The device of a warm floor for a bath - which option is better to choose

The sauna is not only a place for taking water treatments. The presence of a steam room creates conditions for healing and rejuvenating the body. Tea parties, friendly feasts and even business negotiations with business partners are held in the common room. All this is inseparably associated with comfort and coziness. The warm floor in the bath creates such conditions, preventing the occurrence of diseases caused by hypothermia of the legs from prolonged contact with a cold surface. Forced heating of the base is also necessary for purely operational purposes, since the structure is used periodically, while being exposed to extreme environmental influences. It is advisable to insulate the bath complex at the stage of its construction, but it is possible even after its completion. To do this, you should choose the best option for heating each room in the building.

Is it possible to lay underfloor heating in the bath

There are no restrictions on the construction of a private bath with underfloor heating. The bans apply to saunas located in multi-storey buildings. The rules only apply to water heating systems.

The reasons for these restrictions:

• Cement screed and water-filled pipes create a load that the building's supporting structures are not designed for. This is fraught with the destruction of walls, foundations, deformation of the floor slab.
• The risk of leaks in the line is not excluded. Under the first floors in the houses there are basements in which warehouses are equipped, electrical panels, shut-off valves for water supply and heating, installation boxes for communication lines are located. From flooding, these objects can be seriously damaged.

The owners of private buildings are free in their choice, since non-residential buildings do not fall within the sphere of interests of the regulatory authorities. However, financial and security issues need to be considered. Electricity and moisture are not compatible things, and hot water heating can be too expensive. The decision must be taken carefully and deliberately, taking into account all the available aspects. With proper planning and properly organized construction, it will not be difficult to create an effective, safe and durable floor heating system.

Floor heating device for steam rooms

Initially, such a design may seem unnecessary, since the temperature in the steam room is high, and a wooden flooring is laid on the concrete. At first glance, the conditions are ideal in all respects, but they are not.

Additional heating is necessary for the following reasons:

• According to the laws of physics, hot air rushes up and accumulates under the ceiling. It is always cold downstairs, regardless of the room temperature. Standing on such a surface is unpleasant and unsafe for health. When using underfloor heating, the air layer on the floor is warm and pleasant.
• Since in a traditional Russian bath it is customary to steam with brooms, puddles form on the floor. Due to constant dampness, fungus and mold begin to develop. The contaminated wood has to be changed, and the concrete surfaces must be cleaned and disinfected. Heating prevents these phenomena.
• The warm base creates additional heat, which allows you not to heat up the electric boiler to the limit. The heat is evenly distributed, reducing the risk of fire and burns.

Modern baths are being built on a monolithic concrete slab. This solution contributes to the durability and strength of the structure, since wooden bases do not last long, are subject to decay and deformation. For protection from the cold coming from the ground, polystyrene, penofol or polystyrene are used. A screed made of expanded clay concrete, which has low thermal conductivity, is poured over the insulation. The property owner then decides which type of topcoat to choose.

The type of underfloor heating is selected based on the design of the stove, hot water boiler, size and configuration of the room.

Advantages and disadvantages

In most cases, baths are free-standing buildings. General heating is rarely supplied to them, since it makes no sense to heat an empty object and is economically unprofitable.

Advantages of installing underfloor heating systems:

• Preparing the premises in advance. The oven generates heat only in the steam room, as its door is kept closed at all times. The use of heating the lower level allows you to organize heating of the object over the entire area. As a result, warm air will accumulate not only along the walls and at the ceiling, but throughout the entire space of the rooms.
• Ability to abandon electric radiators, the efficiency of which is insufficient to ensure rapid heating of rooms. With sufficient power, the lower elements perform this task better and in a shorter time frame.
• Elimination of dampness, prevention of the development of fungus and mold. Winter lasts for several months and is accompanied by large fluctuations in temperature. The building freezes over, frost and condensation forms. Periodic heating of the premises helps to remove excess moisture, preventing premature destruction of wood.

  

• Creation of comfortable conditions for vacationers. This is especially true in the cold season, when the base plate cools down under the influence of the cold coming from the ground. People feel good in the break room, steam room and wash room.
• Ease of cleaning after taking procedures. The floors do not need to be wiped dry and disinfected. It is enough to remove large puddles, and the heating system will do the rest.
• Prevention of freezing of water in the drain. Passing through the heated pipe, the water does not freeze to its walls, flowing down the drainage well without hindrance.

This solution also has its drawbacks:

1. The water circuit cannot be used at subzero temperatures. Between sauna uses, the water in the pipes freezes, ruptures the pipes and destroys the screed. Constant heating is not economically justified.
2. Restrictions on the use of electrical appliances. The presence of open contacts in rooms with high humidity and splashing water is not allowed. Communications must be regularly inspected and checked for insulation.

Despite the shortcomings, more and more property owners are inclined to equip their saunas with underfloor heating systems.

Choice options

There are 2 types of structures for arranging baths - water and electric. Each of them has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages.

The water floor is assembled from special plastic pipes that are strong, flexible and have a low coefficient of thermal expansion. The line is laid in the form of a snake or a spiral. The scheme is selected based on the area of ​​the room. The fixation is carried out between pins fixed on the base or in ready-made foam plates with channels made in them. If the system is not connected to the general heating, a pump is used to circulate the liquid, and a manifold and a screw valve are used to adjust the pressure. If the circuit is closed to a separate boiler, it can be filled with antifreeze for use at any time of the year.

Electrical appliances are classified into the following categories.

1. Heating cable. It is a wire in heat-conducting plastic insulation. The thickness of the product is 6-12 mm, the maximum bend radius is 5-10 cm, depending on the diameter. After fixing and checking the performance, the structure is poured with cement mortar. Various models have power in the range of 10-30 W / r.m. The quality of heating is determined by the distance between the turns of the snake.
2. Heating mat. More efficient device in all respects. Thin heating elements are rigidly fixed to a plastic mesh. There is no need to fill the mats with a screed. Strips 50-100 cm wide can be cut to fit exactly the size of the room. It is practiced to cover them with 2-3 mm thick glue when laying tiles. The mat is easy to install, even a beginner can handle this process.

   

3. Infrared films. The principle of operation of the device lies in the fact that under the influence of current, copper threads, trimmed with carbon, create radiation that heats the objects through which they pass. This way, even over a wooden flooring, the hand will feel perceptible warmth. The film has an affordable cost and a practical device. The elements in the film are arranged in parallel, so that when one direction fails, the heating does not stop. Since the material is not resistant to moisture and tears easily, it is used in dry rooms under a light screed or wooden covering.

As a rule, to make a warm floor in a bath, several types of heating devices are used.

In humid rooms, a water circuit is made or heating cables are laid. For large rooms, it is better to use thin mats, since they do not need to be covered with a heavy concrete screed that needs to dry for 4 weeks. For a rest room, which is finished with a solid board, parquet or laminate, an infrared film would be a good solution. It is characterized by an even distribution of heat over every square centimeter of the surface.

Installation instructions

Installation of each type of heating system has its own characteristics, indicated in the operating manual. The single stage of work for all products is the preparation of the base for laying.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Remove old trim. Clean the base from splinters, dust and debris. If you have an industrial vacuum cleaner, you can use it.
2. Knock off unstable fragments with a hammer, widen narrow holes and cracks. Prime them and seal them up with mortar.
3. Take a level and check the evenness of the plate. If there is sagging or deformation, place the beacons, focusing on the highest angle.
4. Cover the slab with a deep penetration primer. After it has been absorbed and dried, fill in the screed up to 30 mm thick. To lighten the solution, it is better to use expanded clay as a filler. In addition to being lightweight, porous balls will reduce the thermal conductivity of the material.
5. Lay foil-clad penofol on the screed. Seal the joints between the strips with aluminum tape.
6. Provide insulation. Roofing material is best suited for this, the edges of which are brought onto the walls to a height of 20-25 cm.

After the preparation of the base, the heating structures are installed.

The pipe is secured to the valve using a threaded screw fitting. Then it is laid in accordance with the selected scheme. If the area of ​​the room is large, several circuits must be made to ensure normal pressure and uniform heating. After the completion of the installation, the return line is rigidly fixed in the collector, after which the contours are poured with heavy concrete.

It is advisable to fix the cable with a special mounting mesh with fixing clamps. Thanks to this device, the cable is laid down quickly with the correct observance of the recommended interval.As in the case of a water structure, a cement mortar is poured over the cable.

Convection mats are fixed to the base with staples, glue or self-tapping screws. The edges are trimmed so that the distance to the wall is 5-10 cm, and there is no furniture over the elements. The screed is optional. Immediately after fixing the elements, ceramic or stone tiles can be laid on them. The advantage of this solution is that the room can be used several hours after grouting.

The easiest way is to install infrared film. It must be laid on the base and glued to it with one-sided or double-sided tape. Then, on top of the fixed elements, any of the existing types of coating can be laid, with or without glue.

What covering to cover the warm floor

After the screed is poured or the elements are laid on the heat-insulating substrate, the topcoat is installed.

Finishing options:

1. Ceramic or glass tiles. In this case, choose a material with a non-slip ribbed surface to prevent falling.
2. Wooden flooring. It is advisable to use removable shields that can be taken out to dry after the end of bathing events.
3. Fixed floor made of boards laid on logs. In this case, water-resistant types of wood are used (cedar, larch, oak). The boards are treated with an antiseptic, fit tightly, the cracks are sealed with a sealant.
4. Wood-polymer composite slats. This material is not afraid of dampness, it tolerates temperature changes without consequences.

The coating should be beautiful, resistant to temperature changes, strong and durable, so that every few years you do not have to engage in tedious and expensive repairs.