How to lay underfloor heating

If you decide to make warm floors in your house, do not think that only professionals can do it. Basic knowledge, the necessary tools, patience and, as a result, underfloor heating and a comfortable living room temperature. This heating option will allow you to adjust the heating level, distributing it over the entire floor area in the house.

Pros and cons of underfloor heating

The main advantages of such heating:

• efficient home heating system;
• savings in heating costs;
• uniform heating over the entire area of ​​the room;
• the system operates at low temperatures. The air in the room does not dry out, the rooms will not be stuffy;
• such a heating system meets sanitary requirements and hygienic standards, it is environmentally friendly;
• hidden underfloor heating system allows you to fantasize about interior decoration of rooms;
• by installing a system of underfloor heating, you can avoid problems with electrical wiring, as is possible with electric floors.

With all the positive aspects, there are also negative aspects:

• the process is quite time consuming and costly;
• it is important to carry out the correct preparatory work for installation and comply with all its schemes;
• the risk of leakage is not excluded;
• weighting of structures, when installing a warm floor system on the second floor of housing construction, this fact is important to take into account.

Having weighed the pros and cons, it is also important:

• take into account the height of the room, since as a result of installation, the system takes up to 15 cm;
• raising the level of the floors, it is important to maintain the height of the doorways, otherwise you will have to make them to order according to individual sizes, and this is additional financial costs;
• if the windows of the room face north, it is necessary to increase the capacity of the system.

When developing the system and diagram of the future heating system, selecting materials, take into account also the floor area, the type of thermal insulation and the material from which the house is built, as well as the types of floors.

We draw up a scheme

After all the parameters are known, you need to reflect in the diagram:

• mounting points;
• dimensions of heating radiators, if any;
• pipe layout;
• distance between elements;
• temperature parameters in each pipe;
• the lengths of all contours;
• power data for heating each individual room.

So, for the manufacture of floors in the house, you will need the following materials:

• boiler;
• pump (to ensure the normal movement of heat through the pipes);
• pipes (made of copper and metal-plastic, polypropylene or cross-linked polyethylene pipes).

The last version of pipes is more reliable and durable, the step of laying such pipes is minimal.

Surface preparation

Preparatory stage - before carrying out installation work, the floor surface must be clean. We clean it from debris and dust. We level it as much as possible, the surface should not have sharp slopes or elevations. After we lay the thermal insulation material, there are many options today. It can be foil-clad polyethylene, expanded polystyrene, mineral wool. Having chosen a suitable material, we carry out waterproofing.

There are several pipe laying options:

• snail;
• snake;
• combined system.

In the first option, pipes are laid over the area of ​​the room, tapering towards the center. Often this installation method is chosen in rooms with an area of ​​more than 40 square meters. m.

In the case of a snake-like installation, the pipes run along the outer wall, and then come back. It is better to choose such a scheme for rooms of a small area.

With a combined system, it is possible to compensate for the cooling of the pipes, since the pipes are arranged in parallel, due to which the movement of the warm and cooled heat carrier is the same. It is better to start this installation option from the outer or the coolest walls of the room.

Laying and screed

When laying pipes for beginners, it is necessary to mark their placement on the floor, since only solid pipes can be used. Connections will shorten the life of the system and increase the risk of leakage when the system is put into service.

It is important to lay the pipes from the wall of the room at least 20 cm, connect one end of the pipe to the collector. When laying pipes, it is important to fix them to a reinforced mesh, you can use clamps or wire. The fastening should not be too tight, consider the expansion of the pipes due to heat.

After the crucial stage of pipe laying, we proceed to the screed. You can use a ready-made mixture, which you can purchase at a hardware store, or prepare a concrete mixture by adding a plasticizer to it. Filling is necessary when the system is full. The optimal drying time for concrete screed is about a month, and the time for special solutions is indicated on the package. The height of the floor screed varies from three to seven mm.

After a while, after waiting for complete drying, you can start the system. Then the flooring is laid. You can choose from tiles, linoleum or laminate. If laminate flooring is your choice, remember:

• when heated, the material can emit harmful vapors; when buying, be sure to read the quality certificate;
• do not lay a heat insulator under such a coating;
• before laying such material, it is important that it reaches the temperature of the warm floor.

Create comfort and coziness in your home, simple skills and knowledge will help make it modern and cozy.