Electric flooring has appeared on the market of construction products and services relatively recently. However, in such a short time, he gained great popularity not only among professional masters, but also among ordinary people. It is used for underfloor heating under tiles, laminate and linoleum. Electric underfloor heating, which is mostly positive, is a great addition to radiator heating. From this article you will learn what it is and what types of it are. Reviews of people using this gender will help you in choosing a product, tell you what to look for when buying. With all the necessary knowledge, you can easily mount an electric floor yourself.
What is a warm floor?
Electric floors are a kind of system consisting of cables and wires, the main purpose of which is to heat the room. With the help of heating sections, this coating allows you to keep rooms, loggias, toilets and bathrooms warm. The electric floor can exist both autonomous and as an additional heating system.
System features
Reviews of the electric warm field allow us to conclude that this heating system has a number of advantages compared to traditional radiator methods.
Features of underfloor heating:
- The part of the system that transfers heat is securely hidden in the floor structure, so the floor space is increasing. In addition, the electric floor is laid under any foundation - tile, carpet, marble. This allows you to diversify the interior of a house or apartment, combining styles.
- The heating cable does not directly affect the atmosphere, so the air in the apartment / house is not dried.
- Electric floors can be used indoors of any humidity, as they are equipped with double insulation and a shielding braid of wires.
The composition of the underfloor heating system
Installation of electric underfloor heating requires knowledge of all components of the heating system. It includes the following elements:
- heating mat or sections;
- temperature sensor that controls the temperature;
- control Panel;
- a layer of thermal insulation with foil.
A heating mat is a common wire connected to a heating cable by means of a sleeve. These sections can be made of different types of cables, they can include both single-core and two-wire wires.
Choosing the right electric floor
Not everyone knows how to choose the right electric underfloor heating. Customer reviews often contain stories about how customers purchased the wrong system. To avoid this, you need to know what to look for in a hardware store when choosing a heated floor.
1. First of all, you need to determine the type of system - will it be the main or comfortable (additional) heating.
2. Accordingly, for the main system, a large cable power is required - 160-190 W / sq. m. The thickness of the screed should be at least 4-5 cm.
3. An additional heating system in the form of a warm floor is most often installed on the first floors of buildings, in cold hallways and bathrooms. The specific power of the structure is 120-150 W / sq. m
4. Next, you need to check whether your wiring can withstand the additional connection.
5. Calculate the required amount of cable. Consider the area of the room where the system will be held. Under the overall furniture, it is not necessary to lay the electric floor.
Basic floor installation methods
Installation of an electric floor heating can be done in several ways. The first method is laying the system in a screed layer. This is the case when the floor covering is mounted after. The next way is when the cable structure is laid out on top of the base under the tile. The third method differs significantly from the others in that it involves the installation of a film floor under the floor covering.
When the system is laid in a layer of screed - this is a standard electric underfloor heating. Reviews about this installation method are mostly positive. People note the simplicity and high speed of the styling process. Most often, this method is used to arrange the floor in the bathroom, in the kitchen or loggia.
Insulation of the floor without an additional layer of insulation is possible only when the lower floor is heated by a radiator method. A layer of glue under the tile protects the cable and wires from negative influences. However, before installation, you must carefully study the label of the heating system. There are goods that can not be laid under a tiled coating without an additional layer of thermal insulation.
If you do not plan to do a screed replacement, then a film electric floor is what you need. This is the most suitable heating system for a laminate or linoleum, which does not require serious construction work.
Analyzing statistics on the topic: “Warm floor: pros and cons”, we can conclude that most Russian consumers do not see anything wrong with this type of heating. Many use the third option for laying heating mats. This is due to the cost of capital construction work, in contrast to the installation of floor heating, which does not require special costs.
What is necessary for work
To install an electric underfloor heating, you will need:
- heating section;
- wires for connection;
- fastenings;
- RCD protection system;
- thermal sensor;
- copper wire for grounding.
Installation of electric underfloor heating
Before any type of installation work, you need to carefully calculate the required amount of materials. You can do this yourself by taking information from ready-made tables, or contact specialists.
Next, you can begin the preparatory work - cleaning the surface of the old coating. The previous screed layer is completely dismantled. After that, you need to lay a layer of waterproofing. It is important to leave 10-15 cm to enter the walls. Using the damper tape, you need to fix the base. This is done in order to compensate for areas of the coating layer during floor expansion with increasing temperature.
To prevent heat from leaving, it is necessary to insulate the base of the floor. The type of insulation depends on the target orientation of the heating system and on the location of the room. Foamed polyethylene with foil is suitable for a warm floor. Otherwise, it is called penofol. If the working room is located on the second or more floors, then extruded polyester with a thickness of 20-60 mm can be used as insulation. For an unheated room, a loggia or an entrance hall, a thicker layer of insulation is needed - up to 100 mm. Even mineral wool is suitable for this. Next, a reinforcing mesh is laid. Some builders argue that without it it is impossible to mount an electric heated floor. Feedback on the use of this coverage will be discussed in the next section of the article.
The installation process of the electric floor is also possible with the help of fixing tapes, that is, without a reinforcing mesh. The heating mat is spread on the surface of the insulation. The wire that passes over the dividing strip of two plates must be hidden in a corrugated pipe. This is necessary in order to protect the cable from possible rupture during the expansion of plates.
Many use such a heated floor. Opinions, reviews and impressions of consumers indicate the appropriateness of using this coating. According to them, in rooms with underfloor heating it has become much warmer and more comfortable. The junction of the heating cable and the power wire must be placed at a small distance from the strobe.
When all the elements of the warm floor are placed in their places, you need to check the operation of the coating by connecting it to the power supply. It is better to place the temperature sensor inside the corrugated pipe so that it can be easily removed. If everything works properly, then the underfloor heating system is de-energized and the screed is finished.
Common Mistakes for Self-Installation
Even those who know what an electric underfloor heating is (we already reviewed the reviews, types and features of this coating), very often make mistakes during installation. Here are the main ones:
1. Get a heating cable, focusing on the area of free space - that is, a room not lined with furniture.
2. In no case should you cut the two-wire wires, especially if you bought a liquid electric underfloor heating! Reviews and stories about such cases are quite deplorable.
3. Do not turn on the cable to test the performance when the adhesive solution and screed are not dry.
4. Do not lay the floor on a dusty unprocessed surface. Turning on the cable can damage the entire system.
5. It is not recommended to walk on wires in stiff shoes, it is better to do this carefully, and if possible, avoid this altogether.
6. Do not hide the temperature sensor in the solution.
7. Save the floor heating installation plan in case of subsequent repairs.
Reviews
If you can not decide on the choice of heating system, then the opinions of people who have already used electric floor heating in their house / apartment will help you. Reviews, prices for it say that this is a practical and affordable solution.
Most consumers noted the fact that underfloor heating makes the living area cozier and warmer. In their opinion, installation can be done even by the most ordinary person without special skills. Basically, everyone is satisfied, there are no serious complaints about the work of the electric floor.