It is customary to approach the selection of components and spare parts for underfloor heating with special attention, since the quality of assembly and maintenance of the heating system depends on its thoroughness. When purchasing the necessary components for this, first of all, they are convinced of the presence of a certificate for each individual detail. Such foresight will eliminate the troubles associated with the purchase of fakes and counterfeit products. Further, the main components for a water-heated floor are considered separately for each position.
Rough screed and damper tape
The main requirement that must be met when arranging a warm floor is to obtain an absolutely flat surface that simplifies the procedure for laying plastic pipes. If this condition is violated even a little, the user will have to level the floor using the original screed.
When carrying out these operations, auxiliary components will be required.
A damper tape is needed to compensate for thermal gaps in the floor screed. Its use will significantly improve the quality of pipe-laying and extend the life of the entire system.
Thermal insulation
Thermal insulation of the floor water system is necessary to reduce the level of heat loss. If it is present, the heat given off by the pipes is reflected upward towards the heated room. When choosing the appropriate type of insulation, special attention is paid to rooms on the basement floor with cold ground or unheated underground underneath.
On the Russian sales market, there are many types of materials for underfloor heating. Here you can find ready-made heat-insulating mats intended directly for laying the structure on a pre-prepared base. They have different thicknesses and have sufficient strength at a relatively low weight. Their working surface is made in the form of a special relief, which makes it easy to lay and fix pipes in special grooves.
The use of high-cost components will only have a small impact on the final price of the entire structure. This is due to the fact that insulating mats contain, in addition to the heat-insulating layer, waterproofing, reinforcing mesh and special fasteners. Pipes, mounted according to the selected scheme, are fixed on their surface with special bosses included in the complete set of finished products.
Waterproofing and reinforcing mesh
If necessary, you can build up the waterproofing by laying several layers of film one on top of the other with a slight overlap. The joints are then glued with construction tape.
Reinforcing wire mesh is used to strengthen the screed body and at the same time provide the ability to attach water pipes. The step of laying the latter directly depends on the size of the mesh cell, which it is advisable to choose a smaller one - 150x150 mm with a wire section of 4-5 mm.If mats with a relief structure are used for thermal insulation, there is no need for reinforcement.
Water pipes and fittings
The pipes used in the heating system differ in material and in their main technical indicator - diameter. The optimal size is chosen in each specific case especially, as a rule, does not exceed 18-20 mm. When choosing the material from which the tubular products themselves are made, they proceed from their reliability and cost.
The most suitable for underfloor heating are cross-linked polyethylene pipes (RE-X). A special processing method (stitching) used in their manufacture promotes the formation of additional bonds between individual polymer molecules. Thanks to this, finished products acquire the necessary strength and heat resistance - they are able to withstand operating temperatures up to 125 ° C.
Collector with all accessories, pump and boiler
Before buying a warm floor, first of all, make sure that there is a collector in its kit, which usually includes the following items:
- fitting;
- shut-off valves;
- air outlet;
- drain valve and automation elements (including thermostat).
Before buying, check for the presence of a circulation pump in the equipment set, which guarantees the continuity of the movement of the coolant in the heating system. Its obligatory element, which heats the water carrier to a certain temperature, is a boiler that runs on gas or electricity.
Materials for arranging the screed
After installing the pipes, a finishing screed is poured over. For the preparation of mortars in both cases, it is preferable to use a ready-made building mixture intended for arranging warm floors.
Another option that allows you to get a good result is as follows: the usual working mixture, made on the basis of cement and sand (in the classic ratio of 1: 3), is mixed, special plasticizers are added to it, after which the resulting composition is thoroughly mixed.
Materials for the dry method of arranging TP
- set of heat-reflecting metal plates with grooves for HDPE pipes;
- a set of fasteners that securely fix the pipe blanks in the grooves;
- a pre-calculated number of gypsum fiber sheets used as a finishing (finishing) coating.
The use of this technique significantly increases the speed of installation of warm floors, but in terms of its reliability it is somewhat inferior to the traditional approach. The cost of components in this case will be much higher.
