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Installing underfloor heating pipes before screeding

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Underfloor Heating

We provide high-performance underfloor heating solutions, delivering warmth and comfort to homes and commercial spaces.

We provide high-performance underfloor heating solutions, delivering warmth and comfort to homes and commercial spaces. Our energy-efficient systems offer even heat distribution, eliminating the need for bulky radiators while enhancing the aesthetics and functionality of your space. Whether you're building a new home, renovating, or upgrading your heating system, our expert team ensures a seamless and professional installation.

Comfort, Efficiency & Modern Heating Technology

Underfloor heating is a hidden, radiant heating system installed beneath your flooring, offering a gentle, consistent heat that rises evenly throughout the room. It eliminates cold spots, reduces energy waste, and provides superior comfort compared to traditional heating systems.

Why underfloor heating suits Maltese homes

Homes in Malta are designed to stay cool in summer, with stone or concrete construction and tiled floors throughout. In winter, those same features make rooms feel cold and damp, even when outside temperatures are mild. Underfloor heating turns the floor into a gentle, room-wide heat source, so the space feels comfortable from the ground up. It works quietly, takes up no wall space and leaves nothing on show.

Where we use it

  • Apartments and maisonettes: living areas, bedrooms and bathrooms in new and renovated homes.
  • Villas and penthouses: whole-floor heating across open-plan spaces, often beneath large-format tiles or microcement.
  • Offices: comfortable workspaces without radiators taking up wall and floor space.
  • Retail and hospitality: showrooms, restaurants and hotel bathrooms where comfort and clean design matter.

Planning underfloor heating

Underfloor heating is easiest to install well when it is planned early, because it affects the whole floor build-up and finished levels. A few points to consider:

  • Zones: separate zones let you control rooms individually, so you heat only the spaces you are using.
  • Insulation: insulation beneath the system directs heat upwards into the room rather than into the slab.
  • Fixed furniture: pipes and mats are kept clear of areas under kitchen units and built-in wardrobes.
  • Floor finishes: choose finishes rated for use with underfloor heating.
  • Timing: screed must cure before the heating is commissioned, so the programme needs to allow for it.

We work through these points with you at the design stage, so there are no surprises once the floor is laid.

Our process

  1. Design and planning: we review the layout, floor finishes and heating zones, and agree the system type.
  2. Preparation: the subfloor is cleaned and levelled, and insulation is laid where required to direct heat upwards.
  3. Installation: pipes or heating mats are laid out and secured according to the plan.
  4. Testing: the system is pressure-tested or electrically checked before it is covered.
  5. Covering and commissioning: the system is covered with screed or the appropriate layer, the floor finish is installed, and the heating is brought into use gradually.

Why choose Shaw Contractors

Underfloor heating sits at the heart of the floor build-up, so it needs to be coordinated with the trades above and below it. We lay the concrete screed that encases water-based systems and install the tiling or micro cement finish on top, which means levels, timing and curing are managed as one job rather than handed between contractors.

We work on residential and commercial projects across Malta, from shell to furnished. Our clients have praised our attention to detail, our commitment to deadlines and our clean, tidy worksites.

Thinking about underfloor heating for your property? Contact us to discuss the options.

Why underfloor heating works

  • Even, comfortable warmth

    Heat rises gently from the whole floor, avoiding the hot and cold spots common with radiators and wall-mounted units.

  • No radiators on the walls

    With the heating hidden beneath the floor, walls are free for furniture and design, and rooms feel cleaner and more spacious.

  • Warm tiled floors

    Tiled and stone floors, standard in Maltese homes, stop feeling cold underfoot during the damp winter months.

  • Efficient operation

    Because the whole floor emits heat, the system can run at lower temperatures than conventional heaters to keep a room comfortable.

Self-levelling screed poured over underfloor heating pipes

Underfloor Heating: frequently asked questions

Is underfloor heating worth it in Malta?

Malta's winters are short, but they are damp, and most homes have tiled or stone floors that feel cold for months. Underfloor heating takes the chill off the whole room evenly, without the draughts of fan heaters or the dry air some air-conditioning units produce. It is most cost-effective to install during a new build or a full renovation, when floors are being laid anyway.

What is the difference between water-based and electric underfloor heating?

Water-based systems circulate warm water through pipes laid within the screed and are usually the choice for whole-floor heating in new builds and major renovations. Electric systems use thin heating mats or cables beneath the floor finish and suit smaller areas such as bathrooms or single-room upgrades. The right option depends on your project, floor build-up and how you plan to use the space.

Which floor finishes work with underfloor heating?

Tiles, stone and microcement are excellent partners because they conduct heat well. Engineered wood, vinyl and some laminates can also be used if the products are rated for underfloor heating. Thick carpets and underlays reduce performance. We plan the floor build-up with you so the heating and finish work together.

Can underfloor heating be installed in an existing home?

Yes. Where floors are being taken up during a renovation, a full system can be laid within new screed. If you would rather not raise floor levels much, low-profile options can be installed over the existing floor beneath the new finish. We assess floor heights, doors and thresholds before recommending an approach.

Guides on underfloor heating

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