In our climate, where cold weather lasts 6–7 months, the warm floor is an excellent addition to the main heating. In order for the warm floor to work effectively, it must be used with a suitable flooring.
In the article, we consider why make a warm floor, what types of warm floor are there and with what floor coverings it is combined.
Content:
- Why make a warm floor?
- Types of warm floor
- What coating is used for a warm floor?
- Tiles on the warm floor
- Linoleum on the warm floor
- Laminate on the warm floor
- Parquet, engineering and massive board on the warm floor
Why make a warm floor?
A warm floor is a system with which the flooring is heated and heat rises from the bottom up in space.
- Thanks to the warm floor, you can walk in winter without slippers, your legs will not be cold.
- In the offseason, you can not include all heating, but turn on only a warm floor. The room will have a comfortable temperature, without excessive heat.
- The warm floor can be used in the nursery so that when the child plays on the floor, he does not sit on the cold coating.
- It allows you to quickly dry the floor in the hallway when wet shoes are there.
- In the bathroom, a warm floor will save from dampness, you do not need to wipe the coating for a long time, if water spilled – it will evaporate quickly and will be dry.
- A warm floor allows you to make a comfortable temperature on the loggia or on the balcony, where there are no heating radiators.
Types of warm floor
The warm floor can be electric, water and infrared.
An electric warm floor happens in the form of a heating cable and a heating mat. A heating cable is a multi -layer cable. It is laid directly in a concrete screed a few cm thick. Then the flooring is placed on top.
The cable can be laid with a snake or snail. The distance between the cable should not be more than 6 cm, otherwise there will be cold areas on the floor.
Photo: Ways to lay a warm floor
Such a cable is bought in linear meters and calculated independently on the area of the room.
Photo: warming cable for a warm floor
If there is no desire to calculate the amount of cable and fix it on the floor, then you can purchase a cable on the grid. It is simply placed on concrete and poured on top with a screed, or closed with tile glue. Such a mat is sold immediately for a certain area.
A heating mat is a cable that was installed between the layers of reinforced foil. Such a mat is put on the base, and the flooring is already placed on top. The system is sealed and not afraid of moisture.
Infrared warm floor is a multilayer thin coating with heating elements inside. Such a warm floor is placed on a prepared even concrete screed with a foil substrate. Its advantage is a small thickness, even surface, small energy consumption.
Water warm floor is a system of flexible pipes that are laid on the floor, and under pressure there is warm water from the heating system. Most often used pipes made of stitched polyethylene. They are laid in dry or wet concrete screed and connected to heating through the collector. Pipes can be installed according to the snake and snail system. Between the pipes the distance should be no more than 6 cm.
Water warm floor cannot be connected to the central heating in the apartment only if there is an individual heating boiler. Water warm floor is more complicated in the installation, but it is more durable than the cable and has more heat transfer. Such a warm floor, with constant use, is much more economical than electrical or infrared specimens.
The main disadvantage of a water warm floor is that it reduces the height of the room by 3-4 centimeters due to thick pipes and screed. If you do not check the pipes after laying, they can flow inside the screed.
What coating is used for a warm floor?
For each type of warm floor, there is a suitable flooring. Consider the main materials that are used along with warm floors.
Tiles on the warm floor
Ceramic tiles or porcelain tiles are the best coating for a warm floor. Under the tiles you can make an electric cable or a water warm floor. The tile heats up longer than other coatings, but it gives out heat better and slowly cools. The tile is not afraid of temperature differences, so in a particularly cold period the flooring can be heated to 40 degrees.
Photo: Tiles are best suited for a warm floor
Linoleum on the warm floor
Linoleum in modern interiors is extremely rare. For a warm floor, you need to choose vinyl linoleum or marmoleum. These options will be safe when heated and will not smell.
Photo: linoleum cannot be heated more than 25 degrees
With this coating, you can use an electric cable or water warm floors in a screed. It is important that the temperature of the warm floor does not exceed 25 degrees. Due to high temperatures, linoleum may deteriorate.
It is better to replace linoleum with quartzvinyl – it has a more persistent base. Under it you can also lay a heating cable or a water warm floor. If you use a castle quartzvinyl, then it can be placed on a heating mat on foil and infrared film warm floor.
Laminate on the warm floor
With a laminate, you can use all types of warm floors, including an infrared and warming mat, but the effectiveness will be minimal. The laminate warms up poorly, the coating will be a couple of degrees warmer at room temperature. The temperature of the warm floor with a laminate should not exceed 25 degrees, otherwise the seams between the laminate can be dispersed. It is better to use grade 3 laminate. So more likely that he will not lose his properties.
Photo: Laminate does not like temperature differences
Parquet, engineering and massive board on the warm floor
Wooden types of coating are warm to the touch, so it is not advisable to use the warm floor systems with them. In addition, if the base is heated, the tree can dry a lot and the cracks in the floor will appear.
Photo: wooden floor is not intended for heating
Conclusion
- The warm floor is electric, infrared and water.
- Electric and water warm floor can be used with tiles, quartzvinyl and linoleum.
- Infrared warm floor is more suitable for laminate and castle quartzvinil.
- The tile is best combined with a warm floor, it is not afraid of temperature changes, does not emit the smell and cools down for a long time.
