The modern idea of floor heating, of course, is imported from abroad. In particular, from the Scandinavian countries with their long and snowy winters on the one hand and a large number of individual housing on the other. Now, a variety of systems for underfloor heating offer manufacturers from Denmark, Norway, the United States, Germany, South Korea.
Who Needs a Warm Floor?
- The residents of the first-floor apartments (as is known, the production of thermal insulation works with mass building leaves much to be desired);
- Residents of the other floors – at least in the bathrooms;
- The owners of suburban real estate operate throughout the year.
Warm Floor. Modern Technology for Comfort Home. Types of Underfloor Heating
- Electric floor heating which in turn is:
- cable (heating sections and mats);
- film (carbon and bimetallic);
2. Aquatic.
Electric Floor
In my opinion, it is the most popular. This is not strange, because it has undeniable advantages: anti-allergenic effect, no convention flows, evenly distributed heat over the entire area. There are several types: cable-, rod- and film-floor. According to the principle of heating may be infrared or convectional.
The cable comes in the form of special heating sections, mats, and cable reels. The differences between them are mostly in the installation methods. The general principle is this: power supply cable is mounted into a floor, and is supplied with electricity with the help of a thermostat. By the way, electric heated floors can be in the form of heating sections and mats. Wherein the heating sections should be installed on the screed (cement and sand) and mats are eligible to an old screed on a layer of tile adhesive. Sections are stacked on the leveled prepared surface. You should previously think about the arrangement of household appliances and furniture in the room. In particular, if you place the appliances right on warm the floor, it is fraught with the failure of both of them.
You can align the surface by means of self-leveling floors, which are filled with beacons. Insulation is placed in the leveled base after solidification, the mounting tape is attached to it, and then, on tape incisions, the heating cable is expanded. You cannot attach directly the cable. In this case, it will lead to the failure of the entire system.
The Place of the Thermostat
Another important point is to determine the place of the thermostat setting and output the cable ends to connect with it. You should place a cable liner to the thermostat outside in a box or groove this channel in the wall. The cable is poured on top with a layer of cement-sand mixture. At the same time, you can lay any desired floor coating in accordance with the usual instructions (ceramic tiles on the tile adhesive or laminate noise-insulating substrate, or carpet, linoleum, parquet) at the top of it. Pay attention, switching on the floor heating is recommended after the final hardening of all the layers of this “pie”. Heating mats are the most subtle kind of electric floors, suitable for both urban apartments and for suburban housing. In particular, the thickness of the heating mat is not more than one and a half millimeters.
There are two types of cables for the electric floor: two and one-cored. Their difference lies in the fact that when installing both ends of the single-core cable must be returned to a single supply point, but for a two-wire, the other end does not need to be returned.
Film Floor
It is (also known as the infrared floor, which is not quite right) a new kind of electric warm floor, where the film acts as a heating element. Divided into two types: carbon and bimetal.
- Carbon represented as a rubber element, placed between the layers of the Mylar film. Thermo film is used as an extra (and sometimes primary) heating system. Moreover, you can place the structure on the floor and on the ceiling or wall.
- The bimetallic floor is provided in the form of polyurethane film consisting of two layers: the top – an alloy of copper, the bottom – of aluminum. It has the form of a continuous roll with square sections on 0.585 x 0.585. Along the edges of the open section consists of the busbar, connected by a wire with a thick zigzag and in 1 mm increments. Under a cover is better to settle? This, of course, laminitis, linoleum, and carpet. It is not recommended to stack a tile. It is advisable not to expose the thermostat above +27 ° C, otherwise the risk to damage the flooring.
Radiant Floor
It is the most traditional heating system with hot water. In common sense, it is the same central heating radiators, only in the form of pipes running under the floor. Such a system can be found almost everywhere: apartment buildings, houses, shops, various kinds of shopping and sports complexes. Due to the different designs of such a system, you can use it in any building, both with a connection to the heating plant, and make a fully autonomous heating system. Thus, the radiant floor is able to distribute heat by the area. This means that the temperature of the radiators can be lowered a few degrees, and thus any difference will not be felt. And even a decrease of 2 ° C will save up to 12% of electricity.
What features yet has a similar system?
- water floor (as opposed to electric) can be mounted out under the furniture and in this case, it will not cause its fissuring;
- plastic or metal pipes, which water floor is made from a, do not corrode, do not contribute to the collection of sediments, allowing you to keep the diameter of the flow cross-section;
- now a variety of subtle system (pipe diameter of 8 mm) are in development;
- there are even easy demountable system of floor heating, which do not require pouring with concrete;
- with proper use and installation, you can install radiant floor heating under any covering, even under the parquet.
Conclusion
- Cable systems are an optimal combination of price and quality and the most convenient way to comfort.
- Infrared mats are easy to install and take up a little amount of space. But it is quite expensive for today as comparatively new technology.
- Water heating is cheaper to operate, but it is very cumbersome to install and less durable.
Thanks to the warm floors, warm air is distributed in the room from the bottom to the top. In fact, it is the best way to warm up a room.
