Sep 3 2007
Research* by Wavin Plastics into the UK’s perception of underfloor heating (UFH) has revealed more than a third of house buyers would include UFH in their top five wish list of luxury items when buying a new home.
Wavin Plastics, the company behind OSMA UFH - one of the UK market’s leading UFH brands - carried out the research in order to gauge people’s understanding of UFH and its associated benefits.
While findings show that awareness of UFH and its benefits are high across all age ranges, only a tenth of the population have actually lived in a property which has UFH. However, a further 37% have experienced UFH, either by visiting a home or hotel which has UFH installed.
Almost three quarters (74%) of people associate UFH with all-round warmth, while 76% say it frees up wall space. Just over half (51%) believe it adds value to a property while over a third (39%) say it’s more energy efficient. A further 29% of people say that UFH is better for asthma sufferers as it circulates less dust than radiators.
“We’ve heard lots of positive comments about UFH such as ‘warmth without the dryness of central heating’, and ‘lovely to walk on with bare feet,” comments Chris Simmons, commercial manager. “Once people have experienced how fantastic UFH is, they want it in their own homes. More and more people are realising the benefits.”
Findings also show that three in five people say the presence of UFH would make them more likely to consider buying a new build property. Almost two thirds (64%) would prefer UFH throughout the home but specifically in rooms that are traditionally tiled or have wooden flooring. Eighty-one per cent of respondents would like UFH in their bathroom, 79% in the lounge and 52% in the kitchen. “Although most people naturally associate UFH with tiled rooms, or wooden floors, it can also be used under carpet,” explains Chris.
The research also highlighted potential concerns over perceived technical difficulties and price.
“Traditionally it appears that people think UFH is complicated - a common misconception,” says Chris. “We’re working hard to explain to people that installing OSMA UFH is really very, very simple. A conservatory or single room extension can often take an installer just a few hours. OSMA UFH is practical, efficient, easy to install and maintain. Additionally, when you consider the overall project installation time and cost, UFH offers a real alternative to radiator systems.”
The research revealed that along with UFH the other top five luxury items include a conservatory, a fitted dishwasher, soft furnishings (of a buyer’s choice) and electric garage doors.
For further straightforward information, discover the formula for intelligent UFH at www.genius-ufh.co.uk.