Warm floor with your own hands

The centuries -old history of the warm floor began in ancient Rome. The floors in Roman terms were heated according to the same principle, according to which modern underfloor heating systems work. Special channels were laid under the floor, through which heated stove smoke was passed. Currently, two main systems of warm floors use hot water and electricity as a heat source. The general principle of the warm floor is the same: a heating element is laid over the entire area of ​​the floor, due to which an uniform and comfortable forecast of the entire room is ensured. The laying of the heating element is carried out on top of the insulating material, a screed is poured on top and then the flooring is already laid. The water heating system is especially often used in separate houses and cottages, as well as in public premises. The use of the water floor in the apartment is usually not advisable: first of all, when such a system is turned on, the temperature of hot water in neighboring apartments drops; In addition, in the event of a pipe leak, you can cause significant damage not only to your property, but also to the property of the neighbors. In turn, the electric warm floor has a number of undoubted advantages compared to water. First of all, it is an opportunity to easily and quickly change the heating temperature. Electric warm floor can be done on your own. At the same time, it is extremely important to choose the right electric cable, determining the required specific thermal conductivity, taking into account the insulating material. It is equally important to observe the recommended distance between the individual cable threads. Non -compliance with these rules can lead to a short circuit and breakdown of the entire heating system. And the repair of the warm floor, taking into account the need for its complete disassembly, is the debt, troublesome and not cheap. When making a decision on the installation of a warm electric floor, you should proceed from the purpose of its device: it will be the main system of heating of a glazed balcony or an additional comfortable heating of the floor of the living room, bathroom or kitchen. Do not save on insulating material and cable quality. Provided to buy good isolation, a capacity of about 100 watts per square meter of the area of ​​the room will be enough. A room with an area of ​​15 square meters will require about 75-85 meters of cable (the exact meter depends on its power). Before installing the floor, the room is completely freed, the old coating is removed, the floor is aligned. First of all, thermal insulation material is laid. Many masters recommend supplementing it with waterproofing, which can be used by an ordinary polyethylene film. After laying thermal insulation on top, a special reinforced mesh is laid, the purpose of which is to prevent the possible overheating of the cable and preparing a stable basis for the cement screed. Then, using the mounting tape, the cable is laid (the laying step should be about 0, 2 – 0, 25 m). The temperature sensor should be installed where it will be easy to get to it in order to replace. Before filling the floor with a cement screed, it is necessary to connect the electric system, check its operation. When pouring the screed, you should pay special attention to the inadmissibility of voids – this may lead to cable overheating and a short circuit. After the cement screed (about 5-6 days) completely drying out completely, you can start laying the final flooring. However, you can rejoice at warm floors no earlier than a month and a half.