Warm floor creates a special comfortable atmosphere in the home. The heat in a room with a warm floor is distributed in the best way for a person. Underfloor heating has other features that need to be taken into account when deciding whether a warm floor is needed in your home.
For example, the main negative is the high price. But there are other nuances, including technical ones, that determine how to make a warm floor in specific conditions. Consider the key issues related to deciding whether a warm floor is needed in the house, and the features of its construction.
For underfloor heating, it is more advisable to use condensing boilers
Condensing (condensing) boilers have a special design that provides the highest efficiency. But it can only be developed with a low coolant temperature. On the surface of the boiler heat exchanger, the temperature should be less than the dew point in the room (below 55 degrees).Condensing boilers are recommended to use underfloor heating with a heating system, which requires a low-temperature heat carrier.
If such a boiler is already available, then the question of whether a warm floor is needed is more likely to be resolved positively.
Solid base
A classic water heat-insulated floor implies the creation of a heavy thick (from 5 cm thick) cement-sand screed... It is a heating, heat distribution and heat storage element of the system. But this raises the question, is the existing floor suitable for creating such a warm floor?The exact answer can only be given by calculation, or consultation with a construction engineer. In some cases, it is possible to strengthen the structure of wooden logs by erecting additional support posts and walls, which rest on their mini-foundation.
It is possible to create heated floors with a lightweight screed, but at the same time it is necessary to solve the issues of a temperature zebra, a decrease in power output, an excessive increase in the temperature of the floors ...
Reduced room height
It is necessary to pay attention to the possible reduction in the height of the room. Creation on existing floor additional layers (alignment, insulation, screed, flooring) can significantly reduce the height of the room. It is not recommended that it be less than 2.4 m. Is it possible to make a warm floor in specific conditions?What temperature and power of heated floors will be required
Experts recommend not to increase the temperature of the floor covering people walk on above +26 degrees. The maximum heating of the surface on which a person can be should not be more than +30 degrees.Typically, the elevated temperature of underfloor heating is created along cold walls by sealing the pipe laying. And also a high temperature is in demand in the bathroom, which can be adjusted by the distribution equipment of the system.
Then the maximum power that a warm floor can give from one square meter of its surface is 80 W. Accordingly, 0.8 kW / 10 square meters - the figures say that this is almost enough for heating a well-insulated house. But it should be borne in mind that, in general, there are not many such houses yet. In addition, part of the heating area will be useless due to thermal insulation by the furniture installed on top, or there will be no heating circuit at all in the places where it is located.
Underfloor heating cannot be the only heating system in a house for two factors:
- Lack of power output for our climate;
- high thermal inertia, impossibility of flexible response to changes in outside temperature.
Thermal inertia and weather regulation
Underfloor heating with a concrete screed has a high thermal inertia. It stabilizes the temperature inside the house. But because of this, there can be some difficulties.It is important to set up the underfloor heating system so that it does not waste energy. For example, it is wrong to heat a warm floor, focusing only on the night temperature, while the daytime temperature is much higher. As a result, the heated warm floor will overheat the room during the day, although the heating will already be turned off. Therefore, the warm floor is adjusted to work in a certain stable mode "Seasonal". And temperature jumps, for example a night minimum, or due to cooling due to an open door, are already compensated by the radiator system.
Experts do not recommend overloading the radiator system with weather-dependent automation in a house up to 400 square meters. Room thermostats are sufficient.
But for a warm floor, a well-tuned automation that regulates the operation of a warm floor depending on the temperature outside and the time of day will be very appropriate. After all, the warm floor heats up with a significant delay, and when it gets colder outside, it must warm up without waiting for the temperature in the rooms to decrease.
Aesthetic design
The heating system "Warm floor" is not in sight, it is hidden under the floor covering. Heating pipelines are laid inside the concrete screed, divided into several circuits of the same length. The heat from the screed is transferred to the floor covering, and it warms the air in the room like a "giant frying pan".Naturally, not every floor covering can be used on a heated screed. Many of them cannot be heated - they change size, collapse, curl and can even release harmful substances. Other coatings are too large thermal insulators to be recommended for floor heating applications.
For a warm floor, the most suitable coating is ceramic or stone tiles. It conducts heat very well without breaking down when heated. But it is customary to decorate bathrooms, kitchens, hallways, sometimes living rooms or part of them with tiles. Other rooms require linoleum, laminate, parquet, carpet. Of these, you can only use those that are specifically designed to cover warm floors. This should be the manufacturer's information on the tag and in the accompanying documentation. Thus, a warm floor can be both beautiful and varied in appearance and pleasant to the touch.
Additionally
Essential elements
All this equipment is not cheap. If there are no special skills in the installation of hydraulic heating systems, then it is better to entrust the creation of a warm floor to specialists who will also ask for a lot of money.
Heat conservation issues
When a room is heated by the "Warm floor" system, the temperature in the room may be 2 degrees lower than with radiator heating, but a person will nevertheless perceive it as comfortable - "when the legs are warm, the head does not require much" ...And at the same time, the temperature can be even lower at the ceiling. Such a decrease in the comfortable temperature and the temperature distribution along the height saves from 5 to 10% energy, depending on the height of the ceilings and the insulation of the attic.
Comfort
With underfloor heating, the temperature distribution over the height of the room is close to the best that can only be required.The following factors are also important, which are provided by the underfloor heating system.
- The temperature of the heating surface does not differ much from the room temperature.
- The heater is not warmer than human temperature.
- The floor does not get cold feet.
An additional advantage of low-temperature heating is the absence of dust burning (dry distillation of organic dust particles) that occurs on radiators and the rise of special dust in ascending jets, which causes allergic reactions in humans.
So, it is obvious that underfloor heating in a house or apartment is needed as a system that creates a very comfortable favorable environment. Questions remain - is it possible to create a warm floor for technical reasons? and also: - won't a warm floor turn out to be too costly?
You can additionally familiarize yourself with
There are two types of floor heating: electric and water. For country house a water circuit is suitable, but this option cannot be installed in apartments. Installation is prohibited due to the fact that heating is carried out by means of central heating. Water, moving through the pipes, cools and is not able to sufficiently heat other apartments in the house.
Pipe laying.
1. Do you need a warm floor in the kitchen?
The need for installation is determined by the type of material for finishing the floor:
- Ceramic tiles (most common). The surface of the tile is cold. To create comfortable conditions for staying in a room, it is better to organize additional floor heating.
- Laminate. Carpet or underfloor heating is desirable.
- Natural wood flooring or cork. Floor of natural material warm enough so installation of the system is not necessary.
2. Electric underfloor heating
Installation of heating elements over the cement screed.
Facing the floor surface with ceramic tiles.
Pros:
- Does not dry the air;
- Saving space in the kitchen space (compared to radiators);
- Eco-friendly;
- The heat level can be adjusted;
- A fairly simple way to control;
- Long service life.
Minuses:
- Electricity surcharge.
Costs for an area of \u200b\u200b12 sq. m:
- Installation of heating mats: about 1600 rubles;
- Installation of a warm floor with a heating cable: from 3000 rubles;
- Work on supplying power and the cost of installing a device that regulates heat: 250 and 500 rubles.
Determination of electricity consumption
By simple calculations, we will calculate the maximum energy consumption in a kitchen with an area of \u200b\u200b12 sq. m:
- Heating area is usually about 70% of the total. For the calculation, we take the value of 9 sq. m;
- We fix the power of the installed system: 150 W for one square meter... We calculate the total power value of the underfloor heating for the kitchen room: 150 W * 9 sq. m \u003d 1.35 kW;
- System operation time: about 6-8 hours a day (system is always on). Maximum electricity consumption during one day: 8 * 1.35 kW \u003d 10.8 kW * h.
- Maximum electricity consumption in one month: 10.8 kW * h * 30 \u003d 324 kW * h (actual figures will be less).
3. Water
Floor water heating pipes http://prostory-ukraine.com.ua/teplyiy-pol-vodyanoy/truby
Pros:
- Eco-friendly;
- More economical than electric (about 5-7 times);
- Comfortable heating (70% of heat is transferred by radiation);
- Does not take up the useful area of \u200b\u200bthe kitchen (in comparison with radiators).
Minuses:
- Substantial installation costs;
- Installation in apartments is prohibited. In some cases, it is possible to officially agree on the installation.
Installation cost.The price directly depends on the materials used for the collector, thermal insulation, system pipes.
An approximate guideline for the cost of installing a water variant, taking into account necessary materials: from $ 300 and more (for a room of 12 sq. m).
Photo: kirov-portal.ru, lenstav.sk, norstar.ru, profittings.ru
The coziness and comfort of each house largely depends on the optimal temperature regime of the dwelling, where the movement of heat is rationally distributed over the air zones of the room. After all, it is completely unpleasant to walk on ultra-modern parquet in warm slippers and be afraid to touch the cold floor in the bathroom or toilet with your foot. This is especially true after the recently completed renovation. Therefore, in such a situation, a natural question arises whether you need a warm floor in your house or not.
The idea of \u200b\u200bunderfloor heating, like any innovation that comes to us with Western housebuilding technologies, has undergone quite a lot of criticism and positive feedback in the first years of its application. Then there was an unambiguous opinion about the advantages and disadvantages of underfloor heating.
Pros and cons of underfloor heating
The advantages of underfloor heating are quite obvious. To begin with, it should be canceled that cold air, as everyone knows, is concentrated in the lower part of the air layers, therefore, warming it up by only a few degrees with the help of a warm floor will necessarily lead to tangible warming in the entire room.
An important plus of a warm floor is its alternative as a source of heating. Such a system can be installed independently of conventional steam heating. At the same time, the temperature regime can be easily adjusted separately for each room. This function is especially indispensable in those periods when there is no heating yet or no longer. It is also convenient that the heating can be switched on selectively in any room, plus it is possible to set the heating timer for any day and hour.
Another indisputable advantage of underfloor heating is the distinctive feature of the underfloor heating concept - its ability to prevent high humidity in the room. This function becomes especially important in those rooms and premises where there is often high humidity. Usually it is a bathroom, a bathroom, a vestibule, an entrance hall, a basement, etc. In such rooms, only a floor heating system can provide the best possible dehumidification.
If you look at the disadvantages more specifically, the result may be surprising. You can start with the first minus - electromagnetic radiation. This drawback is more a myth than a truth, because it arose in those days when the underfloor heating system was considered a rarity and was carried out mainly only by self-taught craftsmen. They usually had no idea about quality standards and GOSTs. If we talk about modern electrical systems for underfloor heating, then they undergo regular test checks, where it is absolutely precisely proven that the radiation emanating from a warm floor is not higher than in ordinary electrical wiring in the walls.
If we consider such a disadvantage as dry air in the room, then we should remember about traditional radiators, which dry the air even more. In such cases, it is necessary to regulate the level of humidity in the room not with a warm floor, but with specially designed air humidifiers.
Electric underfloor heating: "pitfalls"
As a rule, even the very first frosts can show that in proportion to the decrease in temperature outside the window, the central heating batteries are also cooled. The way out of this situation is the installation of a classic electric underfloor heating. You can install it even in new apartment, even in an old house. But, of course, it should be remembered that it is still better to carry out its installation at the repair stage so as not to dismantle the old floors.
The installation technology includes, first of all, laying the heat-insulating layer on interfloor overlap, after which - a dividing screed, and on it - the installation of the underfloor heating system. It looks like an electric cable laid out in a certain step. A step is usually called the distance between its zigzags. The ideal step is considered to be a step equal to 10-15 cm. A screed is poured onto this floor from above, and a floor covering is placed on it. It looks simple, but this is only at first glance.
In case of legal action, you should call a company that has the appropriate license from the Ministry of Construction. Perhaps this fact can be attributed to the disadvantages of a warm floor, but only because of the duration of the entire procedure for obtaining a permit. This problem can be solved, of course, at the expense of "left-wing" companies that will install a warm floor without paperwork. But this is a double-edged sword.
First of all, such firms offer customers only the installation of the cheapest heating systems, often Chinese ones, which do not even have a quality certificate. This will mean that your warm floor will not respond state standards, and also most likely will fail after a certain period of time. The second serious disadvantage, which follows from the previous one, is the fact that hardly anyone will undertake to repair your equipment.
Important! Even with a company that provides quality certificates for its products, you need to be careful. Be sure to check the availability of service in a particular region.
Water heat-insulated floor: beware of water "pirates"
Quite often, the buyer, making a choice in favor of a water-heated floor, is bribed by free heating from central heating. Of course, there are many advantages of a warm floor of this type, but one should beware of such promises, and certainly not count on them. The installation scheme of this system includes the laying of pipes through which the coolant will flow, and, in fact, their connection.
This option seems to be the most economical, because we usually pay a certain amount for heating, so you won't have to pay extra. But here you should beware of some dangers.
Important! In the event that a pipe breakthrough occurs, and in the central heating, water is supplied under pressure, the apartment may be flooded. The apartment of your neighbors will also have to be repaired.
But even if the pipe does not rupture, the warm floor in your apartment will take heat away from the neighbors, since the pressure in the pipes will drop, and water will flow slowly down the riser after your apartment. As a result, you can get not only a conflict with neighbors, but also a check from the appropriate authority. And this can already threaten with more serious problems.
The use of materials is permitted only if there is an indexed link to the page with the material.
When autumn comes, you often start to think about how pleasant it is to be in a house where it is warm and dry. But this is not always the case, since there are always time intervals in autumn and spring, when the heat has run out on the street, and the house has not yet been heated, or vice versa, the heating season is already over, and the heat on the street suddenly changes to cold days. And this still does not take into account the frosty winters, when even heating does not save, and at home you also don't look very much in a simple shirt and house pants. They use heating pads, bottles with hot water, thick blankets, woolen socks, hot tea and that has been tried and tested for decades.
Way out
But not so long ago (the time frame is of course very relative, but still) mankind learned about warm floors, which became a real breakthrough in the field of construction and finishing works. I installed such a floor - and already with much more enthusiasm you can go to the bathroom with bare feet, let the child play on the floor in his room and cook dinner in one pair of socks. And all this without fear of catching a cold and making a lot of trouble. Warm floors are so attractive and pleasant that they can even make you sit and lie on this covering, if you are tired of using chairs, armchairs and sofas for this purpose.
The advantages are obvious
An ordinary apartment is supplied with heat from central heating, which is the minimum necessary for living space. Somewhere this is more than enough, but somewhere they don't even feel it. And then radiators, air heaters and other heaters, which constitute the second heat front, are brought into the light of God. But with all these tricks, it is often not possible to adjust the room temperature to a comfortable one. Having gone too far with the temperature, we will have to open the vents during the thaw in order to somehow ventilate the room. And so it turns out - sometimes too hot, sometimes too cold.
This is where the work of the underfloor heating comes to the fore, which with the help of a thermostat will allow you to regulate the temperature in the room exactly to the temperature that is comfortable for you. With the help of the sensor, you can find out the temperature of the floor and air in the room, and the thermostat will help to regulate the daily temperature cycle. In the evening and at night, a higher temperature is needed, and during the day, when there is usually no one in the apartment, you can reduce the heat to a minimum.
It so happens that other sources of heat do not warm our feet too much, which should always be warm. But the warm floor primarily affects them. As a result, even a pinpoint impact on the feet alone could be enough to make you feel protected. And here is also excellent protection not only for the legs, but for the whole body. If your feet are well warmed, your whole body temperature will be within the correct range. And at the same time, you do not have to hold your feet above any heating unit to warm them up and then freeze them again while you unlearn somewhere away from the heat source. You just walk on the floor and get warm.
Unlike other heat sources, this type of flooring is not point-like. The floor heats up over the entire area, and thanks to the good level of heat transfer, the entire room is evenly heated. By the way, this will also save on electricity.
Disadvantages - rather so ... moments
Yes, exactly the moments that need to be taken into account if you are thinking about whether to install a warm floor at home.
First of all, these are financial costs. Underfloor heating is not a carpet or linoleum, the process of laying it is much more complicated, which means it will cost more. It is a whole electrical system with high power consumption. It will require a separate riser, with the help of which the system will be connected in your house. It is good if you live in a new building, where it is quite easy to carry out such a thing. And if we are talking about an old-style house, you will have to obtain a special permit, which will also take both time and money.
You can save on electricity by heating only specific areas like the bathroom, kitchen or nursery. In addition, the laying of water pipes or cables will require design taking into account the location of furniture and household appliances in the premises. If the floor heats up well under the closet or washing machine, you won't get any better from it, but the equipment and furniture can only get worse. This is a note for those who like to periodically rearrange things in the house.
If it becomes the main heating system in your apartment, be sure to take into account the degree of heat loss, which inevitably exists in every room, but may differ depending on various factors. This will help you find the optimal power system.
If you decide to use a decorative floor covering, before purchasing it, make sure that the packaging has a mark that allows this material to be used with a warm floor.
Choosing a floor heating system (video)
When choosing a floor heating system, remember that there are only two heating systems - based on heating cable and water pipes. Experts recommend using cable system in apartments with a small area. That is, this option is perfect for apartment buildings. The system with water pipes is best used either in apartments with a large area, or in private houses. This is explained by the fact that a system based on water pipes requires communication with heating system and a water supply system. This is a fairly powerful consumer in the general system of apartments, therefore, in adjacent rooms, problems with water and heating may arise, which is unlikely to please your neighbors. In addition, a pump is needed to constantly maintain pressure in the system. In general, do not dwell on the thought that water is a more economical energy source if you live in apartment building... Better to choose an electric heating system. Then you will be warm and the neighbors will be calm.
