Unlike convective heating systems, floor heating cannot be ‘bolted on’ after the building has been constructed. The floor-heating infrastructure is as much a part of the building as the base course or the roof, and must therefore be designed into the building process.
It is essential that insulation values in the floor, the floor construction and the effect on the building programme be considered. None of these points raise an onerous amount of extra work; it is simply a little more attention to details, which are probably of slightly less importance when fitting a convective heating system.
A floor heating system will normally be installed early on in the programme; the pipe layout will be fitted and connected to the manifold for filling and pressure testing prior to finishing the floor with a screed.
It is sensible to apply some control to other trades with regards to subsequent fixing and fitting methods, at this point the floor structure is fairly full of pipe and care should be taken to ensure that it does not get damaged.
In general floor heating is simply an additional component within the normal floor make up, pipe and fixings will fit within the normal thickness of either a screed or slab floor. The exception is a suspended joist floor where some adapting and possible increase in floor depth is required to accommodate the floor heating system. See floor cross-sections.
