Electric Underfloor Heating Kits
With the increasing popularity of underfloor heating, electric underfloor heating kits have now become widely available. Everything that you need can come in one or more handy packages.
If you're a patient and methodical DIYer you'll find it surprisingly straightforward to install electric underfloor heating whether you're using carbon film strips or cables or mats. It's only the connection part that you'll need to leave to a qualified electrician.
If you're installing electric underfloor heating in your bathroom then you'll definitely need to use heating cables or mats as these are fully waterproof. When buying a kit you'll need to know the size of the floor space you’re installing it in. This isn't the easiest thing to do in a bathroom as you'll have things like baths and toilets in the way so you figures will be approximate but try and make them as accurately as possible.
Although using cable can seem like a good idea in a bathroom because you can lay it to any configuration you want, it is surprisingly slow to install and you need to take care to space the cable properly. Cable is best used for smaller bathrooms.
An electric underfloor heating cable kit will usually consist of the cable (wrapped round a drum), a thermostat and floor sensor, fixing tape and probably floor primer with a roller to apply it.
Most people opt for an electric heating mat kit instead simply because it is a much easier to use. The cables are attached to the open weave fibreglass mat at the correct spacing. If you have an obstruction in the way while laying the mat you simply remove the mat backing and use the loose cable around the area. Remember cutting the mat if fine, cutting the cable is a definite "No"!
In an electric heating mat kit you'll find the mat, a thermostat with a floor sensor, floor primer with a roller. Most mats are usually self-adhesive. If they're not, fixing tape should be included.
Cables and mats are fine under tiles but aren't suitable for going under wood or laminate flooring. For this you'll need carbon film heating strips. You won't be able to pick a ready made kit off the shelf for these. Carbon film heating kits have to be made up individually.
Basically you send in a drawing of the room you want to have done, making sure you accurately mark in things like chimneybreasts on your drawing. You'll also need to mark where in the room your heating system will be connected. From the details the company will work out how many and what sized carbon film rolls you'll need.
Unlike cables and mats, underfloor heating kits for laminate and wood floors usually come with special insulation. This is very thin but extremely effective and an important part of the kit. Some companies allow you to opt out of buying the insulation if you have your own. Remember that if you use ordinary under floor insulation you'll be wasting your money as it's just not efficient enough.
In the average carbon film underfloor heating kit you'd expect to find several rolls of carbon film with attached cold cabling, a moisture barrier (polythene sheet), high-density insulation sheets, thermostat, floor probe and a cable connection box with connectors.