Childproofing Your Home And Garden
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Childproofing Your Home And Garden

When my first child had an accident at home, I realised we hadn't childproofed the house as well as we could have. Thankfully, they were fine, but I learned my lesson and began a thorough inspection of my home and garden. I got to work addressing the various hazards we had overlooked, and I started this blog to help other parents think objectively about the hazards in their own homes. I post about a variety of topics, such as pool safety, choosing a safe garden fence, storing medication and cleaning products, window and door locks and kitchen safety for kids. I hope you find my blog useful and informative.

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Childproofing Your Home And Garden

Questions People Ask About Underfloor Heating

Ana Gonzales

Most homeowner's rely on two main methods of heating their home:  central heat that flows through ducts installed in the ceilings or walls, and radiant heating where radiators or portable heaters radiate heat to warm up a room. But if you are looking for another heating method that can provide you with advantages over these two types of heating, you should think about underfloor heating, which is becoming increasingly popular. To help you understand everything you need to know about this type of heating, here are the answers to some common questions.

What is the Process of Underfloor Heating? -- Underfloor heating works with piping or wires that are installed under your floor that generate and conduct heat through all areas of your home. The flooring material doesn't matter, meaning that whether you have timber floors, tiles, natural stone or vinyl, the underfloor heating will still work. Underfloor heating is often less expensive to install than central heating because there is less labour involved in setting up the wires or pipes used in the system.

What Are the Installation Methods? -- With underfloor heating, there are two ways in which contractors make an installation:  electrical and water-based. The electrical method is a process in which a contractor installs insulated wiring under the flooring. The wires are attached to a central controller that regulates the heating process. As the controller triggers the wires, heat surges through them and generates enough heat to rise up through your flooring and into the rooms. The water-based method utilises a storage tank which holds boiling water that flows through pipes built under your floor. The pipes gradually get hot and that heat radiates into your rooms. Your contractor will determine which method best fits your home, but if you already own a heat pump, then the water installation method is the best option as it eliminates the need to install a storage tank.

What About Heating Through Rugs and Carpet? -- If your home flooring has a lot of carpet or throw rugs, a contractor may choose the water installation method because the pipes generate a higher level of heat than the wires used with the electrical method. Underfloor heating works best with natural stone floors and tile flooring because these types of surfaces conduct heat in the most efficient manner, which makes it easier for your rooms to get warm in a shorter period of time.

Does It Take Long For a Room To Heat Up? -- Underfloor heating does take longer to warm a room than central heating or radiant heating. But the amount of time necessary to achieve warmth depends on the size of a room and the ambient temperature. The initial warm-up time when the system is first used may be several hours, but once the system is operating, the flooring will heat up much faster.


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