Polished concrete and underfloor heating
Polished concrete works very well with underfloor heating because it holds and releases heat slowly. The pipes go in the slab, the insulation goes under it, and the water runs no hotter than 35°C, low and all the time.
Free, no obligation. One local polished concrete contractor prices it, not five.
Where the pipes go
- The pipes are laid within the thickness of the final concrete floor, usually about 100 mm thick.
- There must be enough insulation under the slab, or the heat goes into the ground.
- Mark where the pipes and joints run before the polishing starts, and agree the grind depth so the pipes stay well covered.
How to run the heat
- Water no hotter than 35°C in the pipes.
- Keep it running low the whole time, not on and off.
- Switch it on at least a day before you need the house warm.
Low, steady heat suits a heat pump. A slab is slow to warm and slow to cool, so it suits being left on.
Homes with renewable heat
New houses are built to run on low-temperature heat, and a polished slab with pipes in it is one of the simplest ways to use it.
On an existing floor
An existing slab has no pipes in it, and polishing it doesn't add heating. Microcement, at 2 to 3 mm thick, can go over existing tiles and screed with no effect on underfloor heating already there. See polished concrete vs microcement.
Polished concrete in your own room
Take a photo of the room, pick a finish and a sheen, and see the floor polished before anyone quotes. Free, in under a minute.
- Upload a photo, or answer 4 questions.
- We pass it to one contractor that covers your county.
- They ring you with a written price.
Preview of your photo, not a guarantee. Your photo goes to Google's Gemini service to make the picture and isn't kept.
A photo that works
- Daylight, lights on if it's dull.
- From the doorway, so most of the floor is in the shot.
- A building site is fine: the slab, the plaster, the lot.
- Hold the phone level, not pointed at your feet.
Questions people ask
Can you have underfloor heating with polished concrete?
Yes. The pipes go in the slab, and the concrete holds and releases the heat slowly.
What temperature should the water be?
No more than 35°C.
Can I add underfloor heating to an existing polished floor?
Not into the slab without breaking it out. Electric mats or pipes need a new layer on top, which covers the polish.
Is polished concrete cold?
Without heating it feels cool, like stone. With pipes in the slab, the floor is the radiator.
Get a price in 4 taps
Tap what you need and leave your number. It goes to one polished concrete contractor that covers your county, and they ring you back to look at the floor and give you a written price.
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