We install heated floors ourselves. Water heated floor. Installation of water heated floor pipes and pouring screed

Having chosen the option of water heated floors, also called hydraulic, for heating, you will have to put a lot of effort into installing them. Of all possible types Water heated floors are the most difficult to install, however, the result is durable, which allows you to achieve greater comfort and savings than a traditional radiator system. You can reduce the cost of installation somewhat if you install a water-heated floor yourself. To do this, it is necessary to purchase all the necessary elements and materials, as well as prepare the floor surface in all rooms involved in accordance with established requirements.

If you have not yet fully decided on the type of heated floor -.

Surface preparation. Features of insulation of the base under a warm floor

The old screed is completely dismantled down to the base. Unlike when installing a heated floor, you should already initial stage level the floor horizontally if there are differences of more than 10 mm.

Important: When using a water heated floor, the device of which has several circuits, the damper tape is also laid along the line between the circuits.

To prevent heat from escaping downwards, it is necessary to insulate the base of the floor. Depending on the location of the room and the type of floor, as well as the target orientation of the heating system, the appropriate insulation is selected:

• If the heated floor is an addition to the main heating system, then it is enough to use foamed polyethylene with a reflective foil coating as a substrate for the heated floor (penofol).
• For apartments with heated rooms on the floor below, it is enough to use sheets of expanded polystyrene or extruded polystyrene foam with a thickness of 20 to 50 mm or other durable insulation of suitable thickness.
• For first-floor apartments with an unheated basement or houses in which the floor is located on the ground, more serious insulation should be used in the form of expanded clay and expanded polystyrene sheets 50-100 mm thick.

Advice: You can use specialized insulation for heated floors. On the one hand, such materials are already equipped with special channels for laying pipes of underfloor heating systems.

A reinforcing mesh is laid on top of the insulation. It is necessary to secure the screed layer that will cover the entire underfloor heating system. Among other things, it is possible to subsequently attach the heated floor pipe to the mesh, instead of using special fastening strips and clips. In this case, ordinary plastic ties are used.

Diagram of the heated floor surface

Selection of materials and necessary devices

Before making a heated floor with your own hands, you should decide on the composition of the equipment and all elements of the system and calculate the materials.

The composition and design of a warm water floor includes the following elements:

1. Water heating boiler;
2. Pressure pump (may be included in the boiler);
3. Ball valves at the boiler inlet;
4. Distribution pipes;
5. A manifold with a system for setting and adjusting heated floors;
6. Pipes for laying on the floor surface;
7. Various fittings for laying the main route from the boiler and connecting underfloor heating pipes to the collector.

The pipe material for water heated floors can be either polypropylene or cross-linked polyethylene. It is better to choose polypropylene pipes with glass fiber reinforcement, since polypropylene itself has a significant linear expansion when heated. Polyethylene pipes are less susceptible to expansion. It was the latter who received greatest distribution during layout surface systems heating.

Pipes with a diameter of 16-20 mm are used. It is necessary that the pipe can withstand temperatures up to 95 degrees and a pressure of 10 Bar. It is not necessary to chase expensive options with oxygen protection and additional layers. Especially if the main goal is to reduce the overall costs of installing heated floors.

The collector is a pipe with a number of branches (splitter). It is necessary to connect several underfloor heating circuits to one main supply line warm water and intake of return, cooled. In this case, two splitters are used, which are installed in a special manifold cabinet. One is for distributing hot water, and the second is for collecting return, cooled water. It is within the manifold that all the necessary elements for setting up heated floors are located: valves, flow regulators, air vents and emergency drain systems.

Diagram example of connecting a water heated floor

Calculation and distribution of pipes

For each room, the calculation of the length of the pipe and the pitch of its installation must be made separately. Water heated floor calculations can be performed using specialized programs or using the services design organizations. Do the math yourself required power for each circuit is very difficult, while a lot of parameters and nuances are taken into account. If you make a mistake in the calculations, this can negate the entire operation of the system or lead to unpleasant consequences, among which: insufficient water circulation, the manifestation of a “thermal zebra” when warm and cold areas alternate on the floor, uneven heating of the floor and the formation of heat leakage areas.

To carry out calculations, the following parameters are required:

1. Room dimensions;
2. Material of walls, ceilings and thermal insulation;
3. Type of thermal insulation for underfloor heating;
4. Type of flooring;
5. Diameter of pipes in the underfloor heating system and material;
6. Boiler power (water temperature).

Using these data, you can determine the required length of the pipe used for the room and the pitch of its installation to achieve the required heat transfer power.

When distributing pipes, you should choose the optimal laying route. It is important to consider that water gradually cools as it passes through the pipes. By the way, this is not a disadvantage, but rather a plus of water heated floors, because heat loss in the room does not occur evenly.

When distributing water heated floor pipes in each circuit, a number of rules should be followed:

• It is advisable to start laying pipes from the outer, colder walls of the room;

Important: If the pipe entry into the room is not from the side external wall, then the section of the pipe from the entrance to the wall is insulated.

• To gradually reduce the heating of the floor from the outer wall to the inner one, the “snake” laying method is used;
• For uniform floor heating in rooms with all internal walls(in the bathroom, wardrobe, etc.) laying is used in a spiral from the edge of the room to the center. The pipe is brought in a spiral to the center with a double pitch between the turns, after which it turns around and unwinds in the opposite direction until it leaves the room and goes to the collector.

Most often, the pipe is laid in increments of 10 to 30 cm. In most cases, 30 cm is sufficient, and in places with increased heat loss it can be reduced to 15 cm.

In addition to the length and distribution shape of the pipes, their hydraulic resistance should be calculated. It increases with increasing length and every turn. In all circuits connected to the same collector, it is desirable to bring the resistance to the same value. To resolve such situations, it is necessary to divide large circuits with a pipe length of more than a hundred meters into several smaller ones.

For each circuit, a single piece of pipe of the required length is purchased. It is unacceptable to use joints and couplings on pipes that are laid in a screed. So the length calculation and order should be carried out after carefully carried out calculations with thinking through the entire laying route.

Important: The calculation is carried out for each room separately. It is also undesirable to use one circuit to heat several rooms.

To insulate a loggia, veranda, or attic, a separate circuit is laid, not combined with adjacent rooms. Otherwise, most of the heat will go to heating it, and the room will remain cold. Insulation under a heated floor is carried out in the same way as with a floor located on the ground. Otherwise, there are no differences in terms of installing heated floors on the loggia.

Video: theoretical seminar on the installation of heated floors

Collector selection and installation

typical manifold for underfloor heating

Having decided on the number of circuits, you can select the appropriate collector. It must have enough leads to connect all the circuits. In addition, the collector is responsible for regulating and adjusting water heated floors. In the very simple version the manifold is equipped only with shut-off valves, which significantly reduces the cost of the system, but practically makes it impossible to customize its operation.

Options that require the installation of control valves are slightly more expensive. With their help, you can adjust the water flow for each loop separately. Although the increase in cost will be noticeable, such a system will allow you to set up a warm floor for uniform heating of all rooms.

Mandatory elements for the manifold are an air vent valve and a drain outlet.

To fully automate a hydraulic heated floor, manifolds with servo drives on valves and special pre-mixers are used, which regulate the temperature of the supplied water, mixing it with the cooled return water. Such systems, at their cost, can make up a large part of the budget for the entire installation of heated floors. For private use, there is no particular need for them, because it is easier to carefully configure a collector group of a simpler type once than to spend money on an automatic system, which will operate in the same mode even under constant loads.

An example of connecting a heated floor collector

The underfloor heating manifold is installed in a special manifold box. The thickness of such a box is most often 12 cm. The dimensions are selected taking into account the dimensions of the manifold group with all the necessary additions in the form of pressure sensors, air vents and drains. Under collection group There must be space left to the floor necessary for bending the pipes supplied from all the contours of the heated floor.

The actual installation of a water heated floor begins with the placement of a manifold cabinet. The manifold cabinet should be placed so that the pipes from each room and circuit are approximately equal in length. In some situations, you can move the cabinet closer to the largest contours.

The easiest way to hide a cabinet is to mount it into the wall. The thickness of 12 cm is quite sufficient. The main thing to remember is that punching holes and recesses in load-bearing walls is strongly discouraged and even prohibited in most cases.

Important: The box should be installed above the level of heated floors, preventing pipes from diverting upward from it. Only in this case can the air exhaust system work adequately.

The manifold cabinet is assembled and filled according to general standard according to the instructions of the collector used, so there are no problems with installing all the elements and additional equipment will not arise.

Video: manifold assembly

Selecting a heating boiler

The choice of boiler is primarily determined by its power. It must cope with heating water at peak times of system load and have some power reserve. Roughly, this means that the boiler power should be equal to the total power of all heated floors plus a margin of 15-20%.

A pump is required to circulate water in the system. Modern boilers, both electric and gas, have a built-in pump. In most cases, it is enough to heat one- and two-story residential buildings. Only if the square footage of the heated room exceeds 120-150 m², it may be necessary to install additional auxiliary pumps. In this case, they are installed in remote collector cabinets.

Shut-off valves are installed directly at the inlet and outlet of the boiler. This will help turn off the boiler in case of repair or maintenance without having to drain all the water from the system.

Important: If there are several manifold cabinets, then a splitter is installed on the main route for supplying warm water, and after it - narrowing adapters. This is necessary for uniform distribution of water throughout the system.

general view of the entire system (connection of radiators can be excluded)

Installation of water heated floor pipes and pouring screed

Basically, heated floors are laid using special fastening profiles, which are secured to the floor with dowels and screws. They have sockets for securing pipes. With their help, it is much easier to maintain the pitch distance between the turns of the pipe.

Advice: To secure it, it is enough to use plastic ties that press the pipe to the reinforcing mesh. It is important not to tighten the pipe too tightly; it is better to keep the tie loop loose.

Pipes are most often supplied in the form of coils. Do not pull the pipe out of the coil, turn by turn. It is necessary to unwind it gradually as it is laid and secured to the floor. All bends are made carefully in compliance with the minimum possible radius limit. Most often polyethylene pipes this radius is equal to 5 diameters.

If you compress a polyethylene pipe too much, a whitish stripe may appear on the bend. This means that the material began to sharply stretch and a crease formed. Unfortunately, such defects cannot be installed in a heated floor system due to the increasing risk of a breakthrough in this place.

The ends of the pipes that are supplied to the collector are, if necessary, laid through the walls and enclosed in insulation made of foamed polyethylene. To connect the pipes to the manifold, either a Eurocone system or a compression fitting is used.

If this is your first time encountering polypropylene pipes -.

There are several schemes for laying underfloor heating pipes. You can choose the right one based on your needs. Along with other factors, it is worth paying attention to the arrangement of furniture and plans for rearranging it.

When the installation of a heated floor is completed, a mandatory check of the system is carried out high pressure. To do this, water is poured into the pipes and a pressure of 5-6 bar is applied for 24 hours. If no leaks or significant expansions are noticed on the pipes, then you can begin pouring the concrete screed. Filling is carried out at connected operating pressure in the pipes. Only after 28 days can we consider that the screed is ready and begin further work for installation of flooring.

Important nuances of forming a heated floor screed

There are some peculiarities in the formation of screeds over water-heated floors. This is due to the principle of heat distribution in its thickness and the floor covering used.

• If the heated floor is laid under the tiles, then you should make a screed about 3-5 cm thick, or distribute the pipes at intervals of 10-15 cm. Otherwise, the heat from the pipes will not properly warm the space between them, and this phenomenon will appear like a "thermal zebra". In this case, the alternation of warm and cold stripes will be quite clearly felt by the foot.
• Under laminate, linoleum, etc. It is advisable to form a thinner screed. For strength, in this case, another reinforcing mesh is used on top of the heated floor. This will reduce the heat path from the pipes to the flooring surface. Also, a layer of thermal insulation is not placed under the laminate, because it will only worsen the efficiency of the heated floor.

You can turn on the water heated floor heating at the first hint of the onset of autumn cold. The initial warm-up may take several days, after which the system will already support required temperature. The greater inertia of water heated floors can also play a good role, even if for some reason the boiler is not able to heat the water for some time, the system will continue to transfer heat to the premises for a long time. In addition, you can keep the underfloor heating system on low power throughout the year, turning off most of the circuits and leaving only the part that heats the rooms where flooring made with ceramic tiles or self-leveling floors (hallway, bathroom, etc.), because even in hot weather such coatings feel cold.

Video: Installation of a water heated floor with your own hands

Warm floors are excellent for arranging autonomous heating. Increasingly, owners of private houses prefer just such a heating system. At the same time, it is less convenient for apartments, so it is used less often. If you wish and have the skills to use tools, you can always install a warm water floor with your own hands.

The home owner gets the opportunity to use resources rationally. With radiator heating flows warm air rush upward without having time to warm up the entire area of ​​​​the room. Rising from the warm floor, air flow heats objects and people and only after that moves to the ceiling.

A house with underfloor heating warms up much faster and more evenly than with radiator heating, because... When the heating is turned on, the entire floor area turns into one large heat source. The room is heated from below, which provides maximum comfort for the people in it.

The installation of a water heated floor implies that the system operates from normal heating boiler. However, fuel consumption for underfloor heating relatively small, since the coolant does not need to be heated to such a high temperature as in radiators

Thanks to this feature underfloor heating it is more profitable, and the boiler itself operates in a gentle mode, which increases its service life.

It is possible to use heated floors as an additional heating system. In this case, the heated coolant moves along two circuits: first to the radiators, and then, cooling, through the pipes of the floor circuit.

This way, the homeowner can achieve highly efficient heating without spending extra money on bills. This is an ideal option for homes in regions with harsh climates.

The big minus of the system is high costs for components and installation. On average, for materials for arrangement of 1 sq. m. for a warm floor you need to spend from 1500 rubles. If a team is working, then you will have to add another 1000-1500 rubles per 1 sq.m. to these costs. depending on workers' prices.

The high cost is due to objective reasons. To lay pipes, you have to raise the floor level by at least 100 mm. In order for the system to operate normally, control valves, a distribution manifold cabinet, special valves for releasing air from the heating system, etc. are installed.

This is a labor-intensive process, so the work of the craftsmen is not cheap.

Installing a warm water floor with your own hands can significantly reduce the cost of the system. You can save up to 30-50% of the total cost

Features of the water heating device

A warm floor is a system of pipes laid according to a scheme convenient for the home owner. Heated coolant moves through them from the boiler. Its temperature is controlled using thermostats. The cooled coolant returns to the boiler and the process resumes.

Different coolant flows are combined using collectors - heating control units. The components of the system largely depend on the installation diagram of the heated floor pipes and the features of connecting the circuits in the manifold.

As a rule, you have to buy circulation pumps, different types of valves, and equipment to automate the operation of the heating system. If pipes are laid under concrete, then additional building materials and reinforcing mesh will be required.

You need to select pipes especially carefully, because... The service life of the system depends on their quality and reliability. Usually metal-plastic and PVC pipes are used. Both types of products are durable and practical, but in most cases home owners prefer the first option.

Metal-plastic pipes are considered more reliable. They bend well and take any shape. An important advantage is the reasonable price. Since for heating 1 sq.m. The floor needs at least 6-7 m of pipes, their cost significantly affects the total cost.

The detailed design of the underfloor heating system is described in the video below:

Requirements for installation of heated floors

• Before you begin laying pipes, you must carefully prepare the base. The surface must be perfectly flat, which will ensure uniform heating of the floor and, accordingly, the premises in the future.
• In addition to the materials necessary for installing the system itself, it is necessary to purchase thermal and waterproofing. It is laid on the subfloor before laying the pipes.
• Laying loops are made into a single pipe with a cross-section of 16, 17, 20 mm. This is necessary to prevent leaks at the joints.
• If a heated floor is installed under a screed, then the launch of the system should be postponed until the material has completely hardened - 4 weeks. After this, the system is started, and the coolant temperature is gradually increased. To start the system on full power it will take 2-3 days.
• Design temperature outer surface gender is regulated by SNiP 41-01-2003. It should be on average 26 degrees for rooms where people are constantly present, and 31 degrees for places where people are not constantly present and there is a need for a special temperature regime.
• The maximum coolant temperature is 55 degrees. The system must be designed and installed so that there are no significant temperature differences in individual floor areas. The permissible difference is 5-10 degrees.

The thickness of the thermal insulation layer depends on the calculated thermal load. The larger it is, the thicker the thermal insulation layer should be

Construction methods – concrete and flooring

There are two main methods of installing the system: concrete, floor. The first type of pipe laying is also called wet, poured. It is used if a concrete screed is planned on top of the underfloor heating system.

The concrete installation method is reliable and effective, because... the finished system has the best heat transfer, which completely covers heat loss. Heating operation is possible over a wide temperature range.

The concrete system is capable of withstanding loads of 500 kg per 1 square meter, which allows it to be installed in any type of premises, including residential and industrial. Its service life can exceed 50 years.

The laying method is used if pipes are installed under wooden or polystyrene coverings. Installation is carried out without “wet” processes, thanks to which the work can be completed faster, because you do not have to wait for the building mixtures to dry.

First, hydro- and thermal insulation is laid, and the perimeter of the rooms is trimmed with adhesive damper tape. When calculating the thermal insulation layer, it is necessary to take into account all heat losses. The insulation is installed over the entire floor surface

The pipes are laid on top of thermal insulation and secured with staples, dowel hooks, clamps or fastening strips. The ideal option is to use ready-made thermal insulation boards, which have pre-installed fasteners.

A reinforcing layer is laid on top, followed by a load-bearing layer. As finishing coating best to choose ceramic tiles, natural or fake diamond, laminated parquet.

The result is a heating “pie”, the thickness of which can reach 10-15 cm depending on the cross-section of the pipes, the thickness of the layers of thermal and waterproofing, and the final coating.

The entire procedure for installing the system is briefly and clearly described below:

System calculation and design

How can you make a water heated floor with your own hands? You should start with the calculation and design of the system. This is the most important stage of work, on which the features of heating installation, heating efficiency and durability of the entire structure depend.

When designing, the following factors are taken into account:

• volume that needs to be heated (area, height, shape of the room);
• features of the temperature regime;
• materials that are planned to be used in the work.

When developing the scheme, all the nuances are taken into account, including the location of collectors and expansion joints. It is important that the deformation space and pipeline elements do not intersect.

It is also advisable to know in advance where and how the furniture and/or plumbing fixtures. If furniture is planned above the pipes, then it should be made of materials that can withstand high temperatures well. It is better not to use wood, because... it is drying out.

Each room of the house needs a separate circuit. If heated non-residential premises(for example, a loggia or veranda), then the contour should not be combined with adjacent living rooms. Otherwise, the heat will be lost to heat the non-residential area, and the living rooms will be cold.

In order not to make mistakes when designing, you should take into account some nuances. An expert talks about this:

Underfloor heating installation technology

Let us consider in detail the installation of a warm water floor under a screed. This is the most labor-intensive work, but the finished system is much more efficient than one laid using “dry” methods - using modules or slats.

Stage #1: preparatory work

Before installation of the heating system begins, the room must be fully prepared: windows, doors installed, all rough work done Finishing work, communications are connected, niches for collectors are prepared in places where free access to them will be provided.

It is necessary to mark the floor. The base must be perfectly flat, differences of more than 0.5 cm are unacceptable, otherwise the heating operation will be disrupted, the hydraulic resistance will increase, and the heating system will become airy.

If necessary, the floor is additionally leveled using a screed. If it is adjacent to the ground, carefully waterproof it

Stage #2: laying vapor or waterproofing

Polyethylene film is used as vapor and waterproofing. Its thickness must be at least 0.2 mm. This layer is necessary to protect insulating materials from moisture, which significantly reduces their properties.

Waterproofing is required, because moisture can come from both the ground and the cold ceiling. The film is laid with an overlap of up to 10 cm and the joints are secured with adhesive tape. It also covers the joints of the floor and walls.

To prevent a thermal bridge from forming between the screed and the walls, use a damper tape. It is laid along the walls, and it should rise above the markings of the heated floor level by at least 20 cm. A special moisture-proof “apron” of the tape prevents water from getting into the joints between the heat-insulating board and the tape itself.

Many thermal insulation materials lose their properties when exposed to moisture. For example, polystyrene foam protects much less well from noise and cold when damp.

Stage #3: installation of thermal insulation boards

The efficiency of the entire underfloor heating system largely depends on the selection and installation of thermal insulation boards. Correct thermal insulation directs heat flows from the heating elements upward into the room. The main characteristics of the system depend on it - power, degree of resource saving, load-bearing capacity.

Foiled polystyrene 3 cm thick can be used as a heat insulator. With all the advantages of this insulation, it has significant shortcomings, so it’s better to give preference to more modern and technologically advanced materials and choose special heat-insulating boards.

Thermal insulation boards are ready-made systems for laying underfloor heating pipes. They are extremely durable and have special protrusions that make it easy to secure and bend pipes, giving the contour the desired shape.

The slabs are securely fastened with special locks, are distinguished by high levels of heat and noise insulation, and smooth out minor unevenness in the floor. They are mounted in the direction from the far left corner from left to right. If the layout of the room includes ledges or niches, the slabs are cut or extended.

The slabs are laid over the entire floor surface of the room, without gaps. This installation ensures uniform heating of the room, as well as the mechanical strength of the system.

Stage #4: laying the heating circuit

Pipes are laid in increments of 10-30 cm, depending on the amount of heat loss. Most often, 30 cm is enough. The distance from the wall is 15 cm. The pipes are laid between the protrusions of the heat-insulating boards, pressing them tightly to the floor. At the joints they are protected with special metal sleeves.

Each circuit requires a separate piece of pipe of the appropriate length: up to 80 m if the pipe diameter is 16 mm, and up to 120 m for pipes with a diameter of 20 mm. If the pipe length is too long, the hydraulic resistance will increase. It must be taken into account that it should be approximately the same in all circuits that are connected to the same collector.

The two most popular pipe laying technologies are:

• bifilar (“snail”) – the contour has a spiral shape;
• meander (“snake”) - the contour of a warm floor resembles a zigzag in appearance.

Variations are possible. Thus, a double “snake” is appropriate in rooms where it is necessary to achieve the highest heat flow density.

Can be combined different ways pipe laying. For example, for large rooms use a “snake”, and for smaller rooms – a “snail”.

Snake laying has some disadvantages, however, there are cases when this method of installing pipes is irreplaceable, for example, if the floor has a linear slope. Another plus is that there is less load on the heating pump than when laying pipes in a “snail” manner.

Stage #5: pipe crimping and screed

After laying the heating circuit and connecting to distribution manifold it is necessary to perform pressure testing of the pipes. To do this, the heating circuit is filled with coolant and air is removed by releasing it through drain taps. Pressure for crimping metal-plastic pipes should be 6 bar, time – 1 day.

You can heat the system to 80 degrees for half an hour, and after cooling, fill the pipes under pressure with a concrete screed

Crimping of cross-linked polyethylene pipes is more difficult. After the pressure decreases, the system is pumped up and the procedure is repeated after half an hour. Then after another hour and a half in last time restore pressure and leave the heating system for a day. During this time, the pressure should decrease by no more than 1.5 bar.

For screeds, mixtures with the addition of plasticizers are used, which improve the elasticity of the finished layer. After completely dry and hardening (28 days), you can plan to put it into operation.

The procedure for installing a heated water floor with your own hands is well described below:

Conclusion

When the main work on installing the heated water floor is completed, it is put into operation. This is necessary to remove air from heating circuit. Warming up begins at 25 degrees, gradually bringing the temperature to working temperature.

The system is started with a pressure above the operating pressure of approximately 15%, and all branches except the one being tested are blocked. Pumps should operate at minimum power. The procedure is repeated for each branch separately.

Why choose water systems? They are practical, versatile, economical. They are cheaper to operate than electric ones. The only negative is labor-intensive installation. However, the expenditure of effort and money pays off due to ease of use, durability of the system, and savings on heating.

The owners of a private house provide installation of water heated floor. Whether it will be in one room or throughout the entire cottage depends on the family budget and the desires of the owners. But its advantages are difficult to overestimate - during operation, you can forget about warm socks and colds in children and adults. If all cash spent on construction, but the dream of a warm field does not leave the owners, they need to roll up their sleeves and get to work themselves. Installation will require a little time, minimal construction skills and useful information.

What is heated flooring in a private house?

Make a warm water floor with your own hands— is to create an artificial heating system that heats the air from below. In this case, the floor serves heating device, supporting a given temperature regime. It provides thermal comfort and meets all process requirements.

When installing floor heating in a private house, the following heating options are mainly considered:

• Electric floor;
• Electric water floor;
• Classic water floor using pipes and a boiler.

The latter type of residential heating is used most often in construction. Its main advantage is cost-effectiveness during design, use and possible elimination problems. Let's consider the main advantages of a water floor:

1. Safety. Hot pipes are insulated from people by several layers of building materials—there is no chance of getting a skin burn.
2. Saving. Electricity consumption is reduced by 25-30%. The cost of installing a warm water floor pays off within a year.
3. Convenience and comfort. Using the regulator, owners can set the optimal temperature regime: at a level of 20-30 cm from the floor - 20-22°C, at a level of 1.5 m - 18-28°C.
4. Durability. Right installed system heating system can function without repair and Maintenance 25-40 years.

The main disadvantage of a water floor is possibility of waterproofing failure for self-installation. What other disadvantages does the heating system have:

• Inaccessibility. If a pipe burst occurs, the entire floor will have to be opened to eliminate the violation.
• Installation of additional equipment. It will be necessary to purchase radiators when installing heated floors in only one room.

Three ways to install a warm water floor

Before you begin installing a heated floor yourself, you need to choose a method that will best suit the design of the house and the construction skills of its owner. There are three system options: polystyrene, wood, concrete.

When constructing a wooden system, you can save a lot and use materials left over after building a house: boards, MDF boards, pieces of plywood.

Construction stages:

1. Placed on a wooden floor base wooden blocks 15 cm long, leaving between them a distance corresponding to the diameter of the pipes;
2. The next layer will be thermal distribution plates, which are secured with screws. The grooves of the plate should fit tightly into the space between the wooden beams;
3. A dense polyethylene film is laid on top of the structure;
4. The final stage is attaching the drywall sheets.

When choosing thermal distribution plates in a hardware store, you should pay attention to the presence of a latch. When using it, the contact of the surfaces of all structural elements will be as close as possible, and this will directly affect the volume of heat transfer.

The polystyrene system is most suitable for self-installation warm water floor. Polystyrene thermal insulation boards are equipped with special latches for reliable adhesion. By laying interlocking slabs on a wooden base, a solid structure with a flat surface is obtained.

Pipes are laid in the grooves of the slab. The use of fasteners is not required - the pipe is fixed with light pressure until it completely enters the groove. All that remains is to lay the metal plates on top and everything is ready for installation of the floor covering.

The concrete system is most often used due to its relative cheapness, availability of materials and reliability.

Sequence of laying layers:

1. Sand and cement screed;
2. Waterproofing material;
3. Thermal insulation material;
4. Heating system pipes;
5. Reinforcing mesh and (or) plastic fastenings;
6. A mixture of concrete with plasticizers;
7. Flooring.

This method is suitable for home owners who have previously worked with concrete and have necessary equipment for its manufacture.

List of required materials

Before you make a water heated floor with your own hands, you need to take a responsible approach to the choice of components. First, when purchasing materials, ask the seller to show certificates for the products. Secondly, before visiting the store, make a list of the necessary building materials, then you will not buy extra pipes or fasteners. Here's what you'll need when installing a heating system:

• Damper tape. This is foamed polyethylene to compensate for thermal expansion. Placed between the edges of the screed and the wall. It has thermal insulation and noise insulation properties.
• Thermal insulation materials. Now there is a huge selection of materials for thermal insulation in any price categories. When installing a water floor, you can use sheet polystyrene foam. Together with the damper tape, polystyrene foam will ensure optimal heat transfer from the heating system pipes.
• Waterproofing materials. Dense polyethylene film prevents unwanted leakage. When laying, try to use a single piece of material. If the room area is large, then the edges of the film must be secured with tape.
• Fine mesh reinforcing mesh. The mesh size should be 150 square meters. mm, rod cross-section 4 mm. The material is used to give strength to the screed and fasten pipes.
• Pipes. If a quality certificate guarantees integrity for 20 years or more, you can confidently make a purchase regardless of the material from which the product is made. For good heat transfer, pipes with a diameter of 2 cm are suitable.
• Fastenings. Selecting fasteners is not difficult - hardware stores have plastic or metal ones of all shapes and sizes.

Materials for water heated floors must be selected depending on the installation method.

Before visiting hardware store check that all tools are available. When conducting installation work You can't do without a drill and a screwdriver.

Design and calculation of heated floor parameters

If you are not sure that you can independently design the structure of a warm water floor or calculate the number of pipes in meters, you can resort to the help of specialists or make calculations using computer programs. But there shouldn’t be any difficulties, here are some tips:

• You cannot make one floor contour more than 100 m; excessive length will negatively affect its integrity.
• The length of the circuit components should not differ by more than 10-12 m. It is better to use equal sections of pipes when installing the circuit.
• The warmer the winter in your place of residence, the greater the distance between the pipes should be. If at the very cold period the thermometer does not fall below - 20°C, then optimal distance between pipes is 15 cm. In severe winter conditions, pipes should be spaced 10 cm apart.

When performing correct calculations, you should get the following parameters: with a distance between pipes of 15 cm, per square meter 6.5 m of pipes will be consumed, and with a step of 10 cm - 9.9 m.

Installation of a water floor

How to make a water-heated floor yourself: all materials and tools are at hand - you can begin installation. Builders call the combination of layers of a water floor structure a “pie,” so we need to assemble it.

Preparation and insulation of the surface under a water-heated floor

How to install a water-heated floor: first of all, you need clear the surface of construction debris And make a concrete screed using a reinforcing wall. The quality of the screed is checked using a level - if the surface has flaws, it is leveled with a trowel. Let's form the cake next:

• Thermal insulation layer;
• Waterproofing layer;
• Another layer of reinforcing mesh.

All materials used, regardless of the chosen installation method, must be tightly fitted at the edges to each other. If gaps have formed at the joints, you can remove them using tape (when using film) or polyurethane foam.

Collector selection and installation

When selecting a collector, be guided by the size of the room where the heated floor will be located and the power of the unit. The collector must perform the following functions:

• Maintain the required pressure;
• Control air flow;
• Provide control of water flow;
• Ensure reliability of the entire system;
• Control the heating - heated floors should not cool down.

It is best to purchase a collector from brass or of stainless steel equipped with a shut-off valve and temperature sensor. When installing, first connect the water supply pipes to the unit, and only then the water outflow pipes. You can use special fittings or a clamp ring with sleeve and nut.

Selecting a heating boiler

When choosing a boiler, you need to focus on the following models:

• Electric boilers. Most convenient option when installing a heated floor: even if there is no electricity, the boiler will not stop working.
• Gas boilers. The cheapest model in terms of cost and fuel price. Disadvantage: the floors will be cold if the gas line runs out.
• Boilers running on diesel fuel. Not suitable for home owners who care about condition environment. In addition, you will need to constantly clean the filters.

You can make a heated water floor with your own hands in a private house using boilers that burn wood and coal. If there is a lot of such fuel in your area and it is inexpensive, then you can purchase such a unit.

Pipe installation

Using clamps (or aluminum wire), secure the pipes to the reinforcing mesh. When installing a water floor, the fasteners must not be tightened - under the pressure of hot water, the pipes expand slightly and can vibrate. You need to start installing a water heated floor system with water supply pipes. Then the circuit segments are attached to each other, and lastly the collector is connected.

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Before installation, it is necessary to calculate the number of outputs at the collector. This is exactly how many contours there should be on the surface of the screed.

Filling the screed

How to lay a water-heated floor under a screed - before pouring the screed, check the system. To do this, you will need to turn on the heating and supply water at a pressure of 2.7 bar. If the waterproofing is not damaged within several hours, everything is done correctly.

Left make a cement-sand screed. Fill the voids with concrete and level the surface using a building level. The installation of the water floor is completed.

1. Please note that only owners of private houses have the right to install such a heating system. In many regions of our country there is a ban on the conversion of water supply systems in apartments. Improper installation of a water floor can lead to leakage: neighbors in an apartment building will be left without heating in the winter. At best, you can get away with a fine; at worst, you can pay for major repairs of damaged premises.
2. When installing a water system, it is necessary to provide for the final floor covering: marble, granite, basalt have excellent thermal conductivity - the house will always be comfortable. But the wooden floors and carpets poorly distribute heat from the heating element. In addition, the wood will dry out, and synthetic carpets can emit harmful substances into the surrounding space.
3. The quality of the heated floor installation will be higher if you level its base as much as possible. Total surface irregularities should vary within 5 mm.

Water or hydraulic floors are the most common type of insulated floors. Firstly, a water floor is lower in price during installation and subsequent operation. Secondly, you can do it yourself, without resorting to the help of professional installers, which means you can reduce costs. Thirdly, a water floor is considered safer for human health, in comparison, for example, with electrical, infrared, where electromagnetic radiation is an inevitable consequence.

The water floor has two types of installation.

1. First - concrete system , in which a concrete screed becomes the base, it accumulates heat. This system is good in individual low-rise buildings with strong floors.
2. Second - flooring system, which is used in wooden “light” houses, attics, where concrete screed cannot be used, since the floors cannot support its weight. The flooring system is also used in multi-storey buildings, especially “Khrushchev” buildings, where the floors are made of slabs with limited load.

The floor becomes a source of heat in the room, providing horizontal, uniform heating in any area of ​​the room. The heat spreads vertically, creating a natural “feet warm, head cold” effect, unlike radiator heating, When the heat is coming up and then comes back down.

This heating system works especially well where there are high ceilings. The air does not dry out, the apartment warms up evenly. Aesthetically, hydraulic floors also benefit because there is no need for wall-mounted radiators, freeing up space. In addition, water heated floors are economical to operate; their energy consumption is lower, which means the costs of maintaining the system are reduced.

Disadvantages of a hydraulic floor

When choosing a water floor, you should take into account heat loss, which should not exceed 100 W/m2. To reduce them, you should take thermal insulation seriously. If heat loss is high, it is better to combine water floors with wall-mounted radiators.

Laying heated floors in toilets and bathrooms has its own difficulties. Often the water heating pipe is connected to the heated towel rail pipe, which leads to elevated temperatures and the floor overheats excessively.

Difficulties arise where the ceiling is low, since the screed above the pipes must be significant in thickness, it is necessary to raise the floor to a height of approximately 10 cm. And if the bathroom is located above a cold basement, the rise reaches 15 cm. Additional costs also come from strengthening floor slabs and other load-bearing structures, as well as for reinstalling doors.

What will you need for installation?

To install a hydraulic heated floor you will need:

• boiler for water heating;
• pump for pumping water (often built into the boiler, but sometimes you need to purchase it additionally);
• pipes, which are heating elements(it is better to choose metal-plastic ones, with approximately a twenty-millimeter diameter);
• distribution pipes and valves to bleed air from the heating system;
• fittings for connecting pipes and all hydraulic mechanisms;
• a collector or several collectors (in a wall box, with supply and return pipelines and a control mechanism);
• shut-off valves that connect pipelines to the collector;
• thermal insulation and waterproofing materials, reinforcing mesh, special damper tape;
• additionally - self-leveling building mixtures or building materials replacing them and means for leveling the subfloor.

Preparing and leveling the floor

Laying a water floor heating system requires careful preparation of the base. First, you will have to completely dismantle the old floor screed to the base and level the floor horizontally. After dismantling the screed, the surface must be thoroughly cleaned of debris, particles old screed, dust, dirt, deposits.

The cleaned base of the floor must be covered with a thermal insulation and then a waterproofing layer. After the necessary manipulations, the damper tape needs to be secured around the entire perimeter, then laid according to the lines passing between the contours of the pipes.

Insulation is necessary to prevent downward heat transfer. Foamed polyethylene (penofol) covered with foil is best suited. If there is a heated room on the floor below, any insulation will do, the most reliable is polystyrene foam in sheets. Its thickness is approximately 20-50 mm. If you insulate the floor on the ground floor, which is located on the ground or above a cold basement, you will have to resort to a mound of expanded clay, and choose thicker sheets of expanded polystyrene, approximately 50 - 100 mm.

Modern building materials offer special insulation materials that have special channels for pipes. They are more expensive, but more reliable and less troublesome during installation. When the insulation is laid on the floor, a reinforcing mesh must be laid on top. In this way, it will be possible to secure a new, still damp, layer of screed covering the entire pipe system.

In addition, it is convenient to attach the hydraulic floor pipe to the mesh using plastic ties. This method is more convenient than a design consisting of many fastening strips and clips.

Collector - its selection and installation

Before you begin installation, you need to install the collector. It is installed after contour calculations.

The selection of a collector (or several collectors) is made after calculating the number of circuits. When choosing a collector, you need to decide in advance how many pins are needed to connect the circuits to it. In addition, the device must have a drainage outlet for waste water and an air vent valve.

The purpose of the collector is to distribute hot water flows, as well as adjust, turn on and off the heating hydraulic system.

When choosing a collector, you should not save money. The simplest, cheapest, collector has only shut-off valves, and this makes the operation of heated floors inconvenient. Collectors with built-in control valves, of course, an order of magnitude more expensive. But by regulating the water flow in the rooms, in each hydraulic loop, as well as the temperature of a particular room, you can save much more.

If we are talking about industrial building, large office, or similar type of premises, then ideal option there will be a manifold with pre-mixers, and also with special servos. What are mixers needed for? They will allow you to regulate the temperature of the water supplied to the pipes, while mixing hot water with already cooled water.

Of course, collectors of such a technical level will “eat up” the bulk of the funds that will have to be spent on installing a water floor. Of course, in ordinary apartment or a private house, where the loads are constant and one operating mode of the system is sufficient, you can get by with simple-type collectors.

The collector is placed in a special box and mounted on the wall. Under the box should be empty; here it will be necessary to supply circuit pipes from all rooms. The cabinet, for interior aesthetic reasons, can be painlessly “sunk” in a wall or in a niche; its width is 12 cm.

An important rule: the pipes must be lower than the box with the collector. This is done for free air outlet.

When putting the entire system together, it is important to follow the instructions that accompany the manifold. And only after the box with the collector is installed can pipe laying begin.

How to correctly calculate and distribute water floor pipes?

The first step is to calculate the exact route for laying the pipes. It is best to order an estimate for laying a water floor to be calculated by a specialist estimator or done using specialized computer calculation programs. It is difficult to calculate manually, and an error in the calculations will be expensive and will cost a pretty penny when reworked.

The consequences of incorrect calculations, for example, can be undesirable effects: insufficiently active water circulation inside the pipes, heat leakage in certain areas of the floor, uneven heating of the room, alternation of cold and hot areas of the floor (the so-called “thermal zebra”).

The most important rule when calculating: if a heated floor is installed in several rooms, then the total length of the pipe is calculated separately for each.

What parameters need to be taken into account in the calculations?

1. Area of ​​premises.
2. The material from which the walls and ceilings are made.
3. Availability of thermal insulation, its quality.
4. Heating boiler power.
5. The diameter of the pipes and the material from which they are made.

Based on these parameters, it is possible to calculate the length of the pipe and the distance between its segments during installation (“step”) so that heat transfer is optimal. The step is usually 10-30 cm. The higher the heat loss in the room, the narrower the step should be (10-15 cm). If the room does not lose heat, there are no cold walls, huge windows, or balconies, then the step, accordingly, can be made wider - 30 cm.

Pipe distribution

When distributing pipes, it is necessary to create a laying route. Passing through the pipes, the water heated in the boiler cools, and this circumstance must be taken into account when determining the route for laying the pipe circuits. You should remember several rules, the violation of which can later affect the quality of heating and the inconvenience of operating the entire heating system. What are these rules?

Heating boiler and pump

The main thing to consider when choosing a water heating boiler for a warm hydrofloor is power. It must correspond to the sum of the powers of all sectors of the floor, plus there must be a power reserve of 20% (minimum 15%, but not less).

To circulate water, you need a pump. Modern boilers are designed in such a way that the pump is included with the boiler and is built into the boiler. One pump is enough for 100-120 sq. m. If the area is larger, you will need an additional one (one or more). Additional pumps require separate manifold cabinets.

The boiler has an inlet/outlet for water. Shut-off valves are installed at the inlet/outlet. They are necessary to turn off the boiler in case of minor breakdowns or stop the boiler for preventive purposes, so as not to completely drain the water from the entire system.

If there are several manifold cabinets, you will need a splitter for the central supply so that the water is distributed evenly throughout the hydraulic system, and reducing adapters.

Pipe installation and screed

To lay a water floor, you will need fastening profiles with sockets that are easy to follow, which will allow you to fix and secure the pipes. The fastening profiles are screwed to the base of the floor using dowels and corresponding screws.

The pipes must then be pressed against the reinforcing mesh and secured plastic tie. Don't pull it too tight or squeeze it. soft pipe, the loop should be more or less free. The pipes to be laid must be bent in necessary places gently, carefully, but do not squeeze. This is especially true for polyethylene pipes, which are vulnerable to deformation processes.

If, when pinched, a White spot or strip, the material cannot be used, it is deformed, and during operation a crease or stretching may form. A damaged pipe is discarded and cannot be installed in a water heating system to avoid bursting and leakage.

After the floors are laid, the ends of the pipes are connected to the collector. If necessary, pipes are laid through walls (not load-bearing ones only). Then a thermal insulation layer (foamed polyethylene) is wound around the pipe. Convenient for connecting pipes is the so-called Eurocone system, and also, as an option, a compression fitting.

So, after installing the system, it is necessary to check its operation under high pressure. The test takes place when water is supplied (pressure 6 bar), the test period is 24 hours. System testing occurs ideally cold water and warmed up. During both cold and hot crimping, care must be taken to ensure that all elements of the system are in working order, functioning properly, and that the pressure does not drop by more than 1.5 barv.

After making sure that there are no failures, leaks, or pipe expansions in the system, you can complete the process of laying a water-heated floor by pouring screed over the pipes.

It should be noted that when using a screed intended for tiles on top of a warm floor, the thickness of the fill should be in the range of 3 - 5 cm. Under a laminate or similar covering, the screed is made thinner.

Filling must be done with the water heating system running and under pressure. Finally, after pouring the screed, you need to be patient and wait at least 28-30 days. And only after this period has passed, you can continue the repairs - work on the flooring.

In rooms heated using underfloor heating technology, the feeling is much more comfortable than with a traditional radiator system. When the floor is heated, the temperature is distributed optimally: the feet are warmest, and at head level it is cooler. There are two heating methods: water and electric. Water is more expensive to install, but cheaper to operate, so this is what is used more often. You can slightly reduce installation costs if you make a water-heated floor with your own hands. The technology is not the simplest, but it does not require encyclopedic knowledge.

Design and principle of operation

For water heating of a heated floor, a system of pipes is used through which the coolant circulates. Most often, pipes are poured into a screed, but there are dry installation systems - wooden or polystyrene. In any case, there is a large number of small cross-section pipes laid under the floor covering.

Where can it be mounted?

Because of large quantity Water heating pipes are made mainly in private homes. The fact is that the heating system of early high-rise buildings is not designed for this heating method. It is possible to make a warm floor using heating, but there is a high probability that either your place will be too cold, or your neighbors above or below will, depending on the type of power supply to the system. Sometimes the entire riser becomes cold: the hydraulic resistance of the water floor is several times higher than radiator system heating and it can clog the flow of coolant. For this reason, get from management company Permission to install heated floors is very difficult (installation without permission is an administrative offense).

The good news is that in new buildings they began to make two systems: one for radiator heating, the second for water heated floors. In such houses, permission is not required: the corresponding system was developed taking into account higher hydraulic resistance.

Principles of organization

To understand what you need to make a water heated floor with your own hands, you need to understand what the system consists of and how it works.

Adjusting the coolant temperature

In order for your feet to feel comfortable on the floor, the temperature of the coolant should not exceed 40-45°C. Then the floor warms up to comfortable values ​​- about 28°C. Most of heating equipment cannot produce such a temperature: at least 60-65°C. The exception is condensation gas boilers. They are showing maximum efficiency precisely at low temperatures. From their output, the heated coolant can be supplied directly to the underfloor heating pipes.

When using any other type of boiler, a mixing unit is required. In it to hot water cooled coolant from the return pipeline is added from the boiler. You can see the composition of this connection in the diagram for connecting the heated floor to the boiler.

The operating principle is as follows. The heated coolant comes from the boiler. It goes to a thermostatic valve, which, when the temperature threshold is exceeded, opens the admixture of water from the return pipeline. In the photo there is a jumper in front of the circulation pump. It is equipped with a two-way or three-way valve. Open it and mix in the cooled coolant.

Mixed flow through circulation pump gets to the thermostat, which controls the operation of the thermostatic valve. When the set temperature is reached, the supply from the return stops; if it is exceeded, it opens again. This is how the temperature of the water heated floor coolant is adjusted.

Contour distribution

Next, the coolant enters the distribution comb. If the water heated floor is made in one small room(bathroom, for example), in which only one loop of pipes is laid, this unit may not exist. If there are several loops, then it is necessary to somehow distribute the coolant between them, and then somehow collect it and send it to the return pipeline. This task is performed by the distribution comb or, as it is also called, the underfloor heating manifold. Essentially these are two pipes - supply and return, to which the inputs and outputs of all underfloor heating circuits are connected. This is the simplest option.

If the heated floor is installed in several rooms, then it is better to install a collector with the ability to adjust the temperature. Firstly, in different rooms required different temperatures: some people prefer +18°C in the bedroom, others need +25°C. Secondly, most often, the circuits have different lengths and can transfer different amounts of heat. Thirdly, there are “internal” rooms - in which one wall faces the street, and there are corner ones - with two or even three external walls. Naturally, the amount of heat in them should be different. This is ensured by combs with thermostats. The equipment is not cheap, the circuit is more complicated, but this installation allows you to maintain the desired temperature in the room.

There are different thermostats. Some control the air temperature in the room, while others control the floor temperature. You choose the type yourself. Regardless of this, they control servomotors mounted on the feed comb. Servomotors, depending on the command, increase or decrease the flow area, regulating the intensity of the coolant flow.

Theoretically (and practically it happens), situations may arise when the supply to all circuits is cut off. In this case, the circulation will stop, the boiler may boil and fail. To prevent this from happening, be sure to create a bypass through which part of the coolant passes. With this system design, the boiler is safe.

You can watch one of the system options in the video.

Laying a warm water floor

One of the key components of the system is pipes and their fixation system. There are two technologies:

Both systems are imperfect, but laying pipes in a screed is cheaper. Although it has a lot of disadvantages, it is due to its lower cost that it is more popular.

Which system to choose

In terms of cost, dry systems are more expensive: their components (if you take ready-made, factory-made ones) cost more. But they weigh much less and are put into operation faster. There are several reasons why you should use them.

First: heavy weight screeds. Not all foundations and floors of houses are able to withstand the load created by water-heated floors in concrete screed. There must be a layer of concrete at least 3 cm above the surface of the pipes. Considering that outside diameter The pipe is also about 3 cm, then the total thickness of the screed is 6 cm. The weight is more than significant. And on top there is often another tile on a layer of glue. It’s good if the foundation is designed with a reserve - it will hold up, but if not, problems will begin. If there is a suspicion that the ceiling or foundation will not bear the load, it is better to make a wooden or polystyrene system.

Second: low maintainability of the screed system. Although when laying underfloor heating circuits it is recommended to lay only solid coils of pipes without joints, periodically the pipes are damaged. Either it was hit with a drill during repairs, or it burst due to a defect. The location of the damage can be determined by a wet spot, but it is difficult to repair: you have to break the screed. In this case, adjacent loops can be damaged, causing the damage area to become larger. Even if you managed to do it carefully, you have to make two seams, and these are the potential places for further damage.

Third: commissioning of a heated floor in a screed is possible only after the concrete has reached 100% strength. This takes at least 28 days. Before this date, you cannot turn on the heated floor.

Fourth: you have a wooden floor. It's hard in itself wooden floor- not the best idea, but also a screed with elevated temperature. The wood will quickly collapse and the entire system will collapse.

The reasons are serious. Therefore, in some cases, it is more advisable to use dry technologies. Moreover, making a wooden water-heated floor with your own hands is not that expensive. The most expensive component is metal plates, but they can also be made from thin sheet metal and better - aluminum. It is important to be able to bend, forming grooves for pipes.

A variant of a polystyrene heated floor system without screed is demonstrated in the video.

Materials for heated water floors

Most often they make a water heated floor in a screed. About its structure and necessary materials and the speech will begin. The diagram of a warm water floor is shown in the photo below.

All work begins with leveling the base: without insulation, heating costs will be too high, and insulation can only be laid on flat surface. Therefore, the first thing to do is prepare the base - make a rough screed. Next, we will describe step by step the order of work and the materials used in the process:

• A damper tape is also rolled out around the perimeter of the room. This is a strip of thermal insulation material, no more than 1 cm thick. It prevents heat loss from heating the walls. Its second task is to compensate for the thermal expansion that occurs when materials are heated. The tape can be special, or you can also lay thin foam plastic cut into strips (no more than 1 cm thick) or other insulation of the same thickness.
• A layer is laid on the rough screed heat-insulating materials. For installing heated floors the best choice- polystyrene foam. Extruded is best. Its density must be at least 35 kg/m2. It is dense enough to withstand the weight of the screed and operating loads, has excellent characteristics and a long service life. Its disadvantage is that it is expensive. Other, cheaper materials (foam, mineral wool, expanded clay), have a lot of disadvantages. If possible, use polystyrene foam. The thickness of thermal insulation depends on many parameters - on the region, characteristics of the foundation material and insulation, and the method of organizing the subfloor. Therefore, it must be calculated in relation to each case.

• Next, a reinforcing mesh is often placed in increments of 5 cm. Pipes are also tied to it - with wire or plastic clamps. If expanded polystyrene was used, you can do without reinforcement - you can fasten it with special plastic brackets, which are driven into the material. For other insulation materials, reinforcing mesh is required.
• Beacons are installed on top, after which the screed is poured. Its thickness is less than 3 cm above the level of the pipes.
• Next, the finished floor covering is laid. Any suitable for use in a heated floor system.

These are all the main layers that need to be laid when you make a water-heated floor with your own hands.

Pipes for heated floors and installation schemes

The main element of the system is pipes. Most often they use polymer ones - made of cross-linked polyethylene or metal-plastic. They bend well and have a long service life. Their only obvious drawback is their not very high thermal conductivity. Those who appeared recently do not have this disadvantage corrugated pipes made of stainless steel. They bend better, cost no more, but due to their lack of popularity, they are not yet used often.

The diameter of the pipes for heated floors depends on the material, but usually it is 16-20 mm. They are stacked according to several schemes. The most common are spiral and snake; there are several modifications that take into account some of the features of the premises.

Laying with a snake is the simplest, but as the coolant passes through the pipes, it gradually cools down and reaches the end of the circuit, which is already much colder than it was at the beginning. Therefore, the zone where the coolant enters will be the warmest. This feature is used - installation begins from the very cold zone— along external walls or under a window.

The double snake and spiral are almost free of this drawback, but they are more difficult to install - you need to draw a diagram on paper so as not to get confused during installation.

Screed

Can be used to fill a water heated floor using a regular cement-sand mortar based on Portland cement. The grade of Portland cement should be high - M-400, or better yet M-500. - not lower than M-350.

But ordinary “wet” screeds take a very long time to gain their design strength: at least 28 days. You can’t turn on the heated floor all this time: cracks will appear that can even break the pipes. Therefore, so-called semi-dry screeds are increasingly being used - with additives that increase the plasticity of the solution, significantly reducing the amount of water and the time for “aging”. You can add them yourself or look for dry mixtures with the appropriate properties. They cost more, but there is less hassle with them: according to the instructions, add the required amount of water and mix.

It’s possible to make a heated water floor with your own hands, but it will take a decent amount of time and a lot of money.