Old building: Retrofit underfloor heating on the upper floor?

Hello everyone,

We are renovating a house from 1986, and a new air heat pump is to be installed. There is already underfloor heating on the ground floor, which will then be connected to the new heating system. There are radiators upstairs, but for efficiency reasons, we were advised to retrofit underfloor heating upstairs, which we would also like to implement.

Is there anything special we need to consider here? Is it advisable to hire a structural engineer for an evaluation? The ceiling is made of concrete, on top of which there is an insulation layer (?) and then a wood paneling. PVC was then applied on top of that.

Are there any structural risks if we now retrofit underfloor heating upstairs?

Do you have bedrooms up there? Wouldn't it be easier to switch to suitable radiators? We are converting to underfloor heating on the ground floor, but I wouldn't really want it in the bedrooms, and usually suitable radiators are sufficient anyway.

I agree with Here, only the ground floor is being converted to underfloor heating (since we have to insulate downwards anyway), the upper floor / attic will have appropriate radiators. Just consider the cost-benefit aspect.

Do you have bedrooms upstairs? Wouldn't it be easier to switch to suitable radiators?

Thank you for your answer. Upstairs there are children's rooms and offices; our bedroom is on the ground floor. We had two different heating companies come and both advised us to retrofit underfloor heating upstairs. The existing radiators are far too small for a heat pump and would have to be chosen at least twice as large. Since we have many sloped ceilings upstairs, we would lose a lot of valuable wall space as a result. In addition, the heating could no longer run as efficiently because the flow temperature would have to be increased to warm the radiators. That is at least what we were told.

There are special low-temperature radiators for this. Otherwise, the old screed is usually milled off. You apparently don't have any screed upstairs, do I understand that correctly? I can hardly imagine the described construction. For a house from 1986, there shouldn't really be a problem; the companies would have surely told you otherwise. In our case, new screed is being applied on a vaulted cellar from 1921, which is also not a problem. If you want to be on the safe side, consult a structural engineer; it doesn't cost the world.

You apparently don't have screed upstairs, is that correct?

If you want to be on the safe side, consult a structural engineer, it doesn't cost a fortune.

Exactly, upstairs we only have the concrete ceiling, on top of that impact sound insulation and on top of that a wooden floor installation. Then the floor covering. At least that's what we've been told, we haven't opened/removed the floor yet.

Thanks anyway for your answer. Maybe we'll consult a structural engineer just to be safe. What kind of costs can one roughly expect?