Should I consider underfloor heating for my bathroom?

It spreads heat evenly across the room, frees up wall space, and removes the need for a radiator in tight layouts. In a bathroom, that can make a noticeable difference to your plans!

But it does affect floor height, installation cost and the type of flooring you choose, so it's worth understanding what's involved before committing.

There are two main types: electric and water-based.

Typically the build up looks like this:

• Subfloor
• Insulation layer
• Heating mat or cable
• Levelling compound or screed
• Floor finish

What to consider:

• Adds 60mm+ to the sub-floor height, depending on the system and build-up
• Requires two electrical points - an on off switch and thermostat (by a qualified electrician)
• Well suited to smaller spaces like bathrooms
• Quicker and less disruptive to install than water systems
• Lower installation cost than water based, but running cost depends on electricity prices

Electric underfloor heating systems are common in bathroom renovations because they are easier to retrofit.

The build-up typically includes:

• Insulation
• Pipework
• Screed
• Floor finish

The pipes connect to a manifold (two rows of taps), which distributes water from your boiler or heating system. Warm water then moves through your underfloor heating system in the same way as it goes through your radiators. You still need to have a separate thermostat and programmer to ensure that you can control your underfloor heating efficiently.

Key considerations:

• Adds around 100–150mm to floor height in traditional screed systems
• Require a good amount of space for the manifold (the two rows of taps)
• More disruptive to install retrospectively
• Usually better suited to larger areas or whole-floor renovations
• Requires professional installation
• Often cheaper to run than electric systems over time

Water systems make most sense when you are renovating the whole floor or building from scratch.

Tiles, stone, and engineered wood are excellent conductors of heat - check with the flooring manufacturer and underfloor heating system provider to ensure your choice of flooring is going to be compatible. Glazed tiles may hinder the effectiveness of underfloor heating, and while solid wood can be compatible with underfloor heating, it is not recommended for a humid environment where it can be prone to expanding and contracting, leading to gaps or warping.

Choose a thermostat with user–friendly controls for efficient temperature management. Smart thermostats can offer programmable schedules for optimal energy use. You might also want to consider what the thermostat looks like, and where you would position it in the room if there's nowhere to hide it!