Electric floor appeared on the building marketgoods and services relatively recently. However, in such a short period of time he won great popularity not only among professional masters, but also among ordinary people. It is used for floor heating under tiles, laminate and linoleum. Electric floor heating, reviews of which are mostly positive - a great addition to radiator heating. From this article you will learn what it is and what kinds of it are. Reviews of people using this floor will help you in choosing a product, they will tell you what to look for when buying. With all the necessary knowledge, you can easily install an electric floor yourself.
What is a warm floor?
Electric floors are a kind of system consistingfrom 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. Electric flooring can exist both autonomous and as an additional heating system.
System Features
Reviews of the electric heat field allow us to conclude that this heating system has several advantages compared to traditional radiator methods.
Features of floor heating:
- The part of the system that transmits heat reliablyhidden in the floor structure, so the usable area of the premises increases. In addition, the electric floor is placed under any base - tile, carpet, marble. This allows you to diversify the interior of the house or apartment, combining styles.
- The heating cable does not act directly with the atmosphere, therefore the air in the apartment / house is not dried.
- Electric floors can be used in any room humidity, as they are equipped with double insulation and shielded wire braid.
The composition of the floor heating system
Installation of electric floor heating requires knowledge of all components of the heating system. It includes the following elements:
- heating mat or section;
- temperature sensor that regulates the temperature;
- Control Panel;
- a layer of thermal insulation with foil.
The heating mat is a regular wire,connected to the heating cable with a clutch. These sections can be made of different types of cables, they may consist of single or double wires.
Choosing an electric floor correctly
Not everyone knows how to choose the rightelectric floor 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 the hardware store when choosing a heated floor.
1. First of all, you need to decide on the type of system - it will be the main or comfortable (additional) heating.
2. Accordingly, for the main system will require a large cable power - 160-190 W / sq. m. The thickness of the screed must be at least 4-5 cm.
3. An additional heating system in the form of a heated 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 handle the additional connection.
5. Calculate the required amount of cable. Consider the area of the room where the system will pass. It is not necessary to lay electric floor under the dimensional furniture.
Basic floor installation methods
Installation of electric floor heating canproduce by several methods. The first method is to lay the system in a screed layer. This is the case when the flooring is mounted after. The next way is when the cable structure is laid out over the base under the tile. The third method differs significantly from the rest in that it implies the installation of a film floor under the floor covering.
When the system fits into the screed layer - thisstandard electric floor heating. Feedback on this method of installation is mostly positive. People note the simplicity and high speed of the styling process. Most often, this method is used for the device floor in the bathroom, in the kitchen or loggia.
To warm the floor without an additional layer of insulationpossible only in the case when the lower floor is heated radiator method. A layer of glue under the tile protects the cable and wires from negative impacts. However, before installation, you need to carefully examine the label of the heating system. There are goods that can not be laid under the tile without an additional layer of insulation.
If you do not plan to do the replacement of the screed,film electric floor - what you need. This is the most suitable variant of the heating system under the laminate or linoleum, which does not require serious construction work.
Analyzing the statistics on the topic: "Underfloor heating: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 increase in capital construction works, in contrast to installing heated floors, which do not require special costs.
What is necessary for work
To install an electric floor heating, you will need:
- heating section;
- wires for connection;
- fasteners;
- protection system of the RCD;
- thermal sensor;
- copper wire for grounding.
Installation of electric floor heating
Before any kind 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 the specialists.
Then you can proceed to the preparatory work.- cleaning the surface from the old coating. The former layer of the screed is dismantled completely. After that, you need to lay a layer of waterproofing. It is important to leave 10-15 cm for approaching the walls. With the help of a damper tape you need to fix the base. This is done in order to compensate for areas of the coating layer during the expansion of the floor with increasing temperature.
To heat did not go away, you need to isolatethe base of the floor. The type of insulation depends on the target orientation of the heating system and the location of the room. Foam polyethylene with foil is suitable for a warm floor. Otherwise, it is called penofol. If the workroom is located on the second and more floors, then extruded polyester with a thickness of 20-60 mm can be used as insulation. For an unheated room, loggia or hallway a thicker layer of insulation is needed - up to 100 mm. Even minwat is suitable for this. Further the reinforcing grid keeps within. Some builders claim that without it it is impossible to install an electric underfloor heating. Feedback on the use of this coverage will be discussed in the next section of the article.
The process of installing an electric floor is also possible withusing fastening tapes, that is, without reinforcing mesh. The heating mat is spread on the surface on 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 a possible rupture when the plates expand.
Многие используют такой пол с подогревом.Opinions, reviews and impressions of consumers indicate the feasibility of applying this coating. According to them, in rooms with a warm floor it became much warmer and more comfortable. Place the junction of the heating cable and power supply wires should be placed at a short distance from the grooves.
When all the elements of a warm floor are placed onin their places, you need to check the work coverage, connecting it to the power supply. Thermal sensor is better placed inside the corrugated pipe, so that it is easy to get. If everything is working properly, then the underfloor heating system is de-energized and terminated with a screed.
Typical self-installation errors
Even those who know what electric floor heating is (we have already reviewed reviews, types and features of this coating) often make mistakes during installation. Here are the main ones:
1. Acquire a heating cable, focusing on the area of free space - that is, not cluttered with furniture in the room.
2. In no case can not cut the twin wires, especially if you bought a liquid electric floor heating! Reviews and stories about such cases are quite pitiable.
3. You can not turn on the cable to test performance when the adhesive solution and screed are not dry.
4. Do not lay the floor on a dusty, untreated surface. Turning on the cable can disable the entire system.
5. It is not recommended to walk on the wires in stiff shoes, it is better to do it carefully, and if possible to avoid it at all.
6. Do not hide the temperature sensor in the solution.
7. Save the floor installation scheme in case of subsequent repair.
Reviews
If you can not decide on the choice of systemheating, then the opinions of people who have already used an electric underfloor heating in their house / apartment will help you. Reviews, prices for him say that this is a practical and affordable solution.
Most consumers have noted the fact thatheated floors make the living room more comfortable and warmer. In their opinion, installation can be made even to the most ordinary person without special skills. Basically everyone is satisfied, there are no serious complaints about the work of the electric floor.
