Many owners are faced with the problem of insufficient heat in houses and apartments. The reason for this is the imperfect functioning of the heating system. In many systems, enormous heat losses are currently occurring. This is especially true for high-rise buildings. The air does not have time to warm up to the desired temperature. And the heated stream rises, while the floor remains cold. But how to provide a comfortable microclimate indoors? There is a solution. This is a floor heating installation. This solution allows not only to get rid of the usual heating radiators, spoiling the view, but also to provide comfortable living conditions. What is the warm floor under the parquet board and how to install it? Let's look at this issue in more detail.
Varieties
There are several types of underfloor heating under parquet:
Consider each type in more detail.
Water
It is a kind of puff cake. So, the first layer is waterproofing. It spreads to the base. By means of a damping tape it is possible to eliminate all possible expansion of a coupler. The tape is laid over the entire area of the room. Next, a heat-insulating layer is installed, and after that a screed is performed. At the next stage, installation of flooring is already underway, that is, installation of a parquet board. Thus, the “pie” will include:
- Rough aligned screed.
- Waterproofing.
- Styrofoam.
- Pipes on mounting tape.
- Cement screed.
- Parquet flooring.
In this case, the thickness of the entire structure will be from 5 to 15 centimeters. This is a disadvantage of the water floor, since the distance to the ceiling is significantly reduced. And if in private houses this is not so noticeable, then in an apartment these centimeters are sometimes critical. Among the shortcomings of this design, the masters note the complicated installation and repair problems in case of malfunctions of the heating system. Among the advantages are safety and profitability.
Electrical cable
Here, floor heating is as follows. Voltage is applied to a special cable, after which the system converts energy into heat. Choosing electric heated floors for laminate and parquet, you can purchase a single-core or two-core cable.
However, experts recommend not saving and using a two-core cable in residential premises (all the more so since it consumes less electric energy and is easier to install). However, such cables have a risk of local overheating if a certain area is damaged. Self-regulating models are recommended. Such a cable itself regulates the level of heating along the entire length. If in a certain area the temperature is higher than the nominal, then the resistance increases and the heating decreases to the required level.
Installation
Before installing the underfloor heating under the parquet, you must first prepare the surface. It is thoroughly cleaned of dirt and dust. If necessary, the surface is leveled. Next, insulation is installed, and a leveling grid is made. When the leveling layer has dried, you can begin to lay the electric cable. Also, install the sensor and thermostat. After that, the entire system is checked for operability.
Next, proceed to pouring the screed. It dries up within a month. After this time, you can lay the floorboard or laminate. By the way, the easiest option for arranging an electric floor heating is a heating mat. Here, the cable is already fixed to the grid, and you do not need to fill the screed. This saves significantly time.
Among the advantages of an electric heated floor for parquet, the following is noted:
- High service life (as practice shows, at least 20 years).
- Easy installation (in the case of heating mats).
- The ability to control the temperature of the floor.
- Reliability of a design.
Among the shortcomings are a small electromagnetic radiation, as well as higher energy costs.
Infrared film
This is a fairly common option. Such a system appeared relatively recently. An infrared film is installed on a heat-reflecting base. After that, they immediately begin to install the finish flooring. This type of underfloor heating has many advantages:
- Ease of installation. You can lay parquet or laminate immediately after laying the film.
- Durability.
- Reliability.
- Low power consumption (compared to the previous version).
- Small thickness. The floor increases slightly, which is especially true for apartments with a low ceiling.
Among the shortcomings should be noted:
- The high cost of the system.
- Unsuitable infrared film for rooms with high humidity. These include the kitchen and bathroom.
- The need for a perfectly flat surface.
What to choose?
So, what kind of underfloor heating for parquet choose? Among all the above options, it is better to choose the latter. The infrared warm floor under the parquet is installed very quickly and does not require much effort (except for leveling the surface). It makes sense to overpay and purchase such a system instead of electric cables. But before proceeding with the installation, it is necessary to calculate the amount of reflective substrate and the thermal film itself. The substrate area should correspond to the area of the room where the installation will be performed. But thermal film will be required less, since it can not be laid under furniture.
Getting ready to install
So, to organize such a floor, we need:
- Screwdriver.
- Scotch.
- Pliers.
- Knife.
- Scissors.
We also need a set of underfloor heating , a temperature controller, a temperature sensor, a protective film and a thermal reflective substrate.
Getting to work
To perform the installation using technology, it is necessary to thoroughly dry and dust the surface. Next, the installation of thermal insulation material is performed. Please note: this material should not be composed of aluminum foil. The presence of aluminum for the infrared floor is unacceptable.
So, the film floor needs to be cut into strips. To minimize the scraps, perform styling along the length of the room. At the same time, the strips must not be pressed tightly. It is recommended to maintain a distance. Between the strips - 10 centimeters, and from the wall - 50 centimeters. Please note that the copper strip must be installed from below. Contacts are best placed against the wall. The temperature regulator is also fixed here. This technology of laying a warm floor under the parquet allows you to save on the length of the wires for connection. Stripes are connected in parallel. This will hide the wire under the baseboard.
Cost
The purchase of materials, including a temperature regulator, a heating cable, a mounting tape and sensors, will require about 16 thousand rubles. If installation work is not done on its own, you will have to pay the workers. The price is usually 25 percent of the cost of the warmest floor. If you need to dismantle the old floor, it will take from 130 to 250 rubles for each square meter. Laying parquet or laminate flooring - 700 rubles per square meter.
Parquet Requirements
Most types of wood can be laid on a warm floor. But there are exceptions. So, it is not recommended to use in this case:
- European and Canadian maple.
- Beech.
- Tali.
- Jatobu.
- Sucupiru.
Laying parquet on such a floor is carried out only after the completion of all wet and finishing work. Before installation, the following must be installed:
- Central heating.
- Window.
- Electrical network.
The room should be dry, with a working ventilation system. But the doors are installed after laying the floor. Prior to installation, this material should be stored for a day in a dry room, in a horizontal position. Before installation, the parquet is stored in the packaging film at room temperature. It is allowed to reduce the temperature to +18 degrees (but not less) within 48 hours before installation. Knowing these rules, you can get high-quality flooring, which will not only delight you with its appearance, but also perform its function (namely, heating the living room).
Conclusion
So, we examined all types of underfloor heating under parquet. The best option, as noted earlier, is infrared. It is more difficult to lay a parquet board on a warm water floor, and the result will not please. In the event of a breakdown, such a system will cause many problems - you will have to disassemble the screed. The infrared floor is simpler and more durable. It is quite simple to dismantle. Therefore, it is in greatest demand.