Three main types of hydronic floor heating are in-slab (pipes embedded in concrete), in-screed (pipes in a thin concrete layer over an existing floor),and dry/panel (pipes installed in subfloor. These systems use heated panels water from a boiler or heat pump to provide energy-efficient, silent warmth, often ideal for tiles, concrete, or floating floors.
1. In-Slab Heating (Hydronic Concrete): Pipes are attached directly to reinforcing steel before the concrete slab is poured, which is perfect for new construction with polished concrete, stone, or tile floors. The entire floor mass heats up, providing high thermal mass and consistent, long-lasting warmth.
2. In-Screed Heating: Pipes are laid on top of an existing slab and covered with a thin layer of sand-cement screed (50-60mm), making it ideal for renovations or new builds. It is more responsive (warms up faster) than in-slab system.
3. Dry/Panel Floor Heating (No-Screed): Pipes are installed on top of the subfloor within specialized panel systems (like polystyrene or aluminium heat diffusion plates) without using wet concrete or screed, according to HydroHeat and These are ideal for retrofitting, especially with timber or floating floors.
- Heat Sources: These systems are powered by high-efficiency boilers (natural gas/electric) or heat pumps,which provide hot water to the tubing.