Can I put rug above underfloor heating?

Quick tips for your home with Lauraine Farley

UNDERFLOOR heating is becoming increasingly popular for keeping homes nice and toasty, freeing up wall space unusually taken up by radiators and providing an even spread of heat throughout the room. A question that I get asked regularly is ‘Can I put my rug on top of under floor heating?’

Well, it is still possible to decorate your floor space despite the wiring or piping hiding beneath your flooring, but not all rugs are suitable for underfloor heating.

Choose your rug carefully to work with the underfloor system. The rug should have low thermal resistance, and should ideally be hessian, rather than felt-backed, as felt can create a thermal block, hindering performance and potentially impacting on the finished floor.

Rugs made from natural fibres are a good fit as they conduct the reheat and release it quickly. So it’s best to choose a rug with wool, silk or hessian materials.

Typically carpets and rugs will have a thermal resistance top rating of 1 to 2, so you should confirm with the supplier of the rug that the tog value doesn’t result in an overall value that exceeds 2.5.

The advice from most heating companies has been to recommend rugs and carpets of a thermal resistance that is less than 1.5 togs, On a practical level, this means that your rug should not have a very high pile height, such as Moroccan rugs or shag pile rugs that trap heat within their fibres. An ideal pile height would be 10-15mm max.

Give careful thought to the size and thickness of the rug you’re considering. Too big and thick a rug, aside from the technical issues already mentioned may have the effect of creating a cooler spot within the openplan area, where your intention is to create the most cosy space.

The perfect rug will have negligible impact on the performance of the underfloor heating but still create atmosphere and a focal point for the living space within the overall open-plan area.

• If you need help with your home interiors contact Lauraine on 086 8657360 follow her Facebook page ineanish or www.ineanish.ie