For many homeowners building or renovating a property, it is important to ensure a warm and efficiently heated house – and underfloor heating systems have become an increasingly popular way to do this. When it comes to the installation of Dijon limestone or other natural stone options with underfloor heating, many have misunderstood and feared the idea. We are here to put an end to any confusion and reservations.
Often customers approach us with an apprehensive view of underfloor heating but are also concerned over tiles feeling cold underfoot: underfloor heating eliminates this problem and offers the ideal solution, adding year-round warmth and comfort to stone flooring. With this in mind, the Dijon limestone is suitable with all types of underfloor heating systems. In this guide, we will cover the necessary elements of underfloor heating to plan for when installing underneath Dijon limestone tiles.

What are the benefits of underfloor heating?

Energy Efficiency
The energy efficiency of underfloor heating is much higher than that of traditional heating systems such as radiators. For most open plan kitchens and ground floor areas, traditional radiators will often cause ‘dead’ spots where the heat does not reach parts of the room. With underfloor heating, the heat is used effectively and efficiently to warm the entirety of a space, meaning less energy is required to reach that same comfortable ambient temperature.

Warmth Underfoot
Another benefit is the cosiness and warmth from the floor up. Say goodbye to cold feet first thing in the morning and last thing at night! A stone floor is naturally a high conductor of heat and great at retaining heat long after the heating has been turned off. Underfloor heating provides a comfortable and continuous temperature underfoot that really does make a big difference to life at home on colder days – whether it be working from home or slow days with the family.

Space Saving & Safety
Often when designing a kitchen or ground floor living area, wall space is a big consideration in the plans. Underfloor heating eradicates the need for traditional wall mounted radiators – freeing up more wall space for furniture and decor. Underfloor heating is also much safer for children. A heated floor also eliminates scolding hot surfaces from radiators and heaters, giving you peace of mind for a safer family home.

What should I consider?

Whilst all of the Dijon limestone sizes and formats are compatible with underfloor heating, there are important aspects to the laying process with underfloor heating that need to be incorporated into your project to ensure a safe and long-lasting installation for years to come. These are the main considerations that need to be accounted for:

Types of underfloor heating systems
There are many different brands and types of system on the market that you may come across. The main two categories consist of ‘wet’ systems – where hot water pipes bedded into the screed provide the heating – and ‘electric’ or ‘retrofit’ systems – where a matt of heating elements are laid on top of the screed, underneath the tile installation. The option you go for depends on your particular project, but the Dijon Limestone is suitable for both. If you are unsure on types of underfloor heating, we recommend consulting a specialist or installer on site.

Commissioning the underfloor heating system
Prior to tiling, a full commission of the underfloor heating system needs to take place. This includes both a hydraulic pressure test and thermal conditioning. The hydraulic pressure test must take place prior to the screed being poured. Following the screed curing, the screed must be thermally conditioned (running through a full thermal heat cycle) to relieve stress and reveal defects. Any surface laitance and residue must be fully removed prior to this commissioning in order to assist and aid any residual moisture in escaping. Always check the commissioning process with your UFH manufacturer and screed supplier.

Anti-fracture matting
Anti-fracture matting, sometimes known as a decoupling membrane – is designed to neutralise lateral stresses that occur between the substrate and tile, thus preventing cracking and possible delamination. In the case of underfloor heating installations, this movement can occur due to the expansion and contraction of the screed from heating and cooling. The anti-fracture matting is sandwiched beneath the tiles between two layers of adhesive.

These elements are important to consider during the initial stages of your project to ensure that both the underfloor heating system and the Dijon limestone tiles are installed in the correct order and in the correct way so that there is no chance of cracks or other issues appearing later on.

By following these steps when laying your tiles over an underfloor heating system, you are sure to love and enjoy your new Dijon limestone flooring in all seasons for years to come. If you want to explore the Dijon limestone range further or have any questions regarding the specifics of underfloor heating suitability, then feel free to get in touch with Quorn Stone over the phone or online.