For many years in a row, the bathhouse has been considered one of the most popular holiday destinations. In her warm and comfortable atmosphere, she is able to truly relax, forget about everyday problems and completely restore peace of mind. However, the pleasure of such procedures can dramatically change the discomfort that a person feels when stepping on a cold and damp floor.
To save themselves and their guests from unpleasant emotions, the owners of the steam rooms began to lay the electric underfloor heating in the bathhouse and in the washing room. This allowed us to solve several problems that are relevant for this room. But what exactly is useful for a warm floor in a bathhouse, what types of it can be used here and how to independently install such systems, we will tell in this article.
Benefits of Underfloor Steam Rooms
The electric underfloor heating in the bathhouse has only positive reviews. First of all, they are associated with pleasant sensations and comfortable movement indoors. Not so much the temperature difference is felt below and above the steam room. The floors of the washing room do not cause unpleasant emotions when touching the tiles with bare feet.
In addition to its main function - providing heat and comfort, - electric heating helps to accelerate the drying of floor coverings. Due to this, mold and fungus do not form in humid rooms, and the service life of the flooring itself is significantly increased.
Why is the electric method of floor heating used in baths?
One of the main advantages of this type of heating is that it is much easier and cheaper to install an electric underfloor heating in a bathhouse or washing floor than to conduct gas to a water circuit. Even if you use a separate electric boiler to heat the water, the cost of floor heating will be significant.
The second argument in favor of the systems we are considering is the ease of installation. Laying an electric heated floor in the bath with your own hands will not be difficult. To do this, it must be correctly positioned on the desired surface and plugged into a power outlet, while the water circuit requires the installation of a boiler, expansion tank, manifold, pump, etc. For small facilities, it is simply not practical to carry out these works.
Varieties of heating systems
Having made the decision to lay the electric underfloor heating in the bath, you should consider its varieties and choose the most suitable option for yourself. In this case, we are offered two main types:
• film;
• cable.
Their main difference from each other is a different installation method. In addition, each species has certain advantages and disadvantages. We will now consider them.
Cable (convection) and film (infrared) floors - which is better?
The principle of operation of convection floors is based on the passage of current through a special cable that heats up and gives off heat to the finishing materials. Such systems are sold in the form of cable bays or thermal mats. The first variety is much cheaper, but you need to install it with extreme caution so that the heating element does not touch each other anywhere.
It should be noted separately that cable heaters are single-core or two-core. In the first version, laying is complicated by the fact that the end of the wire should be in the same place where its beginning.
The advantages of this type include:
• high reliability of materials;
• the ability to adjust the heating temperature;
• unpretentiousness to the type of flooring.
The infrared heating system is presented in the form of a roll of thermal film, inside of which are carbon heating elements. It is possible to lay such an electric heated floor in the bathhouse and in the washing room in a matter of minutes. It just needs to be rolled out and connected to the mains.
The advantages of this type include:
• the possibility of using it without screed;
• lack of electromagnetic radiation;
• high strength.
It is also important that the system does not lose its operability in the event of a failure of any heater, which cable floor manufacturers cannot boast of.
Floor finishes
Before laying electric heat-insulated floors in a bathhouse, it is necessary to define, with what types of a covering it is possible to use the type chosen by you.
Wood is considered to be a traditional material for decorating bath rooms, however, it has a rather low thermal conductivity, therefore its use (as a flooring) will lead to weak floor heating.
In this situation, you can give preference to moisture-resistant varieties of the laminate, which are designed for use on a heated base, but the best option is to install an electric heated floor in a tile bath. Ceramic coatings are quite heat-resistant, conduct heat very well and are not afraid of high humidity.
How to prepare the floor for the installation of electric floors
When all the necessary materials for the upcoming work have been purchased, it's time to figure out how to make warm electric floors in the bathhouse with your own hands.
As an example, consider the work algorithm on a strip foundation, starting from the ground (in all other versions, the technology does not change significantly).
The work is performed in the following sequence:
1. First of all, the topsoil is removed (at least 20 cm).
2. A sand cushion of small width is placed in the formed hole.
3. The drain pipe is installed with plugs and a shutter.
4. Next is a layer of waterproofing material. For these purposes, dense polyethylene or special membrane products are used. The waterproofing is laid with the approach to the walls, the seams are glued with tape.
5. Above the oilcloth are mats of insulation material. Here you can use a thick polystyrene foam (not already 10 cm) or extrusion. Mats are laid as tightly as possible to each other, seams are glued with adhesive tape.
6. A reinforcing mesh is placed over the entire surface of the insulation, over which a layer of rough screed is poured (about 5 cm). In this condition, the floors are left for a day.
Installation of cable floors
After the screed has hardened enough, you can begin installing electric heat-insulated floors in the bath. If we are talking about a cable variety, then the work is performed in the following order:
1. On the surface of the screed is a reflective material. The places where the mats join the wall are glued with adhesive tape.
2. Next roll the heating mats. If the cable is purchased without foundation, then before laying it on the floor, an additional layer of reinforcing mesh is placed. Also, the heater can be attached to the base with a conventional mounting tape.
3. When the cable is evenly distributed over the floor surface, a temperature sensor is placed between the turns. It is carried out in a corrugated pipe and connected to a heat controller. The regulator itself is fixed on the wall (at least 40 centimeters above the floor).
4. A screed is poured over the heating system. It is important that its layer does not exceed 3 cm, as a thicker base can crack. When pouring cement, it is necessary to set the slope of the floor towards the drain hole.
5. At the final stage, the installation of tiles or other flooring.
Laying infrared mats
If an infrared system is used to install an electric underfloor heating in a bathhouse, the sequence of work will be slightly different. In this case, heating mats can be immediately laid on top of the reflectors, but before proceeding with the installation of the flooring, it is necessary to install an additional layer of reinforcing material. Here, a mesh or moisture-proof drywall can be used. On them will also be the finish.
It is important to remember that tiles cannot be laid immediately on top of an infrared film , otherwise it will peel off in the near future and repair work will have to be repeated again. If a moisture-resistant laminate or lining is chosen as the finishing material, they are laid directly on top of the heaters.
Mats are cut along the length of the room and stacked in several rows. It is very important that the edges of the strips do not overlap each other, otherwise the system will quickly fail. A heat sensor is placed under one edge of the film, which, as in the previous case, is connected to the thermostat. A waterproofing layer must be laid on top of the film.
What you need to pay attention to when installing the underfloor heating system in the bath
• When laying an electric heated floor in a bathhouse or other similar room, it is necessary to ensure that the heating elements are not located under bulky furniture, otherwise they will overheat and quickly fail.
• Fill the screed and install the ceramic coating in such a way that there are no voids around the floor heating system.
• For laying cable floors under a tile, a small diameter heater should be chosen. This is necessary in order to reduce the thickness of the glue, and so that the ceramic coating warms up better.
• The distribution of the cable over the floor surface must be uniform, without kinks or stretching. The distance between the turns is about 10 cm, between the cable and the wall - at least 5 cm.
From all of the above, we can conclude that the arrangement of underfloor heating in the bath is a process that does not require special knowledge and skills, but caution and care must be exercised during work. This is confirmed by statistics, which states that 80% of failures of such systems occur due to a violation of their installation technology, so make no mistakes and enjoy the warmth and comfort for many years!