Underfloor heating offers effective and efficient heating that’s out of sight and makes no demands on wall space. However, many people have misconceptions about using underfloor heating, especially as a replacement for radiators.

To ease some of the worries, Wunda Group is discussing its innovative warm water over floor system Wundatherm, a powerful and energy efficient underfloor heating solution that disproves what people thought they knew about underfloor heating. Competitively priced compared to other types of heating, Wundatherm doesn’t require any digging up of floors, is rapid response and no specialist training is needed in order to fit it, making it the ideal choice for both new and existing homes.

What if the heat source changes?

With climate change targets causing uncertainty for current heating methods, choosing a solution that works with any heat source will give customers peace of mind knowing that they are ready for anything and only have to buy once. Wundatherm is future-proof and perfect to use with both existing boilers and future heat sources, and with home heating accounting for 21% of a home’s carbon footprint, homeowners will need to stop using fossil fuels to heat their homes in favour of sustainable green energy heating in order for the UK to meet its global climate change commitments.

Can it be controlled?

It is a common complaint that screed underfloor heating and inferior retrofit systems are too slow to warm up and needs to be left on all the time to feel the benefits. This is not the case anymore. Most people are familiar with the underfloor heating screed solution, where the pipe is encased in concrete and the system warms the concrete first then the floor finish. This traditional type of system takes a long time to heat up from cold and is very difficult to control, which is why many feel it must be left on all the time.

This is where Wundatherm comes in, as the warm water system is placed directly beneath the floor finish and will evenly warm rooms quicker than radiators while running at the same energy-saving low temperatures. With its rapid response aluminium, users are able to turn it on, off, up or down whenever they please and don’t have to compromise on warmth.

Will it work in retrofit properties?

With no need to dig up floors and minimal build up heights (available in 16mm and 20mm), Wundatherm is made from advanced high density EPS which is very lightweight and easy to install compared to other fermacell and gypsum retrofit systems. Wundatherm takes just two days to fit 100 square metres as it’s easy to shape and has a quick contact adhesive, whereas other retrofit solutions might take six to eight days to install because of their weight/cutting time and the time the adhesive needs to dry.

Will the heat damage floors?

In the past underfloor heating was supplied with extremely wide pipe spacing (300mm) which meant it had to be run at high temperatures, around 70°C, which is similar to that of radiators. Wundatherm however is designed to run at temperatures as low as 35–45°C which creates a very comfortable atmosphere and protects floor finishes.

Does it work with all floor finishes?

Underfloor heating does work with most floor finishes and utilises floor probes to protect wood finishes from warping with a maximum 27°C surface temperature. Wundatherm provides comfortable heat through carpets that are up to two togs thick, and is also perfect for use under vinyl, laminate, ceramic or stone tiles. Wunda Group is now also a member of The Tile Association (TTA) and has achieved UKAS accreditation from Salford University’s Thermal Measurement Laboratory.

Can water systems leak?

Many also worry about the prospect of a leak under their flooring and how it would be detected and fixed. Wundatherm works with no joins in the pipes under the floor meaning there are no weak areas for a leak to start, and uses a British Standard approved pipe with lifetime leak-proof guarantee.

Electric vs water – which is better?

It isn’t uncommon for electric heating to be cheaper to purchase and to have a slightly lower build up height. But electricity is very expensive to run, often three times that of a water system. Wundatherm has a minimal build up height and is around 60% cheaper to run. With the reduction of install time and disruption, a water-based system is able to reap financial benefits in a realistic timeframe and also doesn’t run the risk of an individual panel breaking and leaving cold spots.

Wunda prides itself on first class quality and customer service, providing free technical support six days a week, and provides the specialist service of detailed layout plans for all bespoke systems free of charge to trade customers. With these layout plans to hand, tradesmen can have complete confidence in laying the boards and installing the Wundatherm system.