In a wooden house, you can install an electric floor heating. This system consumes relatively little electricity. At the same time, the quality of heating in this case will be much higher than when using convectors, batteries and other similar equipment. How to install a warm electric floor in a wooden house will be discussed in detail later.
Heating features
Many owners of private houses and apartments have already been able to appreciate the benefits of space heating with underfloor heating. There are many types of such systems. A warm electric floor in a wooden house (photo below) requires adherence to a certain installation technique. It is indicated in the instructions by manufacturers of such systems.
Most often, in a wooden house, heating elements are mounted without a screed. This greatly simplifies the installation process. You can handle this jobliterally in an hour. Creating a screed layer has a number of disadvantages. Because of it, the floor level rises by at least 10 cm, or even more. In this case, the screed warms up for a long time. Sometimes it takes more than a day for the system to heat the room.
Installation without a screed has many advantages. The system can be used immediately after installation. No need to wait until the layer of cement mortar dries. The floor heats up in just half an hour. This is especially liked by the owners who visit the country house from time to time, for example, they come to relax on the weekends.
Varieties of systems
Today, a large selection of heating systems for arranging a warm floor is on sale. They can differ significantly in how they work. You should take a responsible approach to the choice of a warm electric floor, installation method. In a wooden house without a screed, you can mount wire and film. These are the two main types of systems that are used today during the arrangement of heating.
The commercially available cable can be resistive and self-adjusting. The first option is much cheaper. It has the same temperature along its entire length. Self-regulating wire is a more complex device. Its cost is quite high. It is rarely used for floor heating. More often, a self-regulating wire is purchased for heating pipes, drains.
The film has an affordable cost. At the same time, its installation does not cause difficulties for buyers. This system canmount quickly and easily. At the same time, the quality of heating will be high. For installation without a screed in a wooden house, this system is more suitable.
Features of wire
A warm electric floor in a wooden house without a screed is sometimes mounted using a resistive wire. Since this product has the same heating temperature along its entire length, it has a number of installation requirements. The fact is that this type of system is more suitable for installation in a screed. He requires that the environment that surrounds him be identical in all areas.
If you install the wire without a tie, it will come into contact with air in some places, and in some places with solid objects (floor base, logs). Because of this, it will heat up unevenly. Such a circumstance over time leads to overheating of the system and its failure.
To solve this problem, you need to purchase special insulation materials that have cutouts for the wire. In this case, the heating element will fit snugly against the base. On top of it there will be a wooden coating (laminate, chipboard, etc.). This allows the system not to overheat and work for a long time.
Film
It is better to install a warm electric floor in a wooden house without a screed using an infrared heating film. This is a special type of system. Its thickness is minimal. The heating element in this case is a special carbon paste. It carries an electric current. Because of this, a specialenergy type. Such rays belong to the infrared part of the spectrum.
The paste is between two sheets of film. She's covered in them. At the same time, the heat that such a heating element produces does not heat the air. It affects the surroundings. The wooden surface of the floor is heated. This type of heating is much more efficient than wire if dry-wired.
The film is cut in certain places (indicated by the manufacturer). The kit comes with special clips and wires that allow you to mount the system.
Alternative
If the owners of a wooden house do not want to mount the heating system in a screed or directly under a wooden floor, they can choose a warm electric floor in a wooden house under the tiles. Today it is one of the best options for such systems.
The heating element in this case will also be a wire. But it will be thinner than the screed system. Such a wire can be supplied in coils of a certain length or on a grid of polymeric material (mat). The second option is easier to install. The mat is rolled out, and a heating wire is laid out on it with a certain step. If the owners of the house purchase the wire in the bay, it will need to be laid out on the floor surface on their own. Heating mats are more expensive than coiled wire.
The presented system is mounted in a layer of tile adhesive. This does not require a thick layer.screeds. This option is suitable for heating the kitchen, bathroom and hallway. Under the laminate it is easier to mount the film.
Power
An important indicator when choosing a heating electrical system is its power. It is necessary to correctly calculate this indicator so that the system can heat the room. It should be noted that in rooms where the flooring will be laminate, at least 80% of the usable area must be covered with a heating system. Under the furniture, the film or wire is not laid out. Otherwise, you need to install an additional radiator in the room.
The heating wire, which is mounted in tile adhesive, allows you to create autonomous heating in the room if it covers 70% of the area.
The power of the cable and the film is not the same. One square meter of wire consumes an average of 150 watts. The film will heat the flooring to the same temperature only if its power is higher. Therefore, the film has an average power of 220 W/m².
It is allowed to lay a wire with a power of 130 W / m² under a wooden covering. This is additional heating. Such systems are not able to independently heat the room. They are designed for comfort. The room can be heated by a wire that has been mounted in tile adhesive under the tile. What electric underfloor heating to choose under the tile? The power of the system should be 150-180 W/m².
Calculation
To calculate which warm electric floor in a wooden house can meet the needs of the owners, you need to complete the correctcalculation. So, you need to heat a room of 20 m².
If a film underfloor heating is used, to create autonomous heating, it is necessary to cover an area of 80% with a heating element. In this case, it will be enough to purchase a film measuring 16 m². Its total power will be:
16220 W=3.5 kW.
For the same room, you can purchase a wire for additional heating. In this case, it is laid on the area of 50% of the room (10 m²). The total capacity of such a system is:
10130 W=1.3 kW.
If you need to mount the wire under the tile and make the main heating with an electric underfloor heating, you need to heat 70% of the room (14 m²). In this case, the total capacity of the system is:
14150=2.1 kW.
Wired systems are more profitable than film. But it is undesirable to mount them without a solution. Therefore, the choice must be made in accordance with the type of flooring.
Reviews about film manufacturers
When choosing a heating system, you need to consider customer and expert reviews. Today, a large selection of film infrared systems is on sale. According to reviews, a warm electric floor for linoleum, laminate, high-quality chipboard is produced by the domestic company Teplolux. The cost of production will be much lower, and the quality remains consistently high. This manufacturer successfully competes with the brands of South Korea, China and the USA.
Reviews about cable manufacturers
Considering reviews ofwarm electric floors in a wooden house, it is worth noting that domestic and foreign companies produce high-quality systems. Durable, reliable and efficient cable is available from the following manufacturers:
- Ensto (Finland).
- Davi (Denmark).
- Nexans (Norway).
- Teplolux (Russia).
The cost of products of these manufacturers is different. However, the quality of these systems is identical. Therefore, many of our compatriots choose Russian-made warm floors.
Cable installation
Installation of an electric underfloor heating in a wooden house is carried out in accordance with safety rules and the manufacturer's instructions. If you plan to mount the cable in tile adhesive, you need to prepare the base. A layer of thermal insulation is laid on it. It is better to choose expanded polystyrene for these purposes.
Previously, you need to make a strobe and a recess in the wall for installing the thermostat. Without it, the heat floor is not mounted. A sensor will be connected from the thermostat to the floor. It must be in the corrugated pipe.
When the insulation is mounted, a wire is laid on it on special metal clips or with the help of special adhesive tape. The step between the turns of a thin cable should be from 7 to 10 cm. A recess is made in the insulation, in which a corrugated pipe with a sensor from the thermostat is placed.
After that, lay the tiles as usual. The solution layer should be 5-8 mm. A week later, the system can be operated as intended.
Film Editing
Warman electric floor in a wooden house can be mounted under laminate, linoleum, parquet and other similar coatings. Infrared film is ideal in this case. It is necessary to prepare a strobe for the thermostat in the wall. On a clean floor lay the substrate under the laminate. A film is laid out on it.
Next, you need to bring a wire to it. Special metal clips are supplied in the kit. A wire is inserted into them and the film is bitten through on both sides. This procedure is detailed in the manufacturer's instructions. After that, the joints are isolated with a special bituminous substance. From above it is closed with plastic caps.
In the substrate, under the junctions of the film with the wire, recesses are cut out. No elements of the system should rise above the surface of the substrate. Next, a sensor from the thermostat is placed in the prepared strobe. A laminate, linoleum or other similar coating is mounted on top of the heating system. The system can be used immediately after installation.
After considering the features of installing a warm electric floor in a wooden house, you can choose the optimal system and mount it yourself.
