The choice of one heating system or another directly depends on the type of future floor covering and the stage of repair work. When laying ceramic tiles and porcelain stoneware, it is recommended to give preference to cable electric underfloor heating. It, in turn, is produced in the form of a heating section, which requires a screed on top in the area of 3-5 cm and a heating mat mounted directly under the tile. Most often, preference is given to the second type of heated floor, since the heating mat requires less preparatory work and has simpler installation compared to the heating section, and also allows you to put the system into operation in the shortest possible time.
The heating mat is a shielded heating cable, triple insulated, fixed with a fixed laying pitch (usually 7-7.5 cm) in the form of a snake on a special rigid serpyanka mesh. The mesh is cut, which allows you to lay this type of heated floor in any room, even irregularly shaped.
According to its type, the heating mat is divided into two types:
- single-core, is a single-core shielded heating cable, with two cold ends separated from the heating part by couplings. The average power of this system is about 150 W/sq. m. It is recommended to choose this type of heated floor when comfortable heating of the floor covering is required;
- two-core, is a two-core shielded heating cable, with one cold end separated from the heating part by a coupling. This type of heating has an average power of about 160 W/sq. m. Used when it is necessary to significantly increase the temperature in the room.
Cold leads are required for direct installation to the thermostat. Their length depends on the size of the heating mat, on average it is 1.5-3 meters, depending on the manufacturer. If necessary, they are shortened or lengthened to the desired size.
The additional shield of the heating cable protects against electric shock in case of direct damage. Not all manufacturers shield cables, as this requires additional costs. It is not recommended to purchase cable heated floors that do not have these characteristics, no matter how attractive the price.Due to triple insulation and a shielded screen, the heating mats are not afraid of a humid environment, and they can even work in water, in case of unforeseen situations. In addition, another protective function is the presence of grounding.
A resistive cable must be used to produce the heating mat and section. Its peculiarity is that the ohmic resistance changes depending on the ambient temperature. Factory kits cannot be increased or decreased; this could result in failure of the entire heating system. But it is precisely thanks to the resistive cable that the service life of heated floors made on its basis is much longer.
When choosing a manufacturer, you should pay attention to the network voltage required for the correct functioning of the heated floor. Many European and American brands produce heated floors designed for a mains voltage of 230 Volts. If the network has a lower voltage, the heating system will not work as intended by the manufacturer; it simply will not have enough power.
When using a heating mat as the only and main source of heating, the warm floor should occupy about 70% of the total space of the room. If floors are installed as additional heating, they should occupy about 40-50% of the entire square footage of the room.
Installation is permitted only in free space not occupied by cabinet furniture and household appliances. It is necessary to provide a distance from all walls and large-sized furniture about 10-15 cm.
To safely install ceramic tiles, it is recommended to “tighten” the heating mat with a thin layer of tile adhesive, let it dry, and then “lay” the tiles in shoes with soft soles using the usual method, avoiding the formation of the slightest air gaps. The heating mat can only be used once the tile adhesive has completely dried, usually about 2 weeks.
When choosing a particular set of heated floors, it is strongly recommended to contact specialists who can correctly calculate the required underfloor heating power and square footage, based on the characteristics of the room.
