Underfloor heating is an excellent alternative to central heating: it can be turned on and off as needed at any time of the year. By type there are: heated by water and electricity. Consider the advantages, disadvantages and installation of an electric heated floor under linoleum.
Advantages and disadvantages of electric underfloor heating
To facilitate the choice in favor of or against the installation of an electric heated floor, we consider the pros and cons of such heating.
Benefits:
- its device does not require special skills, ease of installation allows you to do the job yourself;
- it is arranged both in the whole room and in some places (in the bathroom, balcony, corridor);
- the ability to arrange in high-rise buildings where it is forbidden to use water systems;
- 2 types of heater (infrared film or cable);
- thanks to the presence of a temperature regulator, you can adjust the temperature mode and automatic shutdown and inclusion;
- can be arranged both in the living room and in the office;
- can be laid under any coating (laminate, porcelain tile, tile, linoleum and others);
- long service life with accurate and proper handling;
- uniform surface heating;
- quick determination of the cause of the malfunction;
- safe due to low heating temperature;
- there is no need to install additional equipment (for example, a gas boiler for heating water).
Disadvantages:
- high cost of operation when using a heating cable;
- danger of electric shock (especially in wet rooms);
- the cable creates an electromagnetic field that is harmful to humans;
- a coating of wood or linoleum may deform under the influence of high temperatures;
- when laying the cable, the height of the room can significantly decrease;
- when used as the main source of heating (especially a large area), high power wiring will be required.
The heating system is of 2 types: cable and infrared film. The advantage of the first is an affordable price. The disadvantages include the complexity of installation and the possibility of overheating - the temperature regime is not more than 25 degrees. In addition, due to the thickness of the system (screed, thermal insulation, vapor barrier), the height of the room changes significantly.
Infrared film - is a complex system of thin (less than 1 mm thick) graphite heating element in the film. It connects to electricity using conductors. It settles on a flat base, and then the coating is laid.
Advantages:
- low current electricity costs;
- infrared heating does not require a screed;
- temperature adjustment with the included temperature regulator (it is installed in a niche in the wall);
- no overheating;
- a thin layer does not change the height of the room;
- can be stacked after the repair of the premises.
The disadvantages include a rather high cost and high requirements for the floor - it should be perfectly flat. Even a slight difference in height can damage the film.
REFERENCE! Many experts consider infrared film to be the most suitable heating system for the room.
The first step during installation is the installation of a flat floor, and then the polystyrene foam substrate is laid (the foil layer should be placed on top to reflect heat).
ATTENTION!For overlappings between rooms, the arranged substrate should not be thicker than 4 mm. The joints are connected with tape.
Further:
- the film is laid out on the open floor and the required size is cut off in specially marked places;
- the film is fixed;
- the wires are connected to the tapes with copper terminals, it is desirable to place them closer to the baseboard;
- a thermostat is installed in the wall;
- wires are led to the control panel;
- temperature sensors are installed;
- all wires are connected to the control unit;
- operation is tested to verify the quality of the connection.
With proper operation of the warm floor, you can begin to lay linoleum.
Before installing the cable system, a cable with a power of up to 150 W / m2 is selected and a layout plan is drawn. Preparatory work is being done on cleaning the floor from debris, leveling and priming the surface. Further:
- thermal insulation material is laid (polystyrene foam boards or rolled foam polyethylene with a reflective layer);
- the mounting grid is laid (mounting rails);
- the cable is laid according to the plan;
- temperature sensors are installed between 2 turns of cable, wires are passed through a special corrugated pipe to protect against contact with the cable and cable tie;
- sensors are connected to a thermostat mounted in the wall and electricity;
- cable floor serviceability is tested;
- concrete screed is poured and leveled (screed thickness is more than 9 cm).
IMPORTANT!It is recommended that the thickness of the screed be more than 9 cm to prevent overheating and damage to the coating.
2 weeks after the surface dries on top of the screed, linoleum is laid on the switched off warm floor. It is advisable not to use this system as the main source of heat due to intolerance to high temperatures by linoleum.
Before laying, the rolls should stay in the room for 5-6 hours, otherwise the linoleum may be deformed. Next steps:
- surface preparation (differences, irregularities and joints are plastered, then the surface is primed) - chipboard or plywood is taken for a rigid base;
- linoleum is rolled out on the surface of the floor, cut off with an indent from the wall by 0.5 cm and allowed to crack for a day;
- when laying on a concrete floor, it must be glued with adhesive for heat-resistant linoleum.
ATTENTION! On the reverse side of linoleum there is a marking that allows you to determine the possibility of using a warm floor for the device (marking gives a guarantee of quality and safety at high temperatures).
The best is linoleum made of natural material, which is resistant to high temperature and wear. When installing synthetic coatings, you need to put a layer of wood-fiber boards.
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