Last week I wrote about bamboo flooring and it made me think about our options for the downstairs area of our house. Also as the weather’s getting colder I can’t help but dream about how wonderful and warm underfloor heating would be. Do you have underfloor heating in your house?

My parents have it in their’s running from the kitchen into the hallway. I remember there was a particular spot near the front door that would always get extra warm, so our cat would naturally gravitate to this area for his naps. If you couldn’t find him anywhere else he’d be on the doormat curled up.

I’m sure the systems have come along way from the days that one was installed in my childhood home, so I’d be curious to find out more. As you might know from following the blog we currently live at the top floor flat while the rest of the house is undergoing a complete makeover. Up here we can keep the thermostat on 17 degrees and it is comfortable through winter, as warmth naturally rises. I am however slightly concerned about the room that will become our kitchen. It’s basically an extension facing the garden and it’s an area that doesn’t get much sunlight.

There is no floor there yet, only the concrete foundation, so we have the opportunity to look into what would be the best solution. I can see underfloor heating working really well as we’re planning for this area to become the heart of the house. Somewhere we’ll gather both in the mornings for breakfasts, but also throughout the day and in the evenings. We got great plans to keep it in a country kitchen style, but with modern features such a flat screen TV on the end wall and possibly underfloor heating.

We need to look into costs too, as I know it used to be quite expensive to run, but again I have a feeling that this has changed and we would want something that works and doesn’t kill our heating budget in winter. If you have any experience I’d love to hear about it in the comments?