There is a moment, in the life of anyone renovating their home, when someone—often with an enlightened air—utters the phrase:
“But why don’t you get underfloor heating?”
From that point on, it happens in a flash. You already imagine yourself in winter, barefoot like a Zen monk, walking on a warm floor while it’s freezing outside and inside your home there’s perfect peace. Happy feet. Socks forgotten. The dog lying on the floor as if at a spa.
Then, right after, comes the other voice. That of a friend, a cousin, or the friend of the plumber’s acquaintance:
“Yes, it’s beautiful… but be careful. It’s expensive. It’s slow. If you mess something up, you can’t fix it anymore. And if it breaks, you have to tear everything up.”
Paradise or nightmare? Treat or trap?
As often happens in the world of heating systems, the answer is neither all white nor all black. It’s… lukewarm. Just as the floor should be.
Let’s start with an uncomfortable truth: underfloor heating is not a fad. It’s not even a gimmick by bored architects. It’s an extremely effective technology, but only when it’s designed, installed, and managed with at least a bit of brains. And brains, unfortunately, are not always included in the quote.
The great love for underfloor heating comes from a very simple sensation: comfort. Not the loud kind, made of air blasting from vents or red-hot radiators that roast one leg and leave the other frozen. Here, the heat rises slowly, evenly, enveloping. The body perceives it as natural, almost invisible. You don’t feel “hot,” you just feel good. And when you feel good, you stop noticing it. Which is exactly what a good system should do.
The warm floor, however, is just the tip of the iceberg. The real advantage is that underfloor heating works at low temperatures. This means less waste, greater efficiency, and perfect compatibility with heat pumps and modern systems. In other words: if the house is well built, you use less energy and live better. It sounds like a fairy tale. And in fact, it is… if everything else is up to par.
And this is where the problems begin. Because underfloor heating does not forgive. It’s not as indulgent as the old radiator that “heats anyway.” Here, every mistake is amplified. If the insulation is poor, the heat escapes downward or outward, and you end up happily heating your neighbor’s floor or the ground beneath your house. If the screed is wrong, the system becomes as slow as a hibernating turtle. If the controls are set randomly, you go from being cold to sweating like in a Finnish sauna.
And then there’s the great myth of slowness. True? False? It depends. Underfloor heating is not meant to be turned on and off like a light bulb. It’s not an impulsive system, it’s a reflective one. It loves continuity, hates improvisation. If you treat it well, it keeps the temperature stable and comfortable. If you use it like an ‘80s radiator, it will seem slow, inefficient, and even annoying.
Another hot topic—pun intended—is flooring. “But does it heat under tiles, under parquet, under everything?” Yes, but let’s not oversimplify. Some materials are happier than others. Tiles conduct heat like Olympic champions. Parquet… it depends. On how it’s made, how it’s laid, how thick it is. It’s not forbidden, but it must be chosen wisely. Because wood is romantic, but if you make it suffer too much, it will get its revenge.
And now we come to the biggest fear: “What if it breaks?”
So, let’s be clear. If the system is designed and built properly, it doesn’t break. Or rather, the chances are so low that they’re less than those of a sudden leak in the wall behind the radiator. The problem arises when you cut corners where you shouldn’t, when you improvise, when you think “it’s just a pipe.” No. It’s a system. And like all systems, it must be respected.
The real hidden nightmare, in fact, is not underfloor heating itself. It’s thinking that it’s a miraculous solution that always works, regardless of the house, insulation, windows, or the system as a whole. It’s not like that. It’s an excellent solution, but only if it’s part of an intelligent project.
If, on the other hand, you are seriously renovating, if you want a home that doesn’t make you fight with the thermostat, if you dream of silent, invisible, elegant comfort, then yes: underfloor heating is truly a little daily paradise. A paradise that makes no noise, can’t be seen, doesn’t demand attention. And once you’ve tried it, it’s very hard to go back.
In conclusion, underfloor heating is neither a nightmare nor a fairy tale. It’s a powerful tool. And like all powerful tools, it can do wonderful things or cause disasters, depending on who uses it. The difference is not made by the floor. It’s made by the project. And above all, by the awareness of those who choose it.
Meanwhile, your feet thank you. And a lot, too.
