Filling of a water heat-insulated floor
Creating a warm floor includes several successive stages, among which is the filling of the screed. If this work is not taken seriously, then all efforts to create a warm floor will be reduced to zero. In case of violation of technology and simple rules, the coupler will quickly collapse. This can lead to a breakthrough of pipes located in the body of the screed. Therefore, pouring water heated floor is an important step that requires compliance with technology. In this article we will look at the main features of this process.
What is the screed made of and what is its purpose?
The screed is the base of the floor. All static loads fall on it - from the installed furniture and dynamic loads on the constant movement of people.
Note! Properly executed screed will allow to achieve a perfectly flat floor surface, which will positively affect the overall appearance of the room. Installed parquet or tile on a flat surface of the floor will look very nice.
With regard to pouring a warm floor, the screed keeps the pipes and protects them from mechanical damage. Filling is carried out after full installation of pipes. Immediately before this, it is necessary to make sure that there are pipe outlets for connecting the circuits to the boiler.
For the manufacture of screed is usually used cement mortar. In order to reduce the consumption of cement, a filler is additionally used, for example, sand or crushed stone. If sand is chosen as a filler, then a cement-sand screed will be obtained, if crushed stone is a concrete screed.
Note! The manufacture of screed for a warm water floor in most cases is made of cement-sand mortar. The proportion of the composition is as follows: 1 (cement): 3 (sand). It is recommended to use quartz sand.
Alternatively, you can use ready-made mixtures for screed. On packaging from manufacturers should indicate the compatibility of the mixtures with a warm floor. In terms of properties and appearance, they look like a cement-sand screed.
Note! If you have to pour a large amount of screed, the use of ready-made mixtures will accelerate this process. They need to be hydrogenated for a short period of time using a whisk and a mixer.
So that during the drying process no voids form in the body of the screed, as well as to increase the plasticity of the solution, a plasticizer is additionally used. Its addition is performed strictly according to the specified proportion from the manufacturer.
Screed casting process
You can do it with your own hands without a qualified specialist. The first step is to clean the surface of debris, dust and other contaminants. Next, laid out heating "cake", consisting of waterproofing, insulation, pipes and reinforcement (maksetki).
Note! If heated floors are built in a private house, the thickness of the screed cement-sand composition may be 65-70 mm, and 45 mm above the pipes. If a ready mix is used, the distance above the pipes can be reduced to 25 mm. This is due to the greater density of the finished mixtures.
You should not save on the thickness and materials of the screed. After a time, savings can adversely affect the quality of the screed under the influence of a greater load. If you plan to install large items, for example, a piano, then additional reinforcement should be carried out without fail. As a result, the heating circuit can be between two layers of metal mesh (this applies in cases where the density of the screed is low).
Note! To increase the density of the screed, you can add special additives, such as chips made of polypropylene or fiber. Such a screed is known as fiber concrete.
When the screed is poured, it is important to provide conditions for natural drying. Therefore, it is recommended that the floor heating system be turned off (the water in the pipes must be present), and there were no drafts in the room. In some cases, appropriately poured screed cover with polyethylene. If a few weeks later there is no moisture on its inner side, it means that the screed has dried and you can proceed to the next stage. It usually takes 3-4 weeks to completely dry the screed.
Tips and tricks
Creating screed for water floor heating is different from the usual fill. The main feature is the creation of expansion joints when arranging a heated floor. If the room has about 10 m2, then these seams can be placed on the enclosing structure. Therefore, along the perimeter of the whole room, a depreciation line is laid along the bottom of the wall. It will be compensated by expansion of the screed when heated. If the room is more than 10 m2, then an additional seam will be required.
Note! To create a expansion joint, a damper tape is used. In addition to compensating for expansion, it plays the role of thermal insulation. The presence of foil on it does not allow thermal energy to go into the wall.
So, before pouring a warm water floor with a coupler, you must make sure that the following points are observed:
- Immediately before starting the process, it is necessary to check the heating circuit system for good condition and hydraulic density. Correcting the shortcomings of a floor heating device would be a very expensive pleasure after pouring the screed. Therefore, do not neglect this stage.
- The draft floor under the pipe system must have a waterproofing (in case of a pipeline breakthrough, there is less risk of flooding the lower room / basement) and heat-reflecting layer (it will reduce heat losses).
- All used screed material must be of high quality. It is recommended to buy cement immediately before pouring the water floor, as it tends to cake.
So, we have reviewed the basic rules and requirements for pouring a screed of a warm water floor. If you follow these simple guidelines, you will be able to create a strong and durable heating screed. We will be interested in your experience. Leave your comments on this article.