|
|
 |
Heated Floors
In colder areas of the home – especially the bathroom, or getting out of a cold bed in the morning – floor heating systems can seem like a godsend. But what are the different types and how do they work?
Types of Floor Heating
There are three main ways that floors can be heated – air-heated radiant floors, electric radiant floors, and hydronic radiant floors.
• Air-heated radiant floors – air cannot hold large amounts of heat, making this type of floor heating a poor choice for homes. These can be combined with solar heating systems but solar systems are only available in the daytime, when heating is not as necessary.
• Electric radiant floors – are generally made up of electric cables that are built in to the floor in some way. Systems that use mats of electrically conductive plastic are also available, and are mounted onto the subfloor below a floor covering, such as tile, carpet etc. These systems are most cost effective when they make use of off peak electricity and large thermal masses such as concrete floors.
• Hydronic radiant floors – these systems are liquid systems. They work by pumping heated water that comes from a boiler through tubing that is laid in a pattern underneath the floor. In some systems, the temperature in each room is controlled by regulating the flow of hot water. You will need to choose how the boiler is powered – electricity, gas, etc.
How Floor Heating is Installed
There are two types of installation – wet installation and dry installation. In wet installations, the cables or tubing is embedded into a solid floor, using within a concrete slab or in a thin layer of concrete on top of a subfloor. Concrete slabs have a high thermal mass, making them ideal for storing the heat that the floor heating produces. However, it can be difficult to regulate the release of the heat so it is recommended that the house be kept at a constant temperature, rather than turning the heating on and off.
Dry installations involve running the cables or tubing in an air space beneath the floor. These are faster to install and less expensive. Some dry installations involve running the cables or tubing underneath the subfloor beneath the joists and this requires reflective insulation in order to direct the heat upward into the home. You can also install the cables or tubing between two layers of subfloor.
Heating systems installed underneath timber have very thin heating elements, and consist of double insulated heated cables woven into a textile webbing with aluminium foil on one side to ensure that heat is evenly distributed. Under carpet heating mats are specifically designed to use with carpet and it is made up of a double insulated heating cable with a fully braided earth shield woven into a textile webbing. It is installed between the underlay and the carpet. With tiles, in screed cable is installed in the cement screed beneath the tile.
Floor Coverings and Floor Heating
Floor heating does not mean that you are limited in your choice of floor coverings. Tile and stone flooring are most commonly used with floor heating systems but you can also use hardwood, laminated floors, vinyl flooring, linoleum, bamboo, cork, and carpet. You can even leave the floor as concrete if the system has been installed within the concrete.
Printer Friendly Version
References
Related Categories
Bathroom
Floor Coatings
Heating Systems