Laying on a thin screed
Some wooden floors allow the possibility of a screed device. At the same time, their design load limits the thickness of its layer to 5 cm, and more often to 3 cm. Warm water floors are laid on a wooden floor if there is a well-mounted heat removal from the pipe. Following the standard principle of installing a water floor, the missing thickness is compensated with foil. The foil is laid in a dense layer directly under the screed. An additional material that helps to evenly distribute heat in the structure is a reinforcing mesh, which along the way increases the strength of the screed. Filling the screed can only be done after laying the pipes and filling them with water. All further work can be done only one month after that.
Manifold connection
Regardless of the chosen method of laying pipes for underfloor heating, they must be connected to a collector. The first pipe is connected to a collector supplying hot water. The opposite end is to the cooled water return manifold. Pipes are fastened with special nuts. Connecting pipes to the collector is the final stage of installation, after which the structure should not be subjected to shifts, shocks, or other mechanical influences from the outside. At this stage, the entire system is tested. The boiler turns on at full power, the water entering the pipes will move under pressure. The pressure during the test exceeds the working pressure by 1.5 times. Under such conditions, the system must be operated for at least 2 hours in order to make sure that there are no installation defects (pinched pipes, unreliable connections).
Installation of a heated structure on a light rack base
If you are laying the system on an old wooden floor, you need to carefully inspect the floor before starting work. It is better to raise the floorboards, check the condition of the lag, if necessary, restore or replace worn and damaged structural elements. Sometimes it is necessary to nail wooden beams to the beams on the floor and additionally lay insulation.
The next step is laying the insulation.
The process of laying thermal insulation
For this, polyethylene is suitable, which is laid out with an overlap. A damper tape with a width of 5 centimeters is attached to the wall along the perimeter of the floor covering. For installation of a warm floor with a water circuit, it is convenient to use the “snake” pipe laying method.
On a pre-drawn plan-scheme of the room, we mark out the pipe connection area and the equipment attachment points for adjusting the system, you also need to draw the position of the guides with the necessary clearances. Usually it is 150 - 300 millimeters. It is better to use corrugated pipes with a diameter of 16 millimeters. Rails are made to measure.
Next, laying the warm floor along the logs. Lay out guides. Between them you need to leave channels for the pipeline.
The method of laying pipes "snake"
Then we fix the guides to the subfloor with self-tapping screws. The corners of the slats in the pipe bends should be rounded off. A foil with a thickness of at least 50 microns is placed in the prepared grooves. Slightly pressing and smoothly bending around the recess, we fix it. At several points, you can attach the material to the rails with a stapler.
If the pipes in the system are also wrapped with foil, then the heat transfer of the structure can be slightly increased.
We lay the pipes in the formed channels. Metal plates are also used for fastening to the subfloor. After that, they connect to the heating circuit and pressurize the heating system.After checking the normal functioning of the water floor, you can immediately proceed to the finishing of the tiles or lay the substrate, if necessary. Of the materials for the substrate, it is recommended to use DSP boards that do not contain formaldehyde.
A wooden warm floor on a water circuit can be completely installed with your own hands. However, it is not necessary to spend a lot of money. Today it is possible to successfully cope with this task using a special stage-by-stage technology of lath or modular laying.
Scheme of slatted laying Underfloor heating device on the diagram The process of laying thermal insulation Laying a water heated floor on a wooden base Method of laying pipes "snake" Piping system for a wooden floor heating Modular laying of a water heated floor Underfloor heating system without screed Installation of a water heated floor system Laminate flooring for underfloor heating system Appearance of underfloor heating
Variations on a theme
In our country, on the basis of Finnish technology, which facilitates the construction and makes it possible to abandon the monolithic casting, its variations appeared - the principle remained, but the materials were added:
Gypsum-fiber sheets (GVL) - compared to gypsum boards, they are denser, stronger in bending and deformation, contain cellulose fibers and other additives that increase their technical characteristics. For wet rooms, a moisture-resistant variety (GVLV) is used;
TishinA FORUMHOUSE User
In such a floor, instead of drywall, it is better to use gypsum-fiber sheets (GVL). I myself am now considering a dry screed for implementation in my house, only I will replace the bottom layer with OSB. I will assemble the middle part from two layers of GVL.
Chipboard, OSB (OSB), plywood - in terms of heat transfer, this design turns out worse, since wood and its derivatives act as an insulator. Ready-made sets of underfloor heating are sold on a dry screed made of chipboard sheets, with grooves selected for the hinges, but not everyone can handle their cost.
boatmasterUser FORUMHOUSE
Logs, with a step of 60 cm, plus insulation - 35 cm, OSB base, then a 20 mm pipe, plus a 5 mm clip, it turns out 25 mm, three layers of GVLV between pipes 12 x 3 = 26 mm.
- Cement particle board (DSP);
- EPPS - pipes are laid directly into the insulation, and the voids are covered with glue. To increase the heat transfer of the elements, foil or similar material is used;
The thickness of the sheets for the middle layer with the main is selected based on the diameter of the pipe, so that after filling with glue a flat surface is obtained, and the final layer does not put pressure on the pipe. Alternatively, two sheets are glued together if the thickness of one is not enough.
Forum users are actively organizing their underfloor heating systems on hardwood floors.
Serg177 FORUMHOUSE user Moscow.
If something happens to the pipe (today, tomorrow or in 25 years), you won't have to break the coupler. I will buy 50 sheets of plywood for 200 m², 18 mm thick, dissolve it into strips, at intervals - a 16 mm pipe, and close 200 sheets of ten sheets and laminate on top.
One of the options for a do-it-yourself dry screed device is laying pipes in special aluminum plates with grooves. They tightly fit the pipes and increase heat transfer. The disadvantage of this configuration is the high cost of these metal gaskets, their use increases the cost of the entire system.
Vladimir TallinnFORUMHOUSE User
There are not enough aluminum special sheets that are placed under the pipe and bring heat to the top. I have standing, they “hug” the pipe, the size is about 30 cm per meter, the groove for the pipe with rare spikes so that the pipe holds.
Sheets on a gypsum base are one of the most popular materials, as they are optimal in all respects.
- Acceptably worth;
- Easily sawn into segments;
- Eco-friendly (does not contain synthetic binders like wood-filled boards) and suitable for home use;
- non-combustible;
Wooden floor with electric heating
Underfloor heating in the house can be done using an electric heating system. There are several models of such products:
- electric cables in coils, differing in the degree of heating and the amount of heat produced;
- heating mats - a system of cables fixed on a special grid. A convenient modification in which the heat-producing elements are located at the same distance from each other and are fixed on the factory base. This allows you to quickly and without much physical effort to make warm wooden floors;
- infrared film floor, which is a tape with metallized contacts built into it. There is a black mesh in the middle of the strip that releases the required heat;
- carbon rods operating on the same principle as the infrared floor.
In a wooden house, it is preferable to use infrared film heaters. This is an ideal option for installing underfloor heating on boards. It can be placed in small rooms, up to 30 sq.m. Such a warm floor has temperature limits up to 27 degrees.
Electric underfloor heating is a conductive system consisting of a group of heating elements. They are powered by a cable leading to an electricity source. During installation, it should be taken into account that the wire must lie freely, not pinched by anything, not in contact with the heat-insulating material and the wooden parts of the floor.
If you want to make comfortable and reliable heating by means of an electric floor, you should take into account that it should occupy at least 70% of the total area of \u200b\u200bthis surface.
Warm water floor
In a wooden house, you can make warm water floors. They require a good foundation. Floorboards may not withstand the load on them from heating elements and concrete screed, on which a water floor is usually mounted.
To make the structure lighter, the heating cable (pipes) is placed in an "air cushion". A warm water floor consists of hollow tubes through which hot water subsequently flows. She gives heat to the floor and it becomes pleasant to walk on it.
In this case, seamless plastic, metal-plastic and metal pipes with a diameter of 16 mm are used. They are installed in increments of 20-30 cm on average and are connected to a central heating system or an autonomously operating boiler with a pump.
The installation technology of a warm water floor consists of the following operations.
The boards are thoroughly cleaned of dust and debris, gaps and cracks are sealed with wood mortar, wooden floorboards are hammered together and strengthened.
The floors are impregnated with an antiseptic, primed, covered with a waterproofing compound.
A heat-insulating sheet is laid on the draft floor, for example, Penoferol, which is fixed with a stapler on wooden boards
It is important that the top layer is metallized. If not, then foil should be used.
Then pipes are laid and fixed, connecting them together into a single system.
Further, in the lower part of the room around the entire perimeter, a special damper tape is glued
During operation, the warm floor will heat up and expand. The concrete may crack. This tape will save you from that.
Next, a concrete screed is poured, trying to hide the pipes, but not to allow too much thickness (3-5 cm). This will lighten the wooden floor structure.
In the house, such a floor can be made in any room. Concrete is an excellent conductor of heat. The water in the piping system does not have to be heated to a high temperature. 40 degrees is enough. Even with such heating on a warm floor it will be comfortable. Thanks to such a device, the heat from the pipes will be reflected in the foil and transferred to the flooring.
The length of one closed loop recommended by experts should be no more than 80-100 meters. In rooms with an area of more than 30-40 m2, 2-3 contours should be made.Otherwise, the liquid will cool quickly. For example, in a room measuring 6x6 m, pipes are laid in increments of 20 cm. The length of the circuit, taking into account the length for connecting to the boiler, will be almost 100 m.
As a finishing material, you can use laminate, linoleum, carpet and even tiles. If in the case of electric heating it is impossible to create a heavy load on the surface, then with an installed water system this is not necessary. Here you can not specifically design the arrangement of furniture and furnishings.
A warm water floor can be made without a concrete screed, in a dry way. However, this method can threaten with heat loss, since wood does not conduct it well. To avoid this, do the following:
- reduce the step between the water pipes;
- create reflective surfaces (deflectors).
Foundation preparation
This scheme allows you to clearly understand the principle of arranging a wooden floor along the logs for a warm floor using the example of a water heating system
A warm floor on wooden logs has a great and main advantage - the absence of "wet" work, in particular, a screed device. In this case, the boards are the base. At the same time, certain requirements are imposed on them:
- The thickness of the flooring from beech, oak should not exceed 24 mm, from pine or larch - 22 mm;
- If a new flooring is being made, then the boards should first be laid out on a heated floor for several days. This is necessary so that they do not subsequently deform.
Before proceeding with the laying of cable or pipes, it is necessary to prepare the base. There are two options here:
- On existing subfloors. Slots and gaps between the boards are sealed in the old surface, thermal insulation is laid (polystyrene, mineral wool);
- From scratch. Logs treated with antiseptics and fire and bioprotection are located 60 cm apart. Slots, mold, rot on the boards are unacceptable.
As you can see, laying underfloor heating in any case requires a rough foundation. The next step is to insulate. The heat-insulating material fits tightly between the lags, which eliminates the appearance of cold bridges.
After the rough base is prepared, you can start laying underfloor heating.
Disadvantages and advantages of underfloor heating
Warm floors “work” throughout the entire area of the house, which allows not only to get a surface that is pleasant to the touch, but also to contribute to the overall heating of the home. When studying how to make a warm floor in a wooden house with your own hands, the owner will first assess the complexity of installation and compare the efficiency of water and electrical systems. The efficiency of full-fledged heating boilers significantly exceeds the performance of an electric underfloor heating, which tilts the scales not in favor of the latter.
With a huge number of positive reviews and recommendations, a warm water floor has its drawbacks. They are related to the features of operation. It is necessary to cover the floor covering with carpet, linoleum, as the floor will immediately cease to warm up qualitatively. When laying tiles on a screed with pipes, it is worth considering that due to temperature differences, the adhesive may not withstand and crack. Another disadvantage is the high cost of floors, which is about 1,500 rubles only for materials when calculated per 1 sq.m. The price, together with the work, can reach 3,000 rubles per 1 sq.m.
Warm floor on wooden logs sixth option
Another option: you can lay the underfloor heating pipes directly on the insulation (only if the insulation is not cotton wool, but polystyrene) between the lags. So that the pipes are located below the top of the lag. And fill the space between the lags with gypsum mortar:
However, with a strong desire to do without wet processes, instead of a gypsum mixture, you can simply fill it with dry, clean sand.Gypsum or sand will smooth out one of the disadvantages of a wooden underfloor heating: the lack of a heat accumulator, which is a concrete screed in a concrete system.
(I gave six options for installing a wooden underfloor heating, but this does not mean that it is limited to them; perhaps you will come up with your own or make additions / improvements to those shown; the main thing is that the principles of operation of a warm water floor are not violated)
Installation
The installation of a water floor on logs based on Finnish technology assumes a standard installation algorithm, regardless of the materials used in the work, be it GKL, GVL (V) or other plates.
evrazUser FORUMHOUZE
Similar technologies, where pipes or a heating cable are smeared with a solution in the GVL grooves and covered with the top layer of GVL, are painted by many manufacturers of underfloor heating systems.
Water heated floor on logs in a wooden house.
On FORUMHOUSE you can read the detailed instructions for installing a subfloor with your own hands.
Warming
The system must transfer heat upwards, and not pass it into the ceiling, which will lead to increased heating of the carrier and a decrease in efficiency. A vapor barrier is laid between the lags, on top - a layer of insulation (mineral wool, EPS), covered with a layer of vapor barrier. The insulation will protect both the wood and the insulation from condensation, provided that it is not just a plastic film. Under a conventional film, condensation will form in even greater quantities.
Base
It is necessary to observe the optimal distance between the lags when the system is being mounted - 60 cm, in this case it is not necessary to create an additional crate to distribute the load, and the sheets form a monolithic structure. Sheets are attached to the lags with self-tapping screws.
Highway
The footage and diameter of the pipe depends on the area of \u200b\u200bthe room, heat loss, and the power of the equipment used to heat the coolant. The most demanded range is 16-20 mm in diameter. The pipe pitch is also individual in each case, but on average - 100 mm, more often at the edges. The pipe is fastened with special metal or plastic brackets or do-it-yourself clamps.
Warm water floors, wooden floors.
Laying
The space between the contours of the pipes is filled with segments cut from sheets, grooves should remain around the pipes for filling with glue. The optimal groove size is 3 pipe diameters, this is enough for maximum heat removal. The segments are screwed with self-tapping screws, in increments of 10 - 15 cm, the length of the fastener should be enough to fix it in the logs.
filling
To fill the grooves, tile glue is most often used, a cement-sand mixture can be used, but plasticizers must be used when mixing. In order to increase adhesion, and the finishing layer of the “pie” is more firmly connected to the intermediate one, it is recommended, after filling the seams with pipes, to go over the entire surface with the adhesive mixture “on the peel”. This is advice from a user under the nickname Vitaon, he is a professional installer of such systems and shared his trick with the forum users.
VitaonFORUMHOUSE User
Before the final layer, the surface consists of alternating strips of dry plasterboard and ditches filled with adhesive. Immediately before gluing, it is necessary to cover the entire surface with putty, a wide spatula and a thin layer of glue - a homogeneous base will be obtained. On top, apply glue under the final layer. With this method, adhesion is greatly increased.
Finished floor
A water floor on wooden logs allows you to use almost any decorative coating in a private house, only cheap linoleum is a contraindication - it will smell noticeably with constant heating. The best option is ceramic tile or laminate flooring. In the case of a laminate, a substrate does not fit under it, due to its thermal insulation properties.
Underfloor heating with a dry screed using Finnish technology is a basic option that can be tailored to specific conditions and needs. All the subtleties and nuances are in the subject of a warm drywall floor. In the article on heating a private house, the most economical way of heating is selected. And in the video about engineering heating equipment - advice from the master on choosing.
Mixed method of installation of wooden underfloor heating
Some masters prefer to use another installation method, which is a cross between a rack and a modular option. In this way, you can make underfloor heating easily, quickly and without spending a significant amount.
Begin work by selecting a quarter with channel dimensions in the edged board. Having measured at least seven centimeters from the wall, they make a strip or recess with a cutter so that the pipe is led to the next row. The thickness of the board must exceed the sampling parameters, and the width must be equal to the step during installation. The rough base does not need to be laid, and the planks are attached to the logs using self-tapping screws.
Application features and fire safety
When choosing any system related to power supply and wooden structures, it is necessary to take into account the characteristics of this material. The main problems that arise when designing an underfloor heating system in contact with wood are:
Flammability. Wood is a combustible material that must be protected from open flames and overheating, which can occur in electrical systems during a short circuit.
Tendency to dry out. When overheated, the moisture in the wood evaporates. In this case, the material decreases in size, cracks, warps, and in some cases becomes unusable. This is especially true for decorative coatings.
Low thermal conductivity
This is important when covering underfloor heating systems with natural wood. Heat in this case does not penetrate well into the serviced room and does not heat it up to a comfortable temperature.
In this case, the tree itself can overheat.
How to eliminate these problems and use a modern and convenient system in contact with the tree?
To resolve the issue of fire safety, it is necessary to use only systems that fully comply with all the requirements of electrical and fire safety. The second important point is quality installation. All contacts must be insulated in strict accordance with the installation technology.
For a wooden floor on logs and under a decorative coating of the same material, it is permissible to use all modern electric heating systems: infrared film, cables, mats and rods. You must adhere to the following requirements:
- The temperature of underfloor heating under wood flooring must not exceed 27°C.
- Do not allow sudden changes in temperature for a short time. During the day it is possible to change the temperature within 5 °C.
- It is not allowed to contact the heating cable directly with wood.
This primarily applies to a decorative coating, but it is also important to adhere to these requirements when installing heating in a wooden floor on logs.
