GAIA CLIMATE SOLUTIONS LTD
UNIT 4
BRICKFIELDS BUSINESS PARK
WOOLPIT
BURY ST EDMUNDS
SUFFOLK IP30 9QS
Tel: 01359 242400
Fax: 01359 242525
Suppliers of: Electric Underfloor Heating, wet underfloor heating, frost protection, commercial underfloor heating, domestic underfloor heating
Here at Gaia, we’re a company with over 30 years’ experience offering total underfloor heating systems in commercial and residential properties across the UK and Ireland. We specialise in the design, supply and installation of both wet and electric systems as well as frost protection. Offering a wide range of underfloor heating solutions, our teams can advise and design the most suitable system for you, whether it’s a new build or refurbishment project; providing a professional service from initial project stage through to project completion.
We cover all projects from self-build, residential and commercial new builds, multiple apartment buildings, care and educational facilities.
We pride ourselves in building lasting relationships with customers who we continue to serve and celebrate in the success of the projects we deliver for them.
Our Systems: Electric Underfloor Heating / Wet Underfloor Heating / Frost Protection
Heat Pump Compatible: Please contact us for further information on how we can design the right system for you.
In an electric underfloor heating system, a series of wires are installed beneath or within your flooring as a means of heating the room.
The electric system you install will depend on the size of the room and how well insulated it is. What the flooring below is like, whether it’s insulated and the type of flooring you’ll have on top. Options include loose-fit wiring, flexible enough to fit into small or awkward spaces, electric cable systems, or heating mats you roll out to cover larger areas.
Electric floor heating can be added without breaking up the old floor when a property is renovated. It’s quick and easy to install, making a new build project quicker to complete.
With a wet underfloor heating system, a series of pipes connected to your boiler circulate warm water throughout the floor to heat the space, similar to radiators. Alternatively, you can connect the underfloor water pipes to a solar hydronic heating system, air-source or ground-source heat pump. The pipes will be connected to your heat source using a manifold (essentially a central system allowing all the pipes to work together). The bigger the system, the more pipes it will have and the more complex the manifold will be. The system will also be fitted to a thermostat (or thermostats, if you’re having more than one zone) so that you can regulate the temperature.
We have various systems for you to choose from depending on your projects needs. We offer the full Gaia system which fits perfectly into screed, aluminium plates or grooved overlay; and we also systems from top brands Polypipe, Emmeti, Omnie and Myson. As a result, whatever your project requirements, we have a system to suit your needs.
We offer a wide range of frost protection and ice and snow melting systems for your project. From providing safe walking areas and driving during winter times through to protecting buildings and pipes from frost damage – we have the solution. If you want to install a system with the peace of mind that it will last through harsh winter conditions, our frost protection systems are fit for the job.
Our frost protection and snow melting systems are used throughout the world regularly protecting to temperatures of -30 deg Celsius.
Training professionals on how to specify and install underfloor heating systems is an essential part of the service we provide.
We offer a variety of CPD material on Electric underfloor heating, Wet underfloor heating and Frost Protection systems, designed to improve your professional knowledge and skills. It’s a platform for us to share our expertise on each heating system.
Our systems are fitted in new developments and renovations all across the UK and Ireland.
Further information and product advice is available on the Gaia Climate Solutions Website.
GAIA - Understanding the layers of an underfloor heated floor
As the cosy warmth radiates up through your feet, it’s easy to take for granted the installation of underfloor heating.
Easily installed in many new and existing buildings, it provides consistent, efficient and controllable warmth whenever required.
However, what’s present beneath your feet can vary, depending on the system, property and installation.
So, as the UK’s most trusted name in underfloor heating, we thought we’d look beyond the benefits to explore the various layers which make up underfloor heating.
Layer 1 – The sub-floor
Broadly, underfloor heating sits below the top flooring surface – such as tiles, wood, laminate or lino – and above the solid sub-floor beneath.
In most properties – domestic or commercial – the sub-floor is typically either concrete (often with a level, screeded surface) or floor boards (sheets of chipboard in newer properties or traditional floor boards in older properties).
Whether you’ve opted for electric (dry) or wet (hydronic) underfloor heating may influence whether you can lay the heating system directly onto this surface – or require a further layer.
Layer 2 – Options
The second layer of flooring depends on the type of underfloor heating system chosen.
Electric Underfloor Heating
Electric (or dry) underfloor heating consists of electric heating elements within heating mats or cables which are installed beneath or within flooring. When the electricity is turned on, the heating elements warm up to heat the room.
There are three main types of electric underfloor heating – heating mats, foil heating mats and loose lay heating cables. Each is connected to the mains electricity supply and controlled via a thermostat.
Electric Underfloor Heating – Layer 2 – Insulation board
For solid floors, it is typically best to install a layer of insulation board before an electric underfloor heating system is laid.
Insulation board performs two purposes:
It helps direct heat up through the floor (rather than down into the sub-floor)
It provides a level surface onto which the heating system can be secured with adhesive or levelling compound
Our heating mats feature a mesh mat design which helps secure all elements prior to screeding.
Our loose lay heating cables can be stapled, tacked or glued into place, ready to be screeded.
Wet Underfloor Heating
Wet (or hydronic) underfloor heating uses a network of flexible pipes which are installed beneath the floor. Hot water is circulated through the pipework to warm the room from the floor upwards.
The pipes are connected to an existing boiler – or a renewable source, such as a heat pump – via a manifold which controls the temperature.
Wet Underfloor Heating – Layer 2 – Variations
When it comes to securing wet underfloor heating in place, there are a number of choices depending on the floor beneath:
Underfloor heating pipes can be laid directly into fresh screed.
If the screed is going to be thick (>2cm), a mesh sheet can be used to suspend the pipes closer to the surface to avoid too much downward heat transfer
If not, a castellated panel has a surface pattern similar to an egg box, into which the pipe can again be laid before screed is applied
On an existing screed sub-floor, underfloor heating pipes can be fitted into grooved underlay to hold them in place
Between wooden joisted floors (typically found upstairs in homes), aluminium plates can be placed between the joists to support the pipework below the height of the final floor
For situations where the final floor must not rise significantly, our LowPro+ is an overlay board which allows the pipe to lay securely in recessed grooves. It’s ideal for older buildings with wooden floors
Layer 3 – Underfloor heating system
The third layer in your heated floor is the underfloor heating system itself!
By this stage, you may have already weighed up the pros and cons and chosen either dry or wet.
Despite the different ways they work, there are a number of similar benefits to both systems.
Unlike a traditional radiator which warms the air closest to it, both wet and dry underfloor heating systems heat the whole of the floor. This produces a more evenly distributed and comfortable warmth.
Both use energy more efficiently than traditional radiators by running at a lower temperature. Without the need for bulky, metal radiators, they both allow for greater freedom of interior design.
Wet underfloor heating is typically favoured in larger buildings or homes which already have a traditional hot water based central heating system.
Electric underfloor heating is increasingly popular in smaller properties, renovations of existing properties and where solar panels provide the electricity used.
Layer 4 – Screed
The fourth layer is the screed, levelling compound or adhesive which covers the underfloor heating systems.
It can serve up to four key purposes:
Secures the underfloor heating system in place
Helps heat from the system dissipate evenly through the floor
Provides a smooth and solid top surface for the final flooring
Acts as an adhesive to secure the final flooring in place
Layer 5 – the visible flooring
The final layer is where you – or the purchasers or tenants of the property – get to install the functional and aesthetic flooring of your choice!
Underfloor heating is compatible with almost any available covering:
Solid or hardwood flooring or floor boards – durable, timeless and beautiful
Laminate or ‘engineered’ wood flooring – affordable, easy to install, hard wearing
Concrete flooring – functional, strong, can be polished or painted
Vinyl flooring or lino – water-resistant, easy to clean, available in various styles
Tiles – ceramic, porcelain, wide variety of designs
Low tog carpets – soft, warm and cosy under foot
And other surfaces including cork flooring, stone or composites
The choice of flooring will likely depend the room’s function, aesthetic preferences, budget and maintenance requirements.
The top layer choice is up to you!
How can Gaia help?
Here at Gaia, we have 35 years’ experience designing, supplying and installing both wet and electric underfloor heating systems in the UK and Ireland.
Whether it’s residential or commercial, we help our clients choose the best heating solution for their project.
Our expert team are always on hand to help homeowners, architects, contractors, M&E consultants, builders and developers with their underfloor heating needs.
Get in touch today to find out more.
Gaia installs low-carbon underfloor heating in Taylor Wimpey development
Underfloor heating specialists Gaia are designing, supplying and installing energy-efficient underfloor heating in over 250 houses within Taylor Wimpey’s new development in Barham, Suffolk.
Taylor Wimpey is a national residential construction company, building more than 15,000 homes across the UK each year. Their new residential development – Churchfields – is located in the Suffolk village of Barham and will provide 257 homes.
Suffolk-based underfloor heating experts Gaia are delivering wet underfloor heating systems for the new-build homes, after Taylor Wimpey opted to fit low-carbon and future-proof heating solutions in the development.
“Gaia HQ is local to the Churchfields site, so once we heard Taylor Wimpey were looking for low-carbon heating, we approached their team to provide a full design and quotation. Not only are our wet underfloor heating systems low-carbon, but they’re future-proof too – which is ideal for meeting new regulations!” says Steven Rooney, Director at Gaia Underfloor Heating.
The new regulations implemented by the UK government mean that carbon intensive gas boilers will soon be unsuitable for future homes and should be replaced with low-carbon alternatives.
To adhere to the new legislation, Taylor Wimpey have chosen air source heat pumps which are known as the ideal pairing for wet underfloor heating – to create a low-carbon heating system.
When used together, underfloor heating and heat pumps can be 40% more efficient than a gas boiler and radiator system. Plus, underfloor heating runs at a lower temperature than radiators, so consumes significantly less energy for the same warmth.
“The energy efficiency of combining underfloor heating with heat pumps is a significant benefit for the future residents of the Churchfields development. It’s more cost-effective and produces a more comfortable, even warmth too” adds Steven.
Gaia are delivering the design, supply and installation of wet underfloor heating systems on the ground floor of the residential units, as well as their expert guidance from the concept stage through to delivery and aftercare.
“We have extensive experience working with housing developments across the UK and are proud to be providing underfloor heating for this project. It’s great to work with another significant national developer like Taylor Wimpey and we’re looking forward to seeing the completed site” concludes Steven.
The Churchfields development features two-, three-, four- and five-bedroom homes which are surrounded by green open space and convenient amenities. Construction began in September 2023 and is due to be completed in 2028.
Gaia specialise in the design, supply and installation of underfloor heating for residential, commercial and industrial projects across the UK and Ireland.
Trusted by architects, contractors, M&E consultants, builders and developers, they have worked with some of the UK’s leading housing developers.
Get in touch to find out more.
