Electric water floor heating of a wooden house. How to make a water heated floor in a wooden house. Laying heat pipes - several options for different tastes

To make the house warm and cozy, modern heating technologies are often used. Among them are the installation of warm electric or water floors. The installation process is simple, but some general knowledge and skills are required. We will tell you what features of the work should be taken into account when laying such a floor on wooden bases.

Varieties of heated floors - choose for a wooden house

Modern warm floors are electric and water. For the first, industrial products of various models are used. Water pipes consist of pipes with a coolant connected to the heating system.

Electric floors are distinguished by the use of current-carrying systems:

1. 1. From a thermal cable. It is bought by meters, different models have different heating and give off different amounts of heat: on average, 150 watts per 1 m 2.
2. 2. Frosted heaters. The same heat cable is used, but already mounted on the base.
3. 3. Infrared film heaters. Average power - 175 W / m 2.

There are other underfloor heating systems, the above are only those that are suitable for installation on wooden bases.

The most common system, not only in wooden houses, are water floors. They attract with their safety, the fact that the pipes are hidden under the floor. Nobody sees them, the interior does not suffer, unlike the use of radiators. The room warms up evenly, but weaker than the electric floor. A significant drawback of the design is the likelihood of leakage.

Electric floor heating is less popular, especially in houses with hardwood floors. There are several reasons here:

• higher cost of installation and operation;
• fear of electric shock;
• fire hazard, especially on wooden structures.

Regarding the first point, there is nothing to object, but on the rest it should be said that the fears are exaggerated. Modern models of heaters can shock with a probability even less than an outlet. A fire can only start if there is a short circuit. Competent installation with the use of modern circuit breakers and thermostats reduces this probability to zero.

Now about the advantages of the electric field. It is much easier to mount it than water, the dimensions are smaller. Dismantling of the old floor covering is required only in case of its emergency condition. The rooms warm up very quickly, and modern automation allows you to adjust the temperature separately in each room. Products are designed for long-term use - up to half a century, which is quite enough.

Underfloor heating in a wooden house requires taking into account the characteristics of the material. A new house shrinks walls in the first year up to 5%. If the floor is connected to the walls, this should be taken into account and the installation of heating should be delayed. Wood requires temperature without sudden changes, otherwise the material may swell, crack. Therefore, you should decide whether it will be just heating or main heating. The power is selected so as to ensure a constant temperature.

An important role in the choice is played by the top finish. We will immediately warn you that the use of a concrete screed on a wooden base is pointless. A minimum of 5 cm layer is required, and no tree can withstand such a load for a long time. For a floor with water heating, it is permissible to use any floor covering. For film, parquet or carpet is suitable. Perfect for all types of electric laminate flooring.

For a wooden house, any type of underfloor heating is suitable, if everything is done in accordance with the technology and safety measures.

Substrate preparation - features of pipe heating installation

Wooden products must meet certain criteria so that they do not have to be redone later due to inefficient heat transfer or destruction. If the base has been used for a long time, we conduct a thorough check of it. The following indicators indicate unsuitability for use:

• the beams are damp, traces of rot, mold are found;
• gaps between the boards, no insulation;
• the width between the lags is more than 60 cm;
• uneven slope of the base, differences of more than 2-3 mm.

Careful preparation is required. If something can be fixed, we do it. We replace damaged parts, dry the wood, level it, install it in a new way. Do not forget to treat with antiseptic agents. The gaps are filled with heat-insulating material.

If it turned out that wooden products have exhausted their resource, it is better to completely replace them. One of the possible options for arranging a new foundation with your own hands under warm water floors:

1. 1. We start with the subfloor, which we lay on a flat base. We use any wood, achieving the absence of cracks. There will be thermal insulation on top, but it is better to eliminate the possibility of cold penetration under it.
2. 2. We spread a hydro-vapor barrier film on the raised floor. It is unacceptable to use ordinary polyethylene for this purpose: condensate will accumulate.
3. 3. We fix special metal corners on opposite walls, which are sold in stores. The distance between them is 60 cm.
4. 4. We fix the logs on the corners, aligning them horizontally with a minimum distance between them and the raised floor. This setting allows you to achieve the ideal level.
5. 5. Between the lags we lay the insulation with a 10-centimeter layer. There are many types of them, but basalt slabs will be an excellent material in this case. We lay a hydrovapor barrier on top of the insulation.

We got several layers of the base, for which it is very important to carry out high-quality insulation from water, steam and cold, as well as to level it.

Laying heat pipes - several options for different tastes

We install pipes on fasteners that we specially create or buy. First, let's talk about modern methods:

1. 1. Plastic rails "Rail" - have guides and adhesive backing. We install directly on the heat-insulating material. After installing the fasteners, we snap the pipes into the grooves.
2. 2. "Tacker" - a set of heat-insulating heat-reflecting layer and mounting brackets. Sold in meter rolls, thickness 2, 3, 5 cm. We fix the pipes with plastic elements.
3. 3. "Profil" - a method of fastening plastic heat pipes that is gaining more and more popularity. We lay out sheets with special fungi along the heat insulator. Between them, with a little effort, pipes enter and are securely fixed.

When using the traditional method, we first lay a base of boards or sheet material on top of the log. In some cases, this layer is dispensed with, and boards 20 cm wide or chipboard strips are immediately laid. We leave a gap between the strips or boards, about 2 mm larger than the diameter of the pipeline. This option is acceptable if we intend to finish the finish from a sufficiently durable material, otherwise individual strips of wood or chipboard may not withstand the load.

We follow the sequence:

• cut in length, make the corners on each side rounded;
• we nail to the lags with a gap for the diameter of the pipe plus 2 mm;
• install heat reflectors
• lay the pipes in the gaps.

About heat reflectors. Several options are possible. In the first case, we buy aluminum in the form of sheets with an indented profile. The strip serves as a heat reflector, and the recess serves as a fastener. We nail the strips to the boards, sinking the profile into the gaps between them. We lay the pipes in the recess, they are securely fixed in it.

Not everywhere these products can be bought. Then ordinary galvanized sheets 0.5 mm thick, which are sold everywhere, will help out. We cut them into strips 26 cm wide. Draw lines along the length with a scriber: the first at a distance of 20 cm from the edge, the second, third and fourth - after 1.8 cm, 0.6 mm remains from the edge. We bend along the lines:

• first down at an angle of 90°;
• further at the same angle, but in the direction opposite to the wide strip;
• the last bend is up.

We have a home-made device - a heat reflector with a profile. We bend the remaining 6 mm inward, you can just use pliers. We make the profile on top a little narrower than on the bottom to get a reliable latch.

The least time-consuming option is to use aluminum foil as a heat reflector. We wrap the pipe with one of its edges and put it into the grooves. The second is fixed with a stapler. To ensure reliable fixation, we additionally install plates. It turns out a solid radiator, heat is transferred to the foil, and already from it to the room.

The next step is the connection to the heating. There are many different ways, the simplest of which is through cranes that allow manual control. To connect to a home system, it must have a pump. Be sure to check the tightness and performance, after which you can lay the finish coating. When installing it, care must be taken not to damage the heat pipe.

At home, it is easiest to use 16 mm metal-plastic pipes: they are easy to bend, strong enough, no special tools are required, and a single piece will provide reliable tightness.

Cable heating - we mount on logs

Electric cable under the floor is not dangerous in terms of fire, if you follow the rules that will ensure safe operation:

1. 1. From above it is recommended to install an overlap, the thickness of which depends on the type of wood. For soft rocks, the maximum height is 22 mm, for hard rocks - 24 mm.
2. 2. The power of the heat cable should not exceed 130 W/m2 to prevent fire. For the same purpose, the use of a thermostat is mandatory. The maximum surface heating temperature allowed in wooden buildings is 40°.
3. 3. In places where the heating element passes, it is forbidden to install furniture so that it does not deform it with its weight. Over the rest of the area, the cable is distributed evenly.
4. 4. Laying carpets on a warm floor is undesirable. They prevent heat from spreading around the room, lead to overheating of the heat cable and its premature failure.

Preparing the base for cable heating is practically no different from its device for water heating. This is an inspection of structures in order to identify damage and eliminate them. Be sure to have hydro and vapor barrier. We pay special attention to high-quality insulation, without which it makes no sense to arrange underfloor heating.

The top layer of the insulating cake is a metallized foil that plays the role of a heat reflector. You can lay it only or use it with an additional insulating layer.

We draw up a scheme for laying a heat cable in a room. According to the lags, it is performed by a "snake" parallel to them. According to the scheme, we mark on wooden supports the intersections with the heating element. We make here perpendicular cuts of about 5 cm. We upholster them with pieces of tin, which will protect the wood from overheating and at the same time serve as a heat reflector.

We lay out a metal mesh on the foil, the cells of which do not exceed a cross section of 5 × 5 cm. From above, according to the diagram, we place the cable. We fasten it with the mesh in any way: knitting wire or clamps. We observe an important condition: the heating cable should not come into contact with the sidewalls of the log, but be at a distance from them.

We place a thermostat on the wall not high from the floor. We place its sensor under the floor, and protect the wire from it to the thermostat with a corrugated pipe. For a wooden house, only wiring made in an open way with protection is permissible. We install the thermostat on a substrate made of non-combustible material: metal, asbestos.

Of all types of electric heating in a wooden house under the floor, only cable heating can be used due to the characteristics of other heating elements.

Heating from prefabricated sections - cable mats and carbon film

Warm floors for heating a wooden house can be arranged using infrared film or heating mats. The film has a thickness of only 0.5 mm, but is able to provide heat to any room. It has a black grid, which is a heater, the ends of which come out to the edges in the form of metallized contacts. The heating mat is almost the same cable mounted on the base.

Before buying, we draw up a diagram of the area for heating. We take into account the entire surface, free from stationary furniture. Heating mats are selected by power. For a kitchen, a corridor, this is 150 W / m 2, bedrooms - from 100 to 150, a bathroom - 180 W / m 2. We multiply the useful area by the required power and get the total. We buy a mat of this or a little more power.

Each section of the infrared heater has a length of 25 cm. We take into account that along the perimeter of the room you can deviate from the walls by 10–40 cm, and the gap between the sections should not exceed 5 cm, otherwise this area will remain cold. Applying the film is allowed only in places where there are no heaters. In order not to buy too much, we take into account that as the main heater it will be necessary to cover about 70% of the surface with a film, for heating - from 40%.

We lay the heat insulator on a clean and even surface. For a heating mat, it must have a heat-reflecting surface. The use of metallized foil for infrared film is prohibited. Thickness of thermal insulation from 4 mm. In damp rooms, we additionally lay waterproofing under it.

Both the mats and the film can be laid out on the base by changing their configuration. For this we cut the mats along the grid, without affecting the heater itself. The film is cut into sections along the cut lines applied to it. We lay out the heaters on the surface according to the scheme and the cuts made. We use double-sided tape to fix it.

We mount the film so that the copper conductive tapes look down. It is desirable to spread it along the length of the room. This will reduce the number of connections and wires. But you should take into account the maximum possible length of one segment, which we specify when buying. We arrange the joints so that they are next to the wall, even better - under the plinth.

With the contact clips included in the kit, we connect the conductive tapes and wires. Connection of separate sections is carried out in parallel. If one fails, the rest will work. We isolate all connections, unused outputs with bituminous insulation (included in the kit). We mount the sensor under the film on adhesive tape.

Before laying the coating, we check the heaters for operability. As a finish, it is possible to use any material, except for plastic plates. Linoleum with insulation is also undesirable. For laying laminate, we use a floating option so that the site can be easily dismantled if any section turns out to be faulty. We additionally lay plywood, chipboard, then laminate, carpet, linoleum on the film.

Most people are skeptical about the idea of ​​building a warm system based on a wooden floor base. After all, everyone knows that temperature changes trigger deformation processes - and in general, wood-like materials have too low a coefficient of thermal conductivity for such a design to be effective. Nevertheless, new technologies are emerging that allow not only to additionally heat individual rooms, but also to organize quite comfortable basic heating in an unconventional way. We will talk about how to do it on a wooden floor in a private house in this article.

Basically, the issue of underfloor heating on wooden prefabricated bases arises in individual households. In the apartments, all the floors are concrete, and it may be necessary to use such a technology only if you do not want to remove the old wooden flooring or parquet during the repair. And in houses, even if the floors of the first floor are arranged in the form of a concrete screed on the ground, the vast majority of interfloor floors - even in brick houses, are constructed from beams.

1. This design is a multilayer sandwich, the top of which is the subfloor of the upstairs room. If the house is just being built, heating elements can be laid inside this pie; if it is already in operation, floor heating can be organized without removing the sheeting.
2. The layering of the structure can be different and depends both on the structure of the floor as a whole and on the type of flooring that is supposed to be laid at the finish. And note that it does not have to be a board, carpet or some kind of decorative chipboard at all. It may well be ceramics, which, with the right preparation of the base, fits perfectly on the tree.
3. With the same success, heating elements can be mounted under any coating, and the choice of one or another laying technology depends on their variety. It is possible, for example, to provide a traditional wet screed, on which it is very convenient to mount not only ceramic, but also quartz-vinyl tiles. And the point is not so much in convenience, but in the better ability of the solution layer to accumulate and transfer heat.

Note! However, today there are alternative ways to improve the heat transfer of a prefabricated wooden floor. For example, for laying water pipes or cables, they came up with metal plates that warm up to the temperature of the coolant and give off heat well.

The plates have recesses, thanks to which the heating elements do not protrude to the surface and do not interfere with the laying of the finishing floor. Only a thin membrane is laid between them, which helps to remove steam from the internal space. This is if the coating itself is vapor-permeable. It is possible to fill over the plates and, only in this case the layer between them must be waterproof.

Are there any advantages in not having a monolithic screed?

If there is a concrete monolith in the floor pie, the principle of the heating effect is more or less clear to everyone. Heating elements - be it pipes with hot water, molded electric cable or rolled mats and films - give off thermal energy to the nearby material.

1. If this is a stone, which is a concrete screed, then it heats up perfectly and gradually transfers heat to the overlying layer. If it is a tile made of natural or artificial stone (ceramics also belongs to this category), the tandem turns out to be just perfect, since their properties are approximately the same.
2. But when the heat source is shrouded in material that does not transfer heat, but insulates it, the efficiency of space heating is significantly reduced. Hence the need arose to use metal strips that could accumulate and transmit instead of constructive material.
3. However, in some situations, the absence of a screed is even preferable. For example, if under the first floor is located, into which heat should not be supplied. Or in old houses, where, after many years of operation, the interfloor beams may lose their initial strength somewhat, and it is undesirable to load them with a rather massive layer of concrete.

water heated floor

On a note! Let's give one more, very significant argument in favor of a prefabricated warm floor, in which there is no screed. Such a floor can be operated immediately after installation, while with concrete pouring, you must first wait 28 days for strength gain (you can walk, but you can’t supply heat). Moreover, even without a screed at the finish, you can lay any, including tiled flooring.

Ways of dry assembly of a warm floor

The most common way to set the layers of an insulated floor is the flooring option. In this case, pipes or other elements for heating are laid either between the logs or on top of the draft boards.

Between lags

In the first case, a special structured substrate is laid between the lags, in the recesses of which it is very convenient to install pipes.

The substrate is best taken with a reflective top layer, but ordinary foil insulation can also be used. Simply, thanks to the recesses in the special substrate, you do not have to figure out how to fix the pipes in the desired position.

But if necessary, you can always come up with what the photo below convinces us of. Here, between the lags, transverse strips were installed, to which heating elements were fixed with metal clamps. In conclusion, all this is sewn up with sheet material, on top of which a decorative coating is already mounted.

On the rough surface

In the case of laying pipes or cables on top of a rough floor or an old plank floor in the latter, it is necessary to mill the grooves into which the metal plates, which we have already mentioned above, must be inserted. The only problem is that the tool needed for this is unlikely to be at hand, and not everyone can handle it. And to hire a specialist for this work will cost about 65 rubles / m rm.

To do without milling, you can use the method shown in the example below. Here, in order to install galvanized plates, boards were mounted on a wooden base. They were chosen with such a thickness and installed with such a step that would allow the protrusion in the plate to fit perfectly in the gap.

It is doubtful that this method provides any savings, because what kind of milling, what kind of boards one way or another you have to pay. If it is not possible to lay heating elements between the beams - you don’t want to dismantle the old floor, or the low ceiling height does not allow you to install another tier of lag, it is much more convenient and cheaper to use not pipes, but heating films. True, in operation due to the cost of the coolant, such a floor may turn out to be more expensive.

On top of them, you don’t even need to make a screed - just close the system with a protective film and lay the laminate. But under the roll materials, you will have to arrange an intermediate hard layer in the form of plywood or other sheet materials. But here - a double-edged sword.

self-leveling floor

On a note! Such a layer will become an additional obstacle to heat - reflective elements will not help much either. For greater heating efficiency, a mortar screed is still better. In the case of a film, it can be made very thin, from a self-leveling floor or a self-made mortar without a large filler, which adds more weight to ordinary concrete. Just keep in mind that additives must be present in the fill mixture to make the monolith immune to elevated temperatures.

There is no single technology for assembling heated floors on wooden bases. Here everything needs to be decided based on the specific situation, and there are a lot of options. You can come up with your own way of arranging layers, only in this case you need to correctly compare the ability of a particular material to perceive and transfer heat.

The sequence of work on a wooden base

As already noted, now most developers provide underfloor heating immediately in the process of building a house. Thanks to them, real estate can always be sold more profitably, and the buyer will be sure that he will definitely not freeze in the new house. But people do not always buy ready-made houses, but try to build them on their own if possible. Everyone is well aware that it is cheaper this way, and it is easier to correct your own mistakes than someone else's.

Wooden buildings require special attention, as wood is highly susceptible to shrinkage. This applies not only to the frame of the house, but also to its inner lining, which after a year already becomes not so attractive: cracks appear from which it blows, and in some places cracks.

Often the owner only then begins to think about the installation of underfloor heating. But after all, there is furniture on them, and disassembling the coating to get to the lag is too time-consuming work. How to get out of the situation?

Analysis of the "flight" in stages

We propose to consider this situation in more detail, taking as a basis a specific example.

Table. Step by step installation instructions.

Steps, photo

There are a huge number of options and no less technologies for installing underfloor heating in a wooden house (without a screed), for a complete understanding, you need to understand some.

Many owners doubt when choosing a floor for a wooden house, and this is no accident, because you want the building material to be environmentally friendly. Everyone wants to equip them in such a way that they are both warm and fit into the interior of the house, and last for many years. Warm floor in wood The house has modern and economical heating.

The existing floors in a wooden house can be divided into two main types:

• wooden;
• concrete.

wooden floors

The flooring from the boards consists of several layers, arranged in order:

1. Chernova;
2. Heat insulating;
3. waterproofing;
4. Finishing (floor base);
5. Finishing (flooring).

If there is no concrete foundation, the floor in a wooden house is built on poles or logs. If there is an even foundation, its creation is quite simple, otherwise you will have to build the foundation either by pouring concrete or using beams. The construction of the foundation on the beams has two methods:

• lag method. The beams are laid in series with an intermediate distance of 3-4 meters, and their ends are inserted into the walls of the building;
• pillar method. In this embodiment, the beams are not connected to the walls of the house. Initially, pillars are installed, and roofing material is laid on top in several layers. Beams are placed on top of the roofing material in such a way that they fully rest on the pillars and are fixed to them with nails or self-tapping screws.

According to the type of construction, wooden floors are divided into two groups:

• single layer;
• two-layer.

Depending on the thickness of the laid boards and the distance between the beams, a single-layer view can be installed both on logs and without them. If the distance between the beams does not exceed half a meter, then the boards can be laid directly on the beams.
The installation of a two-layer flooring in a wooden house requires the addition of a draft layer, or as it is also called - base. Draft boards are located on the underside of the beams, and an insulating layer up to 80 mm is attached on top of them: insulation or expanded clay.

To create maximum insulation, a heat-insulating filler is used, which is located between the draft and finishing floors. When laying the filler, you need to leave a small gap, 3-6 centimeters in size. This gap will ensure reliable air circulation and prevent the destruction of the boards from high humidity, the appearance of fungus.

How to insulate the floor?

Warming is a very important task, because it guarantees the tenants an atmosphere in the house, despite the weather outside the window. The most common method of insulation is the placement of a heat-insulating layer in the interior space between the layers of a double floor. Such materials include mineral wool, polyurethane, mineral mats and others.

Some owners insulate with natural, environmentally friendly resources: sawdust, dry leaves, etc. In any of these options, the important point is leaving a gap of 20 to 55 mm to ensure free air circulation between completed layers.

Why do you need a subfloor?

Floors in wooden houses must have different properties and functions, from which strength and ventilation can be distinguished with confidence. To achieve these important parameters, it is customary to create a “rough” layer, because it:

• creates the basis and is an important layer for the placement of subsequent flooring: insulation, waterproofing and finishing floor;
• have a layer for air circulation, which will protect the entire structure from decay and deformation, and also retain heat in the room.

Draft floors are created from boards impregnated with an antiseptic agent, the width of which ranges from 20 to 50 centimeters. All these factors make it possible to preserve the beautiful appearance of the surface and its quality for years.

Creating a subfloor

Many people confuse subfloors with subsurfaces that serve as flooring. The basis is considered to be substrates made of any sheet materials: plywood, chipboard and others, or from boards installed on logs. They are intended only to level the subfloor for a smooth, quality flooring installation. They are also used for uniform distribution, affecting the weight overlap.

The rough floor is considered to be the very first layer from the bottom (a layer of a two-layer base of boards). This layer is required for flooring on beams or floor logs, if there is a fairly large distance between them, while the draft boards are placed diagonally on the finishing ones. The implementation of the technique makes the strength of the overlap stronger, due to the multidirectionality of the wood fibers of the layers.

How to insulate the subfloor?

So that the boards do not rot and the space between them does not have high humidity, it is recommended to think over underfloor ventilation in advance. One of the ways to create it is to drill holes in the corners of the house that are joined or in the baseboards. Holes made with a size of 40-50 mm can be closed with decorative gratings by lifting them above the floor by about 5 centimeters in order to prevent water from entering them.

An important task for insulation is good waterproofing. It is created by applying roofing felt or other waterproofing material, which are freely available in hardware stores.

The logs and boards of the subfloor must be treated with an antiseptic to make them resistant to fungal infections and other factors that disrupt the condition of the wood. Even the most common machine oil is suitable for processing, which perfectly protects the material from insects.

Laying draft boards is possible in 3 ways:

• on beam shoulders;
• on tiled beams;
• using grooves in beams.

Laying on tiled beams is the simplest and easiest way. In the future, this layer will be covered with material for waterproofing the floor, insulation and, ultimately, a vapor barrier layer.

Good waterproofing materials are: isoplast, roofing felt or PVC membrane.

A finishing layer (chipboard, plywood) is laid on the vapor barrier material, on which the floor covering will eventually be located: laminate, linoleum, etc.

For complete comfort, it is necessary to insulate the floors in such a way that the difference between its temperature and the temperature of the room is no more than 2 degrees.

According to the standard, the insulation must have the following properties:

• light weight (for convenient operation);
• durable;
• lasting;
• incombustible;
• hypoallergenic.

An excellent material that performs all functions is mineral wool (mineral wool). Styrofoam is also suitable for insulation, but its disadvantage is rapid flammability.

Having chosen the materials for creating the floor, the design stage is carried out, in which all layers are superimposed gradually in the following order:

1. Draft floor
2. waterproofing layer
3. thermal layer
4. Vapor barrier material
5. Finished floor
6. Flooring

How is flooring done?

After laying the vapor barrier layer, it is necessary to lay the finishing layer, which consists of milled boards with holes for air circulation. These holes are located on the back side of the board and have a size of 40 × 140 mm. They need to be superimposed in such a way that the growth rings of the wood look in different directions.

Milled boards can be replaced with tongue-and-groove folded or trapezoidal slats. Their downside is that they do not have a blow, so when applying them, you need to monitor the quality of their fit on the logs.

concrete floors

Creating concrete floors in a house is easier than wooden floors, since it is only necessary to properly make a cement screed and gradually reinforce it. But which option is actually better?

A concrete surface is superior to a wooden one in some ways:

• long service life;
• stronger and more reliable.

If you use some modern tools when pouring concrete, then it can be made perfectly even, which will allow you to place a laminate, ceramic tile or other flooring well. When installing a concrete floor, you should follow the established rules and take into account some of the nuances.

Concrete pouring can be done by one of the following methods:

• by lags;
• on the ground.

Laying concrete on the ground

Initially, you need to determine the desired floor height and mark it with a cord, wrapping it around pegs. This level will indicate to what extent the concrete needs to be poured. Then the laying and compaction of the layers is performed:

• gravel is poured to the level of the pegs, which will be removed in the future;
• a layer of sand is compacted on top of the gravel;
• the next layer will be a plastic film, which plays the role of a waterproofing agent.

Concrete is poured onto a film, the edges of which are higher than the level of concrete, leveled and covered with another film for quick solidification. For maximum strength of concrete, it should not be subjected to physical stress for about a month. To create a screed, after the concrete layer has completely hardened, it is necessary to apply liquid cement.

Insulation of concrete floors

Of course, without insulation, he will not create a cozy atmosphere in the house. To do this, there is a water heating system, which is mounted in a cement screed. This design will allow high-quality and it looks like this:

• base;
• heat-insulating layer (30-90 mm);
• reinforcing mesh;
• pipes of the water system, which are attached to the reinforcing mesh;
• substrate;
• flooring;

Heating cables are also used for insulation, which are laid out on a reinforcing mesh. Such mounting is carried out both on logs and on screeds, the main thing is that in the case of logs, gaps (which must be insulated) are cut in them for laying cables.

Video lesson: underfloor heating in a house without a screed, installation option

Underfloor heating in a wooden house - electric or water?

5 (100%) votes: 1

The main advantages of a wooden house are its naturalness, environmental friendliness and excellent heat-saving properties. The only significant disadvantage of a wooden building is the high combustibility of materials.

During the construction process, in order to prevent the occurrence of fire, it is worth considering high safety standards when organizing electrical wiring and heating systems.

From the article you will understand that installing a warm floor in a wooden house is the best solution to the issue of space heating.

Water heated floor in a house made of timber

Choosing a heating system

The following heating systems are suitable for organizing heating in a wooden house:

• either ;
• underfloor heating based on plastic pipes with a water heat carrier.

Two heating methods have won quite good reviews and comments from the owners. They are equally comfortable and give the maximum amount of heat, but the cost of energy consumed by the systems varies.

Electricity is much more expensive than gas, so the heating cable for underfloor heating should be laid in a wooden house, small in area, or simply in bathrooms, kitchens and hallways. In bedrooms and living rooms, experts recommend installing a water system from pipes, a solid fuel or gas boiler.

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantage of warm floor systems over radiators has long been proven. Here are just a few of the major differences:

• such systems optimally distribute heat. The comfort temperature zones coincide with the living space (from the floor surface to a height of 1.7 m). In the case of radiators, the air under the ceiling is mainly heated;
• in comparison with batteries, the floor warms up the room more efficiently;
• radiators are more conducive to the movement of dust, the warm floor;
• floor systems look more advantageous compared to radiator systems;
• they do not dry out the air and provide the room with the necessary level of humidity.

Like any other heating system, a warm floor in a wooden house has disadvantages. Depending on the type of system, the following disadvantages are distinguished:

• with the installation of a floor system, the cost of electrical energy increases significantly, however, in the absence of the owners of the house, the floor temperature can be lowered, and in this situation, on the contrary, you can save a pretty penny;
  electrical networks in old houses are not designed for high loads;
• with the use of a heated system, the level of electromagnetic radiation becomes higher. There is an opinion that it negatively affects the human body, but this fact has not yet been proven;
• if the electric floor is the only source of heating in the house, then there is a risk of freezing during a power outage;
• the device of a warm water floor in a wooden house is quite laborious.

Underfloor heating in a wooden house

The method of installation of a water floor system in a country house made of wood is carried out depending on the ceiling. When the first floor and basement are covered with reinforced concrete panels, then the warm floor is performed according to standard technology:

1. Start with a mortar screed.
2. Then the insulation is laid (extruded polystyrene foam, perlite concrete).
3. Then it's up to a warm cable or plastic pipes.
4. A leveling screed is required to cover the underfloor heating.
5. As well as finishing coating (parquet board, laminate or tile).

Difficulty is presented when wooden beams are used to cover the basement and the first floor. There is no solid base in this case, therefore the system is mounted according to any of the following two options.

Method 1:

1. At the bottom, a board is nailed to the beams to maintain insulation (mineral wool, ecowool).
2. After laying the insulation, plastic pipes are attached to the side faces of the beams.
3. Cutouts are made in banks to pass pipes.
4. A finishing floor is laid from tongue-and-groove boards or a rough floor for parquet or laminate.

Method 2:

1. Thick plywood or OSB board (15-20 mm) is laid along the beams.
2. Wooden bars with a section of 50x50 mm are attached to the ceiling.
3. Thermal insulation is laid between the bars.
4. A material is laid that reflects heat ().
5. Pipes are laid on top of the insulation and fixed to the bars.
6. A draft floor is installed from a board, gypsum fiber sheets (GVL), particle boards or plywood.
7. Finishing coating is mounted (parquet board, laminate, ceramic tile).

Here are two options for organizing a dry water heated floor in a wooden house.

In modern systems that are installed on wooden floors, metal plates are used to distribute heat. Their tasks include: forming channels for pipes and reflecting heat.

You can make laying your own underfloor heating in a wooden house easier. To make the process easier, prefabricated chipboards with milled recesses for pipes are used. In addition, the market offers dense foam panels with stamped channels. It will not be difficult to fix the contour in them.

If foam is used, then it is not necessary to attach a board to the beams to maintain the insulation. Rigid thermal insulation in this case is attached directly to the surface of the subfloor. Then it is spread on it under a laminate, or it is applied, then a reinforcing mesh and a tile is mounted.

The main disadvantage of such ready-made systems (foam board and milled chipboard) is the high price. Because of this, many home masters prefer a cheaper way to organize channels. They stuff wooden planks on the base, while leaving space between them for pipe laying.

Expensive temperature plates can be replaced with budget aluminum foil (this is true for both liquid systems and electric systems).

Planks are made from planed boards or cut from moisture-resistant plywood. The thickness must be greater than the diameter of the contour (pipe 17 mm - rail 30 mm). To improve heat transfer, the channel width is made 5-6 mm larger than the pipe diameter.

The width of the slats is made 3 cm less than the selected step of the pipe layout (for example, the step is 30 cm, and the width of the board is 27 cm). In order to smoothly bend the pipeline loops, semicircular grooves are cut out in the slats.

Remember that when installing thermal insulation (with the exception of foam plastic), it is always protected from below and from above with a film that isolates from steam. It also protects the insulation from getting wet, as it gives the condensate the opportunity to freely exit it.

If you left a thermal gap between the edge of the flooring and the wall, then it is necessary to lay a damper tape in it, sealing the contact zone and compensating for thermal deformations.

Experts recommend using a board that has undergone chamber drying for laying a finished floor. Do not rush to fix the finishing wood flooring to the base. Until this time, the warm floor should work for at least two days.

And now let's move on to how to make an electric floor heating in a wooden house. By the way, its installation is much simpler than a liquid system.

The work is carried out in stages:

1. First, a heat-reflecting layer of aluminum foil is laid on the thermal insulation (expanded polystyrene, mineral wool, ecowool).
2. A galvanized steel mesh with cells of 40x40 or 50x50 mm is laid on the foil.
3. Slots are made in the lags through which the electric cable will be passed.
4. A cable is attached to the grid with clamps.
5. In the center between the wires, a temperature sensor is mounted in a corrugated tube and connected to a thermostat.
6. On a fireproof base or in a metal sleeve, a power cable is brought to the outlet.
7. Lay the draft floor of plywood.
8. Install the finish coating (parquet, laminate).

In the case of covering a warm electric floor in a wooden house with ceramic tiles, a different installation technique applies. Then the heat-insulating layer is covered with moisture-resistant plywood or OSB, fixed to the beams. Then, a solution is applied to the coating with a spatula, a plastic reinforcing mesh is embedded in it and the tiles are glued. When a warm cable does not go in a bay, but is glued to a grid, then its installation is even easier. You roll out the roll, and all that remains for you is to apply glue to the surface of the base and lay the tiles.

Similarly fits in a wooden house. It looks like thin mats with flexible conductive plates glued into them.

A small thickness makes it possible to install IR film floors both under tiles and laminate, and under linoleum and carpet.

Is it possible to install infrared film on the walls?

The technology of film heated floors in a wooden house is such that these systems can be used for walls and even ceilings, and the efficiency does not decrease! There are manufacturers who specifically produce products for wood floors, walls and floor slabs.

The only difference between a wooden warm floor on an IR film and installation on a vertical surface is in the way of laying and the direction of the film itself:

1. The electrical wire is connected to the top side of the film.
2. Only vertical orientation of the heating elements is possible.
3. Eliminate the possibility of water getting under the film.
4. To ensure high-quality heating of the room, the walls are prepared by leveling them to "zero". Only then will infrared heating on a wooden flooring provide heating of rooms without the appearance of cold zones.

The impact of infrared rays on the wood coating is excluded. Therefore, the finish coating is chosen at its discretion. Suitable laminate, parquet board, screed, tile, drywall, etc.

Safety Precautions When Installing an IR Floor

By themselves, film electric underfloor heating is safe and suitable for indoor work when heating a frame, panel or wooden house outside the city, as well as for outdoor insulation of an open parking lot, paths, etc.

Statistics show that questions appear mainly when the thermostat is connected to the main power source. Therefore, during the construction of a panel house or a frame house, it is required to organize the laying of the cable inside the walls in advance, to use a special fireproof corrugation.

In a house made of timber, it is logical to conduct open electrical wiring in decorative boxes. The output of the heating cable is made directly to the machine, which comes out of the meter. Residual current device is strictly necessary!

Infrared film floor systems are completely safe, they are not afraid of external damage and atmospheric influences. They warm up the room with high quality and are distinguished by a simple scheme and operation of a warm floor in a wooden house. They are an excellent solution to the issue of heating a house outside the city or a summer cottage made of wood.

IR warm floor in a wooden house

Which floor system is best?

A good and reasonable question, which is better: a water-heated floor in a country wooden house or a floor from electricity? It must be said that the answer will not be unambiguous. It all depends on what you prioritize when organizing a heating system. If we start from the cost of energy carriers, then, of course, a liquid system is much more profitable. If you want to save the height of the rooms, then a thin film floor is better.

As for insulation, remember that foam for a floor system is not the best solution. When placed next to a warm floor, whose operating temperature can reach +70 ° C, it ages and emits harmful gas. Therefore, it is recommended to lay ecowool or perlite between the floor beams.

If you have chosen mineral wool, then it should be well insulated (wrapped with a vapor barrier). Otherwise, warm air through various gaps can carry its particles out of the underground space into the room. For mounting tiles, it is better to use chemically neutral sheet material. For example, a cement-bonded, glass-magnesite plate or a sheet of gypsum fiber. OSB and plywood cannot boast of environmental friendliness.

Wooden flooring over underfloor heating should not be thicker than 21 mm. Remember that wood is an excellent thermal insulator, which makes the heating system less efficient.

Although most professional builders recommend the use of water heating systems for a private wooden house, modern technologies make it possible to safely use heating cables and mats for this purpose.

When laying, the fire safety of the building is taken into account, a wire layout scheme with maximum performance is designed and developed, and other nuances related to the work and safe operation of the system are taken into account. Only in this case, the electric floor heating in a wooden house will create the most comfortable microclimate in the room.

Is it possible to lay cable floors on wood

Properly laid electric floor heating in a wooden house is absolutely safe. The cable is usually double shielded to minimize the risk of fire.

There are specially developed rules and basics for safe operation, taking into account the characteristics of the building material with a high probability of a fire.

You should not carry out installation in a wooden house yourself. Only a professional team will be able to take into account all the nuances of laying and ensure compliance with safety standards.

The right choice of consumables, compliance with certain restrictions during operation, make it possible to use electric floors in a house made of natural wood, timber or logs.

Warm electric floor under the wooden floor

Laying an electric cable under a tree has several nuances related to the rules of safe operation:

• The maximum layer of the board mounted on top of the cable varies depending on the type of wood. For conifers, the thickness will be 22 mm, for hard 24 mm.
• It is optimal to use a heating cable on the ground floor of the room. If necessary, laying on the second floor of a private wooden house is allowed, but this will require the use of additional insulation.
• The specific power limit for laid out mats or cable on wooden joists should not exceed 130W/m². Exceeding the indicators leads to an increased risk of fire and is a gross violation of the rules for safe operation.
• It is forbidden to install furniture, carpet, etc. on top of the floor covering in the place where the wire passes. The low thermal conductivity of a wooden coating leads to a rapid overheating of the cable, which leads to a reduction in the life of the wire.
• The cake of a warm cable floor for wooden floors should consist of: waterproofing and vapor barrier, foil insulation. The top layer of the substrate is lined for more convenient installation of the wire.

Subject to the above recommendations, it is allowed to use any method of laying underfloor heating in a wooden house:

1. Laying the wire in a concrete screed.
2. Installation of cable or heating mats between joists.

The maximum temperature regime to avoid fire is not more than 40 ° C. At the same time, to ensure safety, you should take care of the fire protection treatment of wood from fire.

Electric underfloor heating on a wooden base

Laying electric cable mats on a wooden floor is more popular due to the fact that it is not necessary to remove already laid boards for installation.

There are several ways to perform this operation.

Be sure to make a scheme for laying the heating cable. A detailed plan for the location of the wire will help to avoid mechanical damage to the cable during further repairs in the room.

Fundamentals of safe operation on fire hazardous surfaces

Wood is a building material with a high degree of fire hazard. A feature of wooden structures is the possibility of their ignition, not from open fire, but due to constant heating of the surface.

In the design of an electric underfloor heating under a wooden surface, these features must be taken into account, which will affect the choice of cable and the safe operation of the heating system.

1. The safest is the heating of a wooden floor with a self-regulating heating cable. The thermal matrix included in the internal device of the wire automatically changes the heating intensity as the air in the room warms up.
   The use of self-regulating cable underfloor heating on a wooden base is justified, since situations associated with overheating due to furniture placed on top are almost completely eliminated.
2. Heating mats are also popular. Simple and convenient design allows you to quickly install floors on an existing base.
   The installation of electric underfloor heating mats in a wooden country house does not require additional material costs and global construction work.
3. Security measures. Be sure to use a cable with a double degree of protection. The floors are connected directly to the machine, an RCD is installed. At the points where the cable passes through the support bars, cuts are made with wall insulation with foil material.

Warm electric floors create a comfortable and beneficial atmosphere in a wooden house. Modern construction methods and careful selection of quality materials will ensure maximum safety of operation of the heating cable and mats.