Stair installation on UFH?

bro'

Am about to get stairs installed in new house soon and as I have UFH in the sub floor the stairman wanted to know where the heating pipes were in the ground? I have a fair idea of where they are as I have pictures of the flooring before the screed was poured however no definite locations where he can drill into the ground to fix the stair frame?

Just wondering how everyone else with UFH heating got their stairs installed without the fitter puncturing any UFH pipes?

Viking House

You can check the location of the UF heating pipes with a Thermal Imaging camera or you could try wetting the floor and then turning on the heating to very hot, the area around the UF heating will dry first.

bro'

cheers Viking house, I don't have access to a thermal image camera , I am nervous of them bursting a pipe when they screw the stair frame to the floor. My underfloor heating guy never left clearance in the screed floor for where the stairs will be assembled.

I will just have to make sure they do not put anything too deep into the floor which will hit the piping i.e no more than 1.5-2inchs as the screed in 3inchs deep.

qazxsw

Have had a stairs installed over ufh recently

No fixings were used on the floor,

The stairs was a straight run to a landing and a turn to the left with 3 more steps to reach the first floor.

No fixings were used into the floor, justs frame fixers on the stringer which adjoined a wall., and the landing was "cut" to fit tightly into the square available for it and frame fixers + glue used.

bro'

cheers qazxsw, just the info I was looking for I was getting worried when the stairman mentioned he had to fix to the floor. But I must mention to him about installing with another method as I have a half landing staircase like you to a corner with two walls so he should be able to fix to both of these walls similar to your situaion?

yop

Same as that, stairs are attached to the wall and not the floor, even so your UFH installer should have coped that yuo don't install under stairs, kitchen units, toilets, handbasins etc. I presume he did not install under these?

bro'

Installer did avoid UFH piping for kitchen worktops, toilets etc as you say but for some reason must have been unsure for location of stairs and so put it all over otherwise he probably thought there would be no problem with installation as assumed fixing would be to walls.

Should be ok now as will get the stairman to fix to walls and not floor

short_frank

I had the same problem when I developed my attic. I wanted just a straight stairs and it would be fine fixing it to the wall but the other side of the stair would always have movement as it was basically free standing at the newell post. I solved it by getting my stair maker to leave the newell post 2 inches longer than the other. I then cut a good square with an angle grinder 2 inches deep where the post would stand on the ground. I criss crossed the square with the grinder and then knocked the remaining out with a chisel. I put the stairs in position and fixed the side to the wall and then put a good strong mix of sand and cement into the hole. Make sure no touches the stairs until it is set and it should be fine.

qazxsw

I don't think there should be any prob with the "free" side of the stairs tilting/moving as it's supported on the base (which should be glued to floor ?) and by connection to the landing, which should be locked into position on three sides.?

Ther's no prob with movement in mine at any rate.