How To Install Floor Heating Elements Without Screed

2023 Author: Philip Bishop | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 07:54

Advantages and disadvantages
Choosing a warm floor
Installation features
Installation process
Underfloor heating in tile adhesive
Floor covering device

It is not always possible to pour a concrete screed over a system of underfloor heating elements. In this case, you should look for other possible options. Instead of a heating cable, it is customary to use special thermomats or infrared floor heating, which perfectly cope with heating all rooms in an apartment. At the same time, it is very important to know all the main points that will help to install the heating system correctly and efficiently.

Advantages and disadvantages

When performing the "dry" version of the warm floor, you can encounter not only positive qualities, but also disadvantages. They will already tell the performer the probability of choice.

The main advantages of using the "dry" method for installing an electric floor heating are as follows:

There is no need to create a concrete screed that takes time for the pouring and drying process.
There is no additional load on the floor slabs, which will not be good for old buildings.
Ease of installation in a short time.
Suitable for flooring options such as laminate or parquet.

Electric underfloor heating without screed

But any technology cannot do without negative manifestations. In this case, there is only one and the most basic - the high cost of a heating mat and infrared floor heating. But it is worth noting that when choosing a cable, you will also need to purchase all the necessary materials for pouring the screed, which also causes spending of certain amounts. In any case, everyone must decide what he wants to get in the end and what quality.

Choosing a warm floor

Since the options for underfloor heating are presented in the form of a heating cable, thermomat or infrared film, then one of them should be chosen for the performance of the heating system. The last version of the warm floor has a large number of environmental qualities: low ionization, suitable for allergy sufferers, does not dry out interior items in the room, as well as air space. The temperature is in any case evenly distributed from the base of the floor to the very ceiling.

Electric underfloor heating without screed

Cable underfloor heating can be arranged under a concrete screed, which is prepared according to measured proportions. The screed can be dispensed with when installing heating mats (cable mats) on the surface. But here you will need to apply tile glue, which can serve as a basis for ceramic tiles.

Completely dry option - film floor. It is placed in the screed only in exceptional cases. It is better to refuse concrete pouring, as it will spoil the heating elements and will not allow transferring the required amount of heat into the room, especially when installing an additional layer of floor covering. There will be no efficiency at all from the work of an infrared heated floor.

In addition, it should be noted that the device of thermomat or cable floor heating can be carried out only when carrying out major repairs in an apartment or house. As for the IR underfloor heating, then here it can be mounted regardless of extraneous circumstances. The main thing is that the base is previously leveled qualitatively. It can be carried out at any stage of not only major, but also cosmetic repairs. It is about him that you should talk in more detail in order to create a complete heating system in the room.

Installation features

The power of an electric underfloor heating without screed must be calculated depending on the operating mode. This can be the main source of heat in the room or an additional one. In addition, the system can work not only around the clock, but also within a certain time frame.

Installation should be done in areas that require constant heating. But at the same time, attention is paid to places where installation is prohibited: under furniture and bulky objects. Before laying the film on the subfloor, the subfloor must be carefully prepared. If the surface is flat, then the old coating can be left on. Otherwise, you will have to dismantle the old tile, laminate, together with the concrete screed.

After that, the rough screed is poured, which is adjusted to the horizontal level.

An additional layer of insulation will prevent heat from escaping in unnecessary directions. If you do without it, then the basements below or the ceilings of neighbors will warm up. Under an infrared warm floor, the thickness of the thermal insulation will be sufficient in 3-4 mm. As for a specific material, it can be Izolon or Penofol. There is a huge assortment of them on the construction market, from which you can choose something suitable.

The peculiarity of the underfloor heating insulation without screed is that one of the sides has a foil coating. It serves to reflect heat and redirect it to the sub floor. An additional quality of the insulating layer is waterproofing, due to the fact that the material has a structure that can resist moisture (it remains on the surface, and is not absorbed).

Installation process

The beginning of the installation of a warm floor without a screed is associated with the installation of all the main components - a thermostat and a temperature sensor. The thermostat is fixed in a specially prepared hole on the wall at a distance of at least 30 cm from the base of the floor.

In shape and size, it is not much different from the classic outlet. This device will be necessary to control the temperature level in the room, as well as to set certain parameters and time frames. Connection is made to a separately prepared socket. Electric wires are connected to it directly from the meter. Installation is best done according to the manufacturer's attached diagram.

We must not forget about installing a temperature sensor. Everything is carried out as follows: wires are drawn from the thermostat to the closer section of the infrared heated floor, where they are glued to the graphite section with adhesive tape.

Further, the thermal film of the warm floor is laid out over the surface without air layers. It should fit securely.

After that, places are selected where the insulation is removed from the film - they are cleaned with special sharp knives at a distance of 5-10 mm from the near edge. After connecting all sections of the film with wires, they are processed with bitumen insulation, which is supplied complete with the underfloor heating system without pouring the screed.

When all these steps have been completed, you can test the system. The thermostat is connected to the mains and brought into working condition. If there are no problems with operability, a polyethylene film is laid on top of the infrared film for further installation of the floor covering.

Underfloor heating in tile adhesive

It is very difficult to imagine the implementation of a screed made of tile adhesive. And this is absolutely true, since this installation option can also be attributed to the number of performed without screeds. It is typical when installing heating mats on the base.

The installation process is not much different. Only the substrate as a heater should be somewhat thicker and made of expanded polystyrene. But it is worth noting that thermomats can be laid directly on an old base, which can be concrete, tiles or other flooring options. The most important thing is that the quality meets the requirements.

Once the heating mats have been laid and connected to the mains, the tile adhesive can be applied. If it is necessary to cut the heating mat in a separate area, it should be done so as not to damage the cable itself. Otherwise, performance will be impaired. Tile adhesive can later serve as a basis for fixing ceramic tiles. Some attention should be paid to the installation of the thermostat. Here, in the absence of personal knowledge in the field of electrical engineering, it is best to entrust the execution to a specialist.

Otherwise, it will be possible to face a decrease in the efficiency of the warm floor.

It should be noted that manufacturers are trying to provide consumers with the best options for underfloor heating that can be installed in a "dry" way. Among cable mats, it is customary to distinguish the Thermomat TVK-130 model, made of a two-core cable placed in reinforced foil. The degree of heat transfer, in comparison with conventional options, increases markedly here. Even an electric underfloor heating under a laminate with your own hands is done very quickly, without additional layers on top of the heating elements.

Nevertheless, the Danish company Devi can boast of special mats for flooring as a laminate. In addition to laminate, they are suitable for other wooden surfaces. Do-it-yourself warm floors under the laminate got their name - Devidry.

It should be noted that even heating cables can now be installed without a tie. The Devi company also stood out here. Her Devicell system features polystyrene boards on top of which are metal plates. It is here that special grooves are marked, into which the heating cable is laid. Laying the selected flooring option is carried out on the above substrate, which is already connected to the mains.

Floor covering device

An electric underfloor heating without a screed can be performed under almost any type of floor covering. But the most widespread are the wooden components: laminate, parquet, cork. Underfloor heating without screed filling is carried out in the shortest possible time and has no less efficiency of heat transfer.

Installation of the floor under the laminate should be carried out with a preliminary decision of the following points: the choice of the thickness of the laminate or parquet. The optimum thickness should be 6-8 mm. In this case, overheating of the subfloor and its cracking during operation will not be caused. If these are heating mats, then tile adhesive will serve as a kind of layer under the floor covering. There are other backing options that can be found in the store.

Do-it-yourself installation of a warm floor under a laminate is very quick. The main thing is to use a special laminate in the work, and not ordinary. It has all the qualities to withstand temperature changes.

As for linoleum, there are some restrictions on its operation. When installing it over heating mats, only special multi-layer compounds should be used. Otherwise, the material will fail very quickly and will not be able to demonstrate all its qualities.

The easiest way is to lay tiles. True, this is not recommended for infrared floor heating due to a decrease in base heating. Here, a significant thickness of the top layer is created (tile adhesive + the material itself), which hardly transmits heat into the room.

Almost any flooring option can be used on an electric underfloor heating system without screed. But in this case, it is very important to monitor strict adherence to the technology at each stage and select the necessary components for a high-quality heating system device.