Tiled floor is associated with us with cold, because you can not stand on bare feet for a long time - there is a feeling of discomfort. But it was possible to solve this problem with the installation of a water-heated floor under the tile. In this case, the legs will not freeze, and the entire room will warm up evenly.
The device of a warm water floor under a tile
Using such a system, you will never depend on the heating season and in general on central heating. The design consists of a long curved pipe installed throughout the floor in the room. It circulates hot water, acting as a source of heat. After laying the coolant (metal-plastic or polyethylene pipes), the floor is poured with a cementitious screed.
Another important element of the system is the coolant mixing unit. It is necessary to control the temperature of the water floor. It consists of a pump, a collector and a thermostatic mixer.
The layered water-heated floor is as follows:
- as a base is a concrete slab;
- then a good waterproofing layer follows;
- To prevent heat loss, a layer of thermal insulation is laid that reflects heat and gives it to the floor covering;
- pipeline;
- concrete screed as a carrier layer, it is also possible to use gypsum fiber sheets;
- then follows a tile or other floor covering .
In general, the thickness of the water-heated floor under the tile is 70-110 mm, for although the maximum thickness of the screed of the warm water floor is 150 mm, but most often a trowel is made of 30-50 mm thick under the tile. To this, we need to add the width of the hydro- and heat insulators and the tiles, and we will obtain an index of the thickness of the entire system.
Advantages and disadvantages of the water-heated floor
The popularity of this independent heating system increases, which is due to its undeniable advantages, such as:
- high heating efficiency, since heat does not escape into the ceiling and walls;
- the possibility to use the system both autonomously from the heating system, and with the connection to it;
- protection of the floor against mold and other microorganisms;
- the possibility of a full replacement of traditional heating appliances;
- possibility to install a warm floor under the tile, laminate, parquet and other floor coverings;
- The opportunity to walk on the floor barefoot even in winter without fear of catching a cold.
In the hot season, you can reduce the temperature of the air in the room, passing through the pipes cool water. The installation of such a system does not require significant monetary and time costs.
However, she also has disadvantages:
- probability of flooding the room in case of pipeline damage;
- complexity of the design;
- The need for certain skills to properly organize such a heating system.
What kind of warm water floor under the tile in the bathroom is better?
The choice is mainly concerned with pipes that will be used in the aquatic floor system. There are several options:
- Metal-plastic pipes are a high-strength and high-quality material that keeps the shape well and has excellent flexibility. It's a pleasure to work with such a pipe.
- Another option is pipes with oxygen-permeable layer. This material can boast excellent thermal conductivity. However, the inconvenience is that the pipe does not keep the shape, and it has to be held until it is fixed in the installation process.
- Copper and corrugated pipes and pipes made of cross-linked polyethylene are also used. The latter option is highly resistant to temperatures and high strength. In addition, you can choose polyethylene pipes of this or that density.