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Heated Concrete Floors
Heated concrete floors offer a resilient and luxurious floor finish for contemporary living.
Benefits of Heated Concrete Floors
Once primarily used in a purely industrial setting, polished concrete is now an increasingly popular flooring choice for home renovations and new-build projects across the world. Polished concrete flooring is hard-wearing and easy to clean whilst adding a sense of modernity and luxury to a space.
Due to their high thermal-mass, concrete floors are ideal to be heated by an underfloor heating system. Concrete provides quick heat-up times and retains heat well, even storing the warmth produced by solar gain, making a heated polished concrete floor a great option to improve the comfort and warmth of your home.
Types of Concrete Floor Finishes
Concrete is a versatile material that can be installed as flooring in a variety of ways.
Polished Concrete Pour
The most common form of concrete flooring, a deep layer of concrete is poured into position before being polished after curing.
Polished Concrete Leveler
A shallow layer of self-leveling liquid is applied to an existing subfloor, then polished once dry.
Polished Concrete Overlay
In some cases, a very thin layer of polished concrete overlay is installed over existing damaged concrete floors.
Best Floor Heating Systems for Concrete Flooring
The heat-retention properties of polished concrete make it an ideal floor finish for heating with a radiant floor heating solution.
Electric Systems
If you are installing a concrete floor as part of a new-build project, our Inslab Cable System is an ideal electric floor heater choice. It is installed directly within a 2″-4″ layer of concrete and its slower heat-up and cool down times make it perfect for rooms in constant use.
If you are renovating an electric floor heating system onto an existing concrete floor or subfloor, the StickyMat System is a suitable system to use as it offers a low-profile installation, having little-to-no impact on floor build-up.
Inslab Cable is designed for installation in concrete screed. Suitable for almost any floor finish and especially for areas where the floor covering may be subject to change multiple times in the heater’s lifetime.
Suitable for any Project
Radiantly heated concrete flooring is suitable for both new-build projects and remodels.
New-Build Projects
Polished concrete flooring is often fitted as part of a new-build construction project as its depth can be taken into account during the design stage. The inslab cable can be installed directly within the concrete as you are installing the floor, for an efficient and hassle-free installation.
Remodeling Existing Concrete Floors
You can install floor heating with your existing concrete floor or subfloor. If you already have a polished concrete floor, you may be able to fit insulation and a low-profile electric floor heater before adding a new layer of leveling compound and a polished concrete overlay. If your renovation project features concrete subfloors and you wish to install a concrete floor finish above, the inslab cable may be the best option. You must calculate whether the structure can take the extra weight of concrete flooring and ensure proper insulation.
Costs of Heating Polished Concrete Floors
Underfloor heating is an energy-efficient heating solution that can save you money on your heating bills. The cost of installing a heating system with a polished concrete floor is dependent on a few factors including the size of the project, your location, the quality and materials of your subfloors and the structural strength of your project.
Having existing concrete floors polished can cost from as little as $5 per square foot but this will rise substantially if you are undertaking a new concrete flooring pour. Installing a floor heating system as part of this process would cost from approximately $12 per square foot for an electric system plus the cost of accompanying insulation and a Warmup Smart Thermostat. Contact us for an accurate, free quote for your project.
Installing Radiant Heating with Concrete Floors
The installation of heated concrete floors varies system to system. Always ensure you are working with an experienced professional who has reviewed the product literature.
It is recommended to install a floor heating system with insulation to reduce heat loss and enhance the energy-efficiency of the system, so the first step will be to install a layer of Warmup insulation. Depending on the system used, the cables will be suspended or laid directly on the insulation boards. Never switch your heating system on while the concrete is curing as this will cause damage. Once fully dried, the concrete can be polished if desired.
