These are the best kind of floor covering for use with UFH – due to the density of the material, the thermal resistance is low, allowing the heat from the pipework to travel quickly through and heat the space above. All stone products can be fitted above UFH including natural products such as slate and limestone. Ambiente recommends the use of a decoupling mat in every instance when fitting stone products, to allow for small amounts of lateral movement and reducing the risk of cracks in the grout joints.

There is a common misconception that carpet cannot be used with UFH, which is not true – but it is one of the highest-resistance floor coverings, so this must be taken into account at design stage. We recommend not exceeding a combined resistance of 2.5 tog for the carpet and underlay – using an underlay specifically designed for UFH is best, to keep the thermal resistance down as low as possible.

In general terms, rugs are not recommended for use with UFH – not only do they act as an additional resistance for the heat to get through, but heat can also gather beneath the rug, causing potential temperature build-up to a level which could damage the floor covering beneath them.

Care must be taken when using wood flooring over UFH, because it is a natural product and therefore can react to changes in the environment in which it is laid. It is essential to check with the flooring manufacturer whether their products are subject to a temperature limit – if this is the case, a floor probe is supplied to limit the heating output to this level. Typically speaking engineered wood floor is the most robust and least likely to react adversely to the heat. Solid wood floors contain a higher content of natural product, and therefore will tend to be more sensitive to heat changes.

Most laminate and vinyl flooring is fine for use with UFH, although we would always recommend checking with the given flooring manufacturer first. The coverings are typically thin and high-density, so have a relatively low thermal resistance.