Electric floor heating for a wooden house

Underfloor heating in a wooden house can be mounted in various ways. A simple and modern approach - dry installation on a wooden base. There is another way: someone will call it classic, and someone - outdated. It requires a concrete base under the cable and, in some cases, an additional pour or leveling layer on top. Both options require certain knowledge, which we will share in this review. Which heating element can be laid on a wooden base? What is included in the design of the "pie" when installing the cable in the cement? What is cheaper? We will answer these questions and consider several installation schemes for different types of underfloor heating with examples of specific products.

What is important to know?

You can install underfloor heating in one of the following ways:

• on an existing wooden floor;
• on a wooden floor with an air layer (on logs);
• on a concrete base;

It will depend on the choice of heating system whether it will be necessary to fill with cement, leveling compound, tile adhesive or mastic - that is, “wet” installation. The following types of heating elements are suitable for heating a wooden floor: infrared film, cable on a mounting plate, cut cable, heating mats.

Looking ahead, we note that the installation of heating mats requires a concrete base or a cement-sand screed. It is possible to foresee this not in every wooden house, and perhaps on the first floor. Infrared film and cables on plates can be installed on a wooden deck. The cutting-off heating cable can be laid both in a screed and in a dry way (on logs). In the latter case, it is extremely important to correctly calculate the power. And here you can look at specific underfloor heating for a wooden house, which are suitable for the situations considered in the review.

On a wooden base

According to the requirements of European standards, cable heating systems with a specific power of 100 W / m2 or more are prohibited for installation on a wooden floor. Infrared films are not subject to such restrictions.

Infrared film

IR films are universal: they can be mounted on the floor, ceiling, walls. Are issued with a power of 150 and 220 W/m2.

The listed IR films are produced in South Korea, as, indeed, the vast majority of those presented for sale in Russia. In Europe, the use of infrared film is not practiced. Perhaps the whole point is in the existing European standards. In Russia and Asia, there are no bans on the use of an infrared film heating system. The manufacturers themselves vying with each other declare the safety of the IR film and the long service life. Supporters of this easy-to-install and inexpensive (cost of 1 mp film - from 325 rubles) system have many arguments in favor of security. For example, this: the heating of an infrared floor heating is controlled by a thermostat, which will not allow the film to overheat.

It's important to know: The film should not be installed where the furniture will be. The exception is KS-PTC film. It costs more, but, thanks to the self-regulating effect, it can be installed around the entire perimeter of the room. Installing an infrared film under a tile is difficult: after all, tile adhesive cannot be applied on top of it. You will need to create a complex multilayer "pie", we do not recommend making the wooden floor heavier!

Cable on mounting plate

Unfortunately, in Russia the method of mounting on a plate is not very popular, so the range is small.

Clarifications for the Devi system: 6-10 W/m resistive cable and DEVIcell™ Dry mounting plates with cable routing grooves are used. The manufacturer recommends installing an additional waterproofing layer when installing under parquet or laminate on a wooden floor. If heating is installed on logs under decorative coatings, such as: linoleum, vinyl, carpet, laminate, then it is necessary to add noise-absorbing material and a shield to distribute the shock load to the structure.

But the U-RD-B cable on R-RF Raychem plates can be installed directly on the base of the wooden floor. Parquet, parquet board or laminate is recommended as a finishing coating. You can also lay it under the tile, you just have to change the installation scheme: add a primer over the cable and an adhesive layer for the tile. Raychem U-RD-B differs from other analogues by its high price, excellent quality of components and self-regulating cable, which saves up to 20% of energy when underfloor heating. The calculation of the power (35-100 W / m2) of a self-regulating cable is based on how well the base is insulated from heat loss.

From similar systems, the Danish cable DVC-10 (Heandy Haet) sometimes appears on sale, which, like Devi, can be attributed to the middle price category (a heating kit with a mounting plate will cost about 7,000 rubles).

Installation of cutting cable on logs

Cable installation on logs for wooden houses is the most common option. It is not too laborious, and the price “does not bite” (about 3000 rubles for a set of European cable for heating 1 m2 of floor). In wooden floors and other structures made of combustible material, the specific power of the heating system should not exceed 60-80 W / m2 with a linear cable power of not more than 10 W / m, the laying step is chosen within 90 - 130 mm.

The height of the air lock between the thermal insulation and the flooring (plywood) should be 30 mm, the distance between the cable and the flooring should be 10 mm. The cable should be laid evenly over the entire area of ​​the heated surface.

On a concrete base

If a concrete floor is mounted on the ground on the ground floor of a wooden house or a wood screed is installed (subject to existing rules and restrictions), then the choice of a heating element for a warm floor becomes wider.

Laying the heating cable in the screed

Before buying a cutting cable for installation in a screed, it is important to correctly calculate the power and laying pitch. A heating cable with a specific power of 10-20 W / m is used for tiles and porcelain stoneware.

The scheme can also be used when installing under a laminate, linoleum, carpet, but instead of an adhesive tile layer, a noise-absorbing substrate is installed under the laminate. Under a wooden floor covering, it is recommended to use a cable with a specific power of 6-10 W / m.

The recommended output for a comfort concrete floor heating system is 60-100 W/m2. The maximum thickness of the base is 50 mm, the layer of self-leveling compound (screed) is 30-80 mm. In cold rooms, thermal insulation of the base should be provided.

Installation of heating mats in tile adhesive

The heating mats listed above as examples for under-tile installation have a power of 130-170 W/m2. The scheme can also be used when installing under a laminate, linoleum, carpet, but instead of an adhesive tile layer, a noise-absorbing substrate is installed under the laminate. Under wooden flooring, it is recommended to use mats with a power of 80 W/m2. The cost of mats starts from 2000 rubles. per sq. m.

This scheme is similar to the previous one, except that the mounting grid is not required, since the mat is supplied as a cable already attached to the grid with the required laying pitch. Thanks to this, cable nets (heating mats) have become widespread and are sold as a turnkey solution for underfloor heating. The installation scheme may exclude the use of a self-levelling layer. In this case, the tile adhesive (mastic) is applied immediately to the fixed mat, and the tile is immediately laid on top. You should check the instructions, as all manufacturers set their own rules. So, for Thermomat mats, the recommended thickness of the adhesive solution is 3-4 cm, for National Comfort mats - from 8 mm, for Devi products - 3-5 cm.

Installation of mats on a wooden base with a screed

Some manufacturers allow the use of mats with a specific power of 150 W / m2 on a wooden floor with a screed. Here is an example and installation scheme:

The scheme can be used when installing under a laminate, linoleum, carpet. Instead of an adhesive tile layer, a noise-absorbing underlay is installed under the laminate, and the mat is poured with a 3 cm cement-sand screed. The rough wooden floor must be securely fixed.

Foil mats for mounting without screed

If the floor base is concrete or a cement-sand screed is mounted, it is convenient to use Devidry, Thermo LP heating systems that are easy to install (power from 100 W/m2). An important rule works here, which is noted in the installation and operating instructions by European manufacturers of these cable systems: it is forbidden to use products with a power of more than 80 W / m2 in rooms with a wooden floor.

Take note of these marks and use them for dry installation when the floor in the house is concrete and the finish is wood. The scheme of their installation is very simple (similar to installing a cable on a mounting plate), the price is from 3500 rubles. per sq. m.

The installation diagrams do not show the installation location of the sensor, thermostat, supply cables. These are important steps that should be carried out by referring to the installation manual for the product. To prevent cracking of the wooden flooring, a thermostat with air and floor sensors should limit the maximum floor temperature to 35 degrees. C.

When choosing the type of heating element, you should carefully study the instructions for its installation. The type of floor base and the type of finish are important criteria when deciding whether to purchase a warm floor. Carpet, linoleum, parquet board and other coatings must withstand the temperatures specified in the product documentation. Therefore, the compatibility of the cable system with one or another type of decorative coating should be specified in the instructions of a particular manufacturer. Some manufacturers of heating systems strictly regulate the type of substrate, heat and waterproofing layers.

Making a decision on the choice of materials for a heated floor in a wooden house is complex. If the house is still being designed or under construction, the field for activity is much wider: a concrete base can be provided, the thickness of the structures and additional loads can be laid. More expensive options for dry installation can be used at any stage of home insulation.

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