Floor structures for water heating technical characteristics. Water heated floors, basic design and installation. Primary or secondary

Among the variety of underfloor heating, there are two main types - electric and water. A distinctive feature of the latest systems is the uniform distribution of thermal energy in the room through circulation hot water through pipelines, thereby minimizing energy costs. The design of a water-heated floor is quite simple, but at the same time it requires consistent compliance with all the rules and recommendations for its installation. Otherwise, it will not be possible to make an efficient heating unit.

Filling of the water heating block

The “pie” of a water heated floor (as professional builders call it) consists of several layers, each of which has its own purpose. Let's take a closer look at each layer of this heating installation:

1. Base - installation of water heated floors is carried out in a concrete screed or rough wooden flooring. In the event that after removing the old concrete base there are no large differences in the surface (no more than 0.5 cm), then the cement screed is not poured.
2. The waterproofing layer is special slabs or ordinary polyethylene film. A damper tape is laid along the perimeter of the waterproofing material.
3. Thermal insulating fabric that prevents heat loss through floor slabs and concrete base.
4. A pipeline through which hot water will circulate. The most optimal pipes are copper, stainless steel, metal-plastic, and cross-linked polyethylene.

The most expensive pipes for construction are copper pipes, the cheapest are plastic ones

1. A finishing screed, which simultaneously acts as an additional fixation of the heating block and helps create uniform heating of the floor surface.
2. Decorative coating- tiles, laminate, linoleum, parquet boards and other materials with good thermal conductivity.

The best option for heated floors is ceramic tiles with the highest thermal conductivity coefficient. Laminate and parquet, where wood is the main raw material, conduct heat much worse.

The thickness of the entire water heated floor largely depends on how thick the insulation and other materials involved in such heating equipment. In addition, the size of the entire installation is influenced by the power of the clamping base and the diametrical size of the pipeline.

The total thickness of a warm water floor should generally fall within the range of 70 to 150 mm.

In fact, the diagram and layout of such a heating unit are elementary processes and not difficult to implement. And if you approach the installation of each structural element with all responsibility, then the device will delight you with its effective operation for many years.

Restrictions on the use of heated floors

Like any other heating source, the floor system has a number of limitations, although manufacturers are often silent about this.

1. It is not recommended to use this system for heating common areas. The efficiency will be practically zero, and the heat loss will be enormous. This is not advisable either from the point of view of heating savings or in terms of installation.
2. Even though manufacturers recommend using this design as the main source of heat, in most cases it is still an auxiliary, additional measure that allows you to provide comfortable temperature and microclimate. Only if thermal insulation is carried out in accordance with all norms and rules, then heated floors can truly become the only and sufficient source.
3. In apartment buildings it is prohibited to connect TP into the general system central heating. There are only a few exceptions and they are listed in the article “Warm floor from central heating in an apartment.”

Understanding such limitations will allow you to settle on the most optimal design for a particular room.

VIDEO: “Pitfalls” of underfloor heating systems

In total, today there are 4 main designs of warm water floors:

• wooden slatted flooring;
• flooring wooden modular type;
• polystyrene flooring;
• concrete structure.

The difference in the pie is marked below in the picture

Floor installation with all the details

The technology for such an installation involves removing the old floor surface. As a rule, the tie base is removed to the very base, that is, until the concrete interfloor ceiling appears. The thickness of the screed for a warm water floor depends on the degree of unevenness of the floor. As mentioned above, if the difference in height does not exceed 0.5 cm, then you can proceed to the next stage of installing the heating unit. Otherwise, low-quality cement mortar is poured, which does not require ideal flat surface.

After the floor is leveled and cleaned, we proceed to laying the waterproofing sheet, which is usually used as a polyethylene film with a density of over 250 microns. The panels are laid out overlapping in such a way that one panel overlaps the other by at least 120 mm. We connect the waterproofing seams using construction tape. And yes, another important point - the film is laid and overlapped on the wall covering, which ensures reliable protection element from moisture, which can penetrate both from the outside interfloor covering, and from the walls.

After laying the waterproofing material, the perimeter of the walls is covered with a special damper tape to the height of the future heating block. Thanks to this, it is possible to prevent damage to the tie structure in close contact with vertical structures.

When arranging the internal nodes on the first, ground floors multi-storey building or private houses where there is soil under the floor, it is necessary to provide a thicker layer of heat insulating material. Thus, the minimum thickness of the heat insulator is 5 cm. In other cases, a two-centimeter heat-insulating sheet is used.

The heat insulator can be:

• foamed polystyrene boards;
• profile insulating mats;
• substrate based cork material;
• polypropylene base;
• foil fabric;
• metallized lavsan film;
• Styrofoam.

The installation of a heated floor “pie” involves the use of two types of pipes: metal-plastic or cross-linked polyethylene. The second option is characterized by low cost, excellent strength and resistance to increased temperature conditions. But at the same time, some difficulties may arise when laying it out - it can be easily damaged.

Whereas the metal-plastic heating line has a higher thermal conductivity coefficient, durability and excellent performance characteristics.

When laying the source, you must adhere to some recommendations.

When installing cold rooms, it is necessary to use a more dense source layout. The placement of the element near the wall ceilings is carried out at a distance of at least 15 cm, which will reduce heat loss through the walls to other rooms.

The coolant is laid in a certain step, where the minimum is 100 mm and the maximum is 300 mm. The calculation of the number of pipes required to lay the circuit also depends on this value.

To complete the entire circuit, it is extremely important to use a solid pipe, since the use of all kinds of fittings, adapters and other connecting elements will sooner or later lead to a leakage of the system, and since it will be located in the concrete thickness, it will be almost impossible to localize it and troubleshoot problems.

The maximum length of the line should not be more than 100 meters, otherwise the efficiency of this heater will be extremely low.

Putting the heating unit into operation

As soon as the “pie” of the warm water floor is assembled and connected to the heat supply source, the system should be pressure tested, for which we alternately supply hot water through the manifold to each circuit.

Inside the line, along with air accumulations, there may be remnants of construction dust, which will definitely damage the automatic air vents. To prevent such unpleasant situations, it is recommended to release air accumulations through special drain valves.

The technology for installing such internal equipment involves testing with operating pressure for 24 hours. After which, if no pipeline defects or leaks have been identified, you can safely begin installing warm water floors in a concrete screed and laying a decorative coating.

These, in fact, are all the secrets of creating an effective and reliable design of an underfloor heating block.

VIDEO: detailed instructions for installation

An excellent option would be a water heated floor, which consists of a kind of pipeline through which hot water flows. This entire system is built into the concrete screed and will heat it. A water-heated floor will evenly warm the floor covering and bottom layer air that has traditionally been the coldest. And when severe frosts outside the window, at home, you will be able to walk barefoot even on tiles, which you were previously afraid to walk on during the cold season.

Water heated floor systems appeared not so long ago, so there is an opinion that such a design is very complex, and its installation should only be trusted to professionals. In fact, everything is not as scary as it seems, and everything can be done with your own hands. To do this, you need to familiarize yourself with the design of the system, the rules for its installation and the features of installation on concrete base.

What does a heated floor consist of?

First, you need to understand what such a structure is. A water heated floor consists of several layers. In professional language this is called a “floor pie”, in which the “filling” consists of the following parts:

• The basis for the system. In our case, this is concrete screed, but also heated floors are made on a wooden base;
• A layer of waterproofing material, which is also equipped with a damper tape around the perimeter;
• A layer of thermal insulation. This material is necessary so that heat does not go to places where it should not;
• Warm water floor piping system;
• Concrete screed;
• Flooring (laminate, tiles, parquet, etc.).

The thickness of the whole “pie” mainly depends on the thickness of the insulation material and the amount of concrete in the screed. Another important characteristic is the diameter of the pipes required for the system. Experts say that the entire system should be within 7-15 centimeters of thickness. Installing this entire structure will not bring any problems. If you take the process of installing a heated floor responsibly, then in the future the system will delight you with warmth for many years.

How the system works

Almost everyone knows that a water floor is an effective solution for heating a home, but not everyone knows exactly how this system works, where the water comes from and how it heats all the layers of the “floor pie.” Therefore, you should familiarize yourself with the principle of operation, because if you understand how the system works, then it will be much easier to install it.

Water-based underfloor heating is a modern home heating system, which is used as an alternative or as a supplement to batteries and convectors of various types. The entire system consists of built-in pipelines, inside which hot water circulates, there are pipes between the concrete base of the floor and the finishing floor covering.

To construct such a system, polymer pipes are used, through which it's hot water, which, in turn, is supplied either from a central heating system or from a gas boiler. Known property heated air tends upward, so when the floor becomes warm, the room will be evenly heated along the entire perimeter. But in height, it will be a little different, the lower part of the room will be warmer than the layer under the ceiling, which allows you to create Better conditions for human habitation.

But it’s worth considering what to equip water system Warm floors are only possible in private homes. It is prohibited to install such a system in multi-apartment buildings, as damage to the pipes and subsequent flooding is possible.

Advantages of heated floors

This heating system has many advantages compared to traditional radiators and convectors:

• Economical work. Electricity consumption is reduced by 20-25% in private homes due to the low temperature of the liquid in the pipeline (40-50 degrees). Water heated floors will be especially beneficial in rooms with high ceilings, because such a system will warm up only 2-2.5 meters of room height, which will be good for the people living in the house, and will provide savings of 50-60%;

• Comfortable conditions for accommodation. The installation of a heated floor allows for uniform heating of the entire area of ​​the room. This also provides optimal temperature indicators for a person (+22 degrees at the level of the legs, and +18 at the upper body). You can even walk on the heated floor barefoot, play with children, and pets will not freeze in the winter;
• Safety. You probably know how hot batteries can become, especially when operating central heating systems. Touching the hot metal structure You can get burned in just a few seconds. In a water floor, all working communications are hidden in the middle, so the possibility of contact is excluded;

• Freedom for the interior. While the new batteries still look decent, the old cast-iron structures significantly spoiled the appearance of the home. Yes, and a lot of useful space is allocated heating structures. The heated floor works without visible elements, and leaves a lot of space that you can use to remodel and change the design of the room.

More information about the installation of heated floors

To make a warm floor in your home, you first need to dismantle the old covering to the very foundation. It is also worth considering that laying pipes and performing other work should only be done on a clean and dry subfloor. It is also important that the floor is level, the height difference in any part should not exceed 5 millimeters. If the vertical differences are too large, the floor will have to be leveled. To do this, you can use simple, cheap concrete for leveling, but it is best to make a new, even screed on top of the old coating.

After the base comes waterproofing material. Here, polyethylene film with a thickness of 250 microns and above is usually used. It is worth considering that it is almost impossible to find a film that will be equal in area to the room where the renovation is being done. Therefore, the technology of laying the film with an overlap is used, which is about 10-12 centimeters. All seams are connected with construction tape. There should be an overlap of film on the walls; this will resemble a kind of “trough”. When the work on laying the waterproofing layer is completed, it is necessary to trim off the excess plastic film.

There is a problem that when the water floor system is adjacent to the walls of the house, so-called “cold bridges” are created. To avoid this phenomenon, damper tape is glued along the perimeter of the walls. This material has a compensating effect against the thermal expansion of the screed, which prevents any damage.

If you are going to make a warm water floor system on the first floor of the house, then the thickness of the thermal insulation layer should be at least 5 centimeters. On the remaining floors, 2 centimeters of material will be enough.

What should I use to create this layer? The most practical and quality material for thermal insulation of underfloor heating systems today they are called penofol. It is made on the basis of foamed polystyrene and has excellent heat-reflecting properties of aluminum. In addition to these characteristics, the penofol material is fireproof, environmentally friendly, and it does not absorb water.

If you do not want to go to the trouble of installing penofol, you can use special heat-insulating boards, which are made of polymers, are dense and can withstand heavy loads. In this case, the slabs do not deform or crack. Another advantage of this option is the special surface, which allows you to secure the pipes without additional elements. Laying the slabs is very simple; they are built on the principle of a laminate and are connected “in a lock”.

Choosing pipes for a water floor

Before you start installing a water floor system, you need to select and purchase the necessary components. The main part of the heating system are the pipes through which the coolant flows, so you need to carefully choose them. Today the following materials are used for heated floors:

1. Metal-plastic. It is better to use pipes made of such material only experienced craftsmen. The main advantage of metal-plastic is its stability of shape, but during installation it is imperative to observe the spacing between the elements. Metal-plastic products can be bent without the use of special elements. But there are also disadvantages: such pipes weigh quite a lot and have a low degree of thermal conductivity.

1. Polypropylene. The main advantage of this material is its high thermal conductivity, which is why polypropylene pipes are very popular in heating systems. But when installing them, it is necessary to use all construction skills. The fact is that after bending, the pipes very soon regain their shape, and they will have to be fastened securely and very quickly.

1. Corrugated pipes from of stainless steel. This option pipes is very popular. The fact is that the material is very easy to install, has high thermal conductivity and is highly durable. There are products of different diameters on the market, and this will allow you to choose best option.
2. Copper. Copper has very high thermal conductivity, this material is quite durable and will last a long time. Copper pipes would be ideal option for heating systems, if not for their high price. And the use copper pipes for heated floors it will not be best choice also because you won’t be able to handle the installation yourself, you will have to use the services of specialists.

An important element of a water heated floor will be a manifold, which will allow you to individually configure the operation of the system and adjust the pressure indicator. It is through the collector that cold and already heated liquid passes. Thanks to this device, automatic operation of the system is ensured.

Installation of a water floor on a concrete screed

What do we need

Previously, we already mentioned the composition of the “pie” of a heated floor, but now, after familiarizing ourselves with the materials, we will be able to put together a design diagram in more detail. So, for the system we need:

• Insulation layer. Here it is best to use special plates or penofol;
• Polyethylene film;
• Reinforcement mesh. It is worth noting that this element is not mandatory for a heated floor system, but with it the structure will be more reliable and it will be easier to lay pipes;
• Pipes for the system. One of best options in terms of price and quality ratio there will be polypropylene pipes;
• Concrete screed.

Step-by-step instruction

When we already found out what we needed and bought necessary elements, you can start working. Laying a heated floor can be divided into several stages, but first of all, it is necessary to develop a diagram of the future system. Next he carries out the following work:

1. The installation of warm water floors begins with dismantling the old floor covering and cleaning the base. If necessary, all cracks can be sealed and unevenness removed. If the height differences in different parts of the room are very large, then this problem will have to be solved; for this, a concrete screed is used.
2. Installation of a waterproofing layer. For this, as already mentioned, polyethylene film is used. It is worth considering that you need to use a dense version, with a thickness of 250 microns. Separate parts of the film must be fastened with tape. Experts recommend placing pieces of film overlapping and making overlaps of 10-15 centimeters on the wall.

1. Gluing damper tape. This tape must be attached around the entire perimeter of the room. This material designed to protect the screed from deformation under the influence of temperature changes.
2. Installation of a thermal insulation layer. The main characteristic this will determine the thickness of the material layer and the floor on which the heated floor is installed. We remember that on the 1st floor you need a layer 5 centimeters thick, and on other floors 2 cm is enough. The best material For thermal insulation there will be penofol or special mats.

1. Layer of reinforcing mesh and installation of pipes. At this stage, you will need a diagram with the exact location of the contours. It is worth considering that the dimensions of the grid cell should not be larger than 15 by 15 centimeters. After installing the grid, you can equip the system itself. The distance between the pipes should be within 7-30 centimeters. They are connected to the mesh using plastic clamps. True, the clamps cannot be tightened too tightly, because the pipes expand when high temperatures and may be damaged. In areas where there are expansion joints, corrugated parts must be placed on the system. When installing, pay attention to the pitch between the pipes near the outer walls. In such places the step should be small, because there is high heat loss.

1. Connecting the heated floor to the collector. For the system to work efficiently and correctly, it must be connected to the return and supply manifold.
2. Pressure testing of heated floors. At this step of the work, you need to check the system; to do this, you should turn it on. This step will help you verify that the system is working. The exposure should be at least one day. An important characteristic is the pressure in the pipes; it should be within 3-4 bar.
3. Filling the screed. After installing all communications, you need to fill the screed with a thickness of 5-7 centimeters. Recipes for the solution can be found on the Internet; an easier option would be to buy ready-made mixtures, which just need to be diluted with water. It is important to note that pouring is done on pipes under pressure.

1. Installation of flooring. Everything here is up to you to choose from; you can install laminate, tiles, parquet and any other type of flooring on a warm floor, but this can only be done a month after installing the water supply and screed. Before installing the finishing coating, the performance of the heated floor must be checked again.

Manufacturers of components for heated floors

If you decide to install a heated floor system at home, then you just need to go to the store and choose the required option. Most companies that produce such structures produce not only pipes, but also various components for them. Some models are immediately supplied with thermal insulation material, tapes and fasteners.

There are also many on the market different models collectors for such heating systems. Such a device will cost from 70 to 500 euros. The price depends mainly on the number of circuits that can be connected to the collector.

The following manufacturers are very popular:

• Valtec;
• Vaillant;
• Viessmann;
• Wolf.

Today, these and other companies produce polymer materials for pipelines that have a service life of 50 years or more. Pipes can be sold in large coils, the purchase of which will allow you to install heated floors in spacious rooms.

For normal operation of a heated floor, you also need circulation pump. But some manufacturers have solved this problem, and there is no need to buy pumping equipment separately. Now there are special mixing units on sale that provide the required pressure and allow you to choose among different heating programs.

All of these companies also produce control panels for heating boilers. With such devices you can fully control the heating process from main devices and additional systems.

The cost of installing a water heated floor is quite high, but after 5 years of use it can fully pay for itself. There is an alternative in the form of an electric heated floor, but here everything will be the other way around: affordable installation, but expensive operation, because electricity costs a lot.

It is necessary to connect such a heating system at a time when the cold weather is just beginning. It may take a long time for the room to fully warm up. The fact is that the floor is heated first, then the walls, and only after that the air temperature rises and a constant temperature is adjusted. If laminate, parquet or other flooring is used wooden floors, then the temperature of the coolant in the water floor system must be increased gradually. This will extend the life of the coating.

If necessary, you can use underfloor heating for heating throughout the year. In summer, it is necessary to separately connect the heating branches under the tiles, which can be cold even in summer time.

An underfloor heating system is considered very useful, because it has large surface heat release. Your home will be heated evenly, and the system will be environmentally friendly. Also worth adding to the advantages is the long service life of the system.

Reviews

Igor Kulakov, 33 years old, Kyiv

Nowadays, modern energy-efficient heating systems are very popular. It is worth saying that the climate in the country has changed a lot, and now even in winter I feel comfortable at home. Therefore, it was decided to equip a water heated floor system and abandon regular batteries. At first I thought about inviting specialists, but I read installation instructions on the Internet and realized that I could do it myself. The work is not easy, but if you first study all the intricacies, you can do everything yourself and save a lot of money.

Oleg Dobronravov, 42 years old, St. Petersburg

I decided to install a heated floor system in my new country house. My wife insisted on calling the experts, but I said that I would do everything myself. And here the point was not even about saving, but about proving that you can make a warm floor yourself. Of course, there was no point in working at random, so before work I read the instructions in detail and watched several videos. I completed this task in a few days, and the floor heating system is working fine, now the house is warm and cozy.

Irina Kosheleva, 34 years old, Perm

The construction of a country house is in full swing. Of course, you want everything to look beautiful, be economical and functional. When it came to the floors, it was decided to install tiles in the hallway and in the kitchen. But the tiles are cold in winter, and walking in thick socks or slippers is not an option. We decided to make a water heated floor. My husband and his colleague from work took on this task and were able to do everything on their own. Now you can walk barefoot at any time of the year without fear of cold tiles.

Video

aqua-tehnik.ru

Installation of warm water floors - various installation methods

Today, new technologies are increasingly being used to equip heating systems. In particular, these are warm water floors. There are more than enough explanations for this. First of all, they save space by eliminating the need for bulky radiators.

And the very principle of heating with their use has a lot of advantages, such as a warm floor surface and uniform heating of the air in the room. They have some differences in installation, so the installation of warm water floors can be done under a concrete or dry screed. The stages of its implementation will be outlined below.

Installation of a water floor system

One of the modern types of room heating has become widespread in private homes.

It has a list of the main stages of work:

• Marking the base into sections
• Laying thermal insulation material on a rough base
• Installation of pipes on reinforcing mesh
• Concrete screed
• Water heated floor collector design

The whole process is completed by laying the floor covering, which can be anything. However, there are some nuances in its implementation. For example, the thickness of the insulating material is selected depending on the characteristics of your room and can be from 30 to 150mm. The reinforcing layer can also be single or double, in which case one mesh will be laid under the pipes, and the second above them.

Let's watch the video, the device and various installation methods:

As for the screed, it can be presented in two options:

Let's look at each method

With concrete screed

After the installation of the pipeline has been completely completed and its hydraulic tests have been carried out, the final stage begins. It is poured with concrete. There is a technology for installing a water heated floor with a list of requirements that must be taken into account when implementing it.

The thickness of the screed should not be less than 30 mm above the pipe. This is due to the fact that uniform temperature distribution is achieved over the entire surface of the floor.

It is recommended to use a concrete grade no lower than M-300 for this purpose. However, in cases where significant weight or thermal loads on the surface are expected, it is recommended that the layer thickness and grade of concrete be calculated taking into account the characteristics of the object. But in such cases it is necessary to separately calculate the heating panel.

Watch the video on how to properly screed:

If the screed layer is expected to be more than 150 mm, then in this case it will be necessary to perform calculations of the heating system mode taking into account special correction factors. You should also take into account the fact that the thicker the screed, the more time will have to be spent on stabilizing the operating mode of the system from the moment it is turned on.

In this case, it will be necessary to increase the temperature of the coolant, and therefore the fuel consumption.

And the last point that needs to be taken into account is the fact that you can start laying the flooring only after it has completely dried.

With flooring system

Although the most effective way is to use a water structure with a concrete screed, but it is not always possible to use it. Therefore, you often have to use easy styling methods.

Of these, the most popular are:

• Wood
• Polystyrene
• Using aluminum plates

Especially often, one of the listed systems is used when laying warm water floors in wooden houses. The explanation for this is the fact that the wood under the concrete will rot, and besides, such a system has quite heavy weight and not all floors are able to withstand it.

Let's watch the video, the intricacies of installing the flooring system:

Polystyrene method

In this case, the pipes are laid in thermal insulation boards. The installation of warm water floors allows them to be mounted on a concrete base or rough wooden floor. This system is one of the lightest among all existing today.

The slabs have special grooves for pipes and are 3 cm thick. To increase thermal insulation, an additional layer of insulating material can be laid under them. In order for the floor to warm up evenly, they must cover at least 80% of the total area floor.

In this case, the laying step is allowed to be 15 or 30 cm. To ensure better work Such a system can use aluminum profiles, which are inserted into grooves and snapped into place using special clips.

Floor coverings can be laid directly on the system.

Wooden method

It is based on the use of aluminum heat distribution plates. The water floor can be located on on the following grounds:

In the first case, chipboard modules with channels for laying pipes act as the base. They are screwed to the surface of the ceiling with self-tapping screws, with a distance of 20 cm. Pipes tucked into heat distribution plates are laid in the channels of the module.

Watch the video, light wooden system:

During installation, the installation of a water-heated floor system involves laying cardboard or foam polyethylene between it and the floor covering. If tiles are to be laid, these materials are replaced with plasterboard.

The slatted type of base involves using gaps between slats laid on the subfloor instead of channels in chipboard modules.

Differences between concrete and deck systems

These systems have an advantage over wet installation in terms of installation time; the system is ready for operation immediately after completion of the process.

But they also have their drawbacks. They are much more expensive than concrete screeds and less effective.

Which option should I choose?

Concrete or flooring? Which method of installing a warm water floor should you choose? The answers to these questions lie in the design features of the building. Most often, flooring methods are used in conditions of insufficient height of premises, as well as for wooden buildings.

Due to their low weight, such floors warm up faster and respond better to changes in coolant temperature, but at the same time have less thermal power. Therefore, if it is possible to lay the system under a concrete screed, then it is better to choose such a device for warm water floors.

www.goodnapolka.ru

We create a warm water floor with our own hands

• The concept of underfloor heating
  • Required materials and tools
• Installation of a concrete base for the floor on the ground
• Soil preparation
• Litter layer
• Waterproofing underfloor heating
• Thermal insulation of heated floors
• Concrete laying
• Selection of pipes for a heated floor system
• Pipe laying technology for heated floors
• System pressure testing
• Cement-sand floor screed

Many of us are engaged in suburban construction and improvement of our houses and summer cottages. Having at hand a step-by-step guide to insulating a house during construction and the availability of any required material on modern construction markets, you can create a cozy and warm microclimate in the house with your own hands. It is best to start working in this direction by creating heated floors.

Scheme of installing a concrete floor on the ground.

It will significantly reduce the cost of organizing the foundation of a house, speed up the construction process itself and at the same time create a comfortable atmosphere in the house. optimal design- warm water floor on the ground.

The strongest and most reliable floor on the ground will be a multi-layer floor with a concrete screed, in the thickness of which there is a system of heating pipes. The installation of such a floor is made regardless of external walls at home, on its own foundation. All work on creating a warm floor on the ground can be divided into two large parts: constructing a concrete base and installing pipes under the warm water floor itself.

Return to contents

The installation of a warm water floor on the ground requires preparatory work, i.e. purchasing necessary materials and tools. The main ones include:

Diagram of a water heated floor in a house.

• coarse river sand;
• crushed stone;
• thermal insulation on aluminum foil;
• metal-plastic or polyethylene pipes;
• various fastenings for pipes: mounting plate, arc for turning the pipe, pipe clamp, etc.;
• damper tape;
• reinforcing mesh or polymer fiber;
• collector;
• collector cabinet;
• cement, sand or alternative ready mixture for self-leveling floors.

Return to contents

The installation of a concrete floor base itself consists of several important steps. First of all, you should prepare the soil for the future floor. To do this, we clean up construction waste the entire required soil surface.

We start by establishing the level of the future floor, which should be the same as the floor level in the next room. Measurements and calculations should be made starting from the doorway. Using a cord and nails, we draw a continuous line along the perimeter of the entire room, which will indicate the level of the clean floor. Now we measure down the layer of finishing coating layer by layer, below - the level cement screed, a layer of thermal insulation, then down - waterproofing, bedding layer, below is the soil.

Return to contents

Scheme of floor installation on the ground.

First of all, you need to figure out at what level you are groundwater. If there is a threat of water entering the house, then it is necessary to do drainage system which will remove unnecessary moisture.

Now you can begin laying the foundation of the future heated floor on the ground. Good stuff For this purpose, coarse river sand and crushed stone with a diameter of approximately 30 mm will be used. This layer needs to be made 30 cm deep. It is very important to compact it well by pouring water. Peat or black soil cannot be used instead of river sand.

If the house is located on a high, dry place, then the construction of the floor on the ground will include the next layer - bedding. If the groundwater is high, you should play it safe and cut off moisture from the floor. To do this, you should lay a special covering - geotextiles, on top of which you should pour coarse gravel or crushed stone.

Return to contents

The bedding layer can be considered load-bearing with a thickness of only 4-5 cm. This layer is made of cement-sand screed on crushed stone of fraction 5-20, using B7.5-B10 concrete. It is important to set this layer general level horizon for the future floor. When performing this type of work, to avoid spreading of the screed over the entire surface, it is necessary to limit the poured strips of cement with tampers or slats. You can adjust the horizontal evenness of the cement screed using a building level. After this you need to leave it for a while cement-sand screed To harden, it should be moistened from time to time. Nowadays, profiled membranes are increasingly being used instead of cement screeds, which significantly reduce work time and costs.

Return to contents

Scheme of fastening pipes in a water field.

Next layer The future floor on the ground should be considered waterproofing. It is necessary for protection upper layers from humidity. Cheapest and least quality look waterproofing can be considered an ordinary polyethylene film with a thickness of at least 250 microns. But it’s best not to skimp and buy quality PVC membrane, will cost a little less in price polymer-bitumen membranes made of polyester. When laying waterproofing, it is necessary to make sufficient allowances on the walls, up to 15 cm. All joints should be taped with construction tape. After all work is completed, excess waterproofing is removed.

Return to contents

The next mandatory layer of the future heated floor is thermal insulation. It is necessary in order to direct all thermal energy strictly upward, reducing heat loss to 20%. Good thermal insulation should exhibit such qualities as low thermal conductivity, high strength, the ability to maintain thermophysical properties at high humidity, etc. this moment available big choice thermal insulation materials, but polystyrene foam coated with aluminum foil. It is easy to install: it does not require any mounting rails, clamps, clips, guide grids, etc. When using regular polystyrene foam, you need to lay additional protective layers of polyethylene film on top and below it. Extruded polystyrene foam does not need additional protective layers.

Return to contents

Scheme of floor insulation with foam plastic.

Now the time has come to lay reinforced concrete to strengthen the entire multilayer structure of the future heated floor. For the convenience of laying concrete, the entire required surface can be divided into meter-long strips with wooden slats up to 2 m long and 5 cm wide. In the middle of the surface should be installed welded mesh 100x100x3, and a damper tape should be secured around the perimeter of the room, i.e. a strip of foamed polyethylene foam, approximately 12 mm high, up to 150 mm wide. The damper tape should protrude approximately 2 cm from the intended floor height. We use M100 concrete mortar for laying. Begin pouring concrete from the opposite direction front door sides. They lay it in strips, filling the constructed slats just above their level and leveling it well with a rule-slat adapted for this purpose. After this, the slats are removed and the resulting gaps are filled with concrete. Covering the laid concrete with film, leave it to harden for a month, periodically arranging a water shower.

After drying concrete surface clean, removing debris, washing off greasy spots and remains of cement laitance. After which this surface is primed and dried. Now it is completely ready for laying a warm water floor, and a finishing cement-sand floor screed is well suited as a leveling layer.

Sometimes the overall heating system is not efficient enough and the atmosphere in the house is not entirely comfortable. To correct the situation, you can install a warm water floor. In some cases, it may be the only source of heating for the room.

The design is a flexible pipe system within which hot water moves. As a rule, it is covered with a concrete screed. Thus, the floor and the lower layer of air in the room will warm up to a certain temperature.

This system is most often used in private homes. In apartments, it is better to use a mechanism powered by electricity. After all, according to technology, it is impossible to connect to a centralized drainage system, as this will disrupt the circulation of water in the main system.

If you need to create an additional heating system, you can easily install it yourself. But if this is the main source of heating, then precise calculations will be needed that will take into account the layout and design features of the building, link them with the laws of physics and hydraulics and design effective system heating using underfloor heating powered by hot water. That is, you cannot do without specialists.

Before deciding to improve the heating system, it is necessary to study what a heating scheme using a water floor is.

The fully assembled structure consists of several equal layers. In professional language it is called a pie.

Let's take a closer look at the design of a warm water floor:

• Basics. This concrete slab floors, or rough flooring made of chipboards or natural boards;
• Effective waterproofing coating, fixed on the sides with protective tape;
• Thermal insulation systems that prevent heat leakage from the room;
• Pipes through which water heats the room;
• Concrete composition;
• Final finished floor.

The total thickness of the coating depends on the insulation used, the thickness of the screed and the diameter of the pipes. On average, this figure should be within 7-15 cm.

In general, the collection scheme for this floor is not too complicated. If you take the issue seriously and carefully lay each layer with your own hands, then in the future you will not have problems with heating.

Features of laying heated floors

Before starting work on creating a heated floor, it is necessary to dismantle the old covering. Moreover, it is completely removed, down to the floor slabs.

According to safety regulations, the assembly of a floor with water circulation must be carried out on a completely dry and clean basis. The maximum difference in height over the entire surface should not exceed 0.5 cm. If this figure is greater, then the surface will have to be leveled before installation. This is done using another layer of screed.

After the concrete has hardened, the base is covered with a waterproofing layer. A film of at least 250 microns is best suited for this purpose. Most often, the width of the material is not enough to cover the entire perimeter of the room and you have to lay it in rows, each of which must overlap the previous one with a 10 cm overlap. For structural strength, the connecting seams are taped. Allowances are also made for the walls. Excess film is cut off with a knife.

Laying polyethylene film on a rough concrete screed

To create a closed system, a special tape is glued to the structure at the points of contact between the heated floor and the walls. This will remove the so-called “cold bridges”.

In addition, the damper strip will protect the self-created system from damage and prevent its rupture as a result of expansion of the screed.

The installation of a water heated floor on the ground floor requires a thicker thermal insulation layer. According to experts, its size should be more than 50 mm. On other floors, only 20 mm thickness is sufficient.

Most popular thermal insulation material among builders it is considered penofol. He united best qualities foamed polystyrene and aluminum. In addition, this material is resistant to fire, practically does not absorb water, and does not emit harmful substances.

Covering the perimeter of the room with damper tape

However, to carry out the installation yourself, you can use simpler materials, such as plates made of polymers. They are resistant to deformation and can withstand quite heavy loads. Their assembly scheme does not require fasteners, since the connection is made using the locking method.

Laying foam sheets

Flexible Pipe Installation Principles

To create a heated floor using water, two types of pipes are used. They can be made of metal-plastic or polyethylene.

In the second case, high-strength polyethylene is used, which is flexible and resistant to mechanical impact. A structure made from such material does not deform and cracks do not form on it.

Laying a polyethylene pipeline

A pipeline system with water circulation action made of metal-plastic pipes heats the floor more quickly, while possessing no less high technological qualities.

In order for a self-assembled system to function without failures, it is necessary to comply certain rules, important during pipeline installation. They are as follows:

• the placement of pipes in the coldest and dampest parts of the room should be more dense. For example, near windows and doorways and external walls, it is better to make the distance between rows of wiring less than in the center of the room;
• the distance from the walls should not be less than 15 cm;
• between the turns you need to leave a distance of at least ten, but not more than 30 cm;
• so that the underfloor heating system works as efficiently as possible, total length wiring should not exceed 100 m. This is described in the technological conditions;
• the joints between the main floor slabs must be protected with a special metal insert, the length of which exceeds 30 cm;

In order for pipe laying to bring maximum benefit, it is installed according to a certain pattern.

Most often this is done in the form of a spiral, zigzag or snake. Each of them has certain, and most importantly important, advantages. But the choice of wiring diagram depends only on the preferences of the owner.

Laying diagrams for heating water floor pipelines

If the arrangement of a heated water floor has several independent branches, then a distribution unit is installed in the room to which they will be connected. It is better if the space allocated for this design is in the very corner of the room, so as not to interfere with family life.

Approbation of the installed floor heating system

After completing the assembly of the system with your own hands and connecting it to the water main and electrical network, you need to check the efficiency of its operation. To do this, heated water is supplied to all circuits in turn.

At the same time, under pressure, water is expelled from the pipes air jams and accumulated dust. If this does not happen, it is necessary to open the taps that should be on each branch of the circuit and gradually release the air.

Pressure testing of a water floor pipeline under double operating pressure

According to technological rules, the test should last at least 24 hours under operating pressure. Without making sure that you did not make mistakes when installing the pipes yourself and that the circuit is completely ready for work (that is, there are no leaks anywhere and the pressure is well maintained), you cannot proceed to the next stage.

Performing a finishing screed

Once the pipe layout is ready and checked, you can proceed to creating the finishing coating. This layer is just as important in the process of creating warm water floors as the rest.

Do-it-yourself installation of finishing concrete screeds is carried out strictly according to the rules. They must be studied first.

So, a metal reinforcing mesh must be placed on top of the pipeline mesh. It should have the following parameters:

• rod cross-section more than 0.3 cm;
• cell size approximately 10x10 cm;

The mesh should not touch walls lined with a decompression coating around the perimeter;

To strengthen the screed, you can also use fiberglass made of metal or durable polymers. It is introduced right before pouring the screed into the liquid solution.

As a finishing coating, you can use self-leveling mixtures or plasticizers added to the screed solution. In the latter case, this will increase the plasticity of the composition.

Pouring concrete screed onto an installed pipeline

At the same time, the thickness of the screed made from concrete alone is at least 5 cm, and with the addition of special plasticizers it is only 3.5 cm.

Filling work must be carried out at a temperature not lower than +5 ºС, and not higher than + 30 ºС. A special moisture-retaining material is placed on top, which is removed after a week.

According to the technology, the drying time of the screed is about a month. It should be remembered that the creation of a concrete screed is done only when the pipeline is in full working order. When there is water under pressure inside the pipes.

Only after it has completely hardened can the finishing coating be applied. But, however, we should not forget for one minute that pipes are laid under the main screed. If you damage them, then all the work will be done in vain.

It will be possible to connect the heating directly after installing the main covering.

When choosing a material for flooring, with a heated floor system already installed, do not forget that the heat transfer resistance coefficient for this finish should not exceed 0.16 K/W per square meter. That is, currently popular materials such as cork, some types of linoleum and carpet cannot be used to create a finishing coating in a room where there are water-heated floors. The exception is for materials that have special markings.

To set and regulate the temperature inside the pipes, special devices are installed. These include valves and sensors. They are mounted on pipes supplying coolant. With their help, you can regulate the intra-system and room temperature.

Comparison of water and electric heated floors

The first difference between underfloor heating systems with water coolant is that their service life is approximately twice as long as that of electric floors.

However, the operation scheme of a water floor is more complex and quite a lot of time passes from the moment it is turned on to the full temperature rise. The electrical cable, on the contrary, heats up and cools down instantly.

A water floor is more susceptible to deformation and therefore emergency shutdowns are possible at the most inopportune moment. In addition, the heating scheme using water pipes provides for the presence of a pump.

But still, floors heated with hot water are much more economical than those with an electrical circuit.

Primary or secondary?

When choosing a heating system, you need to take into account some requirements. To make a basic system of underfloor heating powered by water coolant, it is necessary to make some calculations. For example, calculate the level of heat loss in the house. This value depends on the number of windows, the reliability of wall insulation and double-glazed windows. The calculation table can be downloaded on the Internet.

In addition, take into account that the wiring is located at some distance from the external walls, which somewhat reduces its effectiveness. By comparing the power of the system and the area of ​​the home, you can draw the desired conclusion.

The whole topic of creating a warm floor in the house is quite voluminous and interesting. In this regard, we decided to continue it and consider the construction of a warm water floor and how its layers are laid, i.e. "pie".

Creating a heated floor in a house is a good replacement for central heating. By and large, it is the most optimal heating option. This is because the principle of operation is based on compliance with the rules of space heating, which helps preserve human health - heated air rises from the floor to the ceiling. In general, there are several heating and heating schemes, but most of them are not optimal, since they only heat one part of the room, most often the upper one.

In rooms where people live, heat must come from the floors. You will probably agree that warm air does not necessarily heat the ceiling. In this regard, the use of heated floors reduces the required power for heating, i.e. it reduces overall heating costs. In general, in terms of design, heated floors can be divided into electric (infrared, which we have already considered, is now widespread) and water. However, the principle of operation is the same - the elements located in the floor are heated.

An electric heated floor operates on the principle of heating special electrical elements (cables), which, when heated, transfer their heat to the floor surface.

Water heated floors have a different scheme - there are pipes in the floor through which the coolant flows(usually water, but various mixtures can be used). It is the heating of the pipes that heats the surface. Please note that in apartment buildings it is prohibited to connect the heated floor circuit to central heating. But even if you decide to make a separate circuit, it is advisable to obtain permission from the relevant authorities.

Due to the above features, we can say that it is most advisable to implement this system in an apartment as the main heating option. Otherwise, laying heated floors and receipts for centralized heating will lead to significant expenses. But this is the case with general heating. If in your apartment individual heating, then the situation becomes a little simpler. In this case, just like in a private house, water floor heating is quite justified from an economic point of view. In such housing, the water heating circuit will be carried out in any case, so connecting a heated floor system to it will not be a big problem.

How does a warm water floor work?

Installation of the system can be done in two ways - on your own or with the assistance of specialists. In the first option, you can save your money, but you will have to delve into all the intricacies of the system’s operation and design in order to avoid serious mistakes. In the second option, everything will be simpler - specialists will carry out all the work themselves, and you will not need to study all the work. This has its advantage, but it will all cost some money. Here you need to understand what is more interesting to you - saving money or saving your time and effort.

In general, we can say that laying a heated floor is not an overly difficult task; anyone can figure out how to install it. You can easily do the job yourself. The main thing in this matter is compliance with work technology and compliance with the rules.

First, you need to understand the layout of a heated floor. It must be mounted on a concrete base with a reinforced screed device. In general, the design of a heated floor can be divided into the following components:

1. Rough base;
2. Hydro- and thermal insulation;
3. Heated floor circuit;
4. Reinforced screed;
5. Finish floor covering.

When arranging a “pie” of a heated floor, you first need to create a working design, which should reflect the following information: load, location of collectors and control devices and direct heating circuits. In addition, it is necessary to determine the type of pipes used and their diameters, the length of the contours and the methods of their installation. Creating a project is necessary in any case, regardless of whether you do the work yourself or entrust it to professionals. In essence, it is a passport of the system and must be stored. In principle, you can easily order a project from specialists and perform all operations yourself.

Work sequence

In apartment buildings or private houses with several floors, floor slabs serve as the basis. One-story houses- floor on the ground. When laying a foundation on the ground, concrete work should be carried out in the following order:

• Sand layer;
• Fine crushed stone;
• Waterproofing;
• Reinforced screed.

After completed rough base You can start preparing the necessary materials:

• Waterproofing;
• Plastic or metal-plastic thermopipes;
• Damper tape;
• Pipe fasteners;
• Mesh for reinforcement.

Work should begin with waterproofing the base. For this purpose you can use any suitable material, but most often polyethylene film with a thickness of at least 100 microns is used. It must be spread over the entire surface of the base, overlapping, and the joints must be taped. The next step will be laying at the bottom of the walls. It must be mandatory, because it will subsequently compensate for the thermal expansion of the screed. It is attached available means or, if available, then using a self-adhesive base.

Laying a heat-insulating layer and reinforcing mesh

The next step in order will be laying thermal insulation. Nowadays, expanded polystyrene boards (EPP - extruded polystyrene foam) are most often used as this layer. Choice required thickness must be defined in the project being developed. Expanded polystyrene must be laid over the entire area, combining them at the joints. Upon completion of installation, they must be secured with self-tapping screws. A reinforcing mesh should be laid on top of the slabs. It is on this that the contour of the water-heated floor and the subsequent screed will be located. The mesh can be used in the following size:

• Rods with a diameter of 5 mm;
• Grid pitch 100 or 150 mm.

Laying heating circuits

Pipes made of heat-resistant plastic are used to install heating circuits. They should be laid in a single loop. Moreover, if possible, it should not have joints. If it turns out that you have to connect the pipes in the middle, then you need to use couplings that are clamped with a crimping press, because they provide the most reliable connection. Couplings that are assembled by threads or other means may subsequently leak.. But let's return to the contours. Their number and length must be specified in the project. They should all start and end at the manifold connection points. The distribution manifold can be mounted on the wall or hidden in a special box. Everything is again determined in the project.

Next, the laid pipes must be fixed. The most reliable way is to fix them with plastic or metal clamps. To fix the pipes, they are fixed to the reinforcing mesh. The gaps between the attachment points are 35 cm.

To protect pipes from abrasion at the point of exit from the floor (as they rise to the collector), protective corners are placed on them.

Excess pipes are trimmed with special scissors for metal-plastic pipes. Pruning must be done at an angle of 90⁰. This must be strictly observed to avoid a loose connection in the fitting that connects the pipe to the manifold. Here you need to take into account that the diameters of the docking units must match each other.

The next step is to fill the system with water and check for leaks -. Well, then the process of setting up the operation of the distribution manifold begins.

Concrete screed device

Special mixtures are used to install warm water floors with concrete. But along with this, the preparation of ordinary cement-sand mortar will not disrupt the work technology and can also be used successfully.

Please note that the thickness of the screed for heated floors should not be less than 5-6 cm, because... otherwise, the floor heating process will be uneven. Most optimal thickness the screed is considered to be 7-8 centimeters.

When arranging a screed for heated floors, it is necessary to take into account that the fact of adding various plasticizers or fiberglass to the solution does not cancel the laying of the reinforcing mesh and does not allow it to be less than 5 cm thick. To evenly distribute the load over the surface, the mesh must be laid.

Finish floor

You can begin laying the finished floor covering once the surface has hardened and the system has been checked for tightness. The topic of selection and installation deserves a separate discussion, but we can say that it is necessary to take into account the possibility of using it in conjunction with a water-heated floor. This is because the heating of the room will depend on the degree of thermal conductivity of the selected material.

And in the video below we invite you to study the mistakes that can be made when installing a heated floor.

Now many residents of private houses install for the main or additional heating water heated floor. It has many advantages: it increases comfort, evenly warms the room, and does not require additional energy costs (since it operates from one boiler with radiators). The instructions in our article will allow you to install water heated floors even without experience. However, before doing this, it is worth studying all the nuances.

The warm water floor system is best combined with laying under and tiles.

• Firstly, both materials are strong and durable.
• Secondly, they do not emit harmful substances when heated.
• And thirdly, heating perfectly complements the tiles (the material itself is cold), and you can even walk on it barefoot thanks to its high heat capacity.

Of course, heated floors can also be made under linoleum, PVC tiles and even carpet, if there is a special mark.

But, for example, there is no point in heating the carpet, and the surface temperature cannot be exceeded above 31°C, according to SNiP 41-01-2003. Otherwise, it will provoke the release of harmful substances.

Installation in an apartment

Probably, many residents have had the idea to independently connect water heated floors “for free” to a central heating or hot water system. And some even do this, but in most cases it is prohibited by local law.

For example, in Moscow there is government decree No. 73-PP dated February 8, 2005; Appendix No. 2 clearly states that it is prohibited to re-equip public water supply systems for floor heating.

By breaking the rules, best case scenario, you can get a fine the first time you visit the plumbers. And at worst, there is a risk of leaving your neighbors without heating.

In some regions the ban does not apply, but connection requires an examination so as not to disrupt the operation of the system.

In general, from a technical point of view, such options are possible, but only if a separate pumping and mixing unit is connected and the pressure in the system is maintained at the outlet.

Note! If there is a jet pump (elevator) in an apartment building, then metal-plastic and polypropylene pipes cannot be used.

nn nrn(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || ).push());rn

Floor installation methods

There are several ways to create a warm water floor.

• The most popular and reliable of them is concrete screed. Unlike electrical types, 16 mm pipes cannot be hidden in tile adhesive, and it won’t work. Therefore, the screed is poured at least 3 cm above the pipes.
• The second method is to lay pipes in cut-out polystyrene foam grooves. The grooves are made by hand, pipes are laid inside, then the screed is poured.
• The next option is often used in houses with wooden floors, although it requires a lot of labor - laying it in wooden grooves. To do this, boards are placed on the floor, which create a gutter of the desired shape for installation.

Types of pipes used

Three types of pipes are suitable for a warm water floor.

• Pipes made of cross-linked polyethylene (PEX-EVOH-PEX) are inconvenient to work with because it is difficult to give them the desired shape (they straighten when heated). But they are not afraid of liquid freezing and are repairable.
• Metal-plastic pipes are the best option: low price, easy to install, and keep their shape stably.
• Copper pipes are expensive; when used in a screed, they must be covered with a protective layer to prevent alkaline attack.

nnrn (function(w, d, n, s, t) (rn w[n] = w[n] || ;rn w[n].push(function() (rn Ya.Context.AdvManager.render(( rn blockId: "R-A-141392-5",rn renderTo: "yandex_rtb_R-A-141392-5",rn async: truern ));rn ));rn t = d.getElementsByTagName("script");rn s = d.createElement("script");rn s.type = "text/javascript";rn s.src = "//an.yandex.ru/system/context.js";rn s.async = true;rn t .parentNode.insertBefore(s, t);rn ))(this, this.document, "yandexContextAsyncCallbacks");rn

Calculation of a warm water floor

Before installation and purchasing materials, it is necessary to calculate the heated floor. To do this, draw a diagram with contours, which will later be useful when carrying out repair work to know the position of the pipes.

• If you are sure that furniture or plumbing will always be in a certain place, pipes are not laid in this place.
• The length of a circuit with a diameter of 16 mm should not exceed 100 m (the maximum for 20 mm will be 120 m), otherwise the pressure in the system will be poor. Thus, each circuit approximately occupies no more than 15 square meters. m.
• The difference between the lengths of several circuits should be small (less than 15 m), that is, they should all be of uniform length. Large rooms, accordingly, are divided into several circuits.
• The optimal pipe laying pitch is 15 cm when using good thermal insulation. If in winter there are often frosts below -20, then the step is reduced to 10 cm (only possible near external walls). And in the north you cannot do without additional radiators.
• With a laying step of 15 cm, the pipe consumption is approximately 6.7 m for each square of the room, when laid every 10 cm - 10 m.

The graph shows the dependence of the flux density on the average coolant temperature. The dotted lines indicate pipes with a diameter of 20 mm, and the solid lines indicate 16 mm.



The graph shows data that is valid only when using a 7 cm thick cement-sand screed covered with tiles. If the thickness of the screed is increased, for example, by 1 cm, then the heat flow density decreases by 5-8%.

• To find the flux density, the amount of heat loss in the room in Watts is divided by the area where the pipes are laid (the distances from the walls are subtracted).
• The average temperature is calculated as the average value at the entrance to the circuit and the return exit.

The optimal temperature at the inlet and outlet should not differ by more than 5-10 degrees. The maximum coolant temperature should not exceed 55°C.

Using the above diagram, you can only perform a rough calculation and make final adjustments using the mixing unit and thermostats. For accurate design, be sure to contact professional heating engineers.

Warm floor pie

The technology for laying a warm water floor consists of several layers, which are laid in a certain sequence. The total thickness of the cake is 8-14 cm, the load on the floors is up to 300 kg/sq. m.

If the base is a concrete slab:



• waterproofing;
• insulation;
• reinforcing mesh;
• water heated floor pipe;
• screed

For waterproofing, it is permissible to use ordinary polyethylene film or special materials. Damper tape is made from cut strips of thermal insulation 1-2 cm thick, or purchased ready-made option with self-adhesive backing.
The choice of insulation depends on several factors: region, base material. For example, for floors on the ground, extruded polystyrene foam with a thickness of at least 5 cm (optimally 10) is used, and if there is a warm base under the floor of the first floor, then thinner options from 3 cm can be used.

The main purpose of insulation is to direct the heat from the heating upward and prevent large heat losses.

If the base is ground floors:



• bulk soil 15 cm;
• crushed stone 10 cm;
• sand 5 cm;
• rough screed;
• waterproofing;
• damper tape around the perimeter;
• extruded polystyrene foam at least 5 cm;
• reinforced screed with coolants.

It is important to carefully compact the preparatory layers for the rough screed layer by layer. If the base is compacted tightly and extruded polystyrene foam is used, it will not be necessary to make a rough screed.

Installation of heated floors

Let's say good foundation already prepared: a flat concrete slab or backfill layer without strong differences. Differences should not exceed 7 mm when checking with a two-meter rod. If there are uneven spots, they can be filled with sand.

Waterproofing

Some people put waterproofing under the bottom of the insulation, some, on the contrary, at the top, and some use both.
If extruded polystyrene foam is used, it practically does not need waterproofing, so its position is not so critical. But it will not allow cement laitance to penetrate between the seams of the insulation and go into the slab and will additionally hold back moisture from below.
If you attach it to the bottom of the insulation, then you can attach the pipes to the heated floor directly to the insulation. If the waterproofing is laid on top, then installation of a mounting mesh will be required to secure the pipes.

We lay the waterproofing with an overlap of 20 cm on the walls and on each other. We glue the joints with tape to seal.

Damper tape

If you bought ready-made tape, simply glue it around the perimeter. It usually has a thickness of 5-8 mm and a height of 10-15 cm. The height should be above the pouring level, the excess is cut off with a knife. If the tape is made by yourself, then be sure to glue or screw it to the wall with self-tapping screws.

The linear expansion of concrete is 0.5 mm per meter when heated to 40°C.

Insulation

Sheet insulation for a warm water floor is laid with offset joints so that it is tightly connected.

Reinforcement

The first layer of reinforcing mesh is usually laid on the insulation and used as a base for attaching the contours and uniformly distributing heat over the surface. The meshes are tied together with wire. The pipes are attached to the mesh using nylon clamps.

The diameter of the mesh rods is 4-5 mm, and the cell size depends on the pipe laying pitch, for convenient fastening.

In addition, it is imperative to lay the reinforcement on top of the pipes, since even when using a mesh from below, it will have almost no effect if it lies at the very bottom. Or, during pouring, place the mesh on stands, creating a gap.

Pipe fixation methods

A water heated floor can be laid in several ways, we list them.



• Polyamide tension clamp. Used for quick fastening of pipes to the mounting grid. Consumption – approximately 2 pieces per 1 m.
• Steel fastening wire. Also used for mounting to a grid, the consumption is exactly the same.
• Stapler and clamps. Suitable for quickly fixing pipes to thermal insulation. The consumption of clamps is 2 pieces per 1 m.
• Fixing track. It is a U-shaped PVC strip that serves as a base for laying 16 or 20 mm pipes into it. Rigidly attached to the floor.
• Mats for warm water floors made of polystyrene. A pipe is laid in the middle of the grooves between the posts.
• Aluminum distribution plate. Used when installing on wooden floors, it reflects and evenly distributes heat over the surface.

Application various types pipe fastening

Pipe laying

The pipes are laid with a distance of 15-20 cm from the walls. It is highly advisable to make each circuit from a single pipe without welding, and their length should not be more than 100 m. The pitch between the pipes near the walls is 10 cm, closer to the center - 15 cm.

The layout of a heated floor can be different, for example, a spiral or a snake. On external walls, they try to make the laying step more frequent or draw a contour from the feed next to cold walls. An example of a circuit for enhanced heating of external walls is shown in the photo; this option is best used in cold regions:



In other cases, the contours are usually laid in a spiral (snail), this is a universal option.

In places with a large accumulation of pipes, in order to avoid overheating of the surface, some of them are covered with a heat-insulating tube.

Metal-plastic 16 mm and 20 mm are easy to bend manually, without the use of special tools. In order to bend the pipes evenly with an angle of a small radius and at the same time prevent it from cracking, the corners are bent in several passes (hand interceptions).
At an angle of 90° you will need approximately 5-6 interceptions. This means, first, resting your thumbs, make a slight bend, then move your hands slightly towards the bend and repeat the actions.

It is unacceptable to have kinks on the pipes in places of sharp turns.

Polypropylene pipes are much more difficult to bend because they are springy. Therefore, to bend them, they are heated or made, but in the case of heated floors, they are simply attached to the mesh, making the bends less sharp.

Installation of a water heated floor begins by connecting the first end of the pipe to the distribution manifold, and after laying the room, immediately connect the return (second end).

Connecting circuits

In most cases, the circuits are connected through a distribution node. It has several functions: increasing the pressure in the system, adjusting the temperature, uniform supply to several circuits, and combining with radiators.

There are many connection diagrams to the boiler, which we wrote about in the article about: with manual adjustment, with weather automatics and auto-adjustment using servos and sensors.

Eurocone fitting
The pipes are connected to the manifold using Eurocone clamp fittings.

Crimping

When you have completed the installation of all circuits, be sure to conduct pneumatic tests of the system for leaks. To do this, crimping is done using a compressor. A small household compressor with a pressure of more than 6 bar is suitable for testing. The pressure in the system is brought to 4 bar and left for the entire time until the system is started.

Since air molecules are much smaller than water molecules, even small depressurization can be detected. In addition, the water may freeze if you do not have time to turn on the heating, and nothing will happen to the air.

Heated floor screed

Filling the screed is done only after installing all the contours and hydraulic tests. It is recommended to use concrete of at least M-300 (B-22.5) with crushed stone with a fraction of 5-20 mm. Minimum thickness 3 cm above the pipe is done not only to obtain the required strength, but also to distribute heat evenly over the surface. Weight 1 sq. m of screed with a thickness of 5 cm is up to 125 kg.



If the screed thickness is more than 15 cm or under high loads, additional calculation of the thermal regime is required.

As the thickness of the screed increases, it takes more time to heat it up to a certain temperature after switching on, and the inertia of the system also increases. The lower the thermal conductivity of the screed, the higher the coolant temperature will need to be set.

Expansion joints

Examples of dividing a large room into zones The absence or incorrect position of temperature gaps is the most common cause destruction of the screed.

Shrinkage seams are made in the following cases:

• the room has an area of ​​more than 30 sq. m.;
• the walls are more than 8 m long;
• the length and width of the room differ by more than 2 times;
• above expansion joints of structures;
• The room is too curved.

To do this, a damper tape is laid around the perimeter of the seams. At the seam site, the reinforcing mesh must be divided. The deformation gap should be 10 mm thick at the base. The upper part is treated with sealant. If the room has a non-standard shape, it needs to be divided into simpler elements of a rectangular or square shape.




If pipes pass through expansion joints in the screed, in these places they are laid in a corrugated pipe, 30 cm of corrugation in each direction (according to SP 41-102-98 - 50 cm on each side). It is recommended not to separate one circuit with expansion joints; supply and return pipes should pass through it.

Correct passage of contours through technological seams

When laying tiles on expansion joints, the likelihood of them peeling off increases due to different expansion of adjacent slabs. To avoid this, the first part is laid with tile adhesive, and the second part is attached with elastic sealant.

For additional separation, partial profile expansion joints can be used. They are made using a trowel, 1/3 of the thickness. After the concrete has hardened, they are also sealed with sealant. If pipes pass through them, they are also protected with corrugation.

Cracks in the screed

A fairly common occurrence is the appearance of cracks on the screed after drying. This may provoke whole line reasons:

• low density of insulation;
• poor compaction of the solution;
• absence of plasticizers;
• the thickness of the screed is too thick;
• absence of shrinkage seams;
• concrete drying too quickly;
• incorrect proportions of solution.

It's very easy to avoid them:

• insulation should be used with a density higher than 35-40 kg/m3;
• the screed solution must be plastic when laying and with the addition of fiber and plasticizer;
• V large rooms you need to make shrinkage seams (see below);
• You should also not let the concrete set quickly; for this purpose it is covered plastic film the next day (for a week).

Screed mortar

For heated floors, it is necessary to use a plasticizer to increase the elasticity and strength of concrete. But you need to use special types of non-air-entraining plasticizers for heated floors.

Without experience, it will not be possible to make a cement-sand screed for a warm floor without crushed stone/gravel, and the correct branded DSP will cost more than factory-made concrete. Therefore, in order to avoid cracks due to a violation of the composition of the solution, concrete with crushed stone is poured.

Mortar M-300 from cement grade M-400, washed sand and crushed stone is made according to the following proportions.

• Mass composition C: P: Shch (kg) = 1: 1.9: 3.7.
• Volumetric composition per 10 liters of cement P: Ш (l) = 17:32.
• From 10 liters of cement you will get 41 liters of solution.
• The volumetric weight of such M300 concrete will be 2300-2500 kg/m3 (heavy concrete)





There is also another option using granite screenings instead of sand; the following elements were used for its preparation:

• 2 buckets of crushed stone with a fraction of 5-20 mm;
• water 7-8 liters;
• superplasticizer SP1 400 ml of solution (1.8 liters of powder is diluted in 5 liters of hot water);
• 1 bucket of cement;
• 3-4 buckets of granite screenings with a fraction of 0-5 mm;
• bucket volume – 12 liters.

High-quality concrete should not release water during installation (delaminate). If everything is done correctly and the air temperature is 20°C, it should begin to set after 4 hours, and after 12 hours it will not leave marks from heels.

3 days after pouring, the screed will gain half its strength, and will harden completely only after 28 days. It is not recommended to turn on the heating system before this point.



Installation on a wooden floor

Wood does not conduct heat as efficiently as concrete, but installation on it is also feasible. For this purpose, distribution plates made of aluminum are used. The pipes are laid in wooden grooves made by attaching pre-prepared boards.



For installation of linoleum, carpet and other materials that require a flat surface, a leveling layer of chipboard, plywood or gypsum fiber board is laid over the pipes. If parquet or laminate is used as the finishing coating, the design of the heated floor can be slightly simplified, without the use of a leveling layer.

When choosing plywood and chipboard, make sure that they have sanitary, hygienic and thermomechanical characteristics that allow them to be used together with heated floors.

Prices for water heated floors

The price of a water-heated floor is formed from several components:

• cost of materials (pipes, insulation, fasteners, etc.);
• cost of the pumping and mixing unit and manifold;
• work on leveling the base and pouring the top layer of screed;
• cost of installing heated floors.

On average, the price of a water heated floor when installed on a turnkey basis, along with all materials and work, will cost approximately 1,500-3,000 rubles per 1 sq. m. m.

Below is approximate estimate per house 100 sq. m., but prices for water heated floors greatly depend on the region, so it is best to enter your data there and make an independent calculation. This does not take into account the costs of installation and purchase of radiators, boiler, finishing coating and screed.

Estimate for installation of a water heated floor system on the 1st floor.
№	Name of material	Unit change	Qty	Price	Sum
1	Extruded polystyrene foam 5 cm	m2	96	227	21792
2	Mounting grid 150*150*4	m2	106	30	3180
3	Polyethylene film 250 microns	m2	105	40	4200
4	Metal-plastic pipe 16 mm	m.p.	700	39	27300
5	Damping tape from the substrate	m2	30	50	1500
6	Valtec manifold 1″, 7 x 3/4″, “eurocone”	PC.	2	1600	3200
7	Fitting for connecting to the manifold (Euroconus) 16x2 mm	PC.	14	115	1610
8	Pumping and mixing unit	PC.	1	14500	14500
9	Dowels and screws	PC.	300	1,5	450
10	Mounting tape	m.p.	50	11	550
11	Other components for heated water floors	pos	1	0	0
	Total by materials				78282
	Name of works	Unit change	Qty	Price	Sum
1	Rough screed	m2	96	60	5760
2	Installation of damper tape	m.p.	160	60	9600
3	Laying waterproofing	m2	100	60	6000
4	Laying the mounting grid	m2	110	150	16500
5	Pipe installation	m2	96	300	28800
6	System pressure testing	m2	96	20	1920
	Total by work				68580
1	Total by materials				78282
2	Total by work				68580
3	Total				146862
	Overhead transportation costs			10%	14686
	In total, according to the estimate, installation of a water heated floor system is 1 floor.				161548

Installation of warm water floors is shown in the video: