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Intro
If you are looking to give your feet a treat by installing a radiant heating system, but you’re worried about using underfloor heating for laminate floors, fear not!
Thanks to the wonders of modern technology you can now safely lay radiant heating mats beneath the vast majority of laminate and engineered wooden floors.
We do, however, highly recommend that you check the flooring manufacturer’s guidelines prior to taking the job on as there are still certain types of floor coverings that aren’t compatible with these ingenious heating solutions.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at some of the best underfloor heating kits for laminate flooring on the market today.
BodenWärme Laminate Underfloor Heating Kit Review
Pros
- Dual-core wiring
- Ultra thin profile cable (just 1mm thick!)
- Easy connection via one single point
- Durable fluoropolymer (Teflon) insulation
- Very good, even heat distribution
- Fully earthed
- Choice of themostats
Cons
- 10 year guarantee isn’t as long as some of the competing brands
Get yours from Amazon today, click here and select your size
If you are concerned about the effect that a thick layer of underfloor heating will have beneath your laminate floor, the BodenWärme system could well be the one for you.
At only 1mm thick, the cabling will easily sit beneath your floor covering without a noticeable increase in height – perfect if you are hoping to leave your skirting boards on while you lay the floor or are working close to the building regs regarding ceiling height.
The twin-core Teflon coated wiring is housed inside an aluminium film that does a fantastic job of evenly dispersing the heat – essential when used beneath laminate or engineered wood floors as hotspots can play havoc with these floor coverings.
The only downside to this kit is that the guarantee given is shorter than many of the others brands on the market. At only 10 years, it could well put some people off of taking the plunge with this particular heating system.
However, BodenWärme have been manufacturing this kit for over five years now and, impressively, to date they haven’t had one kit fail after it has been successfully installed. With a track record like that you can rest assured that you’re buying a quality product here.
What’s in the box?
- BodenWärme foil heating mat
- Thermostat (choose from four models available)
- Floor temperature sensor
- 3m of connection cabling
- Cable conduit
- Aluminium fixing tape
- Easy to follow instruction manual
Sizes available
- 1m², 1.5m², 2m², 2.5m², 3m², 3.5m², 4m², 4.5m², 5m², 6m², 7m², 8m², 9m², 10m², 11m², 12m², 13m², 14m², 15m², 16m², 17m², 18m², 19m², 20m², 22m² and 24m²
To buy yours now simply click here and select the size you need!
Living Heat 200W/m² Film Laminate Underfloor Heating Mats Review
Pros
- Capable of acting as the primary heat source (no more radiators)
- Slim 1.5mm profile
- Choice of mat widths
- Great selection of thermostats (you choose on the purchase page)
- Easy to lay
- 15 year warranty
Cons
- Needs to be custom made as it cannot be cut. That being said, all you need to do is provide a basic floor plan
Check out the latest prices and buy yours now on Amazon. Click here and select your size
Colder rooms such as conservatories and other annexes can often be a pain to heat, especially if you choose to have laminate flooring. Unlike tiles, laminate needs to be warmed carefully to avoid bowing and warping which means that manufacturers of underfloor heating products have to be wary of the output of their products.
The good people at Living Heat seem to have performed a minor miracle on this front as their laminate kit kicks out 200W/m², making it perfectly capable of providing primary heat in even the coldest of rooms.
The film matting looks pretty space age too; actually, it seems a shame to have to put any flooring at all over the top of it! It is this clever film that allows for an even distribution of heat that stops any hotspots occurring, vital when dealing with laminate and engineered wood coverings.
The choice of widths is a boon too. Unlike many of the other brands, Living Heat offer up both 500mm and 1m widths so you can choose what best suits your situation.
Unfortunately the thermostat is a little on the unimaginative side, which is a shame with such an advanced system – we would consider an upgrade to a better model. Other than that, this kit is great; especially for those looking for a solution to heating the coldest rooms in their homes.
EDIT: Living Heat have now introduced a selection of thermostats, including touchsceen options, making this radiant heating kit a great choice for your laminate flooring.
What’s in the box?
- Film heat matting
- Thermostat (select the one that suits your needs on the purchase page)
- Floor temperature sensor
- Connection cabling
- Fixing tape
- Comprehensive guidebook and guarantee
Sizes available
- 1m², 1.5m², 2m², 2.5m², 3m², 3.5m², 4m², 4.5m², 5m², 6m², 7m², 8m², 9m², 10m², 11m², 12m², 13m², 14m², 15m², 16m², 17m², 18m², 19m², 20m², 22m² and 24m²
Order yours now, click here and select your size.
Warmup Foil Under Laminate Heating Kit Review
Pros
- Foil finish makes it ideal for wet areas
- Wired based so can be shaped to suit your needs
- Easy to install with only one connection point
- Even heat distribution
- SafetyNet™ Installation Guarantee
- 15 year guarantee
Cons
- Not as many sizes as other brands (although two can be combined)
- Just one thermostat option, but it is decent
Order yours today by clicking here and selecting your size
Warmup are one of the most trusted names in the business and their foil mat underfloor heating for laminate floors should help to cement their reputation, such is its quality.
Supplied with a 15 year warranty and their popular SafetyNet™ Installation Guarantee, Warmup have pretty much got you covered from start to finish.
The SafetyNet™ Installation Guarantee will cover you should you accidentally damage your mat while installing it. This will no doubt offer great peace of mind for both the amateur DIYer and the seasoned pro alike and a 15 year warranty is pretty much industry standard for laminate heating.
As the ECTFE wire is fully encased in aluminium foil, this system can be used anywhere – including rooms where water is present, such as kitchens and bathrooms.
The mat’s cold lead is a standard 3m long and the matting itself is 500m wide with the cable spaced out at 50mm intervals. This helps to produce an even heat distribution which is essential for this type of flooring.
Warmup’s kit uses thermal, reflective reinforced foil which promotes good energy conservation, although it should be said that insulation should always be laid with this type of flooring, regardless of the manufacturer.
Failing to incorporate insulation into the project will not only result in lost heat, it will also mean that the flooring takes longer to heat up too.
What’s in the box?
- Foil heat matting
- Thermostat
- Instruction manual and 15 year guarantee
Sizes available
- 1m², 1.5m², 2m², 3m², 4m², 5m², 6m², 7m², 8m², 9m², 10m², and 12m²
To buy your Warmup foil mat, click here and select your size
ProWarm Underfloor Heating for Laminate Floors Review
Pros
- Lifetime guarantee
- CableSafe™ Guarantee
- Choice of thermostats
- Suitable for wet areas as well as dry
- Dual-core cables
- Single connection for speedy fitting
- Cuttable matting for excellent coverage
Cons
- Slightly thicker than some of the other mats, but this is really splitting hairs
Like Warmup, ProWarm have been around for years and have built up a great reputation with fitters and end users alike.
And, just like Warmup, they too offer a great guarantee where you are covered for any accidental damage that may occur whilst fitting the kit. If you are nervous about the installation process, these two companies will take a little bit of the pressure off of your shoulders.
Where ProWarm are head and shoulders above everyone else on this list is that they offer a full lifetime guarantee with their under-wood heating mats, which is great and something we’d like to see more of in the laminate field.
Not only that, but the lifetime guarantee also applies to the thermostat* too, something that no one else offers – well done ProWarm.
The dual-core cables are strong and perfectly insulated with a fluoropolymer (Teflon) coating that enhances this system’s durability.
Overall, this is a cracking kit. If you are in the market for some underfloor heating for laminate floors, ProWarm should definitely be one that you consider.
What’s in the box?
- ProWarm foil heat matting
- Thermostat (different models available)
- Floor temperature sensor
- Fixing tape
- Full instructions and guarantee card
Sizes available
- 1m², 1.5m², 2m², 2.5m², 3m², 3.5m², 4m², 4.5m², 5m², 6m², 7m², 8m², 9m², 10m², 11m², 12m², 13m², 14m², 15m², 16m², 17m², 18m², 19m², 20m², 22m² and 24m²
*Excluding Heatmiser, AUBE and Honeywell thermostats
To buy yours now just click here and select your size.
ThermoLAM Heating Kits from Ambi-Heat Review
Pros
- Can be used in wet areas
- Huge range of sizes available
- Mats can be cut and folded to accommodate different shape rooms
- AUBE TH232 thermostat included
- Suitable for flooring up 18mm thick
Cons
- 10 year warranty is shorter than many of the competing brands
For the latest Ambi-Heat prices click here to select your size
Ambient Heating’s ThermoLAM mats offer a simple solution to the problem of warming up your laminate floor.
The new range from the Essex based company is suitable for use with flooring up to 18mm thick, so most types of board can happily sit on top of this kit.
Embedded inside the foil matting is a slim profile cable that contains the heating element which produces the heat that will warm your flooring. The laminated foil sheeting provides the fantastic earth screening that allows the kit to comply with the latest electrical regulations (Wiring Regulations – BS 7671).
This compliance means that these mats are perfectly safe to use in areas where water can be found, namely kitchens and bathrooms, unlike the carbon film systems found elsewhere – definitely a huge plus point.
What’s in the box?
- Foil encased heating mat
- All of the necessary wiring
- AUBE TH232 thermostat
- Fixing tape
- Full instructions and guarantee card
Sizes available
- 1m², 1.5m², 2m², 2.5m², 3m², 3.5m², 4m², 4.5m², 5m², 6m², 7m², 8m², 9m², 10m², 11m², 12m², 13m², 14m², 15m², 16m², 17m², 18m², 19m², 20m², 22m², 24m², 26m², 28m², 30m² and 32m²
For the latest prices on Ambi-Heat’s laminate underfloor heating click here