Underfloor heating for cozy and healthy warmth

Under­floor heat­ing sys­tems are very pop­u­lar with build­ing own­ers: they not only provide com­fort­able heat but are also effi­cient and eco­nom­ic­al. But it’s also the mater­i­al used on top that counts. Our expert tip explains which floor cov­er­ing is best suited for use on under­floor heat­ing and what needs to be con­sidered for its install­a­tion. The aspect of healthy liv­ing also plays a key role. The EMICODE® qual­ity seal of GEV provides use­ful guid­ance.

Tip 1: Flooring must conduct heat well

Under­floor heat­ing can be a won­der­ful thing. How­ever, it is import­ant to ensure that the floor­ing installed on top quickly con­ducts the heat and optim­ally trans­fers it to the room. Tiles and nat­ur­al stone slabs have proven to be a good choice. They are not only excel­lent heat con­duct­ors but also store the heat, which makes the sys­tem par­tic­u­larly effi­cient. Vinyl and par­quet floor­ing can also be laid on under­floor heat­ing sys­tems, provided the floor­ing is bon­ded to the sub­strate over its entire sur­face. This allows the unob­struc­ted flow of heat, without the form­a­tion of dis­turb­ing air pock­ets between screed and floor­ing mater­i­al. To ensure optim­um heat trans­fer, the thermal res­ist­ance of the floor cov­er­ing must not exceed R = 0.15 m² K/W. It is best to ask the man­u­fac­turer for the exact value.

Tip 2: Make the right buying decision

Wheth­er lev­el­ling com­pounds, adhes­ives, seal­ants or oth­er build­ing and install­a­tion mater­i­als: the EMICODE® eco-label on the pack­aging stands for healthy products. For more than 20 years now, the GEV EMICODE® has been test­ing and cer­ti­fy­ing build­ing and install­a­tion products with regard to their emis­sions. Only products that have been proven to be solvent-free and low in emis­sions are allowed to carry the EMICODE® EC1 label on their pack­aging, thus ensur­ing max­im­um indoor health.