The decision to renovate and extend a property is one that is never taken lightly, and it is often the point at which homeowners decide to install underfloor heating (UFH), as the system can be easily installed in the extended areas of the building, as well as retrofitted into the existing property.
Such was the case during the 150m2 house renovation and extension of a property in Penarth, Scotland, when an installer contacted Continal Underfloor looking for advice on the best UFH system to specify and fit.
For this property, after speaking with the installer and getting a comprehensive understanding of the system requirements, Continal’s Technical Adviser recommended a system that combined our SlimFix® 25-150 and TileFix® 25-150 products, both connected to a control hub so that the entire system could be controlled remotely via an app on the homeowner’s phone.
We also incorporated highway boards into the system, to make it easier for the installer to run the feed pipes to and from the manifold. These are XPS boards available in both 18mm and 12mm dimensions, but with 12 straight runs pre-routed into the board that the UFH pipe can be clipped into. Without the highway boards, the installer would likely have to either channel out the concrete floor beneath the manifold, or P-clip the pipes to the floor and apply a self-levelling screed, slowing down the installation. Instead, the boards enabled him to simply press the pipe into place in the channels, making installation quick and easy.
The size and shape of the property itself meant that the installer wanted the pipes to be run through walls to save on pipe lengths, so we worked with the installer to produce full CAD drawings to create the most efficient system, with the plans being adjusted as necessary while the project was in progress.
Our SlimFix® product was used throughout most of the building, except where tiles were going to be laid. SlimFix® is a low-profile system of high-compressive strength composite panels, each with a heat-dissipation layer to maximise heat output. SlimFix® is designed to accept wood and laminate floors directly, or carpets and vinyls when fitted with a suitable cover board such as our DriDEK™-20 board.
The panels measure just 18mm thin, keeping floor build-up heights to a minimum, and come with built-in return panels. SlimFix® is simply laid directly onto the base floor, before Continal’s SUPERflex™ UFH pipes are pressed into the pre-routed pipe channels.
In the rooms where our customer wanted a tiled floor finish, we recommended our TileFix® panels. These provide the same fast-response heat output and high-compressive strength as SlimFix®, but are the only UFH system available that you can tile directly onto using a flexible tile adhesive. This meant our customer could place the tiles straight onto the TileFix® panels without having to first lay a board that would increase the build-up height. This also meant we could create a uniform floor height across each floor of the property.
TileFix® is typically installed over existing solid or timber deck floors and is designed to accept ceramic, porcelain, marble and stone tiles, using a suitable tile adhesive. The universal TileFix® panels provide pipe routing for return loops and distribution, ensuring simple installation.
We won the contract thanks to the high level of service that we were able to offer. The installer was impressed by the fact that Continal offers full customer service support throughout the entire project, with a single point of contact that means installers and homeowners can contact the same Technical Adviser for help whenever it is needed. We also offer extremely fast responses on quotes, with a same-day turnaround available on time-sensitive enquiries.
Continal has been a leading UK design and supply specialist for energy-efficient warm-water UFH for more than 25 years. The company’s full range of UFH systems for solid floors, overfloor applications and joisted floors, as well as a full portfolio of controls and accessories, can be found at www.continal.co.uk.
