At Home with Sarah Beeny 2013 - (Page 185)

| SLUG| 15 HEATING BENEATH THE FLOOR REVOLUTIONISES YOUR HOME – IT’S TOASTY WARM UNDERFOOT, YET YOU CAN’T SEE A THING WORDS: Georgina Maric | PHOTOGRAPHS: Getty Images 1 reasons to love underﬂoor heating CLEVER EVOLUTION Underﬂoor heating extends back to Neolithic times. Asians and Alaskan inhabitants used to draft smoke from ﬁres through stone-covered trenches that led to the ﬂoors of their underground dwellings. The hot smoke heated the ﬂoor stones and then radiated into the living areas. From this ancient idea, underground heating has now evolved into modern systems using ﬂuid-ﬁlled pipes or electrical cables and mats. 2 ROMAN RULES Around 2,000 years ago, when legions of people from Rome moved to the colder north, they realised the growing need to provide winter warmth inside both public and private buildings. At this time an underfloor heating system was already available – the hypocaust, which translates from Greek as ‘heat from below’. These systems allowed hot air to flow underneath floors, which were raised, sitting on brick columns. 3 VERSATILE FEATURES From the more traditionally associated stone or tiled ﬂoors to wooden ﬂooring, underﬂoor heating can be installed under pretty much all types of ﬂooring nowadays. It can even be installed under carpet, providing the tog is 1.5 or less so the heat can penetrate through effectively. You can choose to have it installed in just one room, a speciﬁc area of your home or throughout the whole house. 4 EVEN WARMTH Because these systems give an even distribution of heat across the whole room, they are said to be more efﬁcient and, unlike radiator-based heat, there are no cold spots or draughts. Its fans claim it produces the ideal heating temperature for a home and, because it heats a larger surface area from the ﬂoor upwards at a lower temperature, it results in a more consistent heat. It also frees up any wall space because you can get rid of some – or all – of your radiators. > HEAT UP TYPICALLY, THE TEMPERATURE OF THE WATER IN AN UNDERFLOOR PIPE IS 45-65ºC, WARMING THE FLOOR TO 25-28ºC www.athomemagazine.co.uk APRIL 2013 | 185 185-186 underfloor heating FINAL.indd 185 1/3/13 14:36:38 http://www.athomemagazine.co.uk

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of At Home with Sarah Beeny 2013

Editor's letter
Sarah's Welcome
Notebook
It's a date
Mellow yellow
Blooming wonderful
Proper copper
Rent revolution
Home upgrade
Leading locations
Property virgins
Safe as houses
On the move
Good on paper
A distressed look
Turn up the heat
Fire it up
Trendsetter
Another 48 hours
Something old, something new
Suite dreams
Inside the box
Bathtime
On stylish ground
On the rise
DIY for girls
The blueprint
A glass act
Final draught
Heat beneath your feet
Silent enemies
Real-life renovation
Eco exclusive
Hot stuff
How very cultivated
Turn over a new leaf
Lofty deals
Keep your antenna up
What Sarah says
How bizarre
Colour cocktail
Last word
Stockists

At Home with Sarah Beeny 2013