Walls, plaster and cornices
There are no radiators to hang and no pipes to run to them.
Floor heating for heritage and period homes
You can have hydronic warmth in an older home without cutting into the walls you are restoring. HOYA Ondol panels go over the existing floor, and the heating pipe runs inside the floor itself.
What stays untouched
Fireplaces, skirtings and joinery
Nothing is mounted in the room itself; the manifold usually sits in a cupboard.
The original structure
At under 17 kg/m², the panels add little weight to an old suspended timber floor. A wet screed is about 120 kg/m².
Your timeline
Nothing is poured, so no screed needs weeks to dry.
Only two things need a path: the pipe from the manifold to each room, and the connection to the heat source. In most older homes both run through the subfloor or a cupboard. Slab homes may need a different route.
How it fits an older floor
- Check the floor. It must be sound and flat to within 3 mm over 1 m. Uneven boards or slabs are patched or levelled first.
- Plan the height. The heating layer adds 27.7 mm. With 14.2 mm engineered timber on top, the finished floor sits 41.9 mm above the old one. Plan door trims, thresholds and where heated rooms meet unheated ones.
- Insulate underneath. Under a suspended timber floor, insulation below the boards sends the heat up into the room instead of into the subfloor.
- Lay the panels and pipe to the layout we design from your plans.
- Finish the floor in engineered timber, solid timber, tiles on a 6 mm tile board, or carpet.
Room by room, as the renovation goes
Most heritage renovations happen in stages. The manifold and heat pump can be sized for the whole house from the start, with rooms connected as each one is finished. There is no need to commit the whole home at once.
Lower running costs than heaters on the walls
Older homes lose heat, so running costs matter more, not less. A heat pump gives about 3.5 kWh of heat for every kWh of electricity (the HydroAir Next Gen we supply is rated at a COP of 3.55). An electric radiator gives 1. At 40.7 c/kWh, that is about 11.6 c against 40.7 c for every kWh of heat.
Older homes we’ve heated
Daylesford, Vic
An older cottage, 67.2 m² over the existing concrete floor, with A, B and C panels, a heat pump and a timber floor.
O’Connor, ACT
An older Canberra home, about 150 m² over the particleboard subfloor, with B and C panels, a heat pump and solid timber.
Heritage overlays and the heat pump
If your home is heritage-listed or in a heritage overlay, check with your council or state heritage body before you start. Some listings cover interiors and original floors as well as outside equipment such as the heat pump. A side or rear position out of street view is usually the simplest.
Questions
Can floor heating go into a Victorian or Federation home?
Yes. The panels go over the existing floor, so walls, plaster and decorative features are usually left untouched.
Will it damage the original floorboards?
The panels sit on top of the existing floor, which stays in place underneath. We’ll confirm the fixing method for your boards when we design the layout.
Is a heated floor safe under solid timber?
Yes, with the right timber and commissioning. The floor surface is kept at or below 27 °C. Timber flooring over underfloor heating.
Installation and warranty
The panels can be laid by a builder, carpenter or flooring installer, following HOYA Ondol’s installation instructions and the panel and pipe layout designed for your floor, working with your hydronic installer. Manifold, heat pump or boiler connections must be made by a licensed plumber, and electrical work by a licensed electrician. In some states, laying the heating pipe itself is also licensed plumbing work, so check with your installer. Warranty requires licensed connections. This does not limit your rights under the Australian Consumer Law.
Get a layout for your renovation
Tell us which rooms you’re renovating and send your plans. We’ll design the layout for your home.