Heating Mats For Tiles: Cable Installation, How To Lay It Correctly, The Subtleties Of Laying

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Heating Mats For Tiles: Cable Installation, How To Lay It Correctly, The Subtleties Of Laying
Heating Mats For Tiles: Cable Installation, How To Lay It Correctly, The Subtleties Of Laying

Video: Heating Mats For Tiles: Cable Installation, How To Lay It Correctly, The Subtleties Of Laying

Video: Heating Mats For Tiles: Cable Installation, How To Lay It Correctly, The Subtleties Of Laying
Video: How to Lay and Install Underfloor Heating Mats Prior to Tiling - Tile Mountain 2024, March
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Equipping a house with warm floors has long been a familiar element of renovation. There are two ways of laying and creating warm floors: one of them is based on the circulation of water in the heating system, and the second is based on the use of electricity.

To date, the electric method of floor heating is recognized as the most economical, and heating mats allow you to effectively realize this opportunity. This material is easy to install and maintain, equipped with regulators and is an independent heating system.

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What is a heating mat

The underfloor heating mat is a fiberglass mesh with a thin electrical cable attached to it. Due to the thinness of the mesh, the heating mats do not require additional floor screed, and the cable, wavyly distributed along the mesh, evenly heats the entire surface under the covering. The mat is placed directly into the tile adhesive, thus not increasing the thickness of the floor.

The heating temperature is regulated by built-in sensors and thermostats brought to the surface.

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Types of heating mats

According to the configuration, heating mats can be single-core and double-core:

  • Single-core consists of one heating conductor, which causes some inconvenience during installation. The mat sheet has to be unrolled over the coverage area so as to bring the end of the cable back to the thermostat. Single-core mats have an increased degree of electromagnetic radiation, therefore, it is recommended to lay them only in rooms where they do not spend much time. This could be a bathroom or a hallway.
  • Two-core the mats consist of two conductors, have a loop-back configuration, which greatly simplifies the installation of the floor. Two cables (heating and conductive) are located on the grid in such a way that their ends initially go to the thermostat.

This design allows to reduce the electromagnetic background, is suitable for bedrooms and living rooms, but has a higher price.

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Benefits of frosted heater

In terms of its characteristics, the heating mat is significantly superior to any other type of floor insulation:

  • Ease of installation … The mesh on which the electrical cable is attached is standard widths and is sold and transported in rolls. On the prepared surface, the mesh is laid out according to the principle of unrolling the carpet, which greatly facilitates the installation process. The cable on the canvas is evenly located and fixed, so that heat will be distributed over the floor without "gaps". The heating mat is thin enough, does not require additional floor screed and does not increase the height of the floor covering. The mesh itself is the reinforcing element of the floor.
  • Convenience in calculations. There is no need to calculate the length of the cable and distribute it over the surface. It is enough to correlate the dimensions of the room and the mesh fabric, measure the required length and number of strips. The heating mat is placed directly under the tiles, which means that the surface heats up quickly. Thermostats allow you to automatically set a comfortable temperature.
  • Environmentally friendly fiberglass mesh material. Two-core construction of heating mats has the lowest possible level of electrical radiation.
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Installation features

You need to know the following:

  • You should start laying the heating mats on the floor surface by drawing up an installation plan. After that, the surface is thoroughly cleaned and the markings are made. The cable mat can be installed both on the old floor sheet and on the concrete screed. In the latter version, the surface is checked for defects, chips and cracks, and a primer is applied. It will not be superfluous to lay thermal insulation on the subfloor so that the heating system works to supply heat only upward, and not into the lower layer of concrete.
  • The place of the thermostat is determined and fixed - the point from which the mat will be unfolded. Equipped with a place for installing a junction box, thermostat fasteners. These system parts must be at least 30 cm above floor level.
  • After installing the thermostat, the required length of material is unwound from the roll and placed on the markings. The mesh is cut to the desired length, and the cable is spread over to the second and subsequent strips.

It should be borne in mind that you can only cut the mesh itself, leaving the cable intact, and when laying it, make sure that the cable does not cross, otherwise a short circuit cannot be avoided.

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  • After the cable is distributed over the floor surface, check its functionality. With a tester, resistance and insulation are checked. If everything is in order, the system can be turned on and allowed to warm up. The heat looms heat up quickly enough and keep the temperature controlled by the thermostat.
  • After making sure that the system is working properly, you can start laying the tiles. Experts recommend applying heat-resistant tile adhesive to the entire floor surface that will withstand high temperatures. It is enough for a layer of adhesive to cover the gaps between the cable. The tiles are laid according to the standard technology directly on the surface of the heating mat (without screed).
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Thermostat

The effectiveness of the floor mat largely depends on the correct installation of the thermostat. Thermal sensors protect the cable from overheating and allow you to set the desired temperature. The installation of the thermostat involves the creation of a special recess in the wall and on the floor, where the wires of the heat mat will be placed.

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The entire thermal sensor system must be well insulated from moisture and dust.

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Thermoregulators can be either the simplest - electronic, or with a built-in programmable system.

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Selection Tips

The main criteria for choosing a heating mat are heating power and surface area. Calculate the parameters of the room and the amount of material required in advance. Heating mats work best under ceramic tiles or porcelain stoneware. Other materials may not withstand high temperatures and will fail quickly.

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According to customer reviews, floor heating systems are much more economical than radiators and stoves. And heating mats surpass their counterparts in simplicity and ease of installation.

See the following video for answers to many questions about installing a warm floor.

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