Heated floors on a wooden floor - how it works, requirements, varieties, preparation of the base, installation of water and electric heated floors

Traditional technology involves laying floor heating elements in a concrete screed. However, due to the specifics of the material, it is not possible to implement it using a wood base as an example. However, today there is an alternative way to install heated floors on a wooden floor. Let's look at what such a heating system is, what its features are, the principle of operation and what a number of mandatory requirements are imposed on it, as well as how to properly prepare the foundation, what types of systems there are and what are the features of their installation technology.

Installation of a heated floor system on a wooden base Source ytimg.com

Warm floors - what is it, how does it work, features

The underfloor heating system is a structure of heating elements mounted in the surface layer of the ceiling. Heat from the circuits heated to the optimal temperature is transferred to special metal elements, which in turn release it to the floor surface. The latter evenly heats the air throughout the room.

Main features of the system:

1. Uniform heating of the floor surface.
2. Formation of microclimatic areas that are optimal for health – when warm air accumulates at the bottom and cold air at the top.
3. The absence of vortex circulation flows characteristic of heating radiators, leading to the accumulation of dust.
4. Minimum maintenance procedures for the entire operational period.

Construction of a heated floor system on a wooden base Source otoplenieblog.ru
There is another important feature of a heated water floor on a wooden floor. If in the traditional case the installation of the system is carried out in a concrete screed, since the reinforced concrete floor is quite capable of withstanding the resulting load, then on a wooden base this approach is prohibited. The reasons are excessive weight and inconsistency in the properties of the contacting materials. Therefore, installation is most often carried out using an alternative method - flooring.

Among the main advantages of the flooring system are the following:

• The minimum acceptable weight that can withstand even the ceiling of a frame structure.
• Simple installation technology.
• Short installation time - there is no need to wait for the coating to harden, as in the case of pouring a concrete screed, in addition, you can immediately begin finishing.
• Possibility to carry out repairs and replacement of elements if necessary.
• Large variability of schemes and equipment models.

Installation of heated floors using the flooring method Source strojdvor.ru
Floor heating coatings are not without a drawback - this is low inertia. Although this allows the floor to heat up quickly, it also cools down just as quickly. Analogues poured into concrete screeds do not have this. In them, the concrete mass itself serves as a heat accumulator, and after switching off it warms the room for a long time.

Note! Due to the fact that wood conducts heat rather poorly and is also subject to significant deformation when heated, when installing heated floors using new technologies, heating elements are placed in special heat-conducting circuits. From them, heat is transferred upward to the floor covering.

A properly organized heated floor creates maximum comfort in the room Source onduline.ru

Selection of materials

Before laying heating water circuits in a wooden house, it is necessary to insulate the floors. Therefore, you will have to choose 3 groups of components:

• type of insulation;
• pipe material;
• plate material.

Among the common and affordable insulation materials, mineral (basalt) wool is best suited for thermal insulation of wooden structures. It is permeable to water vapor, due to which it combines well with wood, gives it the ability to “breathe” and does not cause rot. Another thing is that when laying mineral wool, it is necessary to ensure the release and removal of these vapors, otherwise it will get wet through and stop serving as a heat insulator.

Mineral wool and shaped polystyrene foam boards

Advice. To insulate the covering of the first floor, it is better to use basalt fiber with a density of 40-80 kg/m³ and a thickness of at least 150 mm, and in the northern regions - 200 mm or more. Mineral wool with a thickness of 50-100 mm will be used for the interfloor ceiling. Its task is not to allow heat intended for the upper rooms to pass into the premises of the first floor and to serve as sound insulation.

Polymer insulation - foam plastic, foamed polyethylene and extruded polystyrene foam - practically do not allow moisture to pass through. Therefore, they must be used wisely, otherwise the wood in places of contact with the polymer will turn black and rot. The minimum thickness of materials for thermal insulation of the floors of the first floor is 100 mm; it is enough to put 20-30 mm in the ceiling.

For heated floors without screed, installed on wooden joists, the following types of pipes with a diameter of 16 and 20 mm are used:

• made of cross-linked polyethylene with an anti-diffusion layer that does not allow oxygen to pass through;
• metal-plastic;
• copper.

The most popular pipes for heated floors are polymer

High-quality polyethylene pipes (for example, from the Rehau brand) are no cheaper than metal-plastic and are not inferior to it in terms of performance properties. Hence the conclusion: there is no fundamental difference between these types of polymer pipelines; they are equally good for heated floors.

Copper pipes are much more expensive than plastic ones, and installing them is more difficult and takes longer. But, from the point of view of heat transfer, copper has no equal, and therefore is successfully used for underfloor heating of any buildings. An important point: do not use copper heating circuits together with aluminum heat distribution plates; these metals are absolutely not friendly with each other.

Since the thermal conductivity of aluminum is higher than that of steel, plates made of this material are more preferable (excluding copper piping). But keep in mind that high-quality aluminum distributors are 1.5–4 times more expensive than galvanized ones.

Note. Prices for aluminum and galvanized plates from different manufacturers vary widely and cannot be compared because they are made from metals of different thicknesses. Hence the advice: try to purchase thick-walled products, they are able to accumulate and transmit more thermal energy.

Corrugated stainless steel is also an excellent option.
Of recently emerged materials, flexible corrugated stainless steel pipes are of interest. They are durable, can be installed without welding or soldering, transfer heat well and can be used in lightweight flooring systems.

Calculation of the pipe length in each circuit, laying pitch and surface temperature is presented in a separate publication. Familiarize yourself with the methodology in order to accurately determine the amount of materials.

Installation using Uponor technology

The technique has become widespread as the simplest and most affordable. Mineral wool serves as a thermal insulation material; you can use pipes and plates at your discretion and financial capabilities. The essence of the method is to lay wooden boards 20 mm thick on logs at intervals of 2 cm for the further installation of a water-heated floor, as shown in the diagram:

A ventilation gap is created between the thermal insulation and the base boards (not visible on the diagram)

Note. A similar scheme can be used in any residential buildings where wooden floors are laid on joists, including on top of concrete foundations.

To make heated floors using this technology with your own hands, you will need the usual set of plumbing and carpentry tools, as well as special scissors for cutting polymer pipes. When installing underfloor heating on the ceiling of the first floor (above the ground or an unheated basement), perform the work in this order:

1. Nail cranial bars with a cross section of 25 x 25 mm flush with the bottom edge of the beams. Lay subfloors made of 20 mm thick boards on top of them, as shown in the drawing below.
2. Cover the subfloor and joists with waterproofing membrane (technically called diffusion membrane), waterproof side down. Maintain an overlap between the panels of at least 10 cm and carefully seal the joints with double-sided tape.
3. Place mineral wool slabs on top of the waterproofing so that they do not wrinkle, otherwise the basalt fiber will partially lose its thermal insulation properties. The thickness of the insulation should be at least 5 cm less than the height of the log in order to provide a ventilation gap between the surface of the wool and the future wooden flooring to remove moisture.
4. Place vapor barrier film over the joists. The polyethylene must be pulled up and secured to the wood with a stapler so that it does not sag in the gaps between the beams.
5. Nail 2 cm thick boards across the joists, 30 mm away from the wall. Depending on the pipe laying pitch (15 or 20 cm), leave 20 mm wide gaps between the boards for heat distribution plates.
6. Insert metal plates into the slots and arrange the heating circuit pipes over them, placing them in the Ω-shaped grooves. To rotate the pipe, shorten the ends of the boards by 10-15 cm in this place.
7. Run the ends of the pipes along the walls to the heated floor comb, connect them and check the tightness of the system. Lay the final floor covering.

Please note: when installing an insulated floor, the membrane and vapor barrier are swapped - the polyethylene film is laid from below.
The method of laying a water-heated floor over wooden joists is shown in detail in the video:

Work on the interfloor floors is carried out in the same order, only the subfloor boards can be nailed directly to the joists from below. By the way, instead of wood, you can use OSB boards here, while simultaneously hemming the ceiling of the first floor.

Important! Do not confuse the diffusion membrane with the vapor barrier film, otherwise the mineral wool will become saturated with water and cease to be an insulator. The waterproofing at the bottom of the “pie” protects the cotton wool from getting wet from the outside, and the top film prevents water vapor from penetrating. In floors, everything is the other way around - the vapor barrier is laid from below, the membrane - from above. To remove moisture from the insulation, use a 5 cm ventilation opening and vents made in the walls of a wooden house.

Along with its simplicity and low cost, this method of installing water heated floors has one drawback - the pipes can only be laid in a “snake” pattern, which is why the rooms of a wooden house have to be divided into several heating circuits in order to achieve uniform heating.

Installation Guide for Polystyrene System

This method of laying underfloor heating circuits allows you to complete the work much faster and easier, since it involves the use of two-layer polystyrene foam boards with guides in the form of protruding bosses. Polystyrene of different densities is used to make the plates - the top layer is more durable, the bottom layer is soft.

It is quite simple to make piping for heating floors according to this scheme

The technique is suitable for any floors with a flat surface, for example, made of OSB plywood (as in houses made of SIP panels). Warm water floors on a flat wooden surface are made using the following technology:

1. Cover the joists with OSB sheets and fasten them with galvanized self-tapping screws. If work is carried out on a wooden floor of the first floor, then mineral wool insulation should be laid between the beams, as described in the previous section. The thickness of the polystyrene system is not enough to fully insulate the building from below.
2. Attach damper tape to the walls around the perimeter of the room.
3. Place polystyrene foam boards on the finished surface, fastening them together with locks.
4. Install the dissipative plates in accordance with the layout and spacing of the pipelines, fixing them between the bosses. Unwinding the pipe from the coil, insert it into the recesses of the plates.
5. Cover the heating circuits with plastic film, overlapping and gluing the sheets.
6. Mount the base of the floor from gypsum fiber sheets (GVL), where you will subsequently lay the finishing coating (a popular option is laminate).

Details of the work are shown in the video from the Russian manufacturer of polystyrene foam systems -:

Advice. Before laying the finishing coating, connect the main lines from the circuits to the manifold of the distribution and mixing unit and conduct a leak test (pressure test) with a pressure of 4 bar.

The advantages of shaped insulation for warm water floors are obvious - simplicity and speed of installation work, the ability to lay out pipes not only in a “snake”, but also in a snail. There are also disadvantages:

• high price;
• the material can bend under heavy mechanical loads;
• Due to the gaps between the bosses, a small part of the heat is wasted on useless heating of the air under the floor covering.

Other pipe laying methods

Other products can serve as the basis for heating loops, into which metal plates can be inserted:

• expanded polystyrene boards with ready-made grooves;
• factory kits made of wooden products with cutouts for laying pipelines;
• polystyrene sheets with a density of 35 kg/m³, where the recesses are cut out with your own hands using a special thermal knife.

In addition to polystyrene foam with bosses, polymer slabs with ready-made recesses are also available in the retail chain. This option is suitable both for installation on a flat surface and inside the ceiling flush with the joists, as shown in the diagram:

Thermal insulation boards can be placed in the gaps between the joists

Note. The disadvantages of this option are the need to cut grooves in the joists for the passage of tubes and fastening the polymer at the corners so that it does not adhere to the wood. Therefore, it is better to place slabs with recesses on a base made of OSB plywood or leveled boards.

A set of wooden elements (left) and polystyrene foam with grooves for pipes (right)
A big plus of wooden sets for water underfloor heating is the ability of the coating to carry a large load from bulky furniture without deformation. Products with cutouts for plates are mounted on beams along with insulation, as described above (Uponor brand technology). A stacked wooden heated floor has only one drawback - the high price of materials.

Homeowners with time can save money on a polystyrene system by purchasing a thermal groove cutter and regular high-density foam. The technology is simple: insulation boards are laid out on a leveled surface, after which you need to burn out the pipeline route in them in accordance with the diagram. All that remains is to install heat distributors and insert pipes into them.

Burning grooves in polystyrene with a thermal knife

Requirements for heated floors on a wooden base

In order for the operation of a heated floor laid without a screed on a wooden floor in a wooden house to be safe and durable, the following series of requirements are imposed on the system installation procedure:

• Wood floors, both as part of a structure and as an independent structure, exhibit natural shrinkage, which is most pronounced during the 1st year after construction. Therefore, the installation of all elements of the heating system must be carried out in compliance with the required technological clearances.
• Wood is most quickly exposed to microclimatic changes indoors. If it is too dry, it shrinks, cracks, warps, and if it is too wet, it rots and is subject to the development of mold and fungi. In both cases, the service life of structures is rapidly reduced.

Structure of a heated floor in a wooden structure Source pinimg.com

• The susceptibility of wood to fire requires choosing a method of laying heating elements so that neither the heating parts themselves, nor the conductors, nor their connections are in direct contact with the wooden floor elements. For this purpose, boxes and other protective devices made of non-combustible materials are used, as well as pre-treatment of surfaces with fire retardants.

On a note! To avoid the development of an emergency situation, it is necessary, first of all, to comply with building codes and regulations regarding the permissible level of heating of the system as part of wooden structures. According to SNiP, the temperature of the heated floor should not be higher than 27-30 °C. It is best to install a temperature sensor for the most accurate control.

About the pros and cons of “dry” floor systems

In conclusion, I would like to note the advantages of a heated floor without screed, which can attract owners of private wooden houses:

1. The design is lightweight, reliable and efficient at the same time.
2. Unlike heating circuits embedded in screeds, in such a system it is easy to detect a leak and eliminate it.
3. The thickness of the “pie” protruding above the upper cut of the log is from 20 to 50 mm.
4. Water floors with dissipative plates made of steel or aluminum are not able to accumulate heat and are practically devoid of inertia. Accordingly, they quickly warm up rooms and quickly respond to automation commands and changes in coolant flow in the loops.
5. Speed ​​of installation due to the absence of “wet” processes and hardening of the solution. How lightweight heated floors are installed in a short time is shown in the next video:

For reference. On various Internet resources there is conflicting information about the reduced heat transfer of a flooring system compared to a monolithic one. Theoretically this is true, but in practice the difference is small, and it is quite difficult to compare.

The only drawback that forces home inventors to play tricks with aluminum foil is the price of steel products, especially when combined with shaped polystyrene foam. You can get around this nuance like this: install warm floors in all rooms one by one, depending on the availability of financial opportunities. First you need to insulate the ceiling and install a comb, and then gradually install the pipework, starting with the rooms where residents live permanently.

Varieties

Based on the type of energy resource used, heated floors that can be installed on wooden joists are divided into two types:

• Electrical.

The system is based on wired heating elements - cables and coatings. Their main advantages:

• Small dimensions and weight.
• Possibility of installation on any base, including old ones.
• Fast heating.

Film-type electric heated floor Source teplopol74.ru
See also: Catalog of companies that specialize in engineering systems (heating, water supply, sewerage and others) and related work

• Convenient selection of heating level - depending on the microclimatic requirements for a particular room.
• Microzoning - setting your own mode in each room.
• Service life with proper operation is at least 50 years.

However, the installation of electrical systems is associated with the risk of fire - with low-quality components, overheating, violation of operating conditions and other reasons, there is a high risk of a short circuit. In addition, with high power, such heating will consume quite a lot of electricity. You also need to make sure that the wiring can withstand the load created by the heating system.

• Mermen.

It is based on a pipeline network through which heated coolant circulates. The system is powered either from an individual heating boiler or from a centralized mains.

Water heated floors are more preferable from a fire safety point of view. However, they also have specific disadvantages. The first of these is the risk of leakage. Sooner or later, all connections leak, and the system piping is no exception. The second disadvantage is lower power than electric analogues.

Pipeline for water heated floor Source stroyvms.ru

Types of electric heated floors

If a water heated floor can be installed directly under a wooden floor, that is, under a plank floor, then an electric floor can only be installed under a coating made of relatively non-combustible materials. There are 3 main types of electric heating coatings of the type in question, each of which has its own power and type of finish:

1. Heating cable. The operating power range varies between 120-180 W/m2. It is recommended to choose porcelain stoneware or ceramic slabs as the finishing coating.
2. Mats. They are an analogue of the above modification, however, with the difference that the heating conductor is fixed on the substrate. Therefore, in addition to the power of the heater itself, products are characterized by the pitch of its location on the substrate. The best option for the final coating is ceramic or granite-based tiles.
3. IR emitting film. The working surface of the material emits thermal energy on the principle of sunlight and heats surrounding objects. Its power varies widely - from 150 to 220 W per m2. Fits under parquet boards, linoleum and laminate.

Electric film heated floors are easy to install Source saucyintruder.org

Reference! Installation of a classic heated floor - with concreting in the screed - is also possible on a wooden floor. However, for this, wood structures need to be provided with reliable waterproofing with a ventilation gap and antiseptic protection, provided also that they are designed for the final weight of the poured concrete pad, equipment and finishing. It is recommended that the screed itself be made on the basis of ready-made mixtures with minimal setting time.

Conclusion

Warm floors with dry screed using Finnish technology are a basic option that can be tailored to specific conditions and needs. All the subtleties and nuances are in the topic of heated plasterboard floors. In the article about heating a private home, the most economical heating method is selected. And in the video about engineered heating equipment - expert advice on choosing.

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Preparatory work - assessment of the condition of the ceiling, renovation, insulation

Before deciding which modification of heated floors is best suited for a particular wooden floor, it is necessary to make a correct assessment of its current condition, as well as the need for its renewal, replacement, repair and insulation. To do this, the following series of procedures are performed in relation to the main parts of the structure (boards, joists and other load-bearing elements):

• Visual inspection of the surface for defects.
• Feeling, scraping, drilling into the material to assess the condition of its structure.
• Replacement of elements with obvious damage - cracks, sagging, rot.

Laying heated floors requires careful preparation of the wooden base. Source sovet-ingenera.com

Laying and leveling joists

Before making the floor, the prepared logs are laid on a wide surface at a selected pitch and leveled over the entire area of ​​the room.

Today the requirements are such that it is not recommended to level the logs using wood chips, cardboard and similar materials.

If possible, the logs should be laid on a flat base and adjacent to it with their entire face.

Fastening joists to concrete using an anchor bolt

Apply pads if necessary. The logs are attached to the base using anchor frame dowels, measuring 8 - 10 mm x 200 - 250 mm. It is important that the anchor is 2/3 of its length in the base slab.

Correct laying of lags over the entire surface

Installation of a water heated floor system

The most common way to install a domestic floor heating system on a wooden floor is to lay a pipeline circuit with a circulating coolant liquid. In this case, there are several options for how the latter will be heated - these are:

• Individual heating unit.
• Centralized heating system.
• Thermal accumulator.

The technology for installing equipment and materials consists of the following main stages:

1. Drawing up a project - diagram of pipe laying, connection points, calculation of parameters, quantity and type of finishing and base materials used.
2. Formation of the base - creation of a subfloor, insulation, steam and waterproofing.
3. Laying the pipeline, depending on the chosen method - pouring into a screed, fixing it on special mats or in grooves on a wooden flooring.
4. Connecting the system to the heating circuit and checking its functionality.
5. Preparing the base for finishing.
6. Installation of finishing floor covering.

Scheme for uniform laying of a heated floor on a wooden base Source roomester.ru
The final layer of finishing for a water heated floor can be created from four main materials - ceramic tiles, parquet boards, laminate and wooden boards. In this case, there are 3 popular options for laying heated floors on a wooden floor:

• Application of a ready-made solution. This is a set specially manufactured by a specific manufacturer, similar to a construction set, which includes pipes, a substrate, and fasteners. Plus - quick and easy assembly. Disadvantages - high cost, the need for careful preparation of the base, elimination of the slightest differences, priming, etc.
• Performing flooring on joists. The method is used when pipes need to be laid with large pitches.
• Installation along guides. Guides are laid on the subfloor in accordance with the diagram, between which pipes are then placed.

The structure of a thermal water floor under laminate Source 1c-bitrix-cdn.ru

Important! The main mistake in organizing a warm water floor system is the lack of waterproofing protection. Sooner or later this will lead to the formation of condensation and the accumulation of dampness in the wood. As a result, the service life of structures will be significantly reduced.

Variations on a theme

In our country, based on Finnish technology, which facilitates the design and allows one to abandon monolithic casting, its variations have appeared - the principle remains, but the materials have been increased:

• Gypsum fiber sheets (GVL) - compared to plasterboard, they are denser, more resistant to bending and deformation, and contain cellulose fibers and other additives that increase their technical characteristics. For wet rooms, a moisture-resistant variety (GVLV) is used;

ТishinForumHouse Member

In such a floor, instead of plasterboard, it is better to use gypsum fiber sheets (GVL). I myself am now considering a dry screed for implementation in my home, I will only replace the bottom layer with OSB. I will assemble the middle part from two layers of gypsum fiber board.

• Chipboard, OSB, plywood - in terms of heat transfer, this design is worse, since wood and its derivatives act as an insulator. Ready-made sets of heated floors on a dry screed made of chipboard sheets, with grooves selected for hinges, are sold, but not everyone can handle their cost.

boatmasterFORUMHOUSE Member

Logs, with a pitch of 60 cm, plus insulation - 35 cm, OSB base, then a 20 mm pipe, plus a 5 mm clip, it turns out 25 mm, three layers of GVLV between the pipes 12x3 = 26 mm.

• Cement particle board (CSP);
• EPPS - pipes are laid directly into the insulation, and the voids are covered with glue. To increase the heat transfer of the elements, foil or similar material is used;

The thickness of the sheets for the middle layer with the main is selected based on the diameter of the pipe, so that after filling with glue, a flat surface is obtained, and the final layer does not put pressure on the pipe. As an option, two sheets are glued together if the thickness of one is not enough.

Forum users are actively organizing their underfloor heating systems on wooden floors.

Serg177FORUMHOUSE Member

If something happens to the pipe (today, tomorrow or in 25 years), you won’t have to break the screed. I will buy 50 sheets of plywood, 18 mm thick, for 200 m², cut it into strips, 16 mm pipe in between, and cover 200 sheets of ten sheets with laminate on top.

One of the options for making a dry screed with your own hands is laying pipes in special aluminum plates with grooves. They fit the pipes tightly and increase heat transfer. The disadvantage of this configuration is the high cost of these metal gaskets; their use increases the cost of the entire system.

Vladimir TallinForumHouse Member

There are not enough special aluminum sheets that are placed under the pipe and remove heat to the top. I have them, they “hug” the pipe, the size is about 30 cm per meter, there is a groove for the pipe with rare spikes to hold the pipe.

Sheets on a gypsum base are one of the most popular, as an optimal material in all respects.

• Reasonably priced;
• Easily cut into segments;
• Eco-friendly (does not contain synthetic binders like wood-filled boards) and suitable for home use;
• Non-flammable;

Video description

Video example of installing a heated floor on a wooden floor:

• Installation of support bars is in progress.
• Next, material is placed on the free surface between them to reflect thermal radiation.
• A special substrate for the heating cable – galvanized mesh – is laid on top of this coating.
• Then a heating conductor is lined on it.
• All loose elements are fixed.

The choice of base and finishing materials, as well as basic devices, should be made taking into account the following features:

• To avoid overheating of wooden structures, the maximum temperature of heating elements should not exceed 400C.
• The thermal conductor is distributed over the surface as evenly as possible - with the exception of places where furniture and interior items are installed - there should be no heating elements under them.
• The thickness of the finishing coating directly depends on the type of material and thermal conductivity characteristics. For wood, the value of this indicator is 2-2.5 cm.

Laid logs on roofing felt

And you should start the floor on joists by preparing the material. The boards that will be used for lags should have a moisture content of no more than 12%. If possible, it is better to buy boards already dried. Nowadays there are drying chambers for this purpose. If this is not possible, then it is better to stack the boards purchased at the lumberyard in the room where they will be laid in the future.

This way the boards will dry out and acclimatize to the room. In any case, wherever you purchase boards, go through and inspect each board to ensure the correct geometric dimensions. The boards should not be bent or bent in the transverse or longitudinal direction. They must not be twisted into a propeller, have traces of rot, woodworm damage, or wane (remnants of bark on the board).

A comment

Ask a Question

It is better to use planed boards. For joists, I usually use boards 100-150 mm wide and 50 mm thick. The length of the board depends on the size of the room.

After the material for the logs has been prepared, it is necessary to prepare the surface of the floor slab. It should be dry, clean, and not have large differences in height. A hydro-vapor barrier must be laid; it can be ordinary roofing felt or any other modern material for such purposes. The roofing material is laid with the panels overlapping by 15 -20 cm and coated with bitumen sealant, and the edges are placed on the walls at approximately the same height.

Floor waterproofing

Video description

Video on how to make a warm floor on a wooden floor under tiles:

Recommendation! When using parquet boards as a finishing coating, the base must be strong enough. This is especially true when the distance between the joists is large and they will sag on a soft floor, but thick wooden boards will make the warm floor ineffective. Therefore, it is better to lay parquet on plywood on top of screed or frequently located supports.

Double floors with joists

When using this method to make warm wooden floors in a private house, a rigid base is first installed, which can be a flooring made of boards or chipboard. A waterproofing layer of roofing material or polyethylene is laid on the base created in this way. After this, a frame is constructed in the form of longitudinal logs, between which thermal insulation materials are placed. Waterproofing is again laid on the thermal insulation layer and flooring is carried out.

The best thermal insulation materials used for floor insulation are mineral wool and expanded polystyrene.
• Mineral wool is an excellent sound and heat insulating material, resistant to various mechanical and chemical influences, does not burn, and also repels water well. Mineral wool is produced in the form of slabs and flexible mats (rolls). • Expanded polystyrene is a more expensive, environmentally friendly, heat-insulating material. It also has many advantages such as: durability, high strength, resistance to microorganisms, low water and vapor permeability, easy to install and process. Sometimes foam or expanded clay is used as insulation. Date: September 25, 2022

Video description

Video review on laying film heated floors:

• After this, the thermal film is fragmented along the cutting lines and laid in accordance with the plan.
• Installation of thermal film is carried out so that the fragments are located 20-30 cm from the edge of the wall and do not overlap each other. In this case, the copper-plated elements should be facing down.
• The heating material must be laid strictly according to the plan - so that it does not fall under the place where furniture and other heavy objects will stand.
• Upon completion of laying the thermal film, the finishing coating is installed.

Advice! As a finishing material for a film electric heated floor laid on a wooden floor, you can use both tiles and linoleum with laminate. In this case, the substrate for the finishing coating is a mounting mesh and sheets of plywood.

Thermal calculations

The higher the screed, the smaller the distance between the turns of the heating pipes in the floor needs to be. It is also worth considering such a factor as heat loss. Their magnitude depends on

• the location of the house relative to the light,
• number of windows and their size,
• insulation of load-bearing walls and roofs.

Naturally, the calculation of a warm floor should take into account the intensity of use of a wooden house (dacha option or full-fledged life) and, of course, the climatic conditions in which this house is located.

If the building is old, then before starting heating, it is better to test the house for strength, as well as cracks/drafts, and then carry out maximum insulation. If the house is being built from scratch, then energy saving issues must be addressed immediately during construction.

It depends on whether the house is old or new and you need to choose options for water floor heating.

Briefly about the main thing

A warm floor is a system of heating elements mounted directly under the floor covering. The heating parts of the system transfer heat to the surface, which in turn heats the room. Among the main features of this heating are:

• Uniform heating of the room.
• Creation of an optimal microclimate.
• No dust accumulation.
• Minimal maintenance.

When deciding whether it is possible to make a warm floor on a wooden base, the main obstacles are the features characteristic of the traditional method - the large weight of the concrete structure. Therefore, the plank flooring method is used. Its advantages are minimal load, simple installation, low labor and time costs, maintainability and variability.

Heated floors can be classic water or electric. Each type has its own characteristics, materials, equipment and installation technology. At the same time, the installation procedure, methods and components used must comply with special fire safety requirements and long-term operating conditions.

How electricity heats the floor in a wooden house

• single heating cable;
• heating mats (analogue of a cable fixed to the base in the form of a mat);
• infrared film 0.5 mm thick (carbon strips between parallel power buses);
• carbon rods (analogous to film without a film base).

Each method is designed for its own type of coating and has certain advantages and disadvantages.
If the floor covering is ceramic tiles or porcelain stoneware and similar materials, it is better to use a single heating cable or heating mats. For floors covered with carpet, laminate, parquet, etc., it is better to use carbon or film heated flooring. This coating effectively transmits infrared rays, heating the entire floor area. For all types of heated floors, it is important to determine whether this will be the main or auxiliary heating in the house.

It is more advisable to use warm electric floors based on a heating cable or mat on the first floors of the house, taking into account their installation under a cement screed, on which the flooring is then laid. However, warm electric flooring can be done without a cement-concrete screed. The snake cable or mats are laid on top of a metallized reflector lying on a base made of a layer of thermal insulation. Floorboards and flooring are laid on top.

Which system is better - water or electric?

The construction of houses made of wood involves the use of two types of materials for floors: concrete slabs and wooden beams. Most often, wooden beams are used, since they do not reduce the thermal parameters of wooden buildings and do not force an increase in the bearing capacity of the foundation.

Both types of floors are compatible with two existing underfloor heating systems, the choice of which depends only on the individual preferences of the owners and the required power of the heating equipment. The following can be installed in the floors of wooden houses:

• A metal-plastic pipeline system with an agent circulating through it - hot water.
• A conductive system represented by mats, cable or infrared heating film.

Most owners prefer conductive systems, despite the fact that water equipment still has many adherents. Metal-plastic pipes above ceilings are installed mainly in bathrooms, which is justified by the convenience of connecting them to installations supplying hot water. However, light weight, ease of installation, minimal energy consumption and the productivity of conductive systems convince reasonable owners that it is better to install heated floors in a private home using an electric cable.

When installed correctly, electric “warm floor” will provide ideal comfortable conditions and excellent heat transfer. In addition, the latest modifications of equipment are equipped with devices that control moisture levels, which helps to extend the service life of wooden structures.

Carbon rods and film

The coolant can be not only hot liquid or electricity, but also a carbon mixture. Carbon heaters are selected depending on the floor covering. Thermal film is suitable for a wooden topcoat. Carbon mats are preferable for tiles.

The mats are covered with concrete mortar or tile adhesive. The surface thickness is 4-5 cm. The rods are not afraid of “locking”. If one area overheats, the rest function normally. When the causes of overheating are eliminated, the system begins to operate fully.

Thermal film is laid on the prepared concrete base. It is insulated and insulated with a substrate with a reflective screen. It will direct the infrared waves upward. It does not require screeds. Installation takes place in a short time. The system runs on electricity.

System design

1. A boiler used for heating. If the choice fell on water floors, then it is possible to use a solid fuel, electric or gas equipped boiler. They are practical and quite comfortable. Their use implies the absence of a constant supply of fuel, which is used in wood and solid fuel boilers.
2. If you plan to create a truly warm house, then it is recommended to use combined systems that will allow you to heat both the radiators and the floor layer. Its temperature regime may differ, since the temperature in radiators can reach 60°C, but for wooden coverings the maximum is 30°C. If this condition is not met, the tree will crack quite quickly.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantages of water heated floors are fully revealed only when using cheap energy sources, such as gas, coal, firewood. Heating the coolant with an electric boiler is approximately 7 times more expensive than using gas equipment.

The gigantic heat capacity of the water heated floor system is another plus. A room containing ≈ 100 kg/m2 of heated concrete cannot cool down quickly (only the top layer of screed is taken into account).

But there are also disadvantages. First of all, this is monstrous inertia. It takes time and energy to warm up such a layer of screed.

Inertia leads to the fact that temperature control of a water heated floor is very conditional. Control equipment takes temperature readings from the coolant, floor surface and air (in some thermostats). But the changes made through the thermostat appear very slowly.

Purpose of heated floor

A “warm floor” system in a residential area can be either an additional or the main source of heat. In the first case, the system provides a comfortable surface temperature of the floor material. This is especially true for ceramic tiles. Traditional radiators serve as the main source of heating. The temperature of the coolant is maintained using the thermostatic regulation principle.

In the second case, when the water floor is the main source of heat, control of the level of heating of the coolant is used to compensate for heat losses inside the room and protect it from external temperature changes. The indicator directly depends on the temperature outside - the colder it is outside, the higher the temperature of the coolant.

In order for heating a house with a “warm floor” system to be economically justified, it is recommended to use a heat generator that will supply water heated to 30 - 50 degrees to the circuits. Thanks to the circulation pump connected to the boiler, the same temperature will be maintained in each circuit, which means that the room will be heated evenly.

For boilers that do not support low-temperature operation, a three-way mixing valve is used. In this case, you will need to install a thermostat on the mixing unit.

It is worth considering that some floor finishing materials cannot be used when installing a water system, but they are suitable for cable or film heating systems.

Using Heat Reflective Plates

Regardless of which method of laying the water heating circuit was chosen, there is a problem of loss of heat generated. You can increase the efficiency of the system and minimize possible heat loss.

To do this, the water floor is laid on wooden joists using the following elements:

• heating pipes;
• a thermal insulation layer at least 10-15 centimeters thick;
• a frame made of logs installed horizontally, and not vertically, as with the standard installation method. Thus, it is convenient to place wings of heat-reflecting plates on the joists. Moreover, each plate has grooves corresponding to the diameter of the pipes being laid, which also facilitates the installation of the heating circuit.

Automatic temperature control in the house

In the homes of thrifty Europeans, heating systems are necessarily initially designed, and then immediately built with an automatic temperature control system in the house. A German or a Pole knows and understands that without automation it is impossible to ensure economical gas consumption and an acceptable level of thermal comfort in the house.

In Russia, owners often begin to realize the need for automatic temperature control after the house is built, the heating system is already installed and working, and gas bills begin to arrive.

It turns out that outside the house the air temperature, direction and strength of the wind are constantly changing. Day and night, the outside air temperature, even during the day, often changes by ten degrees. The house sometimes blows through, sometimes not, the wind is changeable. The sun is inconsistent, sometimes it heats the house, sometimes it doesn’t. Heat loss at home constantly fluctuates by different amounts. In order not to bother with all this leapfrog several times a day, the owner of the house manually sets the temperature on the boiler to a higher temperature, so that the temperature in the house is warmer, with a margin. And at the end of the month he looks longingly at the gas bill and scratches his turnips.

The owner learns that in order to equip the house with automatic temperature control, it is necessary to throw out some things, replace and redo the heating system, and install additional equipment. And for this you will have to drill, chisel, and lay again. That all this automation would have been much cheaper if it had been installed immediately during the construction of the house.

In a house with a dry heated floor, it is necessary to have
three automatic temperature control systems: a heated floor based on the air temperature in the room with a limitation of the floor temperature;
radiators based on room temperature; boiler based on outside air temperature. As you know, a warm floor can be either “comfortable” or “heating”.

"Comfortable" heated floor

slightly warms the surface and provides a pleasant feeling when a person is on the floor. The main heat supply to the room is provided by radiators. For a comfortable heated floor, it is necessary to maintain a constant temperature of the coolant.

"Heating" heated floor,

In addition to comfort, it provides complete heating of the room.

The relatively small thermal power of a dry heated floor makes it most often suitable only for comfortable heating.

The room temperature sensor is located in the thermostat housing.

In a house with a comfortable dry heated floor, it is necessary to have three automatic control systems to control the temperature .

One system that regulates the operation of a warm floor must be controlled by the air temperature in the room until the temperature of the floor surface reaches a comfortable level. That is, in the off-season the house will be heated with the heat of the heated floor.

the automatic radiator control system comes into effect . Radiators will heat the air in the room, adding their heat to the heat that will constantly come from the heated floor.

The heating mode of the coolant by the boiler must be regulated by another automatic system that responds to the outside air temperature .

Considering that the underfloor heating system has a high inertia (it heats up slowly and cools down slowly), it is recommended to use weather automation to control its operation. Then the temperature of the coolant supplied to the system will be adapted to the outside temperature. Due to this, along with changes in outside temperature, the temperature of the coolant circulating in the floor changes.

When adjusted using a room thermostat, the temperature of the coolant in the system will not change until it begins to rise in the room (due to warming outside). Only after this the temperature of the coolant will begin to decrease, but due to the inertia of the system, the room will already become hot (i.e., waste of energy).

Therefore, in order for home heating to be economical, a weather controller must be used in the underfloor heating system to control it.

To regulate the temperature of the heated floor, it is necessary to select and install a manifold equipped with servo drives on the control valves.

A servo drive is a device that, when electrical current is supplied to it from the thermostat, acts on the valve, opening or closing it. The servo acts as a switch, completely opening or closing the valve. The surface temperature of the heated floor will be maintained with an accuracy of +/- 0.5 - 1 °C.