We’ve all heard of underfloor heating – a “mod con” that actually dates back to 5000BC! Since it was first used, it has been adapted and evolved to suit the needs of modern buyers throughout those 7000 years, according to developments in technology.

A buyer of today has many options when it comes to underfloor heating with both water and electric systems available on the market. We at Flooring Village sell Varme Underfloor Heating that’s suitable for around the home and a special system suitable for conservatories.

What is Varme Carbon Film Underfloor Heating?

Suitable for laminate and wooden floors, Varme Carbon Film system is a cost effective, unobtrusive solution to heat your floors. At less than half a millimetre (<0.5mm) thick and an included Depron underlay of 6mm (making the total height approximately 6.5mm), it is not dissimilar to a regular underlay (often 3mm or 5mm in height).

The carbon film is a thin layer that sits between a Depron underlay and a 200-micron dielectric membrane (plastic sheet). The Depron underlay ensures that the heat travels upwards into your home, rather than down into the subfloor, and the 200-micron dielectric membrane acts as a moisture barrier that stops water from reaching the underfloor heating, which would not only damage your heating system, but also could cause sparks, fire and in some cases electrocution.

This product is manufactured in a UK based, BEAB approved factory.

How it works

When installing an electric underfloor heating system like the Varme Carbon Film underfloor heating, the carbon film is laid on top of the underlay (such as the Depron underlay provided with this flooring). This ensures that the heat travels upwards and not into your sub-floor.

The heating wires are then connected to the mains supply by a qualified electrician. A sensor will be placed into the flooring to help monitor and regulate the floor temperature. The thermostat provided controls the temperature of both the floor and the overall room temperature. You can set timer programmes to control when the system automatically turns on or off and what temperature you would like your room or floor to be.

Unlike radiators or a fireplace/hearth, Varme underfloor heating heats up a room evenly. A room with good insulation and a wooden sub-floor generally heats up to the optimum temperature within 30 minutes to 1 hour; on a concrete floor it will take longer. However, concrete sub-floors cool down slower as they retain the heat. Varme carbon film underfloor heating systems are supplied with a thin insulation layer and therefore it will not take any longer than 1 hour on any sub-floor.

Should I use 130W/m² or 160W/m²?

Varme Carbon Film underfloor heating has 2 different Wattage options – 130W/m² and 160W/m². The 130W/m² carbon film is designed for any room in the house, whereas the 160W/m² is designed specifically for areas with higher losses of heat, such as conservatories.

It is important that you do not use 160W/m² in rooms with normal heating conditions as the additional heat omitted can cause damage to your floor, such as loss of moisture (drying), which may cause your floor to crack, warp or split.

Is it worth it?

One of the factors you will want to take into account when thinking about whether underfloor heating is worth it, is cost. Many people ask how expensive or inexpensive underfloor heating is to run, but this is a truly unique cost to each person. An estimate given by Varme is that their Carbon Film Electric underfloor heating costs approximately £3-£4 per m² per year if used as main heating and approximately £8 per m² per year in a conservatory, although this depends on a huge range of factors.

Varme carbon film underfloor heating comes with a lifetime warranty for both the home and conservatory products. The included thermostat has a 5-year warranty from the date of purchase.

Common Questions and Answers