Spot Heating Mats: These mats come in fixed sizes and are used to heat specific high-traffic areas of a floor (think the area in front of a vanity or outside of your tub/shower).The cost is higher, but savings in time and the performance benefits of an integrated system, may be worth it. With a system like Warmboard there is no waiting and once your floor is down you are ready to go. Warmboard-R is installed over an existing subfloor or slab, but is also used in walls or ceilings when the original floors should remain intact. Warmboard-R is a smaller, thinner panel ideal for remodels and retrofits. It is designed to be used in new construction, and is regularly installed directly over a floor joist. Warmboard-S is a structural subfloor and radiant panel in one. All-in-One OptionĪnother option is to install a self-contained system like Warmboard. Once the wait period is over, turn on the heat, kick off your shoes, and reward your feet with comforting warmth. That's because the mortar has to completely cure first. You'll be anxious to turn on the heat, but you have to wait 28 days. The sensor turns off the heat when the floor reaches its programmed temperature. You'll need to place the heated floor sensor somewhere in the floor and tile over it. Just be careful so your trowel doesn't catch and pull the mesh or clip the cable. You simply trowel the thin-set mortar over the heating mat, then lay the tile. Installing the tile over the radiant floor system is no different from installing it over cement board without the floor system. This story offer step-by-step instructions for a quality tile job. Lay the TileĪll that's left now is installing the tile. Connect the thermostat to the floor cable. Install the circuit, then install the thermostat that turns on the heated floor. In most cases, you'll need to run a new circuit on a 15 or 20 amp breaker. The heating cable must be GFCI protected. The circuit should not already having lighting, an exhaust fan, or a whirlpool pump on it. For a small room, it may be possible to tap into an existing circuit to power the heated floor. If you don't feel comfortable working with electricity, you'll need to call in a pro for this part of the job. Make certain the cable lies flat and does not overlap itself. If needed, you can cut the plastic, and only the plastic, with a utility knife or scissors. By ultra careful to only staple the plastic part. Otherwise, use a hand stapler to tack the mat in place. Some mats have double-sided tape so you can stick the mat to the floor. Place the mat so the cable connection is near the wall where the thermostat will be located. Once the cement board is installed, cover the seams with mesh cement board tape, then spread thin-set mortar over the top with a wide putty knife or flat trowel. Keep the cement board 1/4-inch from walls. Screw it down with 1-1/4-inch cement board screws, which are corrosion resistant and have heads that sit flush with the cement board surface. Place the cement board in the mortar with the rough side up. Trowel on the mortar with a 1/4-inch notched trowel. Adhere the backer board to the subfloor with thin-set mortar. This movement in the plywood can cause the grout to crack. (This article explains how to cut it.) Cement board is a better choice than plywood because the latter can expand and contract as the in-floor heat is turned on and off. Install cement backer board over the subfloor, just like you'd do for a regular tile job. When the cables are turned on, they work like an electric blanket to warm up the floor. The systems typically consist of thin heating cables integrated into a plastic mat, which is installed between the subfloor and the floor covering. These are easier to install than water systems and less expensive, costing about $70 for a 3 ft. The drawback to this system is you need a boiler or water heater capable of providing enough hot water.Īnother option is a radiant heat system, which uses electricity. You can install the plastic tubing to the underside of the floor. This can be used when installing new floors, and it's also an option when the floor covering is already installed but you have access to the underside of the subfloor. Some use hot water that runs through flexible tubing. Good thinking installing that in-floor heating system.Ī variety of in-floor heating systems are available. But you're not greeted by a frigid floor-instead, soothing heat seeps up from beneath you. It's a cold winter's morning as your creep into the bathroom.
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