What kind of substrate for a laminate to choose for a device for a warm water floor
I am repairing a wooden house. He threw out the old floors and made a warm water, then a screed. I want to lay the laminate. Tell me which background to choose. I wanted a cork environmentally friendly, but they said that there would be an effect of 0 from the warm floor, that is, it has good thermal insulation. Tell me what to take?
Valery.
Expert Answer
Hello, Valery.
The information you received regarding the materials for laying the laminate on a warm floor is fully true. The fact is that cork is one of the best heat insulators of natural origin. In a warm floor system, it will prevent the transfer of heat from the water circuit to the finish, so when installing floor heating, this type of substrate is used last.
It would be ideal to lay the laminate directly on the screed, but this is not recommended for many reasons, ranging from the need to eliminate small irregularities in the concrete base and ending with sound insulation. It is best to take a substrate of perforated EPS (extruded polystyrene foam), which is designed specifically for underfloor heating. If you do not find such a material, then you can use sheets of foamed polyethylene - it has the highest heat transfer coefficient among similar materials.
In Europe, when installing TP, a special building board is often used as a substrate, the heat transfer coefficient of which is almost equal to the thermal conductivity of the laminate. We should not forget that the thinner the lining layer is, the more efficient the warm floor will work. That is why the thickness of the substrate should not exceed 2 mm. Of course, this will require maximum accuracy when arranging a sand-cement screed - differences in heights of 1 m should not exceed 1–2 mm.
For specific brands, in practice, Quick-Step Uniclic 2 in 1 or Arbiton Izo Floor Thermo (perforated) - they are just designed for use in underfloor heating systems. In conclusion, I would like to recall that when choosing materials for arranging the final floor, preference should be given to those on the packaging of which there is information that the products are intended for installation together with floor heating systems.
