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How Much Does Underfloor Heating Installation Cost?

Underfloor heating installation cost

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Underfloor heating is one of the best ways to keep your house warm. It has become a trend among new homes as the focus shifts to clean and design-driven living.

If you’re tired of using a traditional radiator in your home, underfloor heating is an excellent alternative. Underfloor heating works well with almost all types of floor coverings. This floor heating system is a safe and comfortable way to warm your home during cold weather.

Despite all of its advantages, is it worth installing a floor heating system in your home? How much will an underfloor heating system cost you?

The cost of installing underfloor heating will be different depending on where your location. Different labour costs per location make it difficult to give an accurate price.

However, to give you a ballpark figure, the average underfloor heating cost for labour is $25 per hour. This figure can be higher because labour costs increase based on the complexity of the underfloor heating system job.

How Much Does Floor Heating Cost Per Square Metre?

The cost of underfloor heating depends on the underheating method that you prefer. The size of the job will also affect the cost of the project.

If you want to have an electric in-slab underfloor system, you may have to shell out around $33 per square metre. Hydronic in-slab underfloor heating may cost you around $68 per square metre.

A hydronic in-screed underfloor heating system is the most expensive type and may cost you around $105 per square metre.

These costs are just ballpark figures and may change depending on several factors. Be sure to get in touch with a supplier to get more accurate and up-to-date pricing.

Different Types of Underfloor Heating

If you’re planning to install an underfloor heating system on your home, there are several methods of installation that you can choose from.

You can consult with your underfloor heating contractor to determine which method is more suitable for your home and your family’s needs.

The main types of underfloor heating systems based on how they heat a home are electric, hydronic, and radiant.

Electric

This is the most common type of underfloor heating system. In this method, the installer places a long, low-voltage electric cable beneath the surface of your floor. The installer can also install electric cables in the form of a mat or a mesh.

There is nothing to worry about since electric underfloor heating is a perfectly safe method. An electric floor heating system is best for small rooms.

There are several types of electric systems that you can choose from.

  • In-screed Systems – In this method, the installer places heating coils on top of a waterproofing membrane. The heating cables are then covered by a layer of screed. A screed is a mixture of cement and sand. Contractors usually use a screed to level a floor. Installers pour screed directly over the heating coils. Contractors use a screed to completely encase the heating coils. This acts as a layer of protection for the heating system. Screed also helps remove any air gaps that might affect the performance of your heating system. This is a popular method because it is the most cost-effective method of underfloor heating. In-screed systems are safe and reliable. This is a versatile floor warming system. It works on almost any type of floor covering. It works well on concrete, marble, slate, granite, or terracotta. It can also work on tiled floors. This method is also suitable for installation beneath thick stone floors. It will even work under external pathways. Electric in-slab heating systems are economical to install. It will cost just around $33 per square metre. However, it might be more costly to operate compared to other underfloor heating systems.
  • In-slab Systems – the heating coils are in concrete under tiles or other floor covering materials. This system heats a floor at a slower rate compared to other heating systems. In an in-slab heating system, the heating mechanism needs to heat the concrete slab before the heat gets transferred to the floor covering. This allows you to have a heated concrete floor or heated tiles. If you go with this kind of underfloor heating system, it might cost you around $68 per square metre.

Hydronic

The other method of heating an underfloor is through the use of Hydronics. It is sometimes known as water or wet underfloor heating since it uses hot water as a heating element.

With this method, coils or PEX tubing deliver hot water to heat up a floor. This system needs an external heating source to bring the water to the desired temperature.

Hydronic underfloor heating systems or hot water underfloor heating systems usually use boilers, heat pumps, or solar thermal energy to deliver hot water to the coils.

Hydronic systems are costlier. The installation cost runs at around $100 per square metre. It is expensive to install because it requires the expertise of tradespeople who are experts in heating, circulators, and water pressures.

Just like electric heating systems, hydronic floor heating systems can be either in-screed or in-slab. The only difference is that instead of electric coils, installers imbed coils that deliver water in the slab or screed.

Hydronic slab heating is an ideal system if you want to have a heated bathroom floor. Bathroom underfloor heating is a great addition to your home that allows you to comfortably take baths even in cold weather.

Radiant Heating Systems

A radiant heating system is an alternative for those who want heat evenly distributed to an entire room. Aside from the heat supplied directly to the floor, it supplies heat to the walls and the ceiling.

Radiant heating systems have better thermal conductivity. Thermal conductivity is the rate by which underfloor heating tiles distribute heat around a room.

There are three types of radiant floor, depending on how the system supplies radiant heat to a room: air, electricity, and water or hydronic heat.

Electric and hydronic radiant floor heating works the same way as its traditional underfloor heating counterparts. As its name implies, air-heated radiant floors use heated air to warm the floor and other surfaces.

Among the three types of radiant floors, hydronic radiant flooring is the most cost-effective.

Air-heated radiant floors are the least cost-effective, especially for residential homes. Some owners combine this system with a solar air heating system to increase its efficiency and lower down heating costs.

Other Factors that Affect the Cost of Underfloor Heating Installation

There are other factors that you need to consider when estimating the cost of an underfloor heating installation.

Size of the Area

Undoubtedly, the size of the area where you want underfloor heating will significantly affect the cost of an underfloor heating system. The larger the area is, the more materials it will need.

A larger area will also take longer to complete and will add to the labour cost. Expect that a heated floor in a bathroom to cost less compared to the heated floor cost of a living room.

Number of Zones

Installing an underfloor heating system entails the use of a room thermostat. A thermostat allows you to control heat products like a heating mat, a heated floor mat, or a ceramic tile heaters.

In underfloor heating systems, a heated tile floor thermostat will allow you to control the temperature in a particular room.

Hiring an underfloor heating installer

You can find lots of underfloor heating installers across Australia, but hiring the right one can be rather challenging. As a consumer, you have to make sure that you work only with the best in the industry who can exceed your expectations in any project.

At HIRETrades, we can help you find tradespeople who can install your heating systems efficiently. All you need to do is post a job in HIREtrades, and we’ll help you connect with local tradies in your neighborhood.

If you’re looking for an expert in underfloor heating in Sydney or any part of Australia, HIREtrades may be the right platform to use! Aside from connecting you with heating system installers, HIREtrades can also help you find experts in tile screed and tile installation.