How To Underfloor Heating

Introduction In To Underfloor Heating

If you are planning to use underfloor heating in you home, there will be a few things that you will need to know about the brand and the history behind the products you are using. the most important information that you will need to know is what benefits that the products that you are enquiring about will give you.

Measuring For Underfloor heating systems

When measuring your floor for Underfloor heating and insulation boards, you need to leave out any permanent fixtures such as kitchen cabinets, you may want to insulate under appliances such as washing machines if you are tiling under them, so that the floor is even. When Measuring for Mats, if your area is exactly 15m2 you may want to use a 14m2 mat, to allow for gaps between the wall and mat, and between the wiring. This is because you can’t cut the mat shorter to fit, but you can spread the mat wider to fit, this is not usually a problem with the loose wire systems, as you choose how far apart the heating cable is laid.

Insulation Board Installation

The Floor should be dry and clear from dust, when this is done it is recommended the floor is primed with a Thermal Primer or Acrylic Bonding to seal any remnant dust into the floor, so the adhesive will be more effective when used to place the boards. The floor should be skimmed with Adhesive, and boards should be placed onto this adhesive as you go, across the entire floor, stagger the joints so the boards are in a brick pattern, as this is a lot less flexible structure. Obstacles can be cut around, as the boards are easily cut by a Stanley knife. On wooden floors, the boards should also be screwed to the floor in 8inch intervals.

Matting System

Once the floor is primed, markings should be made for the position of the Heater, a guide to this process will be included in the box with the underfloor heating kit. Please note that the mat must not be laid underneath permanent fixtures, such as kitchen cabinets and washing machines etc. so be sure to leave these areas clear.

Now lay out the mat where it needs to go, making sure the ‘Cold Tail’ wire, that needs to be connected to the thermostat, is within range of the thermostat. Lay out the mat by rolling it across the floor until you reach the wall, the matt should end around 2 inches away from the wall. Cut the mesh netting, being careful not to cut the wire or heating cable, turn the mat back on itself and then roll the mat back the way it came, parallel with the mat and around 2 inches away. Do not fix the Matt to the floor, until you’re happy with the mats positioning, once you’re 100% happy with the position of the matt, affix it to the floor with the double sided tape that is already on the mat.

The floor probe from the thermostat should be laid underneath the heating mat so that it can read the temperature of the matt as accurately as possible. Using a Flexible Adhesive and Grout, you can tile on top as normal, take care to not damage the wire in the process. (Please refer to the installation guide, the Warmup installation guide overrides this guide)

Loose Wire System

The same as with the Matting system, the concrete, wooden boarding or insulation boards should be cleared and primed by painting it with a Primer, this primer is included with the loose wire system. This will ensure a dust free, tacky surface for the tape to stick to, increasing the ease of installation.

Once the floor is primed, markings should be made for the position of the Heater, a guide to this process will be included in the box with the underfloor heating kit. A few main pointers are as follows, The heater should not come within three inches of the wall at any point in the room, the wires must be spaced no less than two inches from each other, the wires should meander back and forth across the desired area in parallel lines, the wires must never cross and if you are using two wire systems, you must make sure they both begin within connection range of the thermostat. You will need to refer to the guide included to see what spacing’s you should make in the wire to cover the area you have.

Lay out the Heating wire following the markings made earlier the floor, fixing the wire to the floor with tape at the ends where the wire meets the spacing markings and periodically along the wire on the straights. Once happy the wire is spaced correctly, cover the wire completely with the tape provided.

The floor probe from the thermostat should be laid in-between the wires so that it can read the temperature of the system as accurately as possible. Using a Flexible Adhesive and Grout, you can tile on top as normal, take care to not damage the wire in the process. (Please refer to the installation guide; the Warmup installation guide overrides this guide)

Dcm-Pro System

DCM-PRO decoupling membrane has a very effective self-adhesive backing that does not require additional adhesive to firmly attach it to the subfloor, saving both time and cost. Just make sure that the subfloor is always clear from dust and clutter before attaching the membrane to the floor.

The sizes of the mat are designed for convenient sizing so that 2m2 of cable fits exactly 2m2 of mat. The spacing of the cable can, however, be adjusted to increase or decrease coverage and power. You don’t need any tools to install the system. This makes applying the cable in equal parallel lines to the castellations of the mat effortless. The cable’s highly-flexible and durable qualities contribute further to its ease of installation. The cable comes with a lifetime warranty when installed with the DCM-PRO Mat.

After this, the DCM-PRO Mat will be covered with self-levelling compound, allowing it to heat and protect any floor covering material that is certified for use with underfloor heating. This includes tiles, engineered wood, vinyl, and carpet.

The floor probe from the thermostat should be laid in-between the wires so that it can read the temperature of the system as accurately as possible. Using a Flexible Adhesive and Grout, you can tile on top as normal, take care to not damage the wire in the process. (Please refer to the installation guide; the Warmup installation guide overrides this guide)

At Crown Tiles we are aware that installing underfloor heating can be very tricky, especially if you are unsure on how to lay it. So we have given you the opportunity to Live Chat with the experts, they have had years of experience in all of there underfloor heating products, and if they are unsure they will ask someone within the team that knows. All you have to do is click on to the logo and ask all your  questions you need.

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