Ask the experts

This month, our experts tackle your questions on flat roofs, removing a chimney breast and how to plan planting for a new garden.

IMAGE: JEREMY PHILLIPS

NATASHA BRINSMEAD HB&R’s associate editor Natasha is an experienced renovator

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IAN ROCK is a chartered surveyor and founder of www.rightsurvey.co.uk

PAUL HERVEY-BROOKES is an award-winning landscape designer and RHS Gardens Judge

DAVID CULSHAW is technical director at INTU Boiling Water Taps

SABATINO TORCHITTI is a head of quality in Building Regulations at www.resi.co.uk

BARBARA JONES is one of the UK’s leading straw bale building experts and director of Straw Works

Got a burning question about your self-build, extension or renovation project that you need answering?

Drop us a line by emailing homebuilding@futurenet.com and your question could be answered by one of our magazine experts.

Q C an I use polished  concrete with underfloor heating?

HANNAH AND DANIEL, LANCASHIRE

Polished concrete flooring is achieved using poured concrete with chemical densifiers added; these densifiers act to fill the holes and pores in the concrete. Once cured, the concrete is polished (as the name suggests,) until the required level of sheen and smoothness is achieved.

The good news is, concrete is a superb heat conductor, so concrete floors work really well with underfloor heating. The thermal mass of your concrete will retain heat and ensure your room stays warm for longer after your heating is switched off than would be the case with a radiator system. They are easy to pour over the pipework and they absorb and hold the heat produced well. Seek the advice of your installer before switching your underfloor heating on though — too soon and the floor could crack.