Heated Floors: Types, Features, Installation

How to Install Heated FloorsHeated floors will make the home more comfortable and can fully provide heating for the premises.

The heated floor provides heating to the room due to the heating device installed on the floor. There are floors that are heated using hot water pipes and electric cables, and more recently, there has also been a floor with infrared heating.

What is the difference between them?

The difference is in the heating element:

  • On the water floor, it is a pipeline with hot water,
  • On the electric one – a cable with voltage,
  • On infrared – a film with radiation.

Floor with water heating

Installing a floor with water heating does not require large costs, as the pipes are welded to the central heating system. As a rule, the source of hot water is an electric or gas double-circuit boiler.

The water system is not prone to overheating, so you can use any floor covering. Despite such a significant advantage, there are also serious disadvantages of water heating. The water temperature is not regulated and you need to monitor the pressure in the system. Therefore, it is a choice in favor of a water floor where there is an autonomous heating system.

Floor with electric heating

Electric floors have a number of advantages:

  • installed in any room,
  • has thermoregulation,
  • and the protective shutdown device allows you to avoid network failures.

The electrical system, unlike the water supply, does not get clogged and does not freeze due to a lack of electricity.

However, such a system heats the floor very quickly, which can lead to its deformation, so you need to carefully choose the floor covering.

Floor with infrared heating

The heating element in this system is an ultra-thin film with infrared radiation. The film is installed very easily and does not require a screed, there are two types:

  • carbon – a rubber element placed between layers of mylar film;
  • bimetallic – two-layer polyurethane film, which consists of an upper layer of copper alloy and a lower layer of aluminum.

Laminate, linoleum, and carpet will serve as the best floor covering for the infrared heating element.

In order not to damage the floor covering, it is advisable not to set the thermostat above +27°C. But the main plus is significant savings!

Floors with film heating are more economical compared to other types by almost 20%. In addition, electromagnetic radiation is completely absent on such floors.

What do you need to know about the installation of warm floors?

Remove the old surface and level it. Only after that pour concrete.
Thermal insulation is mounted on the rough flooring. After that, laying of the electric cable or heating pipes in the form of a snake begins.
The system is filled with concrete, and the top is covered with tiles or any other material your desire.

Note that the heated floors distribute the heat in the room optimally for the human body: near the floor, the thermometer shows +24°C, at body level +20°C, and head level +16°C.

Each of the underfloor heating systems presented in this article has its advantages and disadvantages, which should be carefully studied before making a choice.

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