor coverings and control of heating film underfloor heating on our main page on the topic. Installation is available in Hungary.