Almost every instruction for self-laying a water floor indicates the need to use insulation. The insulating layer helps to evenly distribute heat in the room. Insulation for a water-heated floor reduces heat losses and provides uniform heating of the room.
Why do you need insulation under water floors
According to the installation instructions, it is necessary to include a layer of thermal insulation in the cake under a warm water floor. Although some installation teams miss laying the insulating layer, this is a gross violation of the rules for laying the heating system.Why do you need a heater at all?
- A special heat-reflecting substrate under the water-heated floor serves as a kind of screen that prevents thermal radiation from escaping in an unnecessary direction. Simply put, with the help of insulation, the heating system does not heat the apartment of the neighbors living below, but its own housing.
- The use of a substrate serves another purpose related to the peculiarity of underfloor heating. The substrate evenly distributes thermal energy throughout the room, allowing you to stabilize the convection heat flow in one direction and at the same speed of movement.
- Heat-insulating mats for a water-heated floor with bosses make it easier to install a water circuit. The device of such a system includes special latches, due to which the laying and fixing of the pipe is carried out quickly and reliably.
The choice of insulation thickness is primarily related to the technical parameters of the room. Where the ceiling height allows, it is best to use thick polystyrene plates with markings or a ready-made substrate with recesses for pipe installation. If the distance to the ceilings is critical, it is better to choose foil insulation.
Types of heaters for underfloor heating
Although there are a large number of very different thermal insulation, in fact, it can be roughly divided into just two categories.Plates
This category includes polystyrene foam and polystyrene foam under a warm water floor. The advantage of polystyrene systems is high strength and ability to withstand mechanical stress. This group should also include a profile mat for installing a warm water floor. The use of a profile system (lugs or guide grooves) is very convenient for pipe laying.
Profile guide mounting mats for a water-heated floor, after laying the pipeline, are poured from above with a small layer of adhesive solution. After drying for 1-2 days, you can start operating the heating system.
Styrofoam for underfloor heating is an unprofitable option. Plates after laying are easily deformed, after which the thermal insulation ability of the material decreases.
Roll thermal insulation
Enjoys well-deserved popularity. Foil reflective thermal insulation for a water-heated floor allows you to reduce the thickness of the "pie". The foil effectively reflects heat radiation.Foil insulation for a water-heated floor often has a special marking that facilitates the installation of a heating circuit. The thickness of the roll-type substrate does not exceed 1-1.5 cm.
Mineral heaters are rarely laid, since a protective layer will need to be laid on top. It is not advisable to use mineral material for the substrate.
According to customer reviews, one of the best solutions is to purchase a heater such as Teploizol.
You can also use cork insulation. Cork insulation has good performance in terms of: compressive strength, sound insulation and lack of adhesion to cement mortar.
When deciding which thermal insulation material to choose, one should be guided by the technical characteristics of the heated room. Possible disadvantages of the substrate should be taken into account: cost, thickness, maximum allowable compressive load, etc.
If you plan to install underfloor heating yourself, it is better to choose polystyrene boards with markings (with bosses). In this case, it will be much easier to lay the heating circuit.
How should a water floor cake look like in layers
Preparation of the pie under the floors should be carried out in strict accordance with the manufacturer's recommendation. Installation work is carried out as follows:
Laying a warm water floor on mats, as shown by a comparison of heat-insulating materials (their technical characteristics and difficulties associated with installation), is more appropriate. Permissible load on the polystyrene foam system is 50 kN/m². The weight of the structure allows installation even in high-rise buildings on the last floors, where the use of a concrete cake is prohibited.
In addition, the laminated extruded polystyrene foam with bosses is resistant to moisture, easy to install and facilitates the laying of the water circuit. The only disadvantage of polystyrene material is its cost. But if we take into account that plastic mats do not need additional components for fixing pipes, subsequent screeding, then the difference in price becomes not so significant.
Features of laying insulation
When installing insulation, you should take into account the types of mats used, since the nuances of laying the material depend on this:- A foil substrate must be laid on top of the foam. A reinforcing mesh is laid, along which pipes are installed.
- The thickness of the mats varies from 5 to 10 cm. It is allowed that the thickness of the cork sheet substrate be reduced to 2-3 mm.
- The joints of the insulation are glued with adhesive tape. The plates are fixed with anchor dowels and adhesive.
- The foil material is laid in such a way as to best reflect heat, i.e. metal side up.
Heaters for creating a warm water floor allow you to save energy. They reduce heat loss by 15-20%. Their main task is to prevent the penetration of radiant energy into the ground, lower rooms or the basement.
In the overall system, a heater for a warm floor performs several functions. It does not allow unnecessary heat loss, ensures uniform distribution of heat. In addition, any material becomes an additional noise barrier.
When reviewing options, it is important to consider the key features of underfloor heating insulation:
- low coefficient of thermal conductivity;
- resistance to dynamic and static loads that will occur during operation;
- shape stability;
- long service life.
In addition, thermal insulation for underfloor heating must be fire-resistant and safe.
Manufacturers offer a wide range of heaters that differ in structure, thickness and characteristics. When choosing, one should take into account the features of the room where the underfloor heating system is being installed, a possible increase in the height of the structure, and thermal insulation characteristics.
Popular materials
Styrofoam. Foamed polymer material. It is distinguished by good thermal performance, low weight and affordable price. Plates do not decay and do not pass moisture. The disadvantage of expanded polystyrene can be considered relatively small soundproofing performance.
Leading manufacturers offer a special insulation for underfloor heating with bosses. Thanks to special protrusions, laying water floor pipes is not difficult. The material is characterized by increased strength characteristics, has protection against condensate. Foil mats are also on sale.
Foil mineral wool. Insulation under a water heated floor is offered in the form of rolls or dense slabs. It is made from natural raw materials and belongs to the class of non-combustible materials. Especially popular are basalt mats, which are characterized by high shape stability. When working with them, a minimum amount of dust harmful to the body is emitted. The main disadvantage of mineral wool insulation is increased sensitivity to moisture. When wet, they lose their insulating properties. The presence of a foil layer reduces this probability. 
Natural cork. Thermal insulation for a water-heated floor is made from the bark of a cork tree. By pressing, a thin roll material 3-4 cm thick and dense mats are obtained. The heater is characterized by:
- safety - the insulation is environmentally friendly and hypoallergenic;
- good indicators of heat and sound insulation;
- resistance to the processes of decay and destruction by rodents;
- geometry stability;
- waterproof.
Almost the only drawback of natural cork is its high cost.
Penofol. This type of thermal insulation for a warm water floor is made on the basis of polyethylene foam. The polymer layer is covered on one (type A) or two (type B) sides with aluminum foil. A self-adhesive version (C) is also available. If it is planned to pour a concrete screed, then the ALP type should be used in the underfloor heating system - the foil layer is laminated with a polyethylene coating.
The air present in the structure prevents heat loss, and the metal surface contributes to its reflection into the room. The total thickness of the insulation does not exceed 10 mm. Compact rolls are easy to transport and stack.
Metallized lavsan film. Non-combustible floor insulation, which has ideal reflective performance. The material is inert to aggressive chemicals and microorganisms.
Waterproofing indicators guarantee the protection of the system from the penetration of moisture from the basement or the ground. The film is elastic, has sufficient strength to deformation, tolerates high loads.
The metallized layer is often supplemented with foamed polyethylene with a thickness of 2 to 10 mm. This improves the thermal insulation performance, but reduces the flammability class of the material. Lavsan film withstands temperatures up to +90 °C without destruction and deformation. This allows pipes to be laid directly on top of it.
The main characteristics of heaters are given in the table:
| Insulation Performance | Styrofoam | Mineral wool foil | Cork | Penofol | Mylar film |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thermal conductivity, W/m K | 0,0336-0,035 | 0,035-0,045 | 0,036-0,042 | 0,037 - 0,052 | 0,031-0,037 |
| Moisture absorption % | 0,2-0,4 | 0,1-0,2 | 1 | 0,35-0,7 | 0,1-0,2 |
| Vapor permeability, mg/m h Pa | 0.05 | 0,49-0,60 | 0,2-0,6 | 0.001 | 0.001 |
| Flammability, class | G1-G4 | NG | G1 | G1 | G1 |
| Service life, years | 50-100 | over 50 years | 20-25 | ||
| Operating temperature range, °С | -50 – +85 | -200 to +700 | -200 to +130 | -40 to +95 | -60 - +100 |
| Sound absorption coefficient, % | 85-90 | 52 | |||
| Noise absorption, dB | 23-28 | 10-12 for black, 16-20 for white | 20-32 | ||
Manufacturers and prices
High-quality heaters for warm floors are offered by many leading manufacturers. Some options are suggested in the table:
| Type of insulation | Brand | Options | Cost, rub. per m2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Styrofoam | Knauf Therm | 1200x600x47 mm | 500 |
| Ecopol | 1100x800x38 mm | 455 | |
| foam shield | 1000x1000x50 | 270 | |
| Mineral wool foil | URSA (fiberglass) | roll 18000x1200x50 mm | 115-168 |
| Rockwool (basalt) | 342 | ||
| technical traffic jam | Amorim | 1000×500×10mm | 560 |
| Penofol | Penofol | roll type A (B) | 47 (78) |
| Mylar film | Daewoo Enertec | roll 1x30 m, thickness 3(5)mm | 139 |
Styling features
In order for the underfloor heating system to function effectively, it is important to correctly complete all the installation steps. An important role is played by the laying of insulation. Work begins with surface preparation:
- fixing large cracks;
- base leveling;
- arrangement of waterproofing- the material is laid over the entire floor area with an overlap of 15-20 cm, the joints are glued with adhesive tape;
- installation around the perimeter of the room damper polystyrene foam tape. It is glued to smooth walls, and to rough walls it is attached with self-tapping screws. The tape should be 2-3 cm higher than the finished floor.
After that, proceed to the laying of thermal insulation. Plates are laid end-to-end, without gaps. To avoid the formation of cold bridges, the joints are treated with a sealant. The fastening method depends on the chosen material.
The subtleties of the connection of insulation with a foil base
Heaters with foil are stacked with a reflective surface up. This ensures the efficient return of heat energy to the interior of the room. During the installation process, care must be taken to correctly connect the individual plates or strips. Ordinary construction tapes and adhesives are unsuitable. You should use a special version of foil tape, with an adhesive backing.
Conclusion
Insulation for a water-heated floor allows you to effectively store heat and guarantee a reduction in energy costs for heating. Additionally, they serve as soundproofing. The materials are presented in a wide range. The choice should be based on the characteristics of the premises and personal preferences.
Creating comfortable conditions in a living room, you need to strive for heat to be distributed evenly throughout the entire volume during heating. As a rule, following the laws of physics, warm air rises, while the floor remains the coldest zone. Often, temperature differences at the upper and lower levels of the human space are very significant. This creates discomfort and can cause colds. Uniform distribution of heat, constantly emanating from below, creates the necessary heat exchange. In order for the heating system to work effectively, thermal insulation for the warm floor is necessary. Today we will conduct a comparative review of various thermal insulation materials.
The warm floor can be used both as an additional heating of the room, and by making it the main heating system.
Why isolate the system?
And really .. why? Let's figure it out:
- Reduces natural heat loss through the coldest surface in the room to the outside or into the ground. Under normal conditions, the amount of heat loss reaches 20% of their total volume.
- The radiated energy is evenly and rationally distributed around the heating perimeter. At the same time, it is not spent on heating floors and structural elements located below the heated area.
- Energy for additional heating is saved, the cost of heating is reduced.
- Additional sound insulation is created.
- Moisture from the ground or basement is prevented from entering the room through the floor covering.
Factors affecting the choice of thermal insulation
There are three main types of underfloor heating systems: water, infrared and electric. And the use of heat-insulating material directly depends on which of them will be installed. In addition, thermal insulation under a warm floor is selected taking into account the loads affecting the floor covering.
The main characteristics of materials for protection against heat loss can be considered:
- high compressive strength, elasticity;
- a slight degree of deformation when exposed to loads;
- resistance to aggressive environments;
- low thermal conductivity;
- high density (for floor insulation it must be at least 25 kg / m 3);
- minimum moisture absorption.
The correct laying of the thermal insulation layer guarantees the preservation of thermal performance during long-term operation
The main types of thermal insulation of a warm floor
Environmentally friendly dense natural roll insulation. The area of use is limited by the maximum height of the premises (when laying the material, the height of the floor is 3-4 cm) and the high cost of insulation.
A very important nuance - the cork substrate is used only in conjunction with an additional ray-reflecting layer
Polypropylene
Polypropylene in the form of extruded boards: sound and heat insulating coating with a closed cell structure. Not hygroscopic. Good for processing. Withstands temperatures up to 130°C. And they also use expanded polystyrene with an overlay in the form of a polypropylene film:
Styrofoam
Extruded polystyrene foam 50–100 mm thick: the best thermal insulation for underfloor heating. Durable, lightweight, hard, inexpensive material that is resistant to sharply negative and high temperatures and at the same time retains its full properties during long-term operation. This is facilitated by the air filling of the cellular structure.
Expanded polystyrene is not destroyed in an aggressive environment. Does not absorb moisture and does not swell. Resistant to fungal attack, easy to assemble when laying.
Metallized lavsan film
Such a substrate as a coating of expanded polystyrene foam creates reliable protection against floor destruction when interacting with the alkaline environment of the cement-sand screed. Aluminum foil, without coating it with a high-temperature PVC film, is not used due to the instability of the foil layer to corrosion.
Underlayment to prevent heat loss must be laid over the entire surface to be heated, even if no heating pipes are planned to be laid in this place. This is done in order not to violate the integrity of the surface, to ensure the uniformity of the structure, to increase the reliability and strength of the coating.
Please note that whatever material is used as thermal insulation, a quality certificate must be issued for it.
The Expert Says: Testing Various Substrates
The right choice of thermal insulation will not only increase the efficiency of using the "warm floor" system, but also extend the life of all its elements, provide comfort and coziness in your home.
Looking for how to make a warm floor correctly? Would you like to delve into the process, and not rely on installers? Looking for underfloor heating? An overview of underfloor heating heaters is offered, it will be told which energy-efficient heater to choose and why it is beneficial. Let's analyze the doubts about the choice and give two types of cost savings calculations to make the right decision.
Underfloor heating is used:
- for heating a cottage or a house without radiators, it is also possible to combine with radiators;
- for heating floor coverings made of ceramic tiles or other materials and comfortable feeling for human feet.
Warm floor, based on this, it happens:
- water;
- electric.
Now we will talk about water floor heating systems and their component - a heater for a water heated floor. We will also consider with calculations the effect of insulation on heat loss.
Why do you need underfloor heating?
Insulation is used during installation and provides maximum heat transfer from the warm floor. Thermal insulation must meet the following characteristics:
- Create maximum heat flow upwards.
- Ensure that there is no heat loss down to the floor slabs.
- Do not break down over time.
Imagine the structural composition It consists of:
- Concrete base of floor slabs.
- Waterproofing.
- Lateral.
- Insulation for underfloor heating.
- Distribution of pipes with a heat carrier.
- Screeds with plasticizer.
- Floor finish.
The minimum thickness of the screed is about 50 mm.
Types of underfloor heating
The main types of insulation:
- Styrofoam board 2 cm without coating.
- 2 cm styrofoam board with coated bosses.
- Styrofoam 2-10 cm smooth plate with a quarter.
A foil substrate for underfloor heating with markings 3-5 mm thick is used during installation, but it is not a heater.
It is worth using a plate with coated bosses rather than uncoated ones. The cheaper coated slab requires additional anchor plates to hold the pipes between the bosses.
Smooth is interesting for its price and is used not only for underfloor heating, but also for warming the foundation, basements, building facades. Just on such smooth plates with a quarter, you can lay a foil substrate with markings and mount the pipe using fasteners.
Doubts about the choice of insulation
To remove all doubts by choice heater for underfloor heating Let's look at the financial side of the issue. To do this, we will calculate the warm floor of a room of 50 sq.m. All installers advise a 2 cm coated slab with bosses worth 600 rubles per square. The total cost of such a heater is about 30,000 rubles. If you add another 4 cm of smooth slabs with a quarter, then it will cost 150 rubles per square meter, and in total it will be 7,500 rubles. This amount of "savings" is what we are talking about. This is only a plus of 25% to the cost, but we will calculate what final result we will get. We will make calculations in the program for underfloor heating for two rooms:
- Room 1 is the right option for choosing thermal insulation.
- Room 2 is the standard version of the insulation.
room 2
Let's start with him. We set the standard type of flooring under unheated basements, the pipe pitch is 20 cm, the room temperature is +20 ° C, the layers above the pipes and the layers under the pipes with 2 cm insulation. Heat carrier temperature +40 °С. After calculation, the program gives standard normative data, except for the downward heat flow, which is 58 W/sq.m., which is comparable to the upward flow. It can be concluded that with this option, the lower floor slab is heated.
room 1
We set all the same data, only in the layers under the pipes we provide additional thermal insulation of the floor with polystyrene foam 35 density 40 mm thick. After the calculation, the program gives a result with an increased heat flux upwards and reduced by a factor of three to 18 W/sq.m. flow down. And this will give real savings in money.
On the calculated room of 50 squares, we lose 2 kW! If we translate this into money when heating with gas at average Russian prices for blue fuel, we get 2268 rubles. in year. The simple payback period for additional costs for more efficient insulation is 3.3 years.
Why you shouldn't skimp on floor insulation
When calculating, we used the minimum cost of natural gas for the consumer. If we consider more expensive energy sources, diesel fuel or electricity, the simple payback period decreases significantly and can be one heating season.
What are the other benefits of energy efficient heaters:
- They allow you to make excellent thermal insulation of the floor of a house or cottage, which leads to the overall energy efficiency of the house and brings its characteristics closer to passive houses.
- Raises the energy efficiency class of the house, which increases the value of the property.
- It makes it possible to install dispatching and control systems, including underfloor heating.
Main conclusions:
- When using heaters of small thickness, heat is lost in the lower direction. The heat loss is comparable to the heat flow up into the room.
- Insulation of the required calculated thickness pays off on average for 3 years of operation of a warm floor when using natural gas as an energy source.
How to choose thermal insulation
The choice of insulation can be made according to the following criteria:
- Recommendations from experts and sellers.
- Online reviews on YouTube.
- The price factor.
- Brand fame.
One of the main qualities of the future underfloor heating is not only comfort, but its efficient heat transfer and reasonable costs for heating the coolant. Insulation with a thickness of 6 cm or more will provide an energy-efficient solution for underfloor heating systems and will provide significant savings in just a few years.
Hurry up to make a smart choice!
The basic system of underfloor heating is very complex and extensive, it includes several systematizations of various details, each of which performs its task. Choosing the right and the right water heating system is only part of our task. In addition, you need to choose a heater for a warm water floor, which will significantly increase the level of heat retention by several times, which, in turn, will significantly save electricity. Also, when choosing the right insulation and using a special foil base, there is a unique opportunity to save heat perfectly, making it difficult for it to penetrate downward.
Insulation for underfloor heating, the price of which depends on the material from which it is made, can be the most diverse, but the most famous is expanded polystyrene, which is a material similar in properties to polystyrene, but with much more practical performance characteristics. To form an insulating layer, a sheet of expanded polystyrene at least 3 cm thick is used. In order to ensure that all connections between the sheets do not transmit energy and are as dense as possible, they are reinforced with a polymer web, which includes a reinforcing mesh.
If during the installation of the insulation a substrate under water-heated floors is used, your floor will have excellent resistance to moisture, and, moreover, will have a long service life. The following points are essential components of the most effective water floor heating:
- A screed or concrete base that will retain and trap heat on its way down;
- Foil thermal insulation under a water heated floor, reflecting heat back into the heated room. A water heated floor, the substrate of which is facing the room with the foil side, significantly reduces heat loss and increases the temperature in the room.
- Insulation for underfloor heating, which retains maximum energy, reducing electricity consumption.
In specialized stores, you can purchase insulation for a warm water floor already with special markings applied. Such sheets of expanded polystyrene are already ready to work, you just need to remove the excess. The standard size of such sheets is 50x50cm, but if you have access directly to the manufacturers, then you can order sheets of absolutely any size.
Foiled expanded polystyrene with markings Highly qualified specialists understand that properly installed underfloor heating is the key to saving energy indoors, since a floor installed without insulation can incur about 25% of heat loss in winter. Therefore, in order to reduce costs and save heat, it is necessary to use a reliable insulation under a water-heated floor.
What is the purpose of the heater?
Competent installation of storey ceilings consists in the need to install heat-insulating materials, otherwise, after a certain time, condensation may form on the surface of your floor and in places where the floor is in contact with the outer walls. Due to the increased amount of moisture on the internal surfaces of the floors, unpleasant black mold and fungal formations will appear, all this can negatively affect the structure itself, as well as the health of people living in the house.
To prevent all of the above from happening, you need to carefully design the thermal insulation of your home, install high-quality insulation for water heated floors and take other necessary measures to minimize heat loss anywhere in the heated room.
Insulation for underfloor heating has an important function in operation. It consists in reducing, where there is no need for it, the radiation of thermal energy. Thus, the flow of warm air is fixed at one rate, which reduces the cost of electricity during the operation of the floor heating system, while the power of the water heated floor remains unchanged.
Direction of heat flow in different heating systems What materials should be used?
To date, the choice of necessary materials is not small. The underlay for a warm water floor, as well as thermal insulation for a warm water floor, are sold in specialized stores where you can buy all the necessary materials at once. Let's just say that our plates for a warm water floor must necessarily be either mineral wool or expanded polystyrene. For each such material, special thermal insulation installation schemes have been developed, taking into account the main features of their application. For example, heat-insulating boards for underfloor heating have such qualities as high heat-insulating and sound ability, excellent water-repellent properties, fire resistance, etc.
As for mineral wool, it is worth noting that it can be of two types: a solid slab and a flexible mat. The heat transfer of a warm water floor when using mineral wool is maximum, but most importantly, it does not ignite. If you have used an aluminum substrate for a warm water floor, then in principle flexible mineral wool as a heater will be enough to obtain the maximum efficiency of the water floor.
Mineral wool board has an exceptional feature. The front side of such plates is marked with a blue stripe, and when laying this blue stripe should be on top. The base for a warm water floor can be either concrete or wooden, but with a wooden base it is necessary to insulate to a greater extent in order to avoid high heat loss.
In addition to the main heating system, you can use Energoflex for underfloor heating. This high-quality material is a ready-made thermal insulation system that can significantly reduce installation time. It is mainly used in case of an unexpected, but short-term need for heating.
