Why Underfloor Heating Is Older Than You Might Think

The idea of fitting underfloor heating in a north London home might seem rather novel, despite all its many great advantages of energy efficiency and thoroughly effective warming.

In fact, the first London residents to have underfloor heating did so a long time ago – stretching back to when there first was a place called London at all.

What is now a bustling megacity was founded by the Romans, whose empire featured some very advanced engineering. Apart from their water and sewage systems, plus the capacity to build a wall that could stretch from one coast to the other, they created their own underfloor heating systems, called hypocausts.

Among examples of this are the baths at what is now Billingsgate, while another bath house site, also heated by a hypocaust, was discovered in Southwark in 2011.

The hypocaust system worked by using a double floor, with fires lit in the space in between. The heat would rise up and could warm up bath water or, in homes, the air in the living space above.

Other examples of Roman hypocausts can be found around Britain and around the empire. Suffice to say, only the wealthier and higher-ranking Romans had it in their residences.

You don’t have to be very wealthy or the owner of a public bathhouse to have underfloor heating in London today, of course. Although the technology used by the Romans was advanced for its time, it is safe to say the modern systems used are much better. For one thing, you won’t need servants to keep going downstairs to keep the fires stoked.

Instead, with one of our skilled engineers carrying out the installation work, you can enjoy the benefits of a modern energy-efficient system that represents a great investment for a present-day homeowner, enabling you to enjoy comfortable living without high bills.