What Layer Of Concrete Solution Is Needed For A Water-heated Floor

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

• Appointment
• Optimal parameters
• We reach the maximum
• Device Recommendations
• Tile screed size
• The nuances of a happy neighborhood

Subject to the technology and requirements for the construction of the base of a warm water floor, the whole structure will turn out to be of high quality, and at the same time it will transfer the required level of heating to the inside of the room. But the process itself is very laborious and requires certain knowledge, without which it is extremely difficult to do. When a water floor is arranged, the thickness of the screed should be given special attention. It is installed on top of the system pipeline, as well as the entire structure of the warm water floor. Recommendations for the device come not only from specialists in this area, but also from manufacturers, depending on the components of the mixtures used in the work.

Appointment

A conventional screed is provided in almost every room where the bases need to be leveled for subsequent flooring. In addition to the fact that a flat surface is obtained, the thickness of the concrete screed of the warm floor also performs other functions:

• Any kind of flooring can be produced.

  

• Allows you to evenly distribute the load from furniture, household appliances and other equipment over the entire plane.
• The design is very reliable and durable, the ability to withstand heavy loads and not only from constant walking.

Typical for a warm floor, its additional properties can be distinguished:

• Protection of the system circuit from external influences.
• Heat transfer from the pipeline with the coolant over the entire surface is uniform. Comfort and coziness in a room with such heating is provided.
• "Mediator" in the transfer of heat from the pipeline to the indoor air.
• Ability to withstand temperature changes as required.

• Long service life, subject to laying technology, without damaging the pipes of the water floor heating system themselves.

  

To get really the best qualities of the screed and the entire structure of the warm floor, you should clearly follow the instructions and stages of work. At the same time, great attention is paid to preparatory measures, since the contour cannot fit on a curved base with drops. So what should be the thickness of the underfloor heating screed?

Optimal parameters

The thickness of the pouring of a water-heated floor will depend on many parameters, each of which has an effect to some extent. To begin with, it is worth deciding on the whole "pie" of the warm floor.

If there are differences in the heights of the rough base, measures should be taken to level it. Sometimes it will be enough to knock down significant protrusions and repair cracks.

But if after that it is not suitable, then it is better to fill in the rough screed. It will serve as an additional barrier against heat loss. Only a slight difference in height over the surface is allowed for laying the contour of the warm floor, no more than 10 mm.

After leveling the surface, you can start laying a layer of insulation. Most often, expanded polystyrene is chosen as its quality, which exhibits all possible qualities during operation. Its thickness is usually 40-50 mm. If it comes to the northern regions of the country with constant negative temperatures, then it is best to resort to choosing a thickness of up to 100 mm. It is the last thickness of the insulation that will be needed when installing a warm floor on the first floor, when there is a basement below without heating. Not a single degree of temperature should be wasted.

It is worth noting that specially designed mats for warm floor insulation have “bosses” (grooves), into which pipes of a warm water floor can be placed with a selected step.

The styling process becomes much easier, less time is spent on the arrangement of the entire "pie". If they are absent, a layer of reinforcement is made of a metal mesh, to which the pipeline is attached using special fasteners. Fasteners can be easily purchased at any hardware store. Usually the thickness of the entire mesh does not exceed 4-5 mm. Everything will depend on its material and the diameter of the cells. In this case, the permissible thickness of the screed over the warm floor will not change.

Next, the pipeline is laid, which also has its own diameter. It should be noted that the thickness of the pipeline is not included in the maximum thickness of the underfloor heating screed due to the fact that its upper contour must be completely covered with a certain layer of filling. The height of the pipes usually reaches 20-25 mm, depending on the selected diameter inside the pipe.

We reach the maximum

In addition to the minimum limits, it is worth thinking about those parameters above which it is no longer worth climbing when pouring a screed of a water-heated floor.

The maximum thickness of the screed over warm water can be provided only in exceptional cases and under certain circumstances. Nobody would advise making the fill layer more than 150-170 mm. Otherwise, not only will a large amount of money be spent on the purchase of materials, and there will be no efficiency from the work of the warm floor. Heating up the underfloor heating screed will take a lot of time, which will lead to an overexpenditure of heating resources.

Among the exceptional options for the device of the maximum thickness of the screed over the warm floor, one can name monolithic structures, when the pouring of the solution simultaneously serves as the foundation of the structure. This also applies to specific rooms where serious loads are created on the foundation during operation. These include garage buildings, parking spaces in buildings, etc.

Another option for choosing the maximum screed thickness for a warm water floor is a very uneven base with a large number of holes and protrusions.

In this case, you will have to align with the screed. But the alignment is best done before the installation of the water-heated floor begins. This will significantly reduce the cost of work, as well as create better conditions for heating the room. In addition, here the leveling layer can be performed using a backfill in the form of expanded clay, which will be cheaper than concrete pouring. In addition, underfloor heating according to the maximum thickness of the screed will be completed faster and with less labor.

Device Recommendations

There are minimum parameters for the underfloor heating screed, the level of which starts from the upper edge of the system pipe. This figure starts from 30 mm. When using pipes with diameters of 16 mm for underfloor heating, you will need to make a screed layer of at least 50 mm. But for this, certain requirements and conditions must be met. After all, the minimum limits for the fill layer can withstand only minor loads from furniture and people walking around the room.

Uneven heating of the warm floor can be caused by certain factors. If you make a minimum pouring of a screed for a warm water floor and at the same time choose a large laying of pipes on the base of the floor, then the surface will not be able to warm up equally over the entire plane. This will be clearly visible if a thermal imager is used in the operation of a warm floor. He will point out those areas that practically do not receive heat.

Almost every specialist will say that it will be necessary to make a screed, at least 70 mm from the base, together with the pipeline, in order to get a really high quality. Therefore, a screed with a thickness of at least 20 - 30 mm should be created above the pipes of the heating system. In this case, the base will withstand the loads even from the located bulky furniture. Heat distribution over the entire surface will be ideal.

Some people will think that from the fact that the filling layer will be large, it will be necessary to increase the power of the warm water floor system. In this case, you may encounter inertia, which is a disadvantage. The resulting structure will warm up longer in time, and cool down in the same way. This will lead to the fact that it will practically not be realistic to use automatic sensors in the operation, allowing you to regulate the temperature level inside the room.

Tile screed size

To begin with, it is worth deciding which pipes will be chosen for the installation of a warm floor. Reinforced-plastic pipes are of high quality and strength, but pipes made of cross-linked polyethylene are of great interest. They are able to withstand thermal stress and are also highly durable.

More expensive options are copper pipes and stainless steel pipes. In terms of quality, no one can compare with them, but the price immediately repels. In any case, the choice lies with the performer. The early ones paid great attention to quality in this technology, since the whole system can be created for decades.

For tiles, there are some principles for installing a warm floor that must be taken into account:

• Before laying the pipeline, a layer of thermal insulation must be installed. This applies to the first floors of buildings, as well as floors above the basements without fail.

• The screed must have not only the qualities of reliability, but also good thermal conductivity, so that the work efficiency is higher.

  

After going through all the successive stages from surface preparation to flooring the contour, we will go directly to the screed. And then the question immediately arises of what should be the screed on the warm floor. Filling is performed according to all requirements. The end result should be a really flat surface. Even if there are certain irregularities, they can be hidden by using tile adhesive. But in this case, the total thickness above the heating pipe in the room will slightly increase.

The selected flooring material will also influence the maximum thickness of the screed for a warm water floor. It is recommended to use tiles with a maximum thickness of 10 mm.

As a result, you may end up with a completely different layer of not only filling, but also additional tile glue and the tile itself over the contour. There should be no more questions about which screed should be above the warm floor.

The nuances of a happy neighborhood

In order for the tile to fit perfectly on the structure of a warm water floor and at the same time carry all the efficiency from use, certain subtleties must be provided.

It is worth noting that when installing exactly tiles on the base for finishing the surface, it will take a little more time than in normal mode. After all, for laying the tiles, you will need to wait until the concrete screed, arranged over the underfloor heating pipeline, is completely dry. After finishing laying the tiles on the concrete surface, you will have to wait another 2-3 weeks until the glue is completely dry.

During all this time, it is impossible to turn on the water floor system in the working position. Otherwise, the floor covering itself is deformed and the work will have to be carried out again.

The choice of adhesive is also essential. Ordinary glue will not work, since in the process of heating the base from the underfloor heating system, it will lose its qualities and collapse. Tiles will begin to peel off even a month or two after the end of the flooring work. The adhesive composition should be chosen specifically for the warm floor and nothing else. After all, it contains special plasticizers that increase quality and reliability.

In any case, it is very important to provide for the optimal thickness of the underfloor heating under the tiles. This will allow you to get the best efficiency in the system and feel comfortable at any time of the year. It should be based on the average values for the fill. The maximum screed over a water-heated floor can be arranged only in individual and very rare cases.

It will not be superfluous to pay attention to the recommendations of manufacturers when using ready-made dry mixes. They contain the optimal parameters for choosing the thickness of the screed.

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