As a cost-effective and cozy heating option, infrared underfloor heating is gaining popularity among homeowners. This contemporary heating solution is perfect for areas with tile flooring because it is not only energy-efficient but also distributes warmth evenly. Although installing infrared heating beneath tiles can seem difficult, it can actually be a simple process if you have the right advice.
It’s crucial to gather all required tools and materials before beginning. A thermostat, an insulating layer, an infrared heating film, and tiles, of course, are necessities. If there are any special guidelines or recommendations, be sure to review the manufacturer’s instructions. To guarantee a seamless installation process, it’s also essential to properly prepare your workspace.
To maximize the efficiency of the heating system and prevent heat loss, start by installing the insulation layer. The infrared heating film can be arranged in accordance with the design of the room once the insulation is installed. To ensure even heat distribution, precise planning and measurement will help prevent any gaps or overlaps in the heating film.
Now that the heating film is in place, the electrical parts need to be connected. Use caution when performing this step, and seek professional advice if you’re not sure you know how to handle electricity. You can begin laying the tiles over the heating film as soon as the connections are tight. Be cautious not to ruin the film in the process.
Connecting the system to a thermostat and testing it are the last steps after the tiles are installed. By doing this, you’ll be able to regulate the temperature and make sure the system is operating properly. Savor the warmth and efficiency of your newly installed infrared underfloor heating system for many years to come.
- Is it possible to lay?
- In what situations is this impossible?
- Requirements for ceramic coating
- Requirements for the IR system
- Preparing the base
- Methods, rules and nuances of installation
- Connection features
- The laying of the system on top
- Difficulties and errors
- Pros and cons
- Video on the topic
- In detail about the installation of infrared underfloor heating
- Features of laying infrared underfloor heating under tiles
- DIY installation of infrared film under tiles. Step-by-step installation instructions
Is it possible to lay?
It is important to inform you that infrared film, which was "invented" and started to be produced in South Korea, can be installed dry—that is, without the need for adhesives—under laminate. Despite the wide variety of infrared underfloor heating options available today, the majority of them lack grounding.
This implies that a short circuit will happen if IR water gets on the film. It is crucial to select the appropriate heating material and place it beneath the tiles because nobody will appreciate it if the ground beneath their feet begins to shock them. It is best to leave such work to experts because it is not as simple as it sounds.
Despite the risks involved, many choose to heat their rooms using infrared flooring beneath tiles because of the following benefits:
- saving electricity;
- small installation thickness;
- uniform heating over the entire floor area.
Though there are ways for home experts to install infrared heated floors beneath tiles, you should consider the furniture that will be in the room beforehand.
In what situations is this impossible?
In high-humidity rooms like bathrooms, kitchens, and toilets, it is impossible to install IR flooring without grounding beneath the tiles. You should also keep in mind that:
- IR film has low adhesion. If you pour a screed directly on it, the latter will be floating, since it will not “grasp” the film firmly enough to lay tiles on top
- Solutions and adhesives that are used for laying tiles, with an alkaline environment. The latter will gradually begin to corrode the film, which will also lead to a short circuit or sparking.
Requirements for ceramic coating
Underfloor heating systems work well with any type of ceramic tile, including IR films. It heats up fast, is robust, resistant to high temperatures, and effectively radiates heat. On infrared heated floors, porcelain tiles can also be installed. They are heat-resistant, do not distort, and do not release any toxic gases when heated.
For even and effective heating, laying infrared underfloor heating beneath tiles is a simple but exact process. To stop heat loss, the floor must first be prepared by making sure it is level and clean. Next, an insulating layer must be laid. Subsequently, the thermostat is linked to the infrared heating film, making sure that all electrical connections are tight. Ultimately, the film is covered with a layer of protection before the tiles are put in place on top, creating a cozy, easy-to-manage, and energy-efficient floor.
Requirements for the IR system
Safety is the primary requirement. There are infrared films with grounding available these days, but they cost more than usual. Solid carbon options should be prioritized if you decide against using the less expensive heated floor option. Although these films cost more, they are safer, more durable, and have a longer shelf life.
You have the option of standard "striped" infrared films, but there are also self-regulating premium and standard budget options available. Standard films have a 10–25 year shelf life, depending on the quality of the raw material used to make them.
As an illustration, solid infrared films have a 25–50 year service life.
Recently, self-regulating infrared heated floors have hit the market. They are unique in that they save electricity by lowering their power when the temperature reaches its maximum, which is between 50 and 60 °C.
Preparing the base
IR films are extremely sensitive to variations in the base’s height or to flaws in it.
If the floor is brand-new, cleaning it of debris will suffice; however, if there are minor flaws, like cracks, it is preferable to use a self-leveling solution to get rid of them.
Only a level surface may be used to install the system.
You must proceed with waterproofing the base after it has been prepared. This can be accomplished with a simple polyethylene film that is taped in place and laid overlapping around the whole perimeter of the floor. Thermal insulation is the next most crucial component of any warm floor.
You must apply a layer of foil material, such as isolon, to ensure that the heat is directed solely upward toward the tiles and is not wasted on warming the subfloor. The flooring can be heated quickly and to a high standard thanks to a coating that can reflect up to 90–95% of the heat towards the tile.
Not only must you prepare the base, but you also need to consider the heating film laying plan. It should be laid out, with an outline showing where it will be placed, how many parts need to be cut, where to begin laying, and where the outlets are to be installed. Making a diagram showing how to connect a warm floor to the network is also crucial.
Methods, rules and nuances of installation
There are ways to lay tiles precisely, safely, and for a long time even though this heating material isn’t ideal for that. The following methods can be used to mount an IR warm floor:
- under the tile, putting it on a layer of acrylic glue;
- under a layer of screed;
- Installation under the CSP (cement-stoves), on which the tile is then glued.
Important: If you need to install ceramic tiles on a wooden base, you can use the final option for applying IR film.
The simplest method is to place it on acrylic adhesive. In order to place a warm floor on it, you must:
Get the supplies ready:
- IR film. To lay a warm floor in this way, it is better to use solid mats;
- thermostat;
- metal-plastic or corrugated tube with a diameter of 20 mm (0.5-1 m);
- acrylic glue with thermal protection (1 kg/m2);
- contact concrete (0.5 l/m2);
- PV-3 wire 1.5 mm2;
- temperature sensor.
Feature of installation:
- Preparation of the base. With this method of laying a warm floor, the film can be laid either on a screed, or on chipboard, OSB or fiberboard. If the laying is done on a screed, then it must first be vacuumed.
- Cut the film according to the laying scheme. It is unacceptable to lay sheets of IR film overlapping. This can cause a short circuit in the system. It also cannot be bent at an angle or cut in the wrong place.
- Prepare the place and install the thermostat. From it to the floor lay a plastic or corrugated tube with a diameter of 20 mm. The wires will be laid in it.
- Prepare a groove in the floor for laying the temperature sensor so that it comes into contact with the heating element of the film. Since the temperature sensor cannot be changed after laying the tiles, experts advise installing 2 pieces at once – the main one and the spare one.
- Apply insulation in places where the film was cut into pieces.
- Connect the wires to the film using soldering or clamps.
- Check that the wires are connected correctly. In this case, it is important to wait for the film to heat up to check if all its segments are hot. If there are cold areas, you need to check that the wires are connected correctly.
- After checking the operation of the film, you can begin laying it on the glue. To do this, you need to apply a heat-resistant acrylic composition to the marked areas using a spatula. You need to glue in stages: apply a layer 40-50 cm long, put a part of the film of the same length on it, then use a plastic spatula (wing) to remove the remaining air from under it. The smoother the draft floor, the less glue will be required. It takes up to two days to dry out the latter. In no case should you dry it with a hairdryer. Under the influence of warm air, moisture will begin to evaporate from it, due to which air bubbles can form under the film, which will not be possible to remove after the glue hardening.
- Apply concrete contact to improve adhesion of tiles with a film. After it dries completely, which will take at least 6 hours, you can start laying tiles.
The floor with IR film and tiles is an alternative. When laid using a dry technique, it may comprise the subsequent layers:
- black floor with a perfectly flat surface;
- the thermal insulation layer;
- thermal soldier;
- a layer of polyethylene film;
- gypsum-fiber or glass-fruit sheets (you can replace the cement-stove);
- tile glue;
- ceramic tile.
Watch the video below to find out more about how to install a continuous infrared film beneath the tiles:
Connection features
In order to link the system, you must:
- Select a place for a thermostat on the wall.
- Bring the wiring to it.
- Fix the clamps/clips: one side should be inside the cut of the film, and the second on the copper strip. It is better to work with special ticks.
- Clean all cut lines with bitumen isolation. If the film did not have to be cut along the lines indicated by the manufacturers, then the bitumen tape will have to stick the entire cut.
- Install a thermostat.
- Put the wires from all heating elements along the wall towards the thermostat.
- On each wire, cut a piece of insulation.
- Insert the wires into the contact clamps and fix it with pliers.
- Check that they are fixed firmly.
- The places of the entry of wires into the clamps should be sealed with bitumen tape.
- Connect the second ends, according to the instructions and the scheme, to the thermostat.
- Install a temperature sensor and also connect it to the thermostat. External temperature sensors – the "weak" place of the warm floors. In order to easily replace them, you should make a strob under them in the thermal insulation of the floor and in the wall, and put the sensors themselves in the corrugation.
- Check the quality of the connection of each strip, heating them to 30 degrees.
The laying of the system on top
If the film was placed over acrylic glue and then covered with concrete contact, the tiles can be launched 24 hours after the concrete has completely dried. Concrete contact leaves the film’s surface covered in a coarse layer that resembles heavily granular sandpaper. It lays nicely with a tile adhesive solution.
Difficulties and errors
Although applying a heating film may seem simple, adhering to the usage instructions actually calls for experience and attention to detail as the film is not meant for tile laying. As a result, novices may experience challenges at work and make mistakes that are challenging to fix.
Principal drawbacks:
- Laying infrared heating film in rooms with high humidity. The lack of grounding makes the film life-threatening if water gets on it.
- Its installation directly into the screed or adhesive mortar for tiles. These compounds have an alkaline environment, which means that over time they will destroy the polyethylene layer protecting the heating elements, and a short circuit will occur.
- Using aluminum foil as a heat reflector, which is capable of accumulating an electric charge, that is, acting as an internal part as a capacitor, while its external part can be any metal object in the room. By touching it, a person will receive an electric shock.
- Laying strips of film overlapping, which in the event of damage to its protective shell can cause a short circuit. The same thing can happen if you lay underfloor heating wires directly on the substrate. Over time, under the pressure of the tiles, their outer coating wears off, and they become unusable, causing a short circuit or sparks. To prevent this from happening, you need to make recesses in the substrate for the wires.
- Using pliers to clamp the clips. They are not able to qualitatively connect the parts of the clips so as to ensure tight contact, or they can even squeeze the wires. Crimping pliers are needed for the work.
It is best to leave the task of installing IR film beneath the tiles to experts because there may be numerous other flaws.
Pros and cons
This kind of heated flooring has a lot of benefits and supporters. Installing it correctly can provide a low-cost yet efficient means of heating a space. IR film’s primary benefits when applied to tiled floors are as follows:
- The waves it emits easily pass through the tiles, heating them and interior items. They are the ones who warm the air, giving it their heat.
- You can set the desired temperature, creating comfortable living conditions.
- Such a warm floor consumes little electricity.
- When heated, no harmful substances are released.
- The air does not become dry, so there is no need to install humidifiers.
Among the drawbacks, we can mention:
- The use of such warm floors is justified only in small and dry rooms, for example, in corridors, glazed and insulated loggias, balconies, in children"s rooms.
- You cannot lay IR film in places where plumbing is laid or heavy furniture is located. The problem with the latter is that it will not be possible to move it to another place.
- If the infrared film fails, you will have to dismantle all the tiles to find the cause of the breakdown, otherwise a fire may occur.
- Since it is impossible to lay tiles directly on the film, since it has low adhesion, the use of a reinforced layer or plasterboard provides the necessary adhesion of the tiles to the glue, but at the same time reduces the heating capacity of the IR heater.
Step | Description |
1. Preparation | Clean the floor and make sure it is level. |
2. Insulation | Lay down insulation to improve efficiency. |
3. Install Heating Film | Cut and place the infrared heating film according to the layout plan. |
4. Connect Wires | Connect the wires to the heating film and thermostat. |
5. Test System | Test the heating system to ensure it works properly. |
6. Lay Tile | Carefully lay the tiles over the heating film. |
7. Grout and Finish | Apply grout between the tiles and finish the installation. |
Adding infrared underfloor heating beneath tiles is a wise decision for homeowners who want to improve their home’s efficiency and comfort. Many homeowners choose this system because it is a popular choice because it is reasonably easy to install and offers consistent warmth. You can guarantee a successful installation that produces enduring advantages by taking the appropriate actions.
First things first, make sure the subfloor is level, clean, and dry. For the heating system to operate as efficiently as possible, preparation is essential. Next, meticulously arrange the infrared heating mats in accordance with your plan, being sure to properly secure them and prevent any overlaps.
After the mats are installed, attach the wiring to the power source and thermostat. To ensure safety and adherence to electrical standards, this step should be completed meticulously and, if needed, with the assistance of a qualified electrician. Run a test run once the electrical connections are tightened to make sure everything is operating as it should.
At last, proceed with covering the heating mats with tiles. To get a smooth and even finish, use the appropriate adhesive and adhere to standard tiling techniques. To avoid any problems, wait until the adhesive has completely dried before turning on the heating system. You can benefit from infrared underfloor heating’s efficiency and comfort for many years to come with proper planning and implementation.