Installing a pivot door with underfloor heating: how it works

Can a pivot door be used with underfloor heating?

In most cases that's possible. When installing a pivot door, it is only necessary to drill a centimetre deep into the floor. The pipes of your underfloor heating are almost always deeper, so they remain out of reach. Are you in doubt about your situation? Our fitters always check that during the measurement, so you can be sure everything will be fine.

Why the combination raises questions

The question of whether a pivot door can be installed in combination with underfloor heating often arises, and that is logical. A pivot door doesn't hang on side hinges, but on a pivot point located in the ceiling and the floor. The underfloor heating pipes are also in the floor. The thought that drilling and heating pipes don't mix is therefore completely understandable. In practice, it's not as bad as long as the pivot point is placed in the right spot and not too deep. We take precisely that into account during installation.

This is how Aluwdoors installs a pivot door with underfloor heating

Our fitters will coordinate the location of your pivot door's pivot point with your underfloor heating. They will determine where it is safe to drill, take the pipes into account and drill as little as possible. You don't need to take anything into account, as we will take care of the measuring and installation.

First, map out the pipes

Before drilling, it is important to know the exact path of the heating pipes. This ensures the pivot point is placed in a safe spot, out of reach of the pipes. In new builds or renovations, it is often clear where the pipes are located, for example from the construction drawings. Otherwise, check with the installer. Has the underfloor heating been there for a while and you don't know the exact layout of the pipes? Then our engineers will determine on site where they can drill safely.

Drill to a depth of just about one centimetre thanks to our system

The main advantage of Aluwdoors’s pivot doors lies in the mechanism itself. With our doors, the pivot mechanism in the door frame, in the high threshold at the bottom of the door. Because of this, only about one centimetre needs to be drilled into the floor. As underfloor heating is usually a good deal deeper, plenty of room is left for drilling. At the top of the door, about four centimetres is anchored into the ceiling. The ceiling must be sturdy enough to screw the mechanism into. Ceilings made of concrete, stone or wood are usually sturdy enough. With a plasterboard ceiling, extra reinforcement is required.

What if a pipe is situated exactly at the pivot point?

Very occasionally, a heating pipe lies precisely in the spot where the pivot point of the pivot door needs to go. Even then, there is almost always a solution. For example, the pivot point of the door can be shifted slightly, or we use a modified mounting method where even less depth needs to be drilled. 

The engineers will determine the best solution for your situation on site. They always do this in consultation with you. This ensures that the underfloor heating remains intact and is running the door still opens and closes smoothly.

Don’t have underfloor heating yet? Do bear this in mind

Are you going to have underfloor heating installed in the future, but do you already know that you want to have a pivot door fitted now? If so, take the underfloor heating into account now. Mark out the location of your door's pivot point in advance and keep a space of about ten to fifteen centimetres clear around it for the pipes of your underfloor heating. Also coordinate this with your installer and with us, as this will prevent problems. Don't forget to keep the space clear in the future either.

Does a pivot door cause heat loss?

Is the heat loss from a pivot door much to worry about? Yes. Because a pivot door has no frame and no threshold, warm air can circulate freely underneath it. A standard hinged door in a closed frame actually blocks that airflow more. That works out nicely for your underfloor heating, as the heat spreads more easily through the room that way. To be fair: because there is no frame around it, a small gap may remain depending on the finish. That difference is not large, and with proper adjustment it remains limited.

Are you unsure whether a pivot door will suit your floor? Tell us about your situation, and we will be happy to advise you. Customise your own door in our online configurator. Struggling? You are more than welcome in our showroom, to view pivot doors in real life. We are located at Nunspeet, Barendrecht, Mijdrecht en Veghel.