Installation of a film heat-insulated floor

Installation of a film heat-insulated floor in the room is gaining more and more popularity every day. Surely, many of us have been in a situation where, getting up to work, you touch the cold floor with your feet - at that moment the dream disappears in a matter of minutes, and you are already putting on warm slippers or socks with lightning speed. But many already have at home a system in which the floor is always warm, waking up in such an apartment is not a shock therapy. Every day, the cost of electricity and coolants is growing exponentially, so the use of heating elements of low power is a deliberate and correct decision. The system we are talking about is one of the most economical and efficient for heating a room. In our article we will tell you how to install a film underfloor heating with your own hands, as well as reveal all the secrets of proper installation and operation.

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The benefits of film flooring

Before laying a film underfloor heating, it is worthwhile to carefully understand all its positive properties, as well as familiarize yourself with the negative sides of such a coating. First, consider the main arguments in favor of choosing this option of “insulation” of the apartment.

Affordable cost

This criterion is rather a positive property of the material. Of course, the price of a film floor varies, depending on the manufacturer and the raw materials used for its production. For example, installing a warm water floor in a room costs owners two, or even three times more expensive.

Low electricity consumption

The largest amount of energy that a warm film floor consumes is 200 W / m2.

Important! Most manufacturers are trying to ensure that this indicator does not exceed 150 W / sq.m.

Compared to cable underfloor heating, which consumes 180–220 W, the savings are substantial.

Important! It is not worth mentioning a warm water floor at all - gas consumption for heating and electricians for a circulation pump make this type of floor “golden” for its owners.

Easy installation

If you know all the subtleties and features of the markup and the rules for connecting the floor to the electric network, you can easily install the warm film floor with your own hands without any outside help.

Comfort

A film heated floor, installed in the room with your own hands, creates a favorable climate, does not dry out the air, does not affect indoor plants and animals, eliminates unpleasant odors.

Versatility

Under what coating can I lay a film underfloor heating? If you carefully study the properties of such a floor, you can come to the conclusion that it is installed under absolutely any type of coating:

• Wood;
• Laminate;
• Linoleum;
• Cork sheets;
• Parquet.

Important! The only condition that is observed in any case is the installation of a thermostat, which maintains the temperature around the entire perimeter of the room within 27 degrees. If the floor temperature is higher than the specified figure, deformation of the floor covering occurs.

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The disadvantages of the film floor

As you can see, positive qualities are enough to reflect on the installation of such a heating system, but there is also the “underwater side of the iceberg”, which must also be mentioned.

Impracticality

In the room where you plan to connect the film warm floor with your own hands, especially for bimetallic material, it is very difficult to predict which area you can lay the film material on and which not. This applies to the location of overall furniture, cabinets, sofas and mezzanines. Gravity can damage the film, and temperature can damage furniture.

Important! Particularly careful should be lovers to update the situation in the room with the help of permutations.

Preliminary work on floor leveling

In order to qualitatively install a warm floor in a room, it is necessary to initially prepare the surface. This will require additional costs for the material, as well as time to completely dry out.

Important! If you install on an uneven surface, in some places the film may be pressed through by the main coating, as a result of which the integrity of the surface deteriorates, a short circuit and fire occur.

Specialist assistance required

The process of preparing the surface, installing and connecting the film coating to the floor can be done independently without outside assistance. But the installation of the thermostat, RCD (residual current device), as well as quality control is carried out only by a qualified worker. Accordingly, heating installation costs increase.

If you considered the shortcomings not so significant and decided to install the film warm floor in your home, then you must definitely study the main nuances of the work.

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Backing

After the surface of the room is leveled and completely dried out, it is necessary to lay the lining for the film coating:

• If a warm floor is provided throughout the room, the substrate is laid, departing from the walls 10-30 cm.
• The joint seams between the substrates are fixed with masking tape.
• Finally, inspect the surface for bumps and creases.

Important! There is no need to cover the entire perimeter of the room with a substrate - it is enough to do this only at the place of installation of the warm floor, adding 10-15 cm to the margin at the edges.

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How to connect a film warm floor with your own hands?

At first glance, it may seem that a bimetallic film can be stacked at its discretion, cutting it into arbitrary rags along the length and width. But in reality, the process looks a little different - there are certain rules that must be followed:

• Before you cut the film of the warm floor, you need to know exactly what size your bimetal sheets are. Each size has its own allowable length:
  1. For a film underfloor heating with a width of 500 mm, a maximum length of 9 m.
  2. For a width of 800 mm - 5.5 mp .;
  3. For a cloth 1000 mm wide - 4.5 m.
• The fewer joints the film underfloor will have, the more reliable the surface will be in the room. Therefore, the question of how to lay a film underfloor heating directly depends on the dimensions of the room and the width of the film.

Important! In no case can a film warm floor be cut, like a substrate, in an arbitrary direction.

• Usually a film warm sheet is divided into square sections with graphite spraying - in this place you should not puncture and cut the film, otherwise it will be damaged.

Important! Also carefully look at the surface of the film underfloor heating. It clearly shows the copper conductors through which the voltage passes, so in the process of cutting, try not to damage them.

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Installation of a film heat-insulated floor:

• Lay sheets on the surface tightly to each other, avoiding overlap.

Important! To smooth the sheets of the warm floor you need copper cores down.In case of puncture or cut of the film surface, it must be insulated from both sides.

• The side of the sheet opposite from that to which the sensor will be connected also needs to be isolated.

Important! Bitumen is suitable for insulation - it is characterized by high reliability and durability.

• In order to insulate efficiently and reliably, the insulating material is cut a little larger than the film size.
• So that the insulated edge does not clog the main coating, a recess is made in the substrate and the edge of the sheet is hidden in it, additionally fixing it with masking tape.
• In the same way, the edges of adjacent sheets are fixed together with masking tape and the edges of the infrared floor.
• Then proceed to connect the thermostat. To do this, you need the wire and copper clamps that come with the kit.

Important! The connection of the chain should be consistent, as well as the connection of the strips of the warm film floor.

• Copper clamps are installed in the places indicated on the instructions.

Important! Connect carefully, at this stage it is very easy to damage the surface of the sheet.

• Carefully insert one side of the clamp between the film of the underfloor heating and copper conductors, on the other hand with pliers and light hammer blows, press the terminal to the sheet. Such actions should be performed on all sheets located in the room.
• The next step is to connect the thermostat to the mains and check the health of the underfloor heating.

Important! If you have not worked with electricity, it is advisable to shift such work to a professional. After connecting to the thermostat, the master is required to submit documents with a quality guarantee for the work performed.

• The next stage of work is connecting residual current devices.

Important! Since there is no grounding in the bimetallic warm floor, in order to protect yourself and your family members, you need to install an RCD. The device disconnects the circuit in the event of a short circuit.

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Building grid installation

If after connecting the warm floor everything works correctly and heating occurs evenly, you can start laying the construction grid. It is installed to fasten the base of the floor covering.

Important! No matter what the main floor covering will be, the grid will move a little and expand due to changes in temperature.

The construction grid is attached to the floor with dowels. The holes for the dowel are drilled in a place where there is no graphite spraying.

Important! When laying on the surface of tiles, it is forbidden to use a metal mesh, fiberglass is better for this.

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How to choose a temperature controller?

On sale in stores thermostats are of two types - mechanical and electronic:

• Electronic thermostat is more popular among buyers. This is due to additional functions that the device has.

Important! Thanks to a special program, you can set the control of heating the room. For example, heating can automatically turn on in the morning when you are going to work, and turn off during those hours when floor heating is not needed.

• Before choosing a thermostat, pay attention to the compatibility of its power with your type of film floor.

Important! To calculate whether the device you have chosen is suitable, multiply the area of ​​the installed infrared floor by its power. For example, the area of ​​the heated floor in the room is 20 square meters. m, and the floor power per 1 sq. m. - 1900 watts. You should multiply 20 by 190, as a result we get 3800. This means that for the thermostat to work properly, its power should be 4 kW.

• When choosing a thermostat, check with the seller of the consultant the main points regarding its operation and safe operation.

Important! If the power of the thermostat is more than 2.5 kW, it is recommended to install a separate circuit breaker.When the network is closed, it will turn it off completely, thereby preventing a fire.

After the manipulations, the installation of a warm floor can be considered completed. Now you can safely proceed to the surface finish.

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Useful recommendations regarding the operation of a warm film floor

In order for your warm floor to work long and well, follow these recommendations:

• After laying the tiles in the room, you need to connect the warm floor to the system in no less than 28 days. During this time, the adhesive composition will completely dry out and there will be no short circuit.
• Dimensional heavy objects cannot be installed on the film underfloor heating - consider this moment when moving furniture.
• Do not neglect the additional installation of a special RCD system - this will protect you from fire, short circuit or malfunction.

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Stock footage

Take care of the warmth and comfort in your home. One of the great options to do this is to do the installation of a warm film floor with your own hands. Having carefully studied all the instructions described in this article, you can do most of the work yourself no worse than a master specialist. As a result - even in the coldest winter days your feet will be warm, and you yourself will be comfortable.