The Romans built floors which were raised on piles of bricks.
At one end of the room a fire would be lit at the bottom of the wall.
The hot air from the fire would be drawn under the floor and up the walls by flues.
This hot air would heat the bricks and the heat would be passed up into the room.
As the air was drawn up through the walls, these would in turn also be warmed.
This form of heating proved to be very efficient, with only a small furnace being enough to heat the home.
This system was originally only for the wealthy although it became very popular and was found in many public buildings.
The Romans used this system throughout their Empire.
There was a more modern form of underfloor heating which came about in England during the 1960s.
This was an electric system which although popular unfortunately proved expensive to run and hard to control.
The heat was stored up overnight when the electricity was cheaper.
Subsequently the floors were too hot in the morning and hardly any warmth at all was given out by the evening.
The idea of warm floors appeals to us now.
The new modern underfloor heating system is reliable, invisible, discreet, and unobtrusive and can free up valuable wall space.
There have even been claims that it can be a healthier form of heating.
By reducing the amount of dust particles that occur with conventional convection heating systems, asthma sufferers and those with breathing problems can benefit.
Underfloor heating is a radiant form of heat.
Since there would no longer be a need for radiators in a room with has this type of heating installed, the risk to young children and the elderly from scalding on a hot radiator or falling into it is eliminated.
The floors are never hot enough to burn but comfortable to walk on.
Another benefit of having heating hidden away under the floor is that the wall space is then freed up.
This is popular with those who strive for the "minimalist" effect.
This system uses the whole floor as a radiator, and since the size of your floor is larger than that of a radiator, it does not need to get as hot.
The floor is warmer that the air higher up in the room, making your feet slightly warmer than your head.
General figures state that when the floor temperature is at approximately 21° the room temperature at a height level 160cm would be approximately 19°.
There are two types of system available; warm water (wet) or electric (dry).
With thermostatic control and timers it is a reliable way to heat not only the floor but a whole room.
Kitchens, bathrooms and conservatories were initially the most popular rooms in which to install this type of heating, since it was common to have a tiled floor in these rooms.
In the colder months these floors were themselves very cold to walk on.
The idea of being able to have a warm tiled floor was very appealing.
It is now quite usual to not only have underfloor heating in these rooms but also to install it throughout the whole house.
Underfloor heating is now very popular in self-build and newly built housing.
It is also being installed in extensions.
It is a good idea to think ahead and plan to put in your underfloor heating before any new floors are laid.
Electric underfloor heating is available as either a mat system or cable, which is more convenient for irregular shaped rooms.
The warm water system can easily be connected to an existing heating system.
Although there are two types of underfloor heating, these are available in different forms which are suitable for various types of flooring.
No matter what your floor type (wood, laminate, tile, carpet etc) there is a system that will suit your needs.