Getting clients to go green - advice for Architects and Interior Designers

As a designer, you’ll know that the main part of any job is client satisfaction. Creating an environment that satisfies the needs and desires of the person you’re designing for is crucial to the success of the operation, and sometimes this means compromising on your own design choices.

If, however, your heart is set on an idea that you know will look fantastic and perform well, how can you best go about talking your client round? We at Terra Therma know how beneficial underfloor heating is for all parties concerned, so here are some of our top tips for swaying the mind of those who matter.

Green is Best

Underfloor heating is, of course, the most eco-friendly method of utilising heat energy within the home. By providing a more sustainable energy source, the costs associated with heat are minimised and the environmental impact is significantly reduced. Your customer is sure to be interested in how their investment can save them money in the long run.

Effectiveness

The heat is evenly distributed and directly absorbed into the air, and being largely radiant offers a far better, even spread of energy throughout a space. It also offers objects within the space to become secondary points of radiation as they absorb the heat from the floor.

Pointing out to a client how much more comfortable their space will be will also highlight to them how much more they will use it – people who invest money into a pleasant living space want to be able to spend as much time there as possible.

Aesthetics

Statistically, the absence of radiators offers around 15% more usable space within a room, allowing for a wider range of design possibilities. This additional space means furniture can be placed without consideration for blocking heat in a room or worrying about fire hazards. Equally, it means wall space can be left uninterrupted, opening up the options for creating something interesting.

Mosaics and murals require unbroken space, which is offered by the removal of radiators, and elements such as wall cladding or other intricate wall coverings are far more pleasing to the eye when radiators aren’t interrupting them. Options such as mirrored or glass walls also become available when they are left unmarked by heating methods.

Underfloor heating also eliminates the issue of floor draughts and cold tiles or timber, meaning doors don’t need draught excluders and colder floor materials don’t need to be covered by rugs or carpets, meaning your client can have their flooring of choice on show at all times.

If the more complex reasonings haven’t convinced them, it’s worth pointing out to your customer that radiators aren’t particularly attractive, and the only benefit they offer to a room is an uneven source of heat. When they’re putting money into having a beautiful new living space created, why compromise on the aesthetics by including something unsightly.

Hopefully your clients will appreciate that you, as a qualified professional, know that underfloor heating is the smartest option for a room, but it’s always advisable to have a strong set of reasons why they will benefit from the change. Keep in mind our three key points – it’s greener, it’s more effective, and it looks a lot better!