Installation Of Tile Flooring On A Floor Heating System

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

• Features of the ceramic coating
• Foundation preparation
• Tile laying options
• Tools and materials
• Tile installation technology
• Grout
• Hidden dangers

Currently, there are various ways and methods for domestic comfort. Technology advances and leads to the most deliberate decisions. One of these can be called a floor heating system. But not everyone knows what is the best coverage to choose for work efficiency. The best option is ceramic tiles. But there are some features of the installation of this floor covering.

Features of the ceramic coating

The time for laying tiles on the underfloor heating system will depend on the area of the room. One person will be able to cope with a 3 * 3 meter bathroom during the day. At the same time, it is very important that all the necessary materials and equipment are on hand.

There are basic points that you should know before laying tiles on a warm floor.

1. The floor level together with the tiles should be on the same level as the floor in other rooms of the apartment. This suggests that all calculations should be made in advance. Much will depend on the pipes used in the work, all the components. If there is a threshold, then a slight difference in the height of the floor level will not be so noticeable. Most often it will be necessary to level the surface, place it at the base of all communications.

   

2. The minimum layer of screed or tile adhesive should be 10 mm. This is necessary so that the heat is evenly distributed over the entire plane. Otherwise, the concentration of heat will be noted only at the locations of the pipeline.
3. There should be no covering of the floor during operation, forcing the site with furniture, plumbing or other equipment. This item is especially visible when you need to lay the rug in the bathroom. If you bypass this rule, then under these areas the heating elements will burn out. It is very important to carefully plan the location of all bath components in the apartment in order to save money. Indeed, in areas where furniture or other appliances are located, laying is not worth it.

Foundation preparation

When the time is right to lay the tiles on the warm floor, you should check several times whether the system is connected correctly and the pipeline is laid. Some will think that you can skip it and even laugh. Not always the specialists performing the work will do everything efficiently. This is especially evident if they are not under total control. The consequences can be dire.

In addition, it is worth paying attention to the fact that all communications of the underfloor heating system are hidden. They should not appear anywhere and appear. The floor surface must be pre-leveled with a screed. If the warm floor has been poured with concrete recently, then you will have to wait until the solution is completely dry. Otherwise, you will have to start all over again and correct errors.

It remains to take action on the choice of tiles. It can be completely different. The best option is ceramic. As for the adhesive, it must necessarily be designed for a warm floor. There are plenty of options in any hardware store. Instead of glue, you can choose any analogs. The main thing is that the composition contains epoxy resin. Regular tile adhesive will start cracking when the system is turned on.

Tile laying options

The tiles can be installed immediately after the floor screed is poured or after additional leveling of the base has been carried out with a finishing leveling compound. It is the second option that requires a little more attention and work, but the result will be much better. If the tiles are laid immediately after the screed is poured, a significant layer of tile adhesive will have to be applied to fully align. This also causes financial costs.

An additional leveling layer is considered the most durable and durable. It is most often used in work, sparing no time. Almost never, you should not immediately lay tiles on a warm floor if you want to get an excellent final result and the duration of the operating period of the entire structure.

This can be done only in exceptional cases, in a limited time.

It is worth remembering that this option will still require replacement in the near future, within about a few years. So you should think about whether it is worth spending the money now, so that in the future it is already accurate to dismantle and re-lay the flooring in the bathroom.

But you should not lay tiles on the included warm floor. This will lead to premature drying of the tile adhesive, and the tile itself will not have time to grasp the base and will lag behind.

Tools and materials

When we proceed to such a stage as laying tiles on a screed of a warm floor, we should think about a set of tools and material. A spatula with teeth is useful for work, as a rule, crosses for setting the required gap between the tiles, various levels (large and small), a ceramic tile cutter, a pencil, a tape measure, a tile hammer, scotch tape. It is necessary to provide for every little thing that may come in handy during the installation process. It will be better than distracting from work later and looking for something suitable.

As for the material, here, in addition to ceramic or other tiles with glue, grout is also purchased. It should be in tune with the tiles or a few tones darker. Everything will depend on the selected tile.

Tile installation technology

There is practically no difference between the usual laying of tiles and when laying on a warm floor. But there is a step-by-step instruction so as not to be mistaken in the actions taken:

• Heating elements and underfloor heating structure must be securely fixed to the base. This is checked before starting the installation of the tiles. To avoid air pockets, tape is cut, with which it is fixed to the polymer net. If this is not done, then the quality of the work carried out will be reduced to a minimum. Subsequently, the fixation of the entire structure is carried out using tile glue. They are simply smeared over the top.

  

• Make a choice in favor of a specific tile installation option. This can be a prepared mixture of sand and cement, or tile adhesive can be used. When used in a screed adhesive, it will acquire the best bonding qualities, as well as strength over the entire plane. But it is very important that the mixture is evenly distributed over the surface. If air pockets appear, the screed itself will begin to crack. An alternative to this option is a self-leveling floor. But the technology of pouring the screed must be followed in full so that the flooring is properly laid. Drying time for such a screed is usually 3-5 days. And it is on the fifth day that you can start installing the tiles. It is worth noting that, depending on the fill, the drying time will also differ. Sometimes they can go up to three weeks.

• Layout of tiles. But before that, you should measure the area of the room. The start of work is carried out from a flat surface, without a pattern, from an adjacent room or a wall in a room. Next, a layer of glue of about 40-50 mm is applied to the surface, after which it is leveled with a spatula to the required level. All that remains is to lay the tiles on such a surface and tap with a tile hammer. It can also self-press to remove the glue from underneath. At the corners of each element, previously acquired crosses of a certain size are displayed. The rest of the flooring elements are subsequently adjusted to them. When work is already approaching the corner of the room, a slight gap should be left. If there are areas with tile fragments, they should be done last.

  

If it is found that the level of an individual tile does not coincide with the norm, then it should be removed and then re-laid. In this case, the required amount of glue is removed or, on the contrary, added. Everything will depend on the requirements. But this happens very rarely if the screed is poured correctly and the base is flat.

But when the laying of the tiles on the warm floor is completed, you cannot move around the surface. This will only cause its deformation and re-installation. Usually tile adhesive dries up to 3-4 days. During this time, the surface should be allowed to rest and grasp for the required strength. And then the grouting process begins.

Grout

Some may think that this step is unnecessary. But this will protect the tiles from chips, mold and various dirt in the joints, which will be problematic to remove. After all the previously installed crosses are removed, masking tape is used to glue the tiles and walls. If you do without this step, it will be very difficult to wash the surface from the grout itself. When the grout is complete, it waits approximately two hours and the harvesting begins. Washing the tile surface is performed bypassing the seams. They should not be touched, since the solution could not grab at full strength. Longer periods contribute to wiping problems.

Not everyone knows when you can turn on underfloor heating after laying the flooring. The tile adhesive dries up to 3 weeks. Everything depends on the brand and composition. And only when the given terms specified in the manufacturer's recommendations have passed, can the system be put into operation. If turned on earlier than the agreed time, air bubbles will appear in the coating. This will create conditions for fragility or overheating. The heating elements themselves will fail or burn out altogether. They will not be able to work fully. So it's very important to know when to turn on underfloor heating after tiling.

Hidden dangers

All types of work on laying tiles on a screed with a warm floor are best done not only in the summer, but also in the absence of tenants in the apartment. During the installation process, various chemical elements are released and get into the air from the tile adhesive and screed. It becomes harmful to young children, people with diseases (asthma, allergies, etc.).

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