When choosing a finishing floor covering, ceramic tiles are unrivaled in terms of strength and durability. For the convenience and comfort of residents, surface heating is additionally installed, since the tile has a high thermal conductivity. Underfloor heating under tiles: which is better? Solving this issue is quite difficult, since each tile heating system has its pros and cons, as well as operating features.
Primary or secondary heating?
Thermal systems may include underfloor heating as an additional source of heating, or rely entirely on it. In a private house, instead of traditional heating radiators, only underfloor heating is allowed. The area of the heated surface in this case should be at least 70% of the total area of the room.
In apartments, a combined type is used, when underfloor heating supplements the main heating. Installation is carried out in the kitchen, in the hall, in the bathroom in open areas: it makes no sense to heat the floor if there is stationary furniture or plumbing on it. It is very convenient to regulate the heating depending on the season and the operation of the main heating.
Advantages of heated tiled floors:
- Maintaining constant indoor humidity. Heating floor tiles does not dry the air, which is the “sin” of centralized heating in high-rise buildings.
- Uniform distribution of heat. The tile well saves and transfers thermal energy throughout the entire volume of the room.
Types of warm floors
There are two groups of underfloor heating systems used for ceramic tiles and porcelain stoneware:
- water;
- electrical.
Both systems have their advantages and disadvantages, a comparison of which will show which warm floor is better in each case.
Water heating systems
This system uses metal or polypropylene pipes. They are mounted on the floor, and heated water circulates through them. Connection is made either to a central heating system or to an individual gas boiler. To close the system, a circulation pump is connected.
Benefits of underfloor heating:
- Cheap installation.
- Profitability of use due to the low cost of energy carriers - water and gas.
The main disadvantages of the water system:
- For arrangement, a sufficiently thick coupler, which will seriously increase the load on the interfloor overlap.
- The floor after all stages of installation will rise by 70–100 mm, which is very significant for rooms with a standard ceiling height.
- Such a warm floor is practically inapplicable in apartments, since many permits are required for inserting into a common riser, and not every management company will allow this.
- If the pipes are damaged, the apartment of the neighbors below will suffer.
- There is no way to physically turn off individual sections, for example, if large-sized furniture is placed in the room, then the place under it will also warm up, you can only turn off the entire room.
Electrical heating systems
In such a floor heating system, heating occurs due to the electrical energy of heated cables or a special film. All electric floors are divided into 3 types by design:
- cable;
- heating mats;
- infrared (film) heat-insulated floors.
Compared to water systems, electric systems have the following advantages:
- are used everywhere, in houses, cottages, apartments;
- additional approvals are not required;
- you can set the optimal thermal regime in the desired area.
But there are electric underfloor heating and disadvantages:
- high cost of materials (especially for electric mats and film floors) and consumed electrical energy;
- good electrical wiring is required to withstand significant power.
When installing any type of electric underfloor heating, it will be necessary to lay reflective thermal insulation with a foil layer so that the heat goes up into the room.
Design and installation features
Each type of underfloor heating has its own nuances during installation and operation. The owner of the premises must soberly evaluate them so that the repairs made meet expectations.
Water heated floors
Installation of such underfloor heating requires certain skills and knowledge, so it is better to entrust the design and calculation to professionals. With miscalculations, there will be no good heat transfer from the water floor, and ceramic tiles may peel off over time.
Important features of installing underfloor heating water systems:
- To reduce heat loss, it is imperative to use foil insulation and already lay reinforcing mesh and water pipes on it.
- Pipes are laid without strong bends, the length of one pipeline should not exceed 100 m.
- When connecting to a stand-alone boiler in the house, you should calculate the power it consumes with a margin. Otherwise, when working "at the limit", it can quickly wear out.
- After laying the pipes, it is mandatory to check for possible leaks and only then pour the screed and lay the tiles.
Cable underfloor heating
In cable underfloor heating, a single-core or two-core heating cable is laid under the tiles. It is quite convenient to lay it, because it can easily go around places where heating is not needed. For example, a toilet, when the cable is laid under the tiles in the bathroom. The cheapest is a single-core cable, it is thinner, but it must be returned to the thermostat. Twin-core is more expensive and thicker, but it is easier to lay it.
Nuances to consider when choosing this type of underfloor heating:
- Be sure to need a concrete screed with a thickness of 3 cm or more to protect the cable itself.
- The total weight of the structure, taking into account the additional screed, can be critical for floors, especially in "Khrushchev" and "Stalinka".
Electric mats
Heating mats are, in fact, the same cable, but fixed for convenience on a fiberglass mesh. Ready rolls need only be laid on a concrete base and poured with a thin screed or applied a layer of tile adhesive with tiles. Undoubted advantages of this system:
- small thickness;
- can be dispensed with without additional screed;
- in the event of a failure, one element changes, and not the entire system;
- ease of installation.
Tiling is done directly on the mats. Start the system 3-4 weeks after installation, as it takes time to complete all chemical processes during installation.
Having studied the reviews, we can conclude that apartment owners choose heating mats more often than other types of underfloor heating. However, it should be taken into account that the cost of electromats is 30% more expensive than cable systems.
Film underfloor heating
Infrared (film) systems - the most modern designs for underfloor heating. Electromagnetic radiation from polymer film modules is considered the safest, most efficient and heat-saving. The undeniable advantages include:
- ease of installation;
- no electromagnetic waves and low electricity consumption;
- silent operation;
- film thickness does not exceed 0.33 mm.
Unfortunately, for all their merits, infrared underfloor heating is the least suitable for laying under tiles. The reasons for this incompatibility are as follows:
- Poor adhesion with tile adhesive and grout, which can lead to cracks when a heavy object is dropped onto the flooring.
- When choosing a film underfloor heating, there is a risk of its possible “corrosion” with an adhesive solution.
If, nevertheless, a decision is made to lay a film under the tile, a fiberglass installation grid is required between its modules and the tile adhesive.
All infrared heating systems are divided into 2 groups according to their design: carbon and bimetallic. For safety reasons, experts recommend laying carbon film floors under the tiles. They are not subject to corrosion, and in the event of a breakdown, only one section will turn off, since the elements of the electrical circuit are connected in parallel.
The assembled system is turned on only after the tile adhesive has completely dried.
Which underfloor heating is better to choose?
Based on the foregoing, when deciding which is better to choose a warm floor, certain conclusions can be drawn:
- It is expedient to install water heat-insulated floors in private houses. Then all their positive qualities will be fully manifested, the main of which is the low cost of heating.
- Cable systems are more often carried out by apartment owners in new houses with a rough finish, since in any case they have to make a cement screed. This type of underfloor heating is also suitable in case of a thorough repair of the floor: the loss in height of the room will be less.
- Heating mats are optimal for most apartments and houses with finished pre-finishing, as well as for small areas of planned heating or use in separate areas of the room.
- Film underfloor heating is not compatible with tiles. It is recommended to put them under "dry" coatings - laminate, linoleum, carpet.
