Electric Under Floor Heating - Your Options
The type of electric under floor heating you go for really depends on what is going on top of it. What will heat up floor tiles can cause damage to engineered wooden flooring so you need to know what to buy.
For those wishing to install in a new build the easiest and most cost effective way to install electric under floor heating is by using in screed cable - cable that is embedded into the screed layer that is laid over the insulation layer embedded in the floor.
For most of us installation of under floor heating will take place in an established building. With improving technology this is no longer the problem it once was as the following types of electric under floor heating show.
Floor heating cable and under floor heating mats are designed to go under tiles. Cable is best for awkward shaped areas like bathrooms and toilets as long as the area isn't too big. Bigger areas are best heated using a mat simply because it is much simpler to lay.
The cable or mat can be laid straight on to a sub-floor (once properly primed) or onto tile backer board. The tiles can be laid directly on to the cable or mat, or a screed can be applied first.
The other advantage of both cable and mat is that they are waterproof so this makes them ideal to use in areas where electricity and water could come into contact.
However cable and mat should not be used for laminate and wood flooring as they can distort and warp with the direct contact with the cable. Carbon film is best for such flooring. This offers a more diffused heat. In addition the film is very thin and when used with high insulating polystyrene sheeting, which is only about 6mm thick, you'll find that floor levels are not greatly affected making carbon film ideal for retro-fitting.
So what if you don't want tiles in the kitchen but want to lay vinyl instead? Or what if you want to have carpet in the bedroom instead of laminate? Does this mean you can't use electric under floor heating?
Well yes you can. Carbon film is again used but to protect the carpet or vinyl still further two layers of overboard are laid on top of the carbon film and moisture barrier. The floor covering is then placed on top of the overboards.
However this won't work with thick carpets, they need to be thin (think carpet tile thickness) and used without carpet underlay. Any vinyl used should be of a reasonable quality, nothing too cheap and flimsy.