Underfloor heating or not?

Hello dear forum friends (it's trendy now to collect "friends" ;-) ),

we are once again faced with a question, on which I have gathered so much information and impressions here in the forum (and somehow everywhere else) that we now no longer know what is good and right for us.

As mentioned elsewhere, we will be building a bungalow. The current idea looks like underfloor heating (extra costs approx. EUR 6,000). Now we have the impression that this might not be such a really good idea for us. I will not repeat "all" the advantages and disadvantages we have read here, but will simply describe what is important to us.

Actually, it is important that we would like to have parquet flooring in the living room and carpet in the children's room and bedroom. In the case of underfloor heating, we were also willing to have tiles laid in the living room.

Now to our concerns:

1. Tiles = cold feet if the underfloor heating does not provide warmth. So possibly unpleasant in transitional periods and in summer, especially for the lady of the house.

2. Parquet / laminate / carpet = generally rather unsuitable for underfloor heating. There are some that carry a "suitable" seal, but it seems clear that heating costs will rise anyway because the insulation of these coverings is usually quite good.

3. Extra costs of EUR 6,000 knock me off my feet. Somehow they have to be compensated through heater savings or living comfort. Apparently, installing underfloor heating does not create a really significant additional effort, at least not at the level mentioned here.

4. The feel-good climate is certainly there in winter when the system is running and you don't really have to worry about much. However, temporary discomfort cannot be simply remedied by a small turn of the room thermostat in a short time because the inertia of the underfloor heating excludes a quick reaction.

We are now wondering whether we are the right candidates for this or whether we should rather install conventional radiators and provide a return line for kitchen and bathroom.

What do you think? Are we on the wrong track? Are we overlooking something? Are we letting ourselves be too confused by all the writing?

:-)

Best regards from Ammerland
Voki

I'm no expert, but depending on the type of heating system, you can't avoid a surface heating system like underfloor heating. Because of the lower supply temperatures of, for example, an air heat pump, you can't achieve a reasonable temperature in the house with radiators. That's my layman's knowledge... dangerous... ;-)

So the question of the forum community is certainly: What type of heating system do you have in mind?

Hello JDoerbecker, good question, which of course should be answered. We rely on the conventional gas condensing boiler and will not use an [LuftWärmePumpe].

A woman who is repeatedly cold-footed gives you a subjective answer

Now to our concerns:

1. Tiles = cold underfoot, if the underfloor heating does not provide the warming. So in transition periods and in summer possibly unpleasant, especially for the lady of the house.

No, the tiles even store the sun’s warmth until late in the evening... I thought the heating was on, but it was the stone heat storage ;)

My parents didn’t have a basement and no underfloor heating – that has always been a no-go for me. Always cold underfoot, all year round, even with carpet :(

2. Parquet / laminate / carpet = generally rather unsuitable for underfloor heating. There are some that bear a "suitable" seal, but it seems clear that heating costs will in any case rise, because the insulation of these coverings is simply good as a rule.

We already had carpet on the upper floor in the old house on underfloor heating – very cozy, no loss in comfort. Parquet up to 1 cm thick is also okay.

3. Additional costs of EUR 6,000 knock me off my feet. Somehow they have to be regained through heating savings or improved living comfort. Apparently, the installation of underfloor heating does not cause any really significant additional effort, at least not at the level quoted here.

...me too (off my feet). Much too expensive :(

4. A feel-good climate is definitely there in winter when the system is running and you basically don’t have to worry about much. However, temporary discomfort cannot be produced in a short time by a small turn of the room thermostat, because the inertia of underfloor heating is supposed to exclude a quick reaction.

You don’t feel the need to adjust it.
Although I always missed a heat source in the old house when coming home from the cold.
That’s why we got a stove and now built with a stove as well. But the old house was poorly insulated, in the current one there is a different, better and cozier climate.

So now we ask ourselves whether we are the right candidates for this or whether we should rather have conventional radiators installed and provide a return line for kitchen and bathroom.

At 6000, I would also think twice. If you have radiators now and they don’t bother you... you’re still a candidate for underfloor heating, I think.
Negotiate the flow temperature again or calculate how much credit 6000 costs you. ;)
And if someone tells you how much difference there is in consumption between radiators and underfloor heating, then that might result in a calculation that works out.

Quick heating:
We also have underfloor heating in our office and a party mode button. If you press it, it gets super warm or warmer really fast. So apparently, that also works with underfloor heating nowadays. Otherwise, as I said, with a stove.
Without underfloor heating, it would never be an option for me again!

Hello, THANK YOU for the previous answers. Actually, it seems that about 50% of new construction projects are equipped with underfloor heating. The builders cannot all be wrong. A "towel heater" will be added in the bathroom and we will have a wood-burning stove anyway (already present). The party function is interesting. I assume it will lead to the desired result through a temporary increase in the flow temperature; otherwise, I cannot imagine how the floor covering would warm up faster. ;-)

I have initially requested additional information about the details of the underfloor heating and its installation. It is about transparency regarding the planned costs. We will only sign a contract once ALL points relevant to us (i.e., expensive ones) have been clarified to our satisfaction or we (gritting our teeth) agree without satisfaction for other reasons.

I almost feel this is a matter of faith. I am not very good at that, unlike in factual evaluation. ;-)