What heat-insulated floors are better under a tile: responses on various options can help to make a right choice. The main criterion here should be the ability of the structure to meet the technical requirements that most users place on it: heat output per 1 m2, ease of installation, cost, resource consumption.
What are the best underfloor heating under tiles: reviews of electrical and water options
Currently, there are two types of floor heating systems: electric and water. They have the same tasks – to heat the floor surface from the inside, creating comfortable conditions in the room. As the name implies, these two systems differ in heat source. In the first case, thermal energy is produced when work is performed by an electric current in the process of passing it through conductors with electrical resistance. A variant of the electric floor is also considered a variant of infrared systems. In them, the electric current causes oscillations leading to the emission of infrared waves, which, in turn, are able to heat all the objects around them, including the floor surface.
In the second case, the effect of heat transfer from heated water or other heat-transfer fluid that circulates through pipes located in zigzags under the floor surface is used. This system, most often, has a common circuit with heating a house or apartment.
What heated floors are better for tiles? Reviews on this score are very controversial. It all depends on the preferences of the consumer and a variety of different circumstances. If we compare the electric and water versions as a whole, then we need to do this according to certain criteria. For heat transfer: it all depends on the power of the device. It can be in the range of 110 – 160 kW2 electric heated floors. The greater the power of the system, the more energy it consumes.
However, water floor heating, having a similar heat transfer, does not create any additional costs. This statement is true when using central heating. If the house is heated from an autonomous source, then an additional circuit in the heating system increases energy consumption in proportion to its area.
What heated floors are better for tile in terms of ease of installation? The answer is obvious. Electric floor is much more convenient to mount. It is enough to spread on the floor and connect the system components together, and then plug it into the network. The contour of the water floor is necessary not only to lay correctly, but still need to implement a tie-in with the heating system.
The cost of electric floor heating ranges from 15 to 150.e. for m2. The cost of installing a heated floor with a water circuit depends on many factors and can be from 30 to 200 USD for m2. The fact that the coolant in it very quickly gives off heat and cools down does not add to the popularity of the water floor. This leads to the fact that the radiators after it are not working at full capacity. Such a system also consumes more water, reducing pressure. In addition, when freezing from the circuit can not drain the water, which in an emergency situation leads to the destruction of the entire floor.
Therefore, the answer to the question of which heated floors are better for tiles, everyone should find for himself, depending on their priorities. If the main thing is the low cost of operation and the absence of electromagnetic radiation, then a water floor should be chosen. If the ease of installation, the ability to adjust the heating, the relatively low cost and lack of inconvenience for the neighbors, the electric floor heating will be the best option. Its infrared subspecies has a low power consumption.
As mentioned above, the installation of electric and water floor has significant differences in technology. In order to obtain additional arguments when answering the question of which heated floors are better for tiles, consider the features of the device of both types.
There are two ways to build a water heated floor: screed and decking. The first method is the most common. It involves pouring a concrete screed over the contour pipes. This method ensures good heating of all layers of the floor. The second method is less labor intensive, since the pipes are placed on a screed or slabs, after which they are covered with a rough and finished floor. This method reduces the efficiency of heat consumption.
To lay the water floor under the screed must:
- The base of the floor is very well cleaned from various impurities and leveled. Sometimes it is desirable to make a thin concrete pre-tie up to 2 cm.
- To produce thermal protection of the base of the floor. To do this, make a layer of foam, penofola or polystyrene. Its thickness should be 3 cm. This is necessary so that the heat rises into the room, and does not fall to the neighbors. Damper tape is laid on the perimeter of the room and on the borders of solid sections.
- Reinforce the entire area of the floor using a grid with a 5 mm thick rod and 15×15 cm cells. At the same time, the reinforcement should lie on the damper tape between the sections.
- Lay the pipes on the fittings and fasten them with plastic clamps. On top of this design you need to put an extra layer of reinforcement.
- Perform pressure testing of the circuit using compressed air. If leakage is detected, leakage must be restored. Then you need to make a sidebar in the heating system and run the water, raising the pressure to the worker. In this state, the system should be 3 days.
- If a breakthrough did not occur, then you can make a coupler. To do this, use concrete M300. The thickness of the screed above the pipes must be greater than 3 cm.
- After complete drying of the screed (2 – 3 weeks), tile is glued on top of it.
Helpful advice! It is important to know not only which underfloor heating is better under the tile, but also for the heated floor itself, it should be chosen taking into account the physical characteristics. Ceramic tile with the highest thermal conductivity is best suited for this purpose. It will warm up very well and give off heat to the surrounding space of the room.
To make a water heated floor in a flattened way is much easier. For this there are polystyrene sheets, in which grooves have already been made for pipe laying. These sheets are mounted between the grooves. They themselves are heat insulation, so in addition it is not necessary to do it.
The pipes are laid in the grooves and covered with foamed polyethylene, pre-pressing. Then put the plywood as a subfloor. Obviously, this method is not quite suitable for laying tiles as a finishing coating. In this case, you still need to do a tie for better adhesion of the tile adhesive.
If the question of which heated floors are better under tiles, you answered – electric, then you need to choose from two options: an electric heating cable or films with infrared elements. Laying the infrared floor is simpler, since the sheets of the film are simply interconnected via electrodes. There is no need to calculate the distance between the elements, as the sheets are ready for use. The cable is laid in different ways: spiral, snake, zigzags.
Helpful advice! When choosing an electric floor heating is better to stay on the finished sets. Included are all the necessary components, combined with each other in all respects.
The procedure for installing an electric floor heating is as follows:
- Preparation of the base, which includes cleaning and leveling.
- Waterproofing roll materials.
- Warming of plates of polyfoam or polystyrene foam.
- Laying the floor heating system and interconnecting all components of the electrical circuit.
- Thermostat connection and connection to the network.
- Check system performance.
- Reinforcement if necessary. Some designs of floor heating systems are made immediately with reinforcing components.
- Fill the screed 3 cm above the entire structure.
- Drying screed (2 – 3 weeks).
- Gluing tiles.
Helpful advice! Under the foam should always be laid sheets of foamed polystyrene foam. It reflects heat into the room. Foil should be on top.
Understanding which warm floors are better for tiles, user reviews will help in the first place.
