Warm floor under vinyl laminate. Is it possible to lay infrared heated flooring on top of ceramic tiles and lay vinyl laminate on top? The most durable laminate

One of the modern methods of floor insulation is infrared heating. This unique technology has its own distinctive characteristics and advantages over other types of heated floors.

Infrared floors are perfect for installation under laminate. Before purchasing them, you should understand all the features of floor insulation using this method and choose the best option for your room.

Advantages and disadvantages

Laminate is a multi-layer floor covering consisting of a wood base and paper impregnated with resins. Therefore, such a coating should not be heated too much. Another nuance is that laminate does not conduct heat well enough. It is recommended to choose warm floors taking these details into account.

Infrared floors are classified as electric heated floors. There are two technologies for floor heating with infrared radiation - using film and using cable.

Both types have their own characteristics. Overall, infrared radiation evenly warms the floor surface. During its operation, the air in the room does not become dry. The heating process is activated immediately after the system is turned on. Thanks to a special thermostat, you can maintain a comfortable temperature in your home.

Cable heated floors are more suitable for laying under tiles. The advantage of this floor is that it does not heat up the furniture and is suitable for wet rooms. However, to install it, you need to make a screed on the floors. In case of breakdowns, in order to repair the floor, you will need to dismantle the floor. The cable system has a high price and high energy consumption.

Infrared film has its advantages. It can be laid under light floor coverings such as laminate, carpet, linoleum. Its installation is convenient and does not take much time. It works without noise or vibration.

Infrared film is a sheet covered with plastic film on both sides. Heaters are placed inside it; their composition can be carbon or metal. This film emits long-wave infrared rays. You can use both the main and additional heating systems.

The positive and negative aspects of using film technology should be considered.

Pros:

Installation does not require laying a cement screed on the floor;
Thin film material does not increase the thickness of the floor;
With proper installation and rational use, it saves energy, the efficiency is more than 75%;
Has a reasonable price;
It is possible to heat certain places or rooms;
Infrared rays heat the flooring, then the heat spreads to the furniture. There will be no drafts or dust from them;

Not afraid of low temperatures. Can be installed at the dacha and turned off for a while;
Begins to emit heat immediately after connecting to the network;
Can be installed in various premises and rooms - it can be a private house, cottage, apartment, office, garage and others;
Quick installation from one to several days. You can install and connect the entire system yourself;
Provides uniform heating of the room. Heat does not escape to the ceiling, which helps save energy. The floors are always warm;
Reliability. High-quality samples have a ten-year guarantee and rarely break. But the thermostat and temperature sensor will have to be replaced during this time;
When moving, you can quickly disassemble and reinstall in a new location.

Minuses:

Smooth surfaces are required for installation;
Heats furniture close to the floor;
It should not be chosen as the main source of heat, as there will be high energy consumption;
Will not function if the power supply is turned off.

A detailed study of the characteristics of the film floor, accurate calculation of the area and competent planning of the heating zone, proper installation and use are a guarantee of the durability of infrared floors.

Characteristics

The structure of the infrared floor includes the following components:

The film contains elements that conduct electric current - these are strips of copper and silver. They act as conductors of current to the heating elements;
The insulating material acts as a waterproofing and insulation material, reflecting heat to the top. There are insulation materials made from cork, isolon, penofol, liquid composites, and expanded polystyrene;
The thermostat controls all activities of the infrared floor, optimizes depending on the mode;
The temperature sensor serves as a fuse against overheating and transmits temperature data to the thermostat;
Fastenings: bitumen insulators, tape, PVC film and others.

Technical capabilities:

film thickness – within 0.2-0.4 mm, width from 50 to 100 cm;
infrared heater power – 220 W/m2;
wavelength from 5 to 20 micrometers;
energy consumption, on average, 35 W per square meter;
power supply – 220-230V with a frequency of 50Hz;
warming up from 5 minutes;
ions with a negative charge are released;
minimal electromagnetic radiation.

Principle of operation

As noted above, a heated floor system includes a thermostat, a temperature sensor for the floor, and heaters. The thermostat is mounted on the wall, usually next to the outlets. Electricity is supplied to it. After connecting to the network, the heating process begins. Electric current is supplied to the device and passes through the heating elements. In heating elements it is converted into thermal energy. From the emitter it transfers to double-sided film. The film begins to spread thermal waves. The floor surface is heated, then all objects in the room are heated. The thermostat helps set the required temperature using data from the temperature sensor.

You determine the operating mode yourself. You can turn on the floor heating only when necessary or leave it on all day long.

Kinds

You should understand and compare films for heated floors. So, according to the level of heating they are divided:

Low temperature samples are heated to 25-30C, ideal for laying under laminate and similar coatings. Suitable as an element of additional or local heating;
High temperature models - heat up to 50-55C, they can be used as the main source of heating and laid under expanded clay and tiles. Suitable for saunas.

According to the heating element, they are distinguished:

Carbon The heater is a carbon paste with additives. The film is based on lavsan; it has good elasticity and strength. Such films can be installed on both vertical and horizontal surfaces. There are two types of carbon films: striped and continuous coated. In the first option, the paste is applied in the form of strips, their widths are different, the strips form blocks, and they have a parallel connection. With continuous spraying, the paste is applied to the entire surface of the film. It also has a block structure.
Metal heater made of aluminum and copper. At the base there is a double film of polyurethane. This type of film is not recommended to be laid under tiles and heated above 26-27C. There is no way to connect the ground wire.

In terms of energy consumption, when choosing a film, you need to take into account the area of application and the material.

Which laminate is suitable?

Laminate flooring has good thermal insulation, and its thickness can also vary. Therefore, not all types of laminate are compatible with an infrared heating system.

When selecting a laminate, it is worth considering the following factors:

Marking. Manufacturers mark with a special icon material suitable for infrared heating. The maximum heating temperature and the recommended underfloor heating system are prescribed.
Laminate class determines its wear resistance and strength. Laminate class 32-33 is perfect for warm film floors.

Insulation characteristics determine the thermal resistance coefficient of the laminate. High ratio means high resistance. For infrared floors, samples with low indicators for this parameter, with small thickness and density are suitable. If the laminate is dense, then the underfloor heating system will spend more energy to warm it up, and the heat will flow more slowly;
Type of lamella connection. The connection method can be glued or locking. You should prefer a locking one, which, in turn, can have driven and snap locks;
Heating temperature material and the amount of formaldehyde. The maximum threshold is 27 C.

The underlay compensates for floor roughness. It also should not have a high thermal insulation coefficient. The optimal thickness is from one to three millimeters.

There are different opinions about whether vinyl laminate is suitable for infrared flooring. Roughly speaking, this coating is a mixture of laminate and linoleum, made from polyvinyl chloride. It itself is very warm and without a heating system. It can be used for different rooms. Vinyl laminate is resistant to moisture, you can lay it in a sauna, bathhouse, or bathtub.

In general, vinyl flooring does not require additional heating. But if you decide to insulate such floors, then an infrared film system will come in handy.

Choose models with a locking connection, and not with an adhesive base. The maximum heating temperature of the vinyl covering should not be higher than 40 C. Carpets should not be laid in the room and furniture should not be placed close to the floor.

How to choose?

If the choice fell on infrared floors as the source of the main heating, it is necessary to cover 70-75% of the area of the room or space with them. If you prefer it as an additional source of heat, then by 40%. It all depends on the climate in your area of residence. In regions with a predominance of cold temperatures, infrared floors will not be able to provide full heating as the main source. Therefore, determine the area to be covered in advance, before purchasing films.

For the home, a canvas with a width of 50-60 cm is often chosen. For other rooms, be it an office or a sauna, wider samples are used.

It is better to equip an oblong room with two strips with a separate connection. The permissible length for each strip must be indicated on the material packaging.

The location of the heated floor is very important. For the kitchen area, toilet, and bathroom, you should choose a laminate flooring treated with moisture-resistant substances.

Pay attention to quality certificates, warranty period, how safe the material is, what it is made of, and where it is recommended to be used.

If you want to save time and effort, then there is an alternative option - purchasing a ready-made combined product - laminate with films. This product has three layers. Heating elements are placed between the substrate and the laminate. The entire structure is laid at the same time. The system is completely ready for installation; you just need to connect the wires between the heaters and snap the locks.

Where to put it?

As mentioned above, film heated floors can be installed in all rooms: kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, toilet, bathhouse, sauna, office, garage and others. If you plan to move, then dismantling the floors will not be difficult; they can be reused. But it is worth remembering that it is not placed under massive furniture without legs, under cabinets, walls and others.

In addition, films can be installed both on the floor and on the wall, on inclined surfaces. In agriculture, it is used to insulate barns, greenhouses, and incubators.

Infrared film can be placed not only indoors, but also on loggias and balconies. Building regulations do not allow central heating to be installed in these areas. Warm floors for the balcony do not need to be installed. You can create comfort and warmth on the balcony just by laying out thermal insulation and covering it with a rug.

When the warm season comes, you simply turn off the system.

Installation rules

The technology for laying the films we are considering has its own characteristics. If you decide to install the underfloor heating system yourself, first read the installation instructions.

According to a number of experts, quartz vinyl tiles and heated floors are not a very rational combination. Constant thermal exposure of the material can lead to accelerated wear. In addition, it itself is quite warm. Such arguments should be taken into account, but if you think that the house needs additional heating, feel free to start choosing a heating system. When the installation is carried out taking into account all the manufacturer’s requirements, this will not significantly affect the service life of the quartz vinyl coating. But the level of comfort will increase significantly.

What kind of coating is this

The basis of this relatively new PVC material on the domestic market is quartz sand, from which 60 to 80% of the product is formed. Quartz vinyl tiles for heated floors boast the highest strength and durability, are not afraid of moisture, fire and are practically not erased. Externally, it can look like any modern coating, from laminate to granite or marble. The product is multilayer and consists of the following components:

Transparent polyurethane that protects the surface from deformation and scratches.
Decorative film that gives the material texture.
The main layer of quartz vinyl, providing proper strength and stability.
Fiberglass reinforcement.
Vinyl layer responsible for balance.

Laying heated floors

Warm floors under quartz vinyl tiles can be either electric (cable, film) or water. The main thing is that the operating temperature does not exceed the level specified by the coating manufacturer. When it comes to installing heating for a private home, a pipe system is often installed.

Installation of a water structure

The easiest way is to lay pipes on a concrete screed. If the old surface is fairly flat, you don’t have to fill in a new layer, but limit yourself to eliminating defects with building materials. Insulating material is spread over the entire heated area. The pipes are pulled around the room in a “snail” or “snake” manner, observing the step indicated in the installation diagram, after which they are fixed to the base. The system is tested and filled with finishing screed. Once the concrete has completely set, you can begin laying the material.

If it is not possible to lay a heated floor under a vinyl laminate on a cement base, there is an option to fix the pipes on a wooden surface. The contour is placed in channels specially made on the boards and covered with plywood boards on top. This option is not suitable for electrical cables due to fire safety requirements. When it comes to heating an apartment, water equipment is contraindicated here.

Electrical systems installation

Obtaining permission to install floor pipes in a multi-storey building with central heating is almost impossible. You will have to choose between a cable (“bare” or built into mats) and infrared film. In the first case, the installation is carried out according to the “pipe” scheme: the base is leveled, insulation is spread, the cable is laid out, fixed and connected to the thermostat, tested, and covered with a screed.

If you choose film heated flooring under a vinyl floor, you only need to carefully lay the material and connect it to the thermostat correctly. The tiles can be installed without any “intermediaries”, directly on the surface. For such an installation, products with a locking connection should be used. In other cases, it is easier and cheaper to fix with glue. More useful information on this topic can be found on our website.

Is it possible to lay tiles on an IR heated floor (infrared heated floor)?

An infrared film heated floor can be laid under a quartz-vinyl Fine Floor, provided that soft foam substrates are not used, which decrease in thickness under the influence of a vertical local load (for example, from the cabinet legs). Here we take into account that quartz-vinyl flooring does not distribute the load and transfers it entirely to the base. Manufacturers of heated floors recommend laying a thick soft foil backing in order to avoid unnecessary heat losses on an uninsulated screed and hide wires and terminals in it without gating.
Application is possible if you replace the thick substrate:

1. On a thin cork technical substrate with an additional layer of foil membrane and deepen the wires and terminals.
2. Without the use of a backing, on an insulated screed with a recess for wires and terminals. In this case, heat losses increase, but the “warm floor” is protected from overheating and burnout.
3. On the foil membrane, in this case the infrared radiation will be reflected into the room.

What is the thermal conductivity of quartz vinyl tiles Fine Floor?

Thermal conductivity of the tile R = 0.25 W/m*K, this indicator characterizes the thermal insulation properties, for us the more important is the thermal conductivity indicator, which shows how quickly the material conducts heat through itself, and the thermal conductivity of quartz vinyl corresponds to wood such as ash, which is why when touched we feel thermal comfort to the surface of the tile.

How long after laying Fine Floor tiles can the “warm floors” be turned on?

Not earlier than 24 hours when installing adhesive quartz vinyl.
Immediately the field of installation of free-standing interlocking quartz vinyl.

How to properly install film heated floors under FineFloor flooring and what should be used?

Base: concrete screed.
1. We lay out the heated floor carpets on the screed and mark with a marker the places where they are joined. In the marked areas we make recesses to hide all the wires and terminals in them.
2. We make holes and remove debris.
3 Lay the film floor. Wires and terminals must be hidden in pre-prepared recesses in the screed and filled with one-component polyurethane sealant to create a smooth surface.
4. Lay Fine Floor according to the instructions.

You can arrange furniture immediately after installation, avoiding installing furniture above heated floor mats.

What underfloor heating systems are suitable for FineFloor vinyl tiles?

Fine Floor flooring is suitable for any “warm floor” systems that do not require a thick foam underlay. The temperature on the floor surface is regulated by SanPiN standards and is 27-28 O C. Heating the tile to higher temperatures is possible, but it must be taken into account that the tile becomes more plastic and its technical parameters change, that the adhesive tile, while thermally expanding, does not move into the thermal gaps, but the free-lying interlocking tile moves, so the thermal gaps at the walls are in in this case must be observed.

Often the existing heating system in a house is not enough to create comfortable temperature conditions. A film heated floor can effectively correct this situation, and a suitable covering for it is a laminate. When laying such a floor, there is no need to redo the screed, which saves time and financial resources.

There are many nuances that need to be taken into account when choosing, installing and using such an additional heating system, which we will tell you about in this article.

The film floor heating system is based on the principle of infrared radiation, which is safe for laminate and other sensitive floor coverings (for example).

Infrared film converts electrical energy into thermal energy, then, like the sun, it warms us, objects in the room, and then the air with invisible infrared rays.

At the same time, the heating element itself remains practically cold and thus does not waste energy.

An infrared film floor consists of three main elements, the operation of which is impossible without each other:

Heating polymer film no more than 0.4 mm thick and no more than one meter wide. The conductors are made of an alloy of copper and silver. Through them, the current flows to the graphite strips, which subsequently generate infrared radiation.
Thermostat serves to control and optimize floor performance. Thanks to it, you can program a mode that allows you to efficiently consume thermal energy for a given time.
temperature sensor, which prevents the coating from heating up higher.

The power, depending on the structure and structure of the film, is approximately 120-200 W per 1 square meter. Using a thermostat, the floor surface temperature can be maintained in the region of 26-40 °C.

Advantages and disadvantages

If we compare film floor heating with other electric or water heating, it has a number of significant advantages. First of all, they relate to the simplicity and possibility of self-installation in a short time.

pros

simplicity and speed of installation and dismantling;
the small thickness of the film does not affect the height of the room;
savings in energy consumption up to 30% compared to other floor heating systems;
there is no need to fill the screed during installation;
does not dry out the air in the room;
uniform heating of the room without temperature differences below and above;
when heated, an electromagnetic field is not created that negatively affects humans;
if one structural element is damaged, the system continues to operate, only the damaged section needs to be replaced;
You can use the floor immediately after laying the laminate;
with proper operation, the service life can reach 50 years.

Minuses

Since the infrared floor does not require very high temperatures, deformation of the laminate is excluded. To some extent, this can be considered a disadvantage of such a system, since it is impossible to increase the heating efficiency.
A film floor can only serve as an additional means of heating. The remaining electric and water heating can claim the place of a full-fledged heating agent.
Before buying a laminate, you need to make sure by special markings that this type of flooring can be laid on a heated floor.

Laying principle

Installing an infrared floor is easy, but before installation you must make accurate calculations and become familiar with the sequence of the work process. This will make it possible to avoid mistakes that may not give the expected result. Installation and connection require certain electrical skills.

Conditions for proper use

In order for the floor to last for many years, certain rules must be followed.

When installing it The thickness of the material must be at least 8 mm so that the lamellas do not deform due to elevated temperatures.
After installation You should keep the room at the same temperature for 3 days.
During operation, It is important that the room has constant humidity - 50–70%. At high humidity, the laminate can swell, and at low humidity it can dry out.
When does the heating season start?, the temperature must be carefully regulated. Heat the floor gradually, increase the power by 4–6 o C per day. Due to sudden temperature changes, the coating material may become deformed.

Also when working with the floor you need:

do not lay thermal film in a room with high humidity;
do not fasten the film with nails and screws;
do not install the infrared floor near heating devices;
do not install at sub-zero temperatures;
do not use the same floor heating system in rooms with different climatic conditions;
Be sure to do grounding.

Price

Installing an infrared floor is more affordable compared to other insulation technologies. On average, 1 m 2 of a high-quality kit (film, terminals, wires) for installation costs 1200–1400 rubles. The larger the area of the room, the cheaper it will cost per square meter.

In addition, you should consider:

cost of waterproofing;
heat reflector (from 100 rubles per meter);
thermostat (from 2400 rubles).

For comparison, the price for film heated floors can be found in Yandex.Market.

Let's sum it up

Film flooring is an effective means of additional heating and is well suited for installation in residential buildings, including city apartments. Unlike conventional radiators, this system does not dry out the air. Simplicity of installation makes it possible to install it yourself in a short time.

For several years now, quartz vinyl flooring, also popularly called “quartz-vinyl,” has occupied a strong place in the fashion of flooring. This is not accidental, not only because the line of these coatings includes an alternative to the classic wooden laminate pattern - an imitation of natural stone, but also because it has high wear resistance, moisture resistance and safety for health. The only disadvantage of this coating is its high thermal conductivity (almost like ceramic tiles), which means you can’t really walk on it barefoot, it’s too cold. In this regard, of course, cork coverings win. But you can always turn this minus into a big plus, for this you just need to lay a warm floor under it, it will heat up almost instantly, compared to the same laminate and especially cork (about 5-10 minutes, depending on the thickness , type, floor power and thermal insulation technology), accordingly, it will consume less electricity than the same heated floor under laminate or cork.

Now the question arises: what kind of warm floor is suitable for quartz-vinyl tiles? In order to choose a warm floor, we first need to decide on the type of quartz-vinyl coating; at the moment there are two of them:

1. Quartz-vinyl tiles, which are glued directly to the rough screed or self-leveling floor;

2. Interlocking quartz vinyl (assembled like laminate).

In the first option, where the tiles are glued to the floor, we use, or, you can use, that is, everything that is filled with a screed or self-leveling floor after installation, a heating film will not work here, because quartz vinyl will not stick to it, and there will be connections stick out. The technology briefly looks like this:

1. Lay the heated floor,

2. Fill it with screed or self-leveling floor (it adheres better to self-leveling floor - fewer pores),

3. After the screed/self-leveling floor has completely dried, glue the quartz-vinyl tiles,

4. Enjoy the result visually and warm your heels.

In the second option with interlocking quartz vinyl coating, everything is much simpler - we use the following technology:

2. Place it on it and secure it with tape,

3. We assemble quartz-vinyl (like laminate),