Many have appreciated the laminate. This floor covering won the hearts of connoisseurs and confused even professionals. Some textures are made so skillfully that at a glance it is difficult to distinguish laminate from natural wood. Everyone would like to have such flooring in their home. But up to a certain point, there were some limitations to this. I had to choose between underfloor heating and laminate. But manufacturers moved in this direction and developed a laminate for a warm water floor. How to distinguish it from other types and are there any nuances when laying it? This will be discussed in the article.
Read the label carefully
The limitation on the installation of a laminate on a warm water or film floor lies in the method of production of this flooring. The stabilizing base of the laminate boards used to be fiberboard. In the process of its manufacture, synthetic resins were used to bind the fibers. When heated from a warm floor, they could release toxic substances, which was a problem for installation on a warm water floor. Everything changed with the advent of MDF and HDF boards. By their structure, these are wood-fiber boards. The second type has a higher density than the first. Thanks to this, it was possible to reduce its thickness, and hence to increase the heat-conducting properties. By themselves, these plates are environmentally friendly if the manufacturer honestly follows the technology. The binding of fibers occurs due to the substance that is part of the wood itself. Natural resins are added. Further problems lay in other components of the laminate.
The front layer is responsible for the wear resistance of the entire material. Therefore, it must be made quite durable. This is easily achieved using various polymeric compounds. It can be acrylic or melamine composite resins. The constant exposure to the elevated temperature of the warm floor on them did not bring much benefit. Additional pitfalls were layers of paper, which could be impregnated with paraffin or other chemicals, which provided additional protection from moisture.
Each package with laminate boards has a large number of different designations. One of them is preceded by the Latin letter E. It indicates the level of emission or release of various chemicals. For a cold floor, this figure can be 2 or 3. But, if you plan to lay a warm water floor with a laminate, then there should be 1 or better 0. This means that the emission level is the lowest, which will not harm health or it is practically absent.
In order not to get into a mess, it is also important to pay attention to the markings. The value of the thermal conductivity coefficient is indicated by a number followed by W/m×K. According to European standards for flooring that is laid on a warm floor, this figure should not be more than 0.15. But a laminate with such a value is also not worth taking. Look for the value below. This must be done, because it is necessary to take this coefficient from the substrate. In total with the laminate, the figure should not exceed 0.15 W / m × K in value. You can find out by adding them together. For example, 0.8 W / m × K will be written on the laminate, and 0.6 W / m × K on the substrate, in total you get 0.14 W / m × K, which is quite acceptable for a warm floor.
Why laminate
In principle, this is a matter of choice for everyone. But the laminate does have some properties that have not yet been replicated, for example, tiles. Of these, we can distinguish:
- unique structure that repeats the surface of the tree;
- a variety of prints with patterns;
- a special way of laying;
- ease of combination with the interior;
- ease of cleaning and cleaning;
- resistance to physical influences;
- resistance to UV rays;
- resistance of some types of laminate to moisture;
- the possibility of laying by the deck method, observing a single contour;
- long service life;
- high environmental friendliness.
And now laying together with a water-heated floor makes this material ideal. Of the minuses, you can highlight the high price of elite models. It also requires special scrupulousness during installation on a warm floor, so some inexperienced craftsmen may not be able to cope with the task.
Note! The strength of the laminate is indicated by a pictogram with a house and a little man. The more people in this figure, the higher the endurance of a particular type of laminate.
For domestic needs, the twentieth grade is usually chosen, but if you plan to have a warm floor, then you will have to pay more for the 31st or 32nd grades. It is these subspecies that are allowed for installation on a water-heated floor. In the case when, according to the plan, the laminate should be in the bathroom and in the kitchen, on a warm floor, then make sure that it is with additional moisture protection. This can be expressed in the fact that the stabilization layer will be made of various kinds of plastics that are insensitive to water. It is important to observe this nuance so that the laminate does not swell and the seams do not open, which would lead to repair costs.
Laying type
The user may also be faced with the question of which method of fixing the laminate boards for underfloor heating to choose. So far, a couple of basic methods for processing lock joints have been used. One of them is called Click. Thanks to him, the connection of adjacent laminate planks takes place in a few touches without much difficulty. It is enough to bring one lath of laminate to another at an angle of 45 °, insert it into the groove and lower it to a characteristic click, thanks to which the lock got its name. No additional action is required.
Another method requires the use of an adhesive backing. This is due to the design features of the lock Lock. If you look at it in a section, it becomes clear that this is an ordinary spike that goes into the groove. At the slightest deformation or displacement, the laminate spike can slip out and a gap is formed. To prevent this from happening, a special glue is used for the laminate, which tightly fastens the components. The benefit of using this method is to reduce the gaps between the laths of the laminate. But the main disadvantage is the impossibility of repairing a separate section, since it will be necessary to destroy the interlocks of the laminate. This method of fixing the laminate cannot be used for underfloor heating. When heated, a significant expansion occurs, and such laying of the laminate will not be able to play to the required dimensions. Also, in the process, harmful substances will be released from the glue.
Laying technology
When performing repairs and installing water heating, someone prefers the warm floor to be laid in a wet way, while someone wants the warm water floor to be without a screed. Which one is really better, everyone decides for himself. But to put it simply, laying a warm floor in a wet way implies a monolithic pouring of the pipe contour into a screed. This will not affect the laminate in any way, but it will affect maintainability, as well as the height of the warm floor. If the ceilings allow, then it is better to prefer this method of installing a warm floor, since the base is more reliable.
The dry method of laying a warm floor under a laminate is faster and does not require additional spending on building materials. Such a warm floor is suitable even for those rooms where 20 cm of rise will already be critical. The advantages of such a warm floor is the ease of access to pipes from under the laminate, since they, in fact, are on the surface. Also, heat is released to the air faster, because the screed layer under the laminate does not warm up yet. But careful monitoring of the temperature is required so that its value does not exceed the permissible value for the laminate.
The first step is to inspect the level of the surface, which was formed after laying the warm floor. Before installing the laminate on a warm floor after wet pouring, it is necessary to treat the area with a primer. This will hold the base together and prevent sand and dust from forming on the surface. The difference in area should not exceed 2 cm per 10 m. There is no need to use a waterproofing layer. The underlay is installed immediately. The latter for a warm floor must be used without a foil layer, otherwise heat waves will not pass sufficiently.
The substrate is laid over the entire area with an overlap of 5 cm on the walls. The excess will be cut off after the process is completed. Adjacent sheets are glued together using ordinary adhesive tape; metallized tape cannot be used. From each wall, it is necessary to make a gap of 1 cm. It will allow the laminate to take the required forms when the temperature changes without deformation. You can mark this space for the laminate using wedges or pieces of timber. Subsequently, it will be covered with skirting boards and will not be visible.
Conclusion
Laying laminate on a warm floor is a more responsible task than in the usual case. As you can see, the approach to choosing should be the most careful. This will be the key to a long service life of both the laminate itself and the rest of the system. You will also lay a good foundation for a healthy atmosphere in your home.
