What a warm floor to choose under the tile

In strong heat, we want coolness, which would cover from the scorching sun. But when winter comes and the cold comes, we wonder how we could wish to hide from the warm rays. Now we want to see our home a home of comfort and warmth. This is possible if properly organize the heating system. With radiators and batteries the space is small, but what kind of warm floor to choose under the tile?

Types of floor heating

The heated air always rises, and the cold air descends. All convection systems are built on this principle. But warm floor surpasses any batteries and radiators for many reasons. There are two main ways of the device of a heat-insulated floor which are widely applied:

• water;
• electric.

Each of these classes has its advantages and disadvantages; any one can be mounted under ceramic tiles. Which is better and more practical, you can decide for yourself by weighing all the pros and cons.

Previously, hot air was used as a coolant. Under the floor, a system of branched channels was made, through which the smoke from the furnace passed. The furnace (ondol) was set to a lower level so that there was a thrust. In Korea, there is still a house that, after a single fire, is able to keep the temperature for 10 days. According to eyewitnesses, before its reconstruction after the bombing, this interval reached 90–100 days.

Water - the keeper of heat

Heated floor under the tile with the air system was used in the Roman baths, so that visitors feel comfortable in the room. Today, its counterpart is the water floor, which took the steam baton. He has his pros and cons.

Pros:

• Large heating area.
• Uniform distribution of warm air.
• Prevent dampness in corners.
• Save space, which is usually occupied by radiators and batteries.
• Safety in terms of environmental friendliness.
• Low temperature heating.
• Long service life. It can reach 50 years or more.
• Less coolant flow.
• Long heat retention time.
• Possibility of use in any premises.
• The absence of inductive interference.

Minuses:

• Complex installation system.
• Manual temperature adjustment for each room.
• The inability to use in apartment buildings with central heating. True, some new buildings already have a separate riser for these needs.
• The need for periodic moistening of air.
• The need to install an additional pump, if it is not provided in the boiler.

Electric - always compact

Due to some features, electric floor heating is becoming more common. Its advantages:

• More simple installation system.
• No need for thick screeds (for some types).
• The ability to automatically adjust the temperature in each room.
• Air does not dry out (for some species).
• Fast heating.

If there were only some advantages in the list, the choice would be obvious, so here are the minuses:

• Cool down quickly.
• The presence of inductive fields.
• High operating costs (some types can consume up to 10 or more kW of electricity per 10 meters² per day).
• In some cases it will be necessary to replace the wiring in order to withstand the load.
• The floor level will be raised during installation, so in some cases it will be necessary to make a recess.

All types of electric heaters can be divided into two main categories:

• convection;
• ray.

In the first embodiment, the heating occurs inside the element itself. After that, heat is transferred to the environment. Beams are represented by infrared films and tubular elements (usually they are placed in the mat). In this case, the release of infrared waves, which heats the surrounding objects, and they, in turn, give off heat to the air.

All convection options are divided into:

• Cable systems. They are divided into self-regulating cable and resistive. For installation under the tile usually prefer a resistive cable. It can be stranded and single core. In the first variant, the circuit has been closed already during production, so there is no need to output the second end. In the second case, after installation, it will be necessary to return the second end of the cable to the connection point in order to close the loop and ensure its functioning. Heating occurs due to the resistance of the conductor itself.
• Mat systems These are the same cable systems, only they are already laid with a snake on a special grid. This makes installation easier, and also allows you to place some of them not in the screed, but in a layer of tile adhesive.

Note! A common disadvantage of a warm floor (or perhaps an advantage) is the need for frequent wet cleaning. This is especially important if there are animals at home. The fact is that when heated, small substances rise with air. And in these particles there can be eggs of parasites or the parasites themselves. Once in the human body, they cause harm, causing disease.

What? Where? Where?

It may seem that you already know enough to take a balanced approach to the solution of the problem. But do not rush. Think about something else - the warm floor will be as:

• main heating;
• auxiliary.

Where exactly it will be located:

• in the bathroom;
• on the balcony;
• in the room;
• on the kitchen;
• in the hall.

Main heating

Possessing a country house or an apartment with independent heating, I want everything to be as spacious and neat as possible. In this case, water-heated floor will be an indispensable solution, as the tile is well perceived and gives the temperature, so do not need any additional coverage. In this case, significant savings will be achieved compared with the electric option. Before you take this step, familiarize yourself with some of the nuances of the technology used for its installation.

• Requires complete processing of flooring. In the case when the decision to lay the warm floor was not taken during the design, will have to disrupt the entire flooring, which was laid. If this is a big problem, then it may be easier to get by with radiators.
• Important calculations are important. Each room will be a separate circuit (and maybe several in the same room). It must be whole. Split connectors in the middle are not allowed. Everything needs to be measured out to fit a single piece of pipe.
• Cheaper is not always bad. Metal-plastic pipes, pipes from cross-linked polyethylene, copper in PVC sheath are used as conductors. In your right to choose the option that will be affordable, and not to be led by marketers.
• Do not spare funds for the insulation of the site, which will be under the pipes. It is important that the heat rises up, rather than heating the ceiling of your neighbors or burrows to moles.
• Use a damper tape on the edges of the wall.
• The hottest - the first - turn should go through the coldest part. Most often it is the walls, the space near the windows and doors.
• Before pouring the screed, test the entire system. To do this, water is supplied under pressure, which is several times higher than the working one.
• Tile under the tile should not exceed 3? 5 cm.
• The use of the finished structure will be possible in about a month when the screed hardens completely. This is necessary so that it does not burst.
• If you want to use a warm floor on the balcony or loggia, then they should be well insulated. In the case when these are separate rooms and you rarely go there, it may be enough to put an electric heating floor and turn it on when needed.
• Water-heated floor in the bath will be relevant when it is part of the structure of the house and there you can withdraw branches from the collector, if necessary, blocking it.

Additional heating

In the case when you already have the main source of heating and it is not enough, then as an additional you can look towards the electric floor heating. Remember that not all film infrared sheets can be laid under the screed tile. Carefully read the recommendations on the packaging. Today, more than one company is engaged in the production of such systems. Korean masters have the most experience in this respect, but in this respect Germany, the Czech Republic and even some domestic manufacturers are not far behind. If your choice fell on one of these options, then be attentive to such moments:

• In the kitchen, you can use any kind of heating elements, the most practical will be infrared film.
• In the bathroom an excellent option would be a resistive heating cable. It quickly reaches its temperature and gives heat to the tile well. After a warm bath or shower, it's nice to get up.
• Each room will need its own thermostat. It should not be installed in wet areas. It can be installed at any height, but not less than 300 mm from the floor.
• Never turn on the cable for checking in the folded state or after laying (if this is not allowed by the manufacturer). To test its performance - measure the resistance of a multimeter.
• Do not exceed the allowable thickness of the screed, otherwise there will be greater heat loss.
• If possible, do not walk along the cable during installation.
• For living rooms perfect floor of the infrared tubes or film.
• There is no need to heat the area under the furniture or plumbing fixtures.
• Avoid kinking of the heating material.
• Clean the surface thoroughly before installation so as not to damage the elements.
• Well isolate all connections.

The final word is always yours, we are happy to provide comprehensive information without the influence of advertising. We are wondering what happened with you. Write in the comments about what kind of warm floor under the tile you personally liked.

Video

This video shows how to install a water heated floor:

Some useful tips on laying tiles on the floor heating you can take note of, watching the following video: