Warm floor under laminate wood floor: which system is better + installation instructions

That even in the winter safely walk barefoot, sit by the fireplace or play with a child on the laminate floor, it is necessary to make an additional heating system. But many owners of wooden houses are concerned about the compatibility of the device with fire and environmental safety of their homes.

Therefore, we consider how to mount a warm floor under the laminate wooden flooring and plan upcoming insulating works.

It is compatible with the laminate heated

Although the laminate is positioned as an advertising wooden floor, it really is multi-layered "cake" from the protective film, paper impregnated with various resins and base - plate of compacted sawdust. Therefore, the security question is really relevant.

When heated, the adhesive resin and recovered phenol, phthalate, toluene, formaldehyde is notorious, and other toxic substances, negatively influencing our health.

Choosing a laminate, be sure to pay attention to his class issue and thickness because the floor heating is better suited to delicate flooring 21-23 mm

But it is important to take into account the nuances of the following:

• Malicious evaporation allocated only when strong heating - 40 degrees and above.
• To protect the coating from overheating, and any self-ignition, it is necessary to set for underfloor heating systems thermostat with temperature sensor which will monitor the temperature and shuts down the system when exceeding predetermined parameters.
• If not damaged protective layer particleboard, even at high temperature, the volatiles into the air in small concentrations.
• For premises with heated floors not buy decorative coating with the index E0 emission (in extreme cases - E1) where the concentration of volatiles in several times below the permissible norm.

If we take into account these simple rules, under laminate, you can safely install underfloor heating system and enjoy the comfort during the cold season.

Variants of arrangement underfloor

For underfloor heating can be installed water or electric heating system. If desired, any of these structures can be hidden under the laminate and put on the wooden floor, so consider all the options to choose the best.

Variety of electrical systems

Electric floor heating is considered to be the best solution for heating of floors with dry screed. It does not require the creation of complex multi-layer structure and the concrete is poured, and with its installation can handle even a novice in the repair business. However, there are several types of electrical systems, each of which has its own characteristics and nuances of the installation.

The main advantage of underfloor heating - the temperature distribution in height, because of physiological reasons we feel the most comfortable when the feet are warm

"Ancestress" warm electric fields - cable system. For her everything is well insulated heating conductor is cut into sections and laid on the floor with locking special clamps. When connected to an electricity cable transfers heat to the floor covering. A more modern version of the design - termomaty in which the wiring is already fixed on a fiberglass mesh, which significantly facilitates the process of installation.

For cable wooden base floor is considered the most fire system, so it must It is provided with a temperature controller and temperature sensors that will monitor the level of heating

Infrared floor - the most popular option for today to be mounted on a wooden floor under the laminate. In fact, this film with polymeric strips sealed inside with a thin layer of carbon fiber, graphite or silver, which when connected to the network radiates electromagnetic waves in the infrared range. The main feature of this design - the absence of an incandescent elements, whereby heat is released without the threat of self-ignition.

Electrical heating ground the system to protect against electric shock and to avoid damage to the structural elements at an energy surges

Carbon floor - another system based on the infrared rays. At its base - carboxylic rods interconnected by a high strength copper cable. Although this design is expensive, it has a number of advantages over other types of heating: no is heated, consumes little power, automatically controls the heating temperature and is not afraid of the load heavy furniture.

infrared feature that the heat rays transmitted not only to the surface of the laminate, but also subjects the situation in the room, with no heating system itself

Advantages infrared sexes compared to the cable:

• Heating faster and more evenly, because the cable heats the coating only in the areas of contact with the floor, and the film - over its entire area.
• Easy installation - film system can be installed in just one hour and immediately proceed to the laying of laminate.
• In case of mechanical damage of failure comes only one segment, and the system continues to operate.
• Beneficial effect on health - far infrared light supports the immune system, and even used to treat certain diseases.

Overall, the disadvantages in electrical systems are relatively few. For example, you may have difficulty with the rearrangement of furniture, as heavy objects can pinch the cord or tape and damage the structure.

Well, the most important drawbacks, like any electrical device - high energy consumption and the risk of a fault subsequent ignition of wooden materials (most of the latter are well protected and the carboxylic infrared floors).

Advantages and disadvantages of the water circuit

Radiant floor - it is of small diameter pipes laid under the decorative floor covering and connected to a heating boiler or central heating system. Although traditionally recommended to lay the water circuit in the concrete, underfloor heating in the wooden house under the laminate can arrange and dry screed, to avoid overloading the ceiling.

Given the characteristics of the laminate, heating pipes under the floor should not exceed 35-40 degrees. As the water circulates through the heating circuit exceeds this figure, can not do without a thermostat

Pluses water circuit to a wooden substrate:

• Minimum energy costs in comparison with other types of underfloor heating.
• The insulation and the risk of spontaneous combustion of materials.
• If repairs are needed, you can simply remove the laminate and replacing the problematic section of the pipeline, without interfering with the dismantling of the concrete screed.

The main disadvantage of a water system that the program requires to run the boiler and wait for the warm-up coolant, so the heat will not be quick. And if the system is connected to district heating, then it will work only during the heating season (by the way, apartment buildings are constructions without permission mounted banned, so underfloor connection to radiators possible in a private home).

Also, the heat transfer tubes below - they're not so fit snugly to the laminate as infrared film or electrical cable, although this issue can be partially solved by installing a heat distribution plates. Well, the last drawback - the complexity of installation, where required, and precise calculations, and experience, so it is better to entrust to specialists.

Nuances of floor heating with wooden base

First of all, to delineate the concept of wooden floors. When it comes to the old boards that are paved with flooring in homes is still Soviet-built, it is better to remove the base and put a heating system using a standard concrete screed. The reasons are obvious: the new floor will be perfectly smooth, without waves, scratches and other effects of "economy".

Wooden base allows you to quickly finish the repair work, because the whole floor "pie" can be installed in just a day or two, rather than wait for a two-week dry concrete screed

But if you can not overload the floor slab (as, for example, in the old buildings, houses of laminated veneer lumber or logs) or not it would be desirable to reduce the already critical height of the ceilings, the best solution would be the so-called dry floor heating with wood basis.

But there are a number of nuances. If the infrared floor flooring will be enough of a solid plywood or particle board, then with a water circuit it will not work - too high probability of damage to the pipe, followed by flooding.

Therefore, if you can not make a concrete screed, floors for the installation of water, you can use a modular system - Special lattice section of the OSB or particle board with channels provided under the placement of pipes, which are placed directly on lags. Their width ranges from 13 to 28 cm and is selected depending on the pattern and the contour stacking step. Between a plate and are fastened lock- retainers formed grating.

Before installation, it is recommended to install on a wooden base floor layer of hydro and thermal insulation, and the modules stack damper with a gap of at least 2 cm, to compensate for possible expansion when heated material

Second Embodiment water tube mounting on wooden flooring - rack system. To this end the blister floor slats mounted boards, plywood or chipboard, and the contour of the pipe laid between them. Such a method takes more time and effort, but it will allow the well to save on buying a ready-made modules.

Instructions for installing the water circuit

To arrange water heating, you can use ready-made modules, boards of OSB or particle board with a router cut through channels under the pipe. Also need a thermostat, heat insulation, waterproofing. pipe length is calculated from the layout process and the heating zone size (Heated floor can be either complementary or main source of heat).

Depending on the room layout, the heating system arrangement of furniture and design can be laid pipe loops, snail or spiral, but it is a simple self-installation very easy "Snake"

For wooden houses most often used method of laying on reechnyh. To do this, you need to prepare the surface sub-floor - to make the flooring on beams of plywood or OSB with thickness 15-20 mm, align and insulate (maximum allowable roughness when needed - 2 mm per 1 linear meter).

Radiant floor, it makes sense to arrange, if the house is equipped with central heating, but the connection to the central network is not It recommended for several reasons - the apartment is simply not allowed, but in a private house there is a risk that the tube will not withstand shocks pressure

Stages of forthcoming works:

1. Think through layout and to calculate the step to install the pipes. It is important to rack the foundation was set perpendicular to the supporting joists.
2. Then cut the strip of waterproof plywood, 2.5-3 cm in width smaller than the pitch layout for pipes. For example, for step 20 cm necessary band width of 17 cm to 30 cm - 27, etc. The thickness of the strips should be greater than the pipe diameter of 10-15 mm.
3. Lay hydro- and parozolyatsii layer (most commonly used polyethylene foil).
4. The perimeter wall is fixed damping strip which provide the necessary clearance from the materials during expansion heating.
5. On the floor, in accordance with the layout plan transferred markup tube location.
6. Then, on wooden joists or planarized surface materials set cut slats so as to form a groove for the conduit. In places where the markup is planned to turn the circuit, it is desirable to round themselves strap, then secure them with screws.
7. Now, between the laths are stacked thermally conductive plates that must occupy at least 80% of the floor area, to provide uniform heating of the laminate.
8. The profile of the grooves is set pipe water circuit.

Then the design is tested for performance by connecting to the heating circuit. To ensure no leakage and deformation of the pipe, it is necessary to observe the work of a couple of days the system, creating a maximum pressure.

If desired, heat-conducting plate can be replaced by segments of thin aluminum sheet or metal sheets, but the use of foil for such purposes is useless

At the final stage is left to close "pie" waterproofing (e.g. polyethylene layer thickness of at least 100 microns) to reduce noise effects during heating and cooling tubes. For finishing flooring arrangement is best suited plywood which has passed the drying chamber, or gypsum sheets, which conduct heat well. But before the sheathing floor heating must have worked at least 2 days, then cool down to a temperature of 15-17 degrees.

How to make your own electric floor heating

Cable and tape floors vary considerably in thickness, so their installation has a number of nuances. But to imagine the amount of work, consider the main stages of installation of both systems.

Installation cabling guide

Mounting structure of the conductive cable is analogous with the device water floor, with the difference that a wiring is not required so roomy niche, so instead of slats can do little indentations.

If the size of the room requires a large heating area, it makes sense to make a few electrical circuits, and each connected to a separate thermostat to avoid overloading the network

The sequence works as follows:

1. The gaps between the beams insulated insulation layer (e.g., mineral wool, perlite or ekovaty).
2. Then fit the thermally reflective layer of foil material, on top of which is attached to a cell grid 50 * 50 or 40 * 40 mm.
3. The joists subfloor make small indentations in the cable pivot locations, and metal insulation is applied to each propyl.
4. Then fit the power cable, fixing to the grid by special clamps.
5. Between the wires installed sensor, enclosed in Corrugated and is connected to the thermostat.
6. The power cable is fed in a metal sleeve connected to the outlet and through the thermostat, and then tested for performance design.

After that you can be laid subfloor for laying laminate.

Installing infrared film floor

As already mentioned, the easiest and most affordable for beginners to repair really an option arrangement with underfloor heating - infrared system.

For the installation of infrared sexes can not use nails or other fasteners, which damage the film - this can cause a short circuit

Work algorithm:

1. Over the area of ​​the room keeps heat-reflecting substrate (4 mm thickness) coated with a Mylar, which does not conduct electric current. The joints between the material layers are glued mounting tape.
2. It is marking the heated area.
3. Cutting is performed by heating the film according to the incision site layout plan.
4. Then, the film is spread on the floor, cloth are connected together in parallel by means of eyelets. After feeding and crimping wiring, the junction is sealed with bitumen coating and the film strip are fastened joint / tape butt.
5. To wire is not deformed, in the insulating layer is cut small grooves office knife, to put the cable and fixed with tape.
6. Now set the heating probe (wire as it is hidden in the foil material).
7. On the wall is a hole (generally at a height of 50-100 cm from the floor) by the thermostat, is conducted thereto groove for sensor wiring and power supply.

During installation, be careful not to bend and not gloss over the film, not to damage its integrity, because it affects the efficiency of the entire floor heating system

A few tips for the safe use

When planning the installation of underfloor heating, do not forget that under the heavy pieces of furniture or electrical cables or water pipes must not be laid. Also, do not install the floor heating in the immediate vicinity of the wood burning, gas fireplace, stove and other heating devices.

For various premises can be programmed different temperature regimes, e.g., in the bathroom and living room will be comfortable at 22-24 degrees, as in the kitchen and corridor enough and 20 ° C

Practical nuances:

1. After completion of repairs, should be left to the heating system turned on, and for 3-5 days to maintain the same temperature. This precaution will evenly and carefully heat the whole floor "pie" and to ensure reliable operation of the system.
2. At the beginning of the heating season, you need to properly prepare the floor heating system to work. To do this every day to increase the degree of heating units 5-7, until the temperature reaches the desired target. Such an approach would avoid a sharp temperature jump, which can damage the laminate or other materials. Similarly, the heating is switched off during the warm period.
3. Do not forget that infrared film floor does not tolerate moisture. Therefore it is not advisable to install in premises with moisture levels above 70%, and after the wet cleaning wipe dry laminate.
4. Optimal for underfloor heating is considered to be within the temperature range of 20-30 degrees.

And finally - do not cover the laminate with a working heating carpets or other furnishings which hinder effective heat distribution.

Useful videos on the topic

If you decide to perform the laying of the heating system of his own, offer to study the works of the masters, and listen to some practical tips from our selection of videos.

How to arrange the water circuit to heat the wooden floor:

Installation of infrared film under the laminate and the connection to the temperature sensor:

Attaching the radiant floor heating system to:

As you can see, there is nothing daunting to install underfloor heating under laminate. But if you have a minimum of experience of similar works, it is necessary to make on paper or in electronic format, a plan for future construction with design thermostat location, method of laying a heating system and the location of the cables, and seek the advice of Skilled craftsmen.