Underfloor heating in contrast to other, more traditional forms of heating are by far the most effective and economical. Despite the fact that in most cases home owners discourages the idea of a complex installation of heating this kind of system, floor heating can radically change your perception of home heating methods premises.
The main problem with under-floor heating is that many imagine Warm water floorAs the heating system, inextricably linked with the arrangement of a new concrete screed. However, our time technology has greatly stepped forward today tie is not already a stumbling block for the craftsmen. There are a number of ways that you can use when laying the floor of the water to do without heavy wet work associated with the preparation and pouring concrete. What are the options for water floor installation without equipment concrete screed? We consider in detail these techniques.
Is there a concrete screed alternative?
Typically, laying water circuit for underfloor heating we associate with the device of a new concrete screed. So whether you need at home to solve this difficult problem, to engage in time-consuming and large-scale work. Logically, that would protect the heating system pipes laid on the floor from damage and give the whole structure the necessary rigidity and strength, it is necessary to create a strong and massive cast design. If you are the owner of a private house, and just yesterday played a new home, no questions. The best one for installation of warm water floor will fill the new ties.
Completely different situation is in those situations where you want to make a similar heating system on the upper floor of a private home or in a city apartment.
On a note: overlap represents one of the main bearing structures of multistory buildings. necessarily being calculated overlap factor when designing and building under construction. Plain tie in itself creates a certain load on the floor panels. What to say in cases where, together with underfloor heating you create an additional burden of a few hundred kilograms to an existing ceiling by mounting a new tie. There is an excessive load on the load-bearing structure, which is fraught with unpleasant consequences.
It should also take into account the fact that the new screed significantly reduce the height of ceilings in the living rooms.
These factors are an obstacle to the realization of technological possibilities to mount the heating at home on a "warm floor". However, in this case, there is a good, convenient and practical option - an alternative to traditional technology. Radiant floor without ties to date, is a common technique that has received recent fairly widespread. Engineering solution is to use a ready-made materials, which are placed in a kind of cake through which the pipes of the heating circuit. In a professional environment, such systems - called design flatness (dry).
This technology is extremely well suited for premises that are not designed for laying the new ties. Usually this overlap between flats, attic floor. Grazing systems are versatile and can be used in almost any situation.
On a note: preferring grazing system as an alternative to concrete screed, you really save their own funds, as the work itself, and on the materials. All work will take much less time. Many means and free of dirt, which inadvertently accompanies the concrete works.
What are the options grazing system
Among the available options for underfloor heating installation without screed arrangement common two:
- polystyrene system;
- wood system.
Each of the options has its pros and cons. In the former case the major component is a polystyrene plate, which already has soldered water circuit. These boards can be laid directly on the concrete slab foundation, or use for this purpose a wooden floor, wooden logs.
For reference: polystyrene grazing system of underfloor heating is the most easy, so it can be used in wooden buildings and in apartments of apartment houses. The screed of concrete at a height of 50 cm, has a weight of 200-250 kg. 1 m2. Based on the standard area of premises in 16-20 m2, We obtain: 20 x 250 = 5000 kg. (5 tons!)
Another system - wood, involves the use of special modules made of chipboard. There are special grooves in each module (grooves) for laying the heating circuit. Stack structure as the rough concrete floor, and the wooden floor.
Polystyrene system allows you to use a variety of finishing materials such as flooring or laminate. Their in this situation can be laid directly onto the polystyrene plates. When working with tiles or carpet, before laying them on the polystyrene panels to make a layer of chipboard or plasterboard. With a wooden system situation is somewhat different. Before you lay the laminate or parquet, require installation of galvanized plates.
On a note: parquet that would not clicked and creaked underneath must be made of polyethylene foam substrate.
Terms for equipment dry plank designs
If you decide to do in my house a warm water floor, vote the whole scale of the work and the conditions under which the equipment can not be wet screed. The conditions under which dry screed would be the best way out of this situation as follows:
- limited height of the interior;
- insufficient fortress intermediate floors.
For instance: in your home or apartment in the ceiling height is less than standard values (240-250 cm). Any addition of 5-7 cm. as the thickness of the new ties will be crucial for the level of comfort. With regard to the extra weight, which will load on the existing floor, it is the most important condition. This condition is critical for country houses, frame and shield structures. Grazing system has considerably lower weight in total 30 kg / m2.
Compared with wet binders, dry, warm floors plank system have a variety of advantages. Simple and fast installation, which is devoid of the wet process. Lightweight, which on average is 30 kg / m2 It allows you to create structures without overloading interfloor panels. Due to the small thickness of the cake (total 35-60sm) stored optimum height of ceilings in interiors. Both systems, and polystyrene and wood perfectly maintained temperature differences, have good heat and sound insulation.
Most of these systems can be successfully used in suburban homes and temporary buildings. If desired, such a floor heating can be easily disassembled.
The only significant disadvantage of such systems: poor resistance to moisture. So do not forget about installing a waterproofing layer when installing polystyrene and wooden systems.
Polystyrene system of underfloor heating
Let's start with the fact that the special training device for polystyrene floor heating system is not required. Mounted on the plate can be already finished concrete foundation on batten wood coating. Due to the ease of the design, polystyrene system can be installed in the frame and shield houses. The design in this case is as follows:
- polystyrene plates consist of special heat distribution elements - lamellas made from aluminum and galvanized steel. Directly in grooves made assembling tube main heating circuit. Base of the whole structure is to create the necessary rigidity, which is achieved by the use of a final coating, made from sheets of GOLS. Sheets topcoat stacked in staggered rows.
Plates used in the study can be of two types, ordinary foam and extruded. The thickness of the plates required for floor heating is only 10-40 mm. The thickness of the plates mounted heating circuit pipe which are covered from above polystyrene mats. Thanks to the special grooves and lug plates and sheets are securely fixed to each other. Polystyrene mats are laterally mounting brackets, which is carried out through separate fastener elements in a single, whole field.
We should not forget the metal plates (aluminum or galvanized iron). For a given system, such plates are the main heat transfer member transferring heat from heating circuit of the floor surface. With plate heat spreads evenly over the entire floor area.
For reference: The peculiarity of this system is that the height of the cake is only 50 mm. For comparison, the minimum height of the concrete screed is only 80 mm.
Wooden floor heating system
Another system of warm floors, an alternative to the concrete screed - wood system.
Such systems are very convenient to create the heating in summer houses, residential structures made of wood. Depending on the type of structure used rack and modular systems.
Wooden rack and modular system
The name of this type accurately conveys the design principle. The main support element in this case are the slats, which are cut from wood or other wood materials.
Important! The thickness of the strips should not exceed 20 mm at a moisture content not exceeding 10%.
For heating circuit pipe laying pitch of 150 mm, width is 130 mm strips. for pitch contour 200 mm length rods is 180 mm, the step 300 mm, respectively length of the slats is 280 mm.
Slats comprise a support structure, which is carried out directly laying heating circuit pipe. When installing floor heating of this technology allowed irregularities in the substrate in the range of 2 mm to 1 meter. Waterproofing made of polyethylene film of thickness 200 md. Compulsory element of the whole structure is damping tape. The layout is done across lags or supporting boards. After laying the pipes they draped on all sides by the support rails. Contour put into the slots in accordance with the plan, or a snake, or a snail.
Above the entire structure is again coated with polyethylene film thickness 200-200 md. After all, on the top of GOLS superimposed sheets in two layers with a total thickness of 20 mm. Plasterboard sheets are finishing, over which is already laying decorative coverings.
Modular assembly differs from the previous type using prefabricated modules, particle boards in which there are special grooves for laying the heating circuit. Due to interlocking fasteners manage to connect the individual modules together. Installation in this case is faster. For laying the pipeline does not require additional calculations.
In conclusion it should be noted. Polystyrene and timber system as finishing gypsum fiber boards are equipped, on top of which is already laying decorative coverings. When choosing a cover is necessary to pay attention to the markings. Especially for underfloor on the laminate, on the floor or the carpet should be appropriate markings and markings.
Before using ceramic tiles, it is necessary to lay on the whole structure a third layer gypsum fiber slabs.