Do you want to have a temperate floor? The installation of underfloor heating allows you to enjoy homogeneous comfort in a room. Even if it’s freezing cold at sea, you can still walk around your house without slippers. But which coating to choose for your underfloor heating? So, without further ado, let’s dive into this blog and learn some of the things you need to know about heated floors.
Waxed concrete
Polished concrete is an up-to-date coating due to its aesthetics. It will be able to guarantee the good diffusion of heat in a room while avoiding possible disorders. The only downside is that this material does not have good resistance. For a heated floor installation, many people prefer waxed concrete tiles because the latter tends to expand under the effect of heat.
To obtain a heated floor, some people opt for an easy solution. They add color pigments to the liquid screed of the heated floor. Some polish it directly, and others wait around twenty days for it to dry. This way is feasible if you particularly like the “raw effect”.
The carpet
Carpet, linoleum, and any resilient floor have financial advantages. They win the hearts of consumers as their uses have recently become more democratic. These excellent thermal conductors resist thermal expansion and are available at an affordable price. However, your vigilance is required. The carpet is a good insulator and diffuses heat well, but it risks diffusing volatile particles at the same time when you heat your home.
As for linoleum, even if it sticks to a heated floor, it may give off an unpleasant odor. When laying flexible linoleum or PVC flooring, listen carefully to the recommendations of the craftsman, a specialist in laying heated floors. He advises you on the compatibility of the flexible floor and the glue to be used for laying the covering on a heated floor. On underfloor heating, you should choose a carpet with a thermal conductivity of less than 0.15 W/mK. Otherwise, it will block the heat.
The tiling
Tile and stone are two very popular elements when it comes to underfloor heating. These two materials are excellent conductors of heat, so you save energy. They are wear-resistant and not easily deformed. Considered part of the ideal wall covering for a kitchen, the ceramic covering is also a good element for a floor covering for a heated floor. However, natural stone with reduced thickness can also do the trick. In this way, you keep the thermal conduction performance of the coating.
The advantage of opting for tiling is that you do not have to completely change the floor in the event of breakage or breakdown. Simply remove the tile(s) from the area. It is important to know that large format tiles crack more easily. On underfloor heating, diagonal laying is also to be avoided.
Parquet and laminate
Do you put aesthetics as the first criterion for choosing the floor? Parquet and laminate surely tempt you. They bring a touch of elegance to the interior of every room. These materials are currently very reliable coatings due to the improvements made to them.
As wood is already an excellent insulator, parquet is a good choice, provided you glue it well. Assuming you lay the air board, or underlay, in a floating manner, heat is locked between the floor and the room to be heated. However, laminated parquet is only used for underfloor heating and is not suitable for underfloor cooling.
If you are spoiled for choice among these floor coverings, just seek the advice of an experienced heating plumber. Sound off in the comments section below, and tell us what you want to read next and if you want to read more about heated floors.