Do-it-yourself floor heating electric under linoleum

Linoleum is considered one of the most commonly used materials for flooring. Its most important advantage is its low price. But users should consider why it is so cheap. This is due to the presence of harmful chemicals released from some types of linoleum. It is on this criterion that you should pay attention before installing an electric floor heating with your own hands under linoleum. In turn, a warm floor can also be of several varieties, the difference of which is in the heating system and the installation of heating material itself. Many people have a counter question: is it possible to make a warm floor under linoleum? You will find answers to all questions of interest to you on this topic from today's article.

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The benefits of underfloor heating

Floor heating in the apartment is a modern solution to many problems, including your comfort and even distribution of heated air, which can not be said about conventional heating radiators.

Important! The operation of such a system is quite simple: the air from the floor slowly rises to the ceiling, where it cools down, and then it is distributed over the entire area of ​​this room.

Pros of underfloor heating:

• It does not dry out the air, thereby maintaining a normal level of humidity. This fact is especially important for those who suffer from diseases of the respiratory system, and it is extremely important for young children.
• An opportunity to settle down on all free space of the lower level. For example, radiator systems can be installed only in a certain place in the bedroom, which will warm only the nearest areas. With underfloor heating a completely different situation.
• High level of comfort and guarantee of good health.

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Types of linoleum

Before you make an electric heated floor with your own hands under linoleum, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the varieties of linoleum, since not all of its types are suitable as a surface coating for a lower heating system. We presented them with the following list:

• On a PVC basis. It is considered the cheapest of all existing options. The coating has some limitations regarding maximum heating. Some species cannot be heated to temperatures above + 27 ° C.

Important! For a warm floor, you need to use PVC linoleum with extreme caution, constantly monitoring the heating mode of the material.

• Gliftal. The surface of such linoleum is coated with persistent glyphthalic varnish. Meets all technical and operational requirements. Great for installing underfloor heating. The only negative is the high cost of coverage.
• Rubber. One of the cheap linoleum options. It is rarely used due to low product quality indicators. But still, rubber linoleum can be used in combination with underfloor heating.
• Single layer. The thinnest material, cheap, has a low level of wear resistance. It is used less often than others due to the fact that such linoleum requires frequent replacement. It is not recommended to use for a heated floor.
• The warmed linoleum. Despite the fact that this material is considered the thickest and warmest, it has a low coefficient of thermal conductivity and a rather high price.It is not used for laying a warm floor, since such linoleum is able to reduce the efficiency of the heating system.

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Types of underfloor heating

So, now it’s our turn to consider a variety of floor heating systems. Without such a device, it is impossible to install a warm floor under linoleum with your own hands. Let's get started:

• Infrared. The heating element is an infrared film or a special internal cable that must be connected to the network using a thermostat. This heating system does not heat the space of the room, but the objects located in it, for example, linoleum or laminate. Installing an infrared underfloor heating under linoleum is possible for anyone, since the heating film element is placed on a pre-aligned surface without installing a thermostat and other additional devices.

Important! Most often, such systems are used in stores, offices, industrial premises, residential buildings and apartments. Such a film infrared floor can be installed under almost any type of flooring - parquet, linoleum. But under the tile it is not recommended to lay it.

• Electric. Quite often used and is gaining more and more popularity among users. The design is installed with the help of a cable and ready-made heating compartments. It is not so difficult to equip an electric heated floor under linoleum on a wooden floor with your own hands, as it seems at first glance. From above, for heating, you can lay a suitable linoleum, carpet, laminate, even ceramic.
• Water. Such floor heating is used only in a private house or cottage, since the system requires an additional riser for lowering cold water with heat transfer function. The essence of the work is that through special pipes under the linoleum cold water will be sent to the riser, and hot water will rise, which will circulate through the heating system, thereby heating the floor in the room. The biggest plus is the big energy savings. It should be noted the absence of the influence of magnetic and electric fields.

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Laying underfloor heating under linoleum with your own hands. Cable system:

• First, we carry out all the preparatory work. We remove the old coating, screed, existing dust and debris.
• We select the location of the thermostat. We bring electricity and an earth cable to it.
• We lay waterproofing taking into account the allowances on the walls a little higher than the level of our future screed. We glue with tape the place of contact of the screed with the wall.
• Now we are laying thermal insulation with a material that can reduce the heat loss of the warm floor.

Important! For this, you can take the substrate, but you can use foamed polyethylene or expanded polystyrene. But for the balcony you need to take a heater with a thickness of at least 10 cm.

• We received a rough screed with reinforcement, on which we now lay the foil, and then a dense insulation material coated with the same foil.
• We calculate the step of the existing installation. We fix the wires with a special waterproofing tape.
• We fix all the power wires of the thermostatic heating system with couplings. We impose the highway strictly according to the established safety requirements. Its branches should be located at an interval of 7.5 cm from each other, and the bends of the cable should be as smooth as possible. The distance of the wires to the heating system should be about 20 cm, but not more.
• We conduct a visual tester test of the installed material. We look at the integrity of the heating system, and then install the temperature device.
• Pour cement-sand screed on the entire surface of the floor. We are waiting for its complete solidification.
• We finish the coating with ceramic tiles, natural or artificial stone, linoleum or laminate.

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Stock footage

As you can see, the underfloor heating under the linoleum on a wooden or concrete floor with your own hands can be installed by almost anyone who wants it. The most important thing is to choose exactly the heating with which you are sure to cope. If you are not confident in your abilities, then it is better to entrust this work to a professional.