According to statistics, 85% of heating systems are combined, or those that use only radiators. Only 15% of Russian homeowners use one heated floor for home heating, regardless of the region (in Siberia and the Far East too). Are people’s fears about underfloor heating as the only heating system justified, and is it possible to heat a private house only underfloor heating, we will consider in this article.
- What should be the ratio of heat and heat loss in order to heat the house only with heated floors?
- Arguments against underfloor heating only
- Arguments for heating a house only with underfloor heating
- Practical experience of FORUMHOUSE participants
The relationship between heat and heat loss
How much heat should a heated floor provide to heat a house? It depends on the heat loss of the house. But they always exist; there are no zero heat losses. Heat escapes into the windows and door designs, and through the walls, and into the ceiling.
The better the house is insulated, the more quality materials and advanced technologies were used, the less heat loss will be, and the higher the likelihood that the warm floor will be able to compensate for it in the cold season.
The amount of heat from the heated floor must be greater than or equal to heat loss.
The surface temperature of the heated floor should not exceed certain values. We have collected them in a table, indicating the regulatory document.
|
Maximum permissible temperature |
Purpose |
Document |
|
26 degrees |
For premises with permanent occupancy. |
SP 60.13330.20212, clause 6.5.12. |
|
For rooms with temporary occupancy and pool bypass paths |
SP 60.13330.20212, clause 6.5.12. |
|
|
35 degrees |
floor surface temperature along the axis heating element in children's institutions, residential buildings and swimming pools |
SP 60.13330.20212, clause 6.5.12. |
|
No more than 10 degrees |
temperature difference in individual areas of the floor |
|
|
19-29 degrees |
Floor surface temperature |
According to the international standard ISO 7730 |
In practice, the surface of a heated floor is heated to 29 degrees in rooms with temporary occupancy, in bathrooms, etc.
Exceeding this temperature leads to serious and difficult to treat vascular diseases legs
Many people face this problem, including: FORUMHOUSE user with the nickname Shurigin.
Shurigin FORUMHOUSE Member
The practical use of heated floors turned out to be not entirely comfortable. There is a feeling of swelling in the legs. In the bathroom, no matter where you go, you spend the least amount of time there, but in the kitchen this feeling is noticeably intensified.
Much depends on what material it is made of. flooring. Calculations were carried out for completely identical premises, but with different types floor covering. The types of coatings are listed in increasing order of the required surface temperature of the heated floor for room heating:
- parquet
- ceramic tile
- linoleum
- laminate
It is possible to create the heat flow necessary for heating, but heated floors have limitations that are not recommended to be exceeded.
Warm floor as the only CO - arguments against
1. Where there are wardrobes, sofas, beds and armchairs on a warm floor, it does not heat the air in the room, but the furniture. When calculating, it makes sense to calculate not the total area, but the area not occupied by furniture.
2. Greater inertia of the heated floor. The screed takes a long time to cool down, but also takes a long time to heat up. You won't be able to turn on the heating for an hour or two.
3. The heated floor system may not cope with heating rooms with an area of more than 25 square meters, especially with large windows and other translucent structures.
Alero FORUMHOUSE Member
The vestibule is always a risky area for COs. Not everyone may have this room in the area of main walls; of all the options for heating it, you need to choose the safest one and exclude defrosting. If the outer walls or floor are frozen, condensation will not “fall out”, but frost will happen easily. It is almost impossible to prevent the flow of warm air from the living space into a cold vestibule.
5. It may not be comfortable.
vladimirtmb43 Member FORUMHOUSE
Floor surface temperature +27 - +28 degrees. Comfortable for feet, but indoors +26– It's hot for me. Do less so that the air is +24– my feet are already uncomfortable and cold.
6. Due to the high inertia of heated floors, it is impossible to configure the automation based on the internal temperature - only using the external sensor.
Warm floors for the only CO in the house - arguments for
1. A real salvation for people with allergies. Dust and other particles do not circulate in the air as they would in a room with radiators.
2. The room warms up evenly, there are no hotter or cooler places in it.
3. Most likely, with such heating it will be very comfortable due to the direct impact on a person of the flow of warm air.
4. Healthiest heat distribution. Warm air does not accumulate under the ceiling.
5. More options for good design premises due to the lack of radiators, pipes and other appliances.
6. Window sills without radiators under them are ideal for indoor plants and seedlings.
7. Perfect option for a house where no one lives for a long time in winter. The pipes are immured in a screed and are much less likely to defrost than with CO with radiators.
8. By far, this is the best CO for regions with estimated winter temperatures higher than -18 degrees.
Positive experience of heating a house using only underfloor heating
At the largest in Russia construction portal FORUMHOUSE you can find many reviews about the successful heating of a house only with heated floors. So, a portal member from Tomsk with the nickname TTJ, believes that discussions on this topic should be taken into account in the past - of course, a warm floor can heat a house.
TTJ FORUMHOUSE Member
The banner should be hung here, in large letters on the floor of the screen: “WARM FLOOR IS ENOUGH FOR THE EYES WITH A CORRECTLY BUILT HOUSE!”
Our Canadian participant with the nickname Roracotta has a house of 300 square meters. There are no radiators - only heated floors.
Roracotta FORUMHOUSE Member
I have a system that heats hot water, temporarily disconnecting from the heating. Very rational option. The water is heated for a maximum of 30 minutes. During this time the house will never have time to cool down. But everything needs to be calculated. Heating is the most important and main system in the house. You can't do it at random here.
Our participant has a nickname vlkam The bathroom is heated with a warm floor: 3 external walls, one and a half bricks, without insulation and even with tiles on the walls. Over 100
A warm floor most likely will not cope with the function of a single heating system; a combined heating system will be needed
In this case, power calculation and verification are necessary.
With a high probability, a warm floor will cope with heating the house.
On FORUMHOUSE you can find any information on different types, read an article about the features using metal heat distribution plates, watch a photo report that talks about aluminum foil and watch a video “ Heating without gas : engineering Communication with your own hands."
One of the controversial issues in renovation is the dilemma of whether a heated floor is needed. ordinary apartment? After all, it would seem that central heating should be more than enough. Why waste money and fence something unnecessary.
As it turns out, this type of heating is really needed. You just need to clearly know where exactly and in what specific areas to lay it.
By by and large, a warm floor is not at all what it is used to think of. IN professional construction, a warm floor is a rough covering separated from a cold base using one or more layers of insulation. 
For example, a real heated floor in any of your rooms can be divided into three main components:
- bars
- mineral wool
- chipboard layer
Moreover, if you lay a heating cable between the chipboard and the finished floor infrared film, in this case they will only be heated.
But for most of us, it is precisely this association that has already taken root in our minds - pipes with hot water or heating cable + screed or tile. 
We are accustomed to calling this design a warm floor. Therefore, we will not deviate from the names that are familiar to everyone.
There are three main rules when you simply need heated floors in an ordinary apartment. Let's take a closer look at each of them.
Radiators and heated floors
Rule #1
If it is possible to replace conventional radiators with heated floors of the same type, make the most of this opportunity.
Just pay attention to the phrase - " I have an opportunity”.
If you live in a standard apartment on a certain floor, then neither the neighbors nor the rules will allow you to replace the usual batteries with a water floor. This is prohibited by SNiP.
You will have to make either infrared or lay a heating cable or mats.
There are only two main reasons for the ban:
- such a floor is not allowed to be cut into central system heating
- and it should not be placed above any living quarters that are below you
But if you live on the ground floor, and no one lives below you and there are no electrical rooms, then go ahead. The same applies if you have a private home.
In all these cases, water floors will outperform radiators in all respects.
- Firstly, such heating has much better energy efficiency
This means that it can be used to heat large area, using less energy.
- Secondly, a warm floor evenly warms the air throughout the entire volume of the room. But the batteries heat the air only in their vicinity.
- Thirdly, when it is not visible heating devices, because they simply aren’t there, all the rooms look much more aesthetically pleasing and beautiful
- Fourthly, it makes cleaning easier and there are no interfering batteries, pipes, outlets, etc.
Well, the most important thing is comfort. All radiators heat the air from the sides and above them. At the same time, the floor itself, including under the radiators, remains cold.
With radiators, you will move on a cold floor with temperatures up to 19 degrees, and your head will be located in a zone where it is more than 25 degrees. It’s impossible to call these comfortable conditions. 
Of course, you can, as they say, fry the batteries to the maximum, but still you and your children will be forced to walk around the rooms in slippers. 
At the same time, you can forget about comfortable sleep in such a room. Moreover, even during the day it will not be entirely comfortable to be in it.
- first of all, it's too hot
- secondly, the air will be dry
But when the heating rises from below, from the floor itself, then much less temperature is required to warm up the entire room. This proves its effectiveness over other heat sources of the same type.
Thus, we can summarize the main conclusion of all of the above:
- water heated floor - better than standard radiators
- heating mats or cables are more effective than oil radiator batteries
- infrared floor - better than infrared heaters
Warm floor as main heating
However, let us again remember the main phrase from the rule - “if possible.” The fact is that if you live in a very cold climate, where the temperature in winter often drops to minus 20-30 degrees, you should not completely abandon batteries. 
In such frosts, it will not be possible to simply increase the temperature on the water floor coolant or raise it with the heating cable regulator.
Our sanitary standards limit the surface temperature of heated floors.
- for rooms with constant occupancy - 26 degrees
- with temporary stay – 31 degrees
The fact is that when this temperature rises above normal, convective heat flows begin to actively rise.
And they pull all the dust from below with them. Accordingly, a person who constantly lives under such conditions will eventually develop various respiratory diseases.
Of course, no one in your apartment or house can forbid you to set the temperature higher. Be it at least +40C, at least +70C. 
But if your temperature only drops below minus 25C for a few days throughout the entire winter, then it’s not worth building radiators because of this. You can also increase the temperature of the floors during this time.
However, in addition to comfort, always remember about your health and the health of your loved ones.
And remember once and for all - the use of a heated floor as the only and main source of heating is recommended only in energy efficient houses and apartments, or in houses located in regions with a relatively temperate and warm climate.
Ceramic tile
Second rule
All areas with ceramic tiles must be heated.
This is due to the high thermal conductivity of the tile itself. If you put your hand on any board in your apartment, it will seem a little warm to you.
And if you place your palm against the metal door of a refrigerator or an unheated oven, you will feel a certain coolness.
However, their temperature will be absolutely the same - room temperature. Iron things always seem much cooler because they have higher thermal conductivity. That is, they transfer their temperature to your hand faster. 
Thus, we exchange temperature with any object we come into contact with. However, you can warm up small objects and things - watches, clothes, a chain with your body, but you will never be able to warm up a layer of concrete with tiles.
On the one hand, the coolness from ceramic tiles It seems a little pleasant, but it all ends in illness. 
Another important point is the following. Tiles are mainly laid not because they will last a long time, but because of their moisture resistance. 
For example, it is placed in the hallway. Come from the street to wet shoes and immediately place it on the tile.
It's hard to imagine a bathroom without tiles on the floor. At the same time, you can safely spill water in it, without fear of subsequent swelling of this floor. 
However, after you spill this water, you still have to clean it up. And in order to dry the bathroom, it is not enough to simply turn on the exhaust fan. 
It also needs to be warmed up so that over time mold fungus does not grow on the walls.
Loggia heating
Someone demolishes the lintel and combines the balcony with the apartment, increasing their area. But this does not change the floor temperature much. He was as cold as he was and will remain so. 
If you are relying on neighbors below who will insulate their loggia, and thereby indirectly help you with heat conservation. I dare to disappoint you.
It will still be cold on your balcony. At quality repairs loggias, insulation is attached to the ceiling. Therefore, your stove is insulated and will not warm up at the expense of your neighbor. 
Therefore, it does not matter whether your neighbors have a warm or cold balcony, your floor will be minimally affected. You will still be cold.
And no matter how powerful the convector is, by analogy with the batteries in the apartment itself, it will again heat only the upper layers of air, without affecting the floors at all. 
Therefore, to sum up the question of whether a warm floor is needed in an apartment, we can give an unequivocal answer - yes, it is definitely necessary.
But there are several types of these heated floors, so if you want to know which one to choose in certain situations, and how much money you will pay for such heating, read about it in detail in the articles linked below.
← Protection devices UZM 51MD and UZIS S1 40. Comparison, specifications, connection diagrams.Underfloor heating is not modern idea, it was used by the ancient Romans when building their baths (thermal baths). Warm floors are currently one of the options for using coolant to create comfortable conditions in rooms.
The advantage of a heated floor is the uniform distribution of temperatures vertically in the room, which is much more comfortable than a radiator heating system. To decide which heated floor is better, you should take a closer look at what heated floors are. Floor heating is possible with different coolants and is used today different kinds warm floors.
Advantages and disadvantages of heated floors
Types of heating circuit: water, electric, infrared
Existing radiator heating systems have significant disadvantages - the impossibility of regulation temperature regime in apartments with central heating and zoned heat distribution.
It turns out that “your feet are cold, but your head is warm.” Warm floors are free of these disadvantages. In addition, the use of heated floors allows you to reduce the temperature of the coolant, which means saving up to 30% of your heating budget. The undoubted advantage of heated floors is the ability to control and regulate the temperature of the rooms and connect this function to the “smart home” system.
You will need a permit to install water floors
Of course, heated floors also have their disadvantages:
- for the installation of water heated floors in apartments with centralized heating, permission from the relevant services is required;
- the need for free air circulation from the floor, which limits the use of carpets, paths, and it is better to have furniture on legs;
- inertia of the system; First, the concrete screed is slowly heated, then the coating and air; this may take three to five hours;
- installation of underfloor heating systems reduces the height of the room by the thickness of the floor screed;
- difficulty of repair.
Of course, if all installation rules and operating standards for underfloor heating systems are followed, many disadvantages can be avoided, and this type of heating can be successfully used for many years. Some characteristics of heated floors can be seen from the table.
It should be remembered that heated floors are an outwardly invisible heating system that is not noticeable and does not in any way affect general form premises.
Using this type heating in small rooms, they will not take up space (like radiators, fireplaces and stoves), or interfere with passage and general access to various objects and common areas (shower, toilet).
Types of heated floors
Today there are the following types of heated floors - water and electric. Each type of heating system has distinctive features and design features. Electric heated floors come in several varieties, which you can find out in more detail below.
Water heated floor
Water floors can be easily filled concrete screed and install the finishing coat
Water is used as the coolant here, which flows through pipes laid on the floor. Basically, the pipes are filled with concrete screed, on which the flooring is then laid.
Installation of water heated floor more difficult to install electric and requires large initial costs, in addition, these types of heated floors (water) are more difficult to regulate the room temperature, but this is more than compensated by savings during operation. In terms of energy consumption, a water floor is three times more efficient than an electric one; the efficiency of this type of heated floor is higher.
The water circuit is laid on a layer of waterproofing material
This type of heated floor has a fairly wide range of applications. It is often implemented in new buildings, where there is no finishing coating yet and it is possible to properly lay the “pie” with heating pipes.
One of the mandatory requirements when installing it is to create a waterproofing barrier underneath it; when installing an electric heated floor, this is not necessary.
It should be remembered that water heated floors are an expensive and labor-intensive product. For uninterrupted operation The system requires the installation of a water supply controller, a collector - the brain center of this type of heating, on which all outgoing circuits are connected into a single whole, and the temperature and amount of supplied water are sequentially adjusted.
Electric heated floors
Cable heated floors are a simple two-core or single-core heating cable
Different types of electric heated floors use one principle - heat generation due to the electrical resistance of conductors. Let's get acquainted with the types of electric heated floors:
It should be remembered that all types of electric heated floors have one general disadvantage, these are possible interruptions in operation due to lack of electricity.
Therefore, quite often when installing floors of this type, additional uninterruptible power supplies are installed.
A water pipe system for heated floors is more expensive and more difficult to install, but pays for itself due to its efficiency during operation. Can be used in both small and large (more than 60 square meters) rooms, but only while the heating boiler is operating (or hot water can be taken from centralized system supply of hot water or heating). To learn which type of underfloor heating is best to choose, watch this video:
Electric heating floors have significant advantages:
- can be used in any conditions (except for wet conditions, where a large amount of water gets on the floor);
- heating at any time of the year;
- ease of temperature control;
- durability of operation (at least 50 years);
- does not require maintenance.
But there are also disadvantages of using it:
- It is not economically profitable to heat areas of more than 40 square meters;
- there is (albeit small) electromagnetic radiation(within sanitary standards), but the background adds.
You should also know that electric (cable) heated floors should not be used in places with very high humidity (swimming pool locker rooms, dressing rooms), as there is a small chance of a short circuit.
Having considered all the pros and cons, having learned the difference between the types of heating systems and getting general recommendations You can make a choice based on the use of heating devices such as types of heated floors.
Each owner, before “putting an end” to a certain type of heating system, will use not only the above material, but also his own personal considerations.
How to choose and install correctly!
What unites you and wealthy citizens? Ancient Rome? You will be surprised - the desire to heat the floor in the house and the ability to do it. Yes, many wealthy houses of the Roman Empire had heated floors. And now you can afford it too. From this article you will learn about 15 facts that will help you choose the best heated floor for your home and avoid mistakes when installing it.
Fact 1: The heating system raises the floor level in the room. A water-heated floor takes up the most space, while a film floor takes up the least amount of space.
The usual diameter of the pipes through which the coolant flows is 20 mm. Add to this the thickness of the screed - and you will understand how much higher your floor will become. The cable system must be laid in a screed approximately 5 cm thick. Heating mats can be laid in a layer of tile adhesive - and the thickness of the floor will not increase due to the heating system. The film heated floor itself has a minimum thickness and will not affect the height of the room. If every centimeter matters to you, choose a thermomat or film. To maintain a minimum floor level, warm floors from the Teplolux-Tropix series are suitable. Modification 160 is used in warm rooms (including children's rooms). The Teplolux-Tropix-200 system is applicable for cold rooms ( country houses, balconies, etc.).
Fact 2: for country house, in a cottage, the most energy-efficient heated floor is water.
IN country houses heated floors are often used as the main heat source. For example, products from Kermi (Germany) - metal-plastic and polyethylene pipes used in floor heating systems and radiator heating. When you need to heat a large area, a water heated floor is more profitable, since it practically does not consume electricity. Hot water moves from the collector through pipes using a pump, and no electricity is wasted to change the air temperature.
Photo: waterenergy.ru
Fact 3: in many city apartments the installation of water heated floors is prohibited. The only possible solution in this case is an electrical system.
Without agreement with service organization connect any devices to central heating it is forbidden. This also applies to water heated floors. Water from the common riser, passing through the heated floor pipes, gives off heat and enters the neighboring apartments partially cooled. Pressure in common system goes down. It is possible to install a water floor in the city only in new modern houses, in which the builders provided a separate riser specifically for this purpose.
Fact 4: electric heated floors allow you to quickly regulate the temperature in the room. Sometimes a merman does not have this opportunity at all.
If the water floor is connected to central heating or to a heating boiler, then the temperature of the coolant does not depend on you. Even if there is a separate riser and thermostat, it will not be possible to instantly change the heating; the water temperature will change gradually. Infrared heated floors respond the fastest to new settings. When you turn it on, you will feel the warmth very quickly. Some models have a self-regulation function - for example, film CALEO GOLD 170-0.5-2.0. Thanks to this function, electricity is consumed more economically - as the floor temperature rises, power consumption decreases.
Photo: www.freetorg.com.ua
Fact 5: Finding and repairing a damaged area of an electric heated floor is easier than finding and repairing damage to a hydronic floor.
A specialist can find a faulty section of cable where there is no voltage quickly and with great accuracy. To replace a piece of wire, you will not need to open the entire floor. If a pipe is damaged, it is not so easy to find the leak. To repair the system, the floor will most likely have to be dismantled.
Fact 6: heated floors with thermal insulation increase their efficiency by 30-40%.
A warm floor without thermal insulation heats your room and the lower apartment or basement equally. In order not to waste energy, thermal insulation (for example, penofol) must be laid as the bottom layer of the heated floor. Under a thin heated floor (for example, a Teplolux-Mini thermomat with a mesh thickness of 1 mm, a cable thickness of 3 mm), thermal insulation is not installed due to the requirements of construction documentation for the strength of floors - it is placed only down under the screed layer. IN in this case Downward heat loss will be insignificant, since the screed will retain it.
Fact 7: the efficiency of a heated floor is influenced by the type of floor covering (its ability to conduct heat, installation method, resistance to heat).
When choosing a floor heating system, keep in mind that a tiled floor will be effectively heated by cables and thermomats. An ideal heated floor for linoleum, laminate (thin materials) - thermal film. It is not recommended to install heated floors under parquet, since wood covering may dry out from heating. It is not advisable under a thick carpet (the heat won’t even reach your feet).
Fact 8: if you put a heated floor under a finishing coating, the quality of which is in doubt, the consequences can be unpleasant.
Nothing will happen to a good floor covering under the influence of a warm floor. Cheap, low-quality linoleum, even with such slight heating, can become deformed and begin to smell.
Fact 9: there is no need to lay heated floors over the entire area of the room. And in some cases, such installation can even lead to the cancellation of the warranty.
Firstly, this is unnecessary energy consumption. Why heat the area of the floor where the wardrobe sits? Secondly, underfloor heating elements located under sofas, cabinets, carpets, etc. will overheat and fail ahead of schedule.
Fact 10: after installing the heated floor, you should have a plan for its location in your hands.
The laying diagram should show cable routing lines, distances to walls, relative location of plumbing equipment, and location of couplings. If a preliminary diagram has been drawn up, you can make final notes on it. Otherwise, you will need a metal detector to pinpoint areas where you cannot drill into the floor, install furniture, or new plumbing.
Fact 11: you cannot install the same heating system in rooms with different temperature conditions.
Floor heating in the bedroom and, for example, on the balcony must be arranged individually. The desire to save money and install a single system will not lead to anything good. It is also impossible to lengthen the wire and increase the area of the already installed heated floor. Therefore, calculate the floor power for each room separately.
Fact 12: infrared heated floors cannot be laid “wet”.
You should know that the film that forms the basis of infrared heated floors is resistant to aggressive environments. In particular, the alkaline environment of tile adhesive or cement-sand mixture can damage it. Therefore, films are laid only “dry”.
Fact 13: for the nursery, living room, bedroom, you should use an electric heated floor based on a two-core cable. For balconies, bathrooms, and corridors, you can use a single-core cable.
Around electric wire there is an electromagnetic field. Its permissible value is established in SNiP. Electrical cables heated floors also create electromagnetic fields. But the radiation level is low. In addition, the cable design includes a layer of braided shielding. Thanks to it, the radiation of a single-core cable is almost 60 times less than permissible. Warm floors from the British manufacturer Energy Light 0.5 - 50 can be used in dry rooms with any type of floor covering. The cable is only 2.8 mm thick and is surrounded by a continuous shield of aluminum foil and copper braid.
Photo: stylehome.org
A two-core cable, which is recommended for installation in rooms where people are constantly present, has a radiation level 300 times less permissible value. Therefore it is completely safe. As an example, let's take a warm floor from the same company - Energy Light Plus 8.0-1200. Cable diameter: 3.6 mm, can be used in wet areas, under tiles, porcelain stoneware. Operating temperature - up to 27°.
Fact 14: a temperature sensor that monitors the temperature of the heated floor should be placed in a special corrugated tube and placed close to the wall in an inconspicuous corner.
Failure of the temperature sensor is one of the most common problems. If the sensor is tightly filled with cement, the floor will have to be opened. This is easy to avoid. if you place the sensor in a plastic corrugation in advance. Then, even after the final finishing of the floor, the sensor can be safely removed and, if necessary, replaced.
Fact 15: you need to fill the floor immediately after laying the cable, and you can turn on the heating system no earlier than the screed is completely dry. It should take about a month!
The mixture needs to dry naturally. It is impossible to speed up this process by turning on the heating - under the influence of temperature, the cement will set unevenly, and the screed will be fragile. When laying heated floors, mixtures that are intended for this purpose are used. Look on the packaging for the purpose and drying period.
So what have we learned? For a house outside the city, a water-heated floor is suitable; an electric floor should be used for local heating. In city apartments, installing water floors may not be possible, but electric ones are quite acceptable. Type selection electrical system heating is directly related to the design features of the main floor (screed, finishing coating).
Step out of the shower and get goosebumps? Cold air and an icy floor underfoot destroy the feeling of comfort.
But this problem can be solved. A heated towel rail will help warm up the air in the bathroom, and there are several ways to insulate the floor: a regular rug (which, however, can get wet) and a heated floor system. By the way, heated floors can also replace a radiator in the bathroom.
Electric floors, contrary to fears, absolutely safe, if they are well manufactured, installed and connected. And their arrangement allows us to solve several problems at once:
- Cold floor
- High humidity
- Fungus on walls and floors
Types of electric heating for the bathroom
The most popular flooring for bathrooms is tile or porcelain stoneware. Ironically, they are the ones who “delight” us with their coldness, since they cool down very much. Laminate, linoleum - basically not best idea For bathroom. In addition, they do not cool so much, so a warm floor under them is hardly needed.
The undoubted advantage of tiles is that they conduct heat well. It not only cools down, but also heats up quickly. And thanks to its high strength and resistance to heat, it can be used with any type of electric heated floors.
The two main ones are: heating cable in the screed and mats.
Cable tie:
- Placed on thermal insulation in a layer of screed 3-5 cm thick
- Because of this, the floor level increases
- It is more difficult to install: you not only need to level the floor and fill the screed, but also calculate the pitch of the cable and attach it to the mounting tape
- Has more power - the floor temperature will be higher
- Can be used for main heating
- Ready for work only 28 days after pouring the screed
Heating mats:
- Mounted without screed or thermal insulation
- Do not raise the floor level
- Ready-made sections can be easily selected according to area
- There is no need to attach the cable to the base - it is already fixed to the mesh
- Used only to warm the floor surface(not for main heating)
- The adhesive solution covering the cable dries quickly. The floor is ready for use in 14 days
Safety when installing electric floors in the bathroom
As with others electrical devices, when installing heated floors in wet rooms, safety precautions must be observed.
In particular:
- The cable itself must have increased waterproofing (protection class allowing use in a bathroom - at least IP 67)
- When installed in wet rooms, cable floors must be connected through an RCD.
- It is better to move the thermostat outside the bathroom - to the next room.
- The cable is not laid under the bathtub or shower stall.
All heating systems from Energy can be used in bathrooms, toilets, and kitchens. Energy heated floors are:
Heating mats Energy Mat And Energy Light Plus for additional heating.
Cable tie Energy Cable And Energy Universal for main and additional heating of premises.
