The choice of laminate for the underfloor heating system in the bedroom-nursery
Hello! Please tell me which version of the laminate to choose: the room does not have a heated floor, but we want to install it, which option is better to choose? Room 12 sq. M. m. (bedroom), in the future will be like a nursery. The floor is concrete, not very even. Perhaps you tell me which option to do so that it does not fly into the wild amount of money and does not force to make a new screed.
Alexei
Expert Answer
Hello, Alexey.
The laminate, which is laid on the underfloor heating system, has higher requirements than the ordinary coating. And this is due to the fact that the material must be more resistant to high temperature and have good thermal conductivity. In your case, the laminate should also be as environmentally friendly as possible, since it is planned to be used not just in the living room, but in the bedroom or the nursery.
The first thing that is usually recommended to pay attention to is the wear resistance class. In this case, the brand of laminate should bother you last. The bedroom belongs to the least loaded rooms, so you can use the material of any class. It is much more important that its structure is not loose, but as dense as possible - in this case, the thermal conductivity of the material will be maximum. Manufacturers provide such coatings with special designations on the packaging, indicating the possibility of their use for underfloor heating. Below we give an example of such marking, although in practice the icons may look differently as well - a common standard does not exist.
An even more important factor is the formaldehyde content, the vapors of which are unsafe for health. Under normal operating conditions, the laminate never heats up to the temperature at which the panels begin to emit harmful substances. In the case of a warm floor, no one can guarantee that one day something will go wrong (for example, the thermostat breaks) and the coating starts to overheat. In general, in order to be safe, you should choose a coating of class E0 or E1 - the formaldehyde content there is minimal.
And the last thing you should consider is that the thickness of the panels should not exceed 8 mm, and the substrates should not exceed 3 mm. Remember: the thicker the laminate, the worse it conducts heat and the less effective the heating will be. For the same reasons, you should choose the most dense perforated substrates.
As for the second part of your question, in case of significant irregularities (difference of more than 3 mm per 1 linear meter of surface), the laminate will quickly become worthless. We recommend that you make alignment with any type of bulk floor. This will not entail significant material and time costs, but will make the coating more durable. As for the type of underfloor heating, the most environmentally friendly option is best suited for the bedroom - infrared film. Among other things, it does not require a concrete screed and is best suited for laminate flooring.
