Pros and cons of infrared warm floor
Before deciding whether to install an underfloor heating system based on infrared film, it is necessary to understand its positive and negative qualities.
The advantages of the material include:
- The film is located only in those places that are subject to heating. Spending energy on heating the space occupied by furniture is not necessary;
- The ease of installation of the material allows you to perform all the work yourself, which positively affects the total cost;
- IR film withstands temperature extremes and can work even at minus values. This feature allows you to use it in country houses, not intended for permanent residence;
- It is permissible to install infrared heated floors not only in apartments, but also in office buildings;
- Thermal waves emanating from the mounted system correspond in their characteristics to the sun's rays;
- The failure of one or more elements does not affect the operation of the entire system;
- The penetration of heat waves from below allows you to evenly distribute heat, creating comfortable conditions in the room;
- IR systems have a long service life.
And to the disadvantages:
- High electricity costs;
- With the wrong choice of flooring, the effect of the use of the material can be significantly reduced.
Infrared Underfloor Construction
The IR floor heating system is based on the ability of some materials to emit heat waves when heated. This phenomenon is based on electromagnetic radiation, which produces waves up to 100 microns in length.
Such a radiator in an infrared film is a carbon coating, which is heated by the passage of electric current through conductive strips of copper and silver, as a result of which the floor covering and the room are heated.
Some rays have the ability to pass through the floor, and therefore the placement of infrared film under the dimensional furniture is prohibited, as the system may overheat. Manufacturers produce infrared material with a consumption of up to 440 W / sq.m., But for a device for heating under laminate floors, the maximum power is limited to 150 W / sq.m.
IR film is available in rolls of various lengths, the width can vary from 500 to 1000 mm. For ease of installation, independent blocks are formed along the entire length of the roll with places of cutting in increments of 200-250 mm.
Installation Instructions for Infrared Underfloor Heating
It is recommended to install an infrared film for further laminate flooring in the following sequence:
- The necessary materials and tools are being prepared.
- The arrangement of the strips is planned taking into account the further operation of the room.
- The foundation is being prepared.
- Assembly in progress.
- It is connected to electricity.
- The device of self-regulation of the system is installed.
Materials and Tools
The kit for mounting a warm floor includes:
- IR film
- substrate with foil surface;
- bitumen adhesive tape;
- stationery tape;
- foil tape;
- temperature regulator;
- connection terminals;
- wires
- temperature sensor;
- polyethylene film.
The following tools will be required:
- knife and scissors;
- roulette;
- pencil;
- pliers;
- insulating tape.
Planning
Before laying the material, it is recommended to put the future arrangement of furniture on the floor plan, since the IR film does not fit under heavy objects.After you figure out where the bulky furniture will be, calculate the required number of strips of IR film and their length.
The results will become the basis for calculating the power consumption of the entire underfloor heating system. The calculation of power consumption will be required to select a suitable machine that insures the system. On the wall, choose a suitable place to install the thermostat and are determined with the scheme of connection to the apartment’s general electrical network.
When calculating the length of the IR film strips, one should be guided by the marks by which a transverse section can be made - usually they are at a distance of 20 cm from each other.
It is better to arrange the strips along the longest side of the room.
When planning the location of the strips, it is necessary to observe the spacing from the walls of 200 - 300 mm, and the distance between adjacent strips should not be less than 50 mm.
Training
Before laying an infrared heat-insulated floor under a laminate, it is necessary to level the basis and to remove all garbage. Screed preparation is carried out taking into account the requirements for the laminate flooring device, which means that differences of more than 2-3 mm are not allowed.
Before mounting the film, you must perform the following steps:
- The leveled base is cleaned of fine fractions and debris;
- The base is covered with a foil substrate. The top layer of this material serves as a reflective surface, which does not allow heat to escape into the floor slab;
- To lay the substrate must be butt. Separate strips of the substrate are connected with adhesive tape into a single web.
Mounting
Installation of infrared heat-insulated floor under the laminate is carried out according to the following technology:
- Given the length of the wire, a wall is prepared on the wall for attaching the thermostat. The wall is gated under a network cable and infrared power supply wires. After carrying out work on installing the device and wiring, the gates in the wall are sealed with gypsum mortar;
- IR material is cut to size and laid in accordance with the marking;
- Open contacts that are not used for installation must be insulated with bitumen tape;
- Putting the film is required by a copper strip to the base. So that when performing work and operation there is no displacement of the strips, they are fixed with adhesive tape;
- Special terminals are inserted into the technological sections on the conductive strip on one side, wires are brought to the other and the fastening is crimped with pliers. Each connection is carefully insulated with bitumen adhesive tape, which, when power is supplied, softens and tightly covers the assembly, forming a tight seal;
- To install the temperature sensor in the foil base, a small recess is arranged under the device itself and the cable. The sensor and the lead wire are fixed on the substrate with tape so that the upper part of the device falls on the carbon strip;
- So that when laying lamellas there are no problems due to the uneven base, all joints are recessed into the substrate, for which they make small recesses for the terminals and wires;
- Before laying the laminate, the surface of the warm floor is covered with a plastic film to provide waterproof protection. Separate strips are fastened together with tape, forming a single carpet.
Network connection
Connection to electricity occurs through an RCD, the direct connection of an infrared film to a voltage of 220V is prohibited. To collect individual strips of film into the network, special terminals are used, under which mounting points are provided (twisting is prohibited). Each connection must be insulated with bitumen tape.
Connection is made according to the scheme that comes with the kit.
Thermostat connection
The installed system is independently regulated based on the signals transmitted by the thermostat, which, in turn, receives information from the sensor that controls the temperature.
To connect this device, manufacturers have provided a special wire. Changing the length of this wire is not recommended, since the reliability of the transmitted signal is violated.
The connection diagram is individual for each type of product, therefore, when assembling the system with your own hands, you should be guided by the instructions.
Which laminate to choose for subsequent installation over an infrared warm floor
Laying a laminate on an infrared warm floor occurs in the usual manner, but in order to avoid possible side effects, it is recommended to select certain models of flooring.
Unsuitable lamellas for characteristics wear out quickly, cause a rupture of the heating film, and, in some cases, begin to release substances hazardous to health.
So that in the end you do not have to completely redo everything, when choosing a laminate, you should adhere to the following instructions:
- Start your choice with the type of lock connection. Installation of lamellas should be carried out exclusively by fixing to without the use of adhesives. Otherwise, with periodic heating and cooling of the base, the joints will break.
- The task of flooring is to let heat waves into the house, and therefore, when choosing a specific type of laminate, it is recommended to select boards with a minimum coefficient of thermal resistance. Appropriate labeling is applied to the packaging of the finished product. Recommended Options: no more than 0.1 sq.m. x ° K / W.
- Board thickness also matters. On excessively thin boards, with changes in the temperature regime, locks will break, and too thick lamellas will become an obstacle to the passage of heat into the room. For infrared floors, it is recommended to use thick slats no more than 9 mm and not less than 8 mm.
- It should be remembered that for the production of laminate boards use adhesive compositions, which include formaldehyde. This substance begins to evaporate at temperatures above 27 ° C, so when choosing a coating, you need to carefully study the characteristics of the material. Laminate class E0 and E1 does not emit harmful substances when heated.
- The strength of the flooring is affected by its ability to resist surface wear. On this basis, for laying infrared warm floors under the laminate, it is recommended to use boards with wear resistance class of at least 3.
- When installing an infrared film underfloor heating under a laminate, it is allowed to use not only wooden laminate products, but also made of vinyl, which significantly expands the list of options available for selection.
Following the tips above, you can easily find and buy a laminate under an infrared floor heating. How to choose a material based on the listed characteristics? It is necessary to pay attention to the designations that are applied to the packaging material (see photo below).