How is the bulk floor combined with the underfloor heating system in the apartment?
Is it possible to combine bulk floors and floor heating systems in an apartment? Will the quality of the flooring deteriorate from heating?
A warm floor, on the one hand, must retain the heat received from the heating element, and on the other hand, transmit it freely into space. Monolithic self-leveling floors with good thermal stability and thermal conductivity ideally combine these two functions, provided that the heating element and the mixture forming the surface are correctly selected.
Choosing a floor heating system
Given that you are planning to install a bulk heated floor in an apartment, a water floor heating system is unlikely to suit you: its installation in multi-apartment buildings prohibits SNiP on 01/31/2003.
Electric floor heating systems are:
- cable;
- film;
- infrared.
The cable electric floor in the device resembles a water, but the heating element in it, instead of pipes filled with water, is an electric cable that transfers heat to the monolithic layer of the bulk mixture. In those places of the room where the furniture and other stationary interior elements will stand, the cable can not be laid, which will reduce energy costs and increase the safety of the heating system.
Mats for film and infrared underfloor heating systems are the thinnest heating elements built into polymer thermofilm. These systems are simple and convenient to install and operate, but differ in moderate levels of heating compared to water and cable electrical systems.
The choice of mixture type for bulk floor heating
The second most important condition for high efficiency while maintaining the quality of bulk floor heating is the correct choice of the type of mixture.
Three types of bulk floors are distinguished, depending on the main, forming a seamless surface of the film-forming substance, each of which has its own properties.
Polyurethane bulk floors are characterized by excellent elasticity, strength and resistance to temperature extremes. They are not afraid of any mechanical loads and aggressive chemical environments. They go well with any underfloor heating system. The disadvantage is a modest range of decorative possibilities.
Already with a thickness of only 6 mm, epoxy compounds are sufficiently hard, durable, resistant to chemicals, and are easy to clean using any detergents. They differ in a wide color gamut, but are not elastic enough and do not tolerate temperatures well above 25 ° C. With an optimum thickness of 2.5-3 mm, the epoxy self-leveling floor works well with a delicate infrared underfloor heating system.
Methyl acrylate mixes for bulk floors are durable, environmentally friendly, and have a high level of adhesion to any base. Their main advantage is their resistance to the widest temperature range from -70 to + 150 ° С and the speed of complete solidification of the composition within several hours after application. Decorative, perfectly combined with any floor heating system.
Important tip! When choosing a mixture, it is necessary to take into account the intensity of use and the prevailing temperature regime of the future bulk heat-insulated floor. If this will be the only or main heating system, choose a mixture that includes quartz sand or other natural filler.
The third important condition for the effectiveness of a bulk warm floor is the competent application of the composition to the surface, as shown in the video:
As you can see, self-leveling floors are perfectly combined with any floor heating systems, and their durability and preservation of the quality of the coating depends on the correct choice of the composition of the mixture, corresponding to the purpose of the room, and proper care.
