Outbuilding

As we look to increase the space we have available at home more of us are renovating our outbuildings, garages and sheds to allow for more regular use, or even investing in a cabin in the garden to be a home-office, studio or gym. Underfloor heating enhances the space enabling all year round use while generating a cosy warmth.
 
 
What are the main benefits of using electric underfloor heating in outbuildings.

  • Electric underfloor heating helps enable the room to be used all year round by providing a steady cosy warmth from a hidden heating system.
  • If power supplies are restricted, a low-Wattage system can be used to provide supplementary heating and to keep the damp at bay over winter.
  • If the room is only used for short periods of time a high-powered system can be installed to bring the room up to temperature very quickly.
  • As long as there is a wireless signal in the room one of Heat Mat’s wireless underfloor heating controls will enable the systems to be App-controlled from inside your home so it can be ready and heated up when you require.
 

What else should you consider when heating your outbuilding, garage, cabin or similar?

  • By using electric underfloor heating instead of a log burner or gas heating system you remove any risk of fire, of danger from hot-to-touch surfaces and the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
  • Many outbuildings are badly insulated and if this is the case with your project you should consider installing Heat Mat’s structural insulation boards beneath the heating system to ensure its efficiency. Using a 200W or even a 240W/sqm system beneath tiles or stone will provide you with the ultimate power system for a fast heating up time.
  • The heating systems are simple to finely control. You have the option of running the heating at a very low level during the winter to prevent damp, and it can be turned up a short time before you want the room up to temperature.
  • The heating system is entirely out of sight allowing you to place your furniture as you desire. Please be aware though that if the room is being used as a gym we do not recommend the heating system is used when a thick gym mat is on the floor.
  • If there are water supplies to the room consider using Heat Mat PipeGuard or trace heating systems to protect the water and waste pipes from freezing.
  • If you are heating a garage housing classic or high-end cars or bikes, to protect them in storage we would normally recommend a system running at a low-power to ensure continuous slow air movement, and to prevent moisture. Please speak to Heat Mat’s technical support team for further information.

 

Which electric underfloor heating system is most suitable?

  • The most commonly fitted system in outbuildings is our Combymat heating system which is designed for use with floating floors. The system is very straightforward to fit and lends itself to these types of floor that may experience some movement. The system can be installed directly beneath a floating laminate floor, and for carpet or vinyl floors you would need to cover the heating mats with Combymat Overlay Boards before laying the final floor covering. This heating system is installed onto a 6mm thick insulation layer to further improve its performance.
  • Heating mats are commonly used when a concrete subfloor is present and you can tile directly on top of these, or they can be covered with a levelling compound when vinyl floors or bonded engineered board floors have been chosen. Often a thermal insulation board will be fitted beneath the heating system providing additional stability to the floor as well as improving the heat up time and efficiency of the system.
  • 3mm heating cables can be used in preference to heating mats and these are most commonly chosen when a decoupling membrane is being used as a cable carrier. 3mm cables are also regularly chosen for very small or complicated floors or when the desired output per square metre is not provided by one of Heat Mat’s standard matting ranges.
  • In-screed heating cable is particularly suitable if a new screed is going to be laid, and this is often the case when renovating a garage. This system is the lowest cost to install of all underfloor heating systems and is ideal for rooms that are run on the same schedule most days, and which do not require a fast reaction time. The cables add no increase to build height (if a 55mm screed is already being laid) and they can be installed at any output desired.