BANARTA
Shortlist grooved aluminium-faced XPS when your floor design calls for routed pipe channels and a metal heat-spreading face. Shortlist a studded EPS panel when it calls for pipe positioning between raised studs. The important difference is how the pipe is held and how the floor is built above it. XPS or EPS alone does not tell you the complete floor height, heating output or permitted finish.
Start with the floor system
Identify whether the proposed construction uses a screed or another specified load-distribution arrangement, the available floor height, the heating design and the final finish. Then shortlist the panel formats that fit those requirements. Do not assume that every XPS panel is a dry-system panel or that every EPS panel has the same stud geometry.
Which panel format should you shortlist?
| Your requirement | Start with | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Defined pipe channels with an aluminium face | Grooved aluminium-faced XPS | The routed profile determines straight runs, turns and pipe fit; the metal face is part of the specified heat-distribution arrangement. |
| Pipe positioned between raised studs | Studded EPS | Stud geometry sets the available pipe routes; check the chosen model rather than treating all EPS panels as the same. |
| A restricted renovation floor height | Compare complete floor sections for both offers | A thinner foam layer can still sit inside a taller panel. Add covering layers using a consistent measurement datum. |
| A specified 16 mm pipe | A model that explicitly lists 16 mm pipe compatibility | The pipe outside diameter must match its retention profile; a product name is not a compatibility rating. |
| A target heat output | The complete heating design | Water temperature, pipe spacing, floor finish and the assembly affect output; core material alone cannot establish it. |
Decide in this order: floor construction, pipe size, total height, then model and quantity. For a known 16 mm pipe requirement, compare the BEPS1621 and BEPS1631 EPS options alongside the XPS option below.
Use model-specific dimensions
The Banarta BS-20 EPS Floor Heating Panel page lists 44 mm total panel thickness and a 20 mm insulation layer. Those are different dimensions, not interchangeable ways of describing the same height. The covering layers must be added separately. Treat these as published model information to reconfirm with the current quotation, not a specification for all EPS panels.
The 1200 × 600 mm aluminum-faced XPS heating panel uses an aluminium facing over routed XPS. Its groove configuration and pipe fit must match the heating layout. A reflective or metal-looking surface does not by itself establish the output of the installed floor.
Review heating panel, pipe and floor-finish compatibility to coordinate the selected profile with the complete floor assembly.
Compare two published Banarta panel configurations
The following comparison uses the two product pages linked above. It describes published options for those products, not every XPS or EPS system. Confirm the supplied dimensions and pipe fit on the quotation and drawing.
| Item | Aluminium-faced XPS panel | BS-20 EPS panel |
|---|---|---|
| Surface and pipe layout | Aluminium facing with routed channels | HIPS film with mushroom-shaped studs and interlocking edges |
| Published board size | 1200 × 600 mm; custom dimensions by agreement | 1370 × 820 mm overall size |
| Published thickness | 25–50 mm options; specify the selected panel | 44 mm total height, including the 20 mm insulation layer |
| Pipe fit to confirm | 16 mm listed; other sizes require a matched, confirmed groove configuration | Provide the actual pipe outside diameter and spacing for confirmation; do not infer these from “BS-20” |
| Still needed for selection | Approved floor section, covering layers, usable coverage, pipe layout and documents for the selected supply | |
How much floor height does a 20 mm EPS panel need?
Check whether “20 mm” means the insulation layer or the complete panel. For the BS-20 above, the 20 mm insulation layer is already included in the 44 mm total panel height. Do not add the two figures together, and do not plan the floor using only 20 mm.
For an initial height check, measure from the same substrate datum to the finished floor level. Add the panel height to any specified layers below it and to the layers extending above the highest point of the panel. If a covering-layer dimension is measured from another datum, reconcile the drawing before adding it; otherwise the same height can be counted twice. This is a coordination check, not a prescribed screed thickness.
Once the configuration is agreed, use the underfloor heating materials order checklist to include return sections, edge details, accessories and delivery quantities in the enquiry.
Ask for a complete comparison
- Compare the two proposed floor sections at the same finished level.
- Confirm pipe size, spacing and bend arrangements for each model.
- Identify the covering materials and finish permitted by each system.
- Compare documented performance on an equivalent basis.
- Include accessories, labour and delivery scope in the cost comparison.
Choose the configuration that meets the design and supply requirements. If neither offer defines the complete floor assembly, request that information before deciding that one foam material is the better option.
Sources & product references
Product ranges are not a declaration for every configuration. Use current documents for the selected supply. External references explain general principles and do not certify Banarta products.
