Laying tiles on a warm floor with your own hands: Instructions + Video

Laying thermal elements

There are a great variety of floor coverings. For each of them there is a method for laying heated floors. We will not divide the electrical part into a separate cable, mats, or infrared film. The principle of construction installation is not fundamentally different.

Laying in screed. Not only a hydrobarrier is placed on the subfloor, but also thermal insulation. Otherwise, you will be the sponsor of good weather for the neighbors below. Then the mounting grid (when working with a linear cable), on which the heater “snake” is laid. Infrared sheets or heating mats are mounted in the same way. A screed with a thickness of at least 30 mm is poured on top. How to properly lay an electric heated floor on a screed? The technology is similar, only instead of the second screed, the adhesive composition of the building mixture is applied. The thickness can be 10 mm over the heating elements, this is not a power coating. Installation under tiles is the same as on screed. Don't forget to ensure a minimum thickness above the wires. Laying under laminate or carpet. If you are laying the finishing coating on a screed, see the options above in the text. And for cases when there is already a screed, and you need to mount a warm breakwater, a variety of substrates are provided for installation. The cable is mounted in standard grooves, and sound insulation and laminate are placed on top. For linoleum and carpet you will need a thin, rigid base. Wooden house, floors on logs. Do you think it is impossible to install a heated floor? On the contrary, this is easier to do than in a concrete panel house. Thermal insulation is laid between the logs (reflector up), and a heating cable is attached to it. The only limitation is more stringent fire safety requirements

When purchasing a cable, you should pay attention to this.

Separately, we can note the infrared plates. Their installation requires virtually no preparation. Just a flat floor, thermal insulation, and laying directly under the finishing coating.

Laying tiles on a warm electric floor

The technology for laying tiles on a heated floor is the same as on a conventional prepared base. The only peculiarity is that you need to buy a special adhesive mixture designed for installation on a warm base. Typically, such tile mixtures are appropriately labeled “warm floor” or operating temperature range.

When applying the solution directly to the heating mat, you need to make sure that there are no voids left, because these are “air pockets” that can cause the cable to overheat

The glue is applied to the mat with a special spatula very carefully so as not to cause mechanical damage to the system. You can move on the floor and apply grout within a day, and operate the system only after the adhesive layer has completely dried, which will prevent the appearance of cracks due to uneven drying under the influence of temperature

Laying tiles on a warm electric floor

Information in the form of step-by-step instructions indicates the main steps on how to make a warm electric floor under tiles on your own. The correct choice of components and compliance with the rules for connecting elements guarantees the result - a reliable heated tiled floor in a private house or apartment.

Marking

Before laying the tiles on the heated floor, markings are made. It is necessary to decide on what pattern to lay it. For example, there will be a lot of trim along the diagonal. You can lay them staggered so that the vertical seams do not coincide. With normal masonry, all seams, vertical and horizontal, will coincide.

Important! The choice of installation scheme does not affect the quality of floor heating. It is necessary to navigate based on personal preference.

Having decided on the layout scheme, markings are applied to the floor. Using a beating cord with paint, beat off the line of the first row. This guide will help you lay out all the tiles evenly. If there is a pattern, lay the coating on the floor dry. This will help you make the markings correctly.

Warm tiles, ceramic foam for floors, manufacturing technology, advantages

Until now, the concept of warm tiles did not exist, since the surface of the tiles always remained cold due to the properties of the raw materials used. More recently, Japanese developers have received a new product that has become innovative in the production of ceramics. The company spent a lot of time creating tiles with an increased level of stain resistance, antibacterial effect and a pleasant tactile feel when walking. The introduction of the unique technology has not yet been appreciated by the broad masses of consumers, but the high performance characteristics captivated the participants of the exhibition, where the new products were presented.

Features of ceramic foam manufacturing technology

The effect of a warm floor is obtained thanks to innovative technology, which involves filling the working ceramic mass with air bubbles. The result is a thermal insulation layer that does not give a feeling of cold when walking. When finishing a bath or kitchen with such tiles, there will be no need for rugs and installation of a heated floor system.

Thanks to the adjustment of the phase composition, a wide range of ceramic foam products is produced, differing in technical characteristics and performance properties. The structure of the tile is foam-cellular, consisting of air bubbles and the shells surrounding them. It is thanks to the air gap that the material has low thermal conductivity.

The properties of warm ceramics depend on the structure of the material, the number and parameters of bubbles, and the characteristics of their placement in the tile. For the floor covering, a technology is used that involves the creation of a durable shell that increases the surface’s resistance to mechanical loads.

The advantages of warm tiles

• the porous structure gives the material thermal insulation properties, no cold is felt upon contact with the tiles, • thanks to innovative technology, the floor covering is sufficiently resistant to mechanical stress, • the special protective coating has an antibacterial effect, • the ceramic composition does not contain toxic components that are hazardous to the health of households,

It is still difficult to assess the shortcomings of new products, because they have not yet passed the main test - consumer testing. But we can already testify to the high price, which starts at $100 per square meter.

Warm ceramics are ideal for arranging heated floors in combination with an electric or water heating system. Its thermal conductivity indicators will help to minimize energy consumption, while ensuring fairly good heating of the floor surface. Experts recommend giving preference to ceramic tiles.

Porcelain tiles have installation features, and the installation technology provides for seamless joining. However, during the heating process the material expands, which provokes the formation of cracks.

The quality of installation is also affected by the adhesive mixture, so when choosing an adhesive you should pay attention to the information on the packaging regarding temperature cycles. In most cases, craftsmen prefer epoxy resin

Combination of warm water floors with ceramic tiles

The advent of water underfloor heating has made it possible to radically solve the problem of heating in residential premises. The efficiency of this method of heating interior spaces is an order of magnitude higher in comparison with the operation of traditional heating radiators. The very idea of ​​heating the floor in domestic premises, where there is high humidity and it is technologically necessary to have a clean floor surface, is not new. Heating ceramic floors significantly increases the level of comfort in heated rooms and improves their performance characteristics.

For reference: in the usual version, a tiled floor has a temperature 5-100 lower than the air mass in the floor layer. This is where the “cold floors” effect arises, which we have to put up with.

We remember very well how we felt in the pool, where literally everything was embedded in tiles. It is extremely uncomfortable in such an environment where the walls and floor, despite the apparent cleanliness, are cold, wet and unpleasant to the touch. For the first time, a water heated floor under tiles was installed in England in the mid-50s of the last century. During the construction of the Olympic swimming pool, the competition organizers required the builders to artificially heat the tiled floor inside the pool. Despite the fact that in those years this technical improvement was incredibly expensive, the positive effect of this know-how was immediately appreciated.

Nowadays, such an opportunity is no longer something expensive and unattainable. Warm floors can be found literally everywhere today. Country houses, cottages and dachas, designed for long-term and comfortable living, are massively equipped with heated floors. Laying tiles on water-heated floors is practiced today in the construction of saunas and baths. Many residents try to install a water heating circuit under a ceramic tile covering in the bathroom, toilets or kitchen.

Installing a heated floor heating system in a house involves large-scale work. In old buildings, installing water floors involves solving numerous problems. In new residential buildings, the installation of water heated floors designed for tiles is much simpler and easier.

Laying a warm water floor in inhabited objects solves several problems simultaneously. Even taking into account the very principle of operation of water floors, it already becomes clear what underfloor heating gives in combination with ceramic tiles. The main thing that can be achieved in such cases is to significantly increase the level of comfort in the premises. Frequent visitors to saunas and baths know very well what a warm tiled floor is!

Ceramic tiles and any other ceramic coating in combination with the operation of water heating circuits laid in the floor have many advantages and benefits. Thanks to technological features, heating floors allow you to evenly distribute the required amount of heat over the entire surface of the hearth. The principle of heating the room not only creates an acceptable temperature balance, but also allows you to significantly improve the quality characteristics of the floor covering. When using a concrete screed, tiles are an ideal covering option, especially when it comes to furnishing a kitchen or bathroom.

You can use ceramic coating in combination with a heated floor system. This installation method is especially relevant for country houses, bathhouses and sanitary units, the structure of which is mainly made of wood. The presence of a water floor under the tiles in a bathhouse or sauna is a completely solvable problem. The main thing is to follow the technology of laying the inlaid structure and foresee the flooring option in advance.

Types of electric floors

To understand how to install an electric heated floor with your own hands, let’s take a brief overview of the technologies:

• A heating cable is a conductor with a certain resistance. When voltage is applied, the cable heats up. It can be single-core or have two conductors in one sheath. A two-core heater is easier to install, but when laid over large areas, an electric field may occur. Single-core wire is cheaper, so it is used outdoors and in industrial premises. A mono conductor has no problems with a magnetic field over a large area. An electric heated floor with two conductors is connected on one side of the cable. This is more convenient, and it is also easier to organize control.
• Heating mats: this is the same cable, only attached to a substrate (a mesh of synthetic materials). It can also be single or double-core. The only difference is in the connection and control method. Rolls of electrical mats are slightly more expensive than cable coils (per unit area). There is no need to buy mounting hardware - you simply roll out the roll onto the floor. Calculations of the area and length of the cable are also not required: the wavy laying of the cable on the mounting grid is carried out strictly according to the technical operating conditions.
• Infrared heating film. This is an innovative technology, so the cost of materials is slightly higher. A fundamental difference from other technologies: heating occurs not due to convection of warm air from bottom to top, but due to the transfer of thermal radiation in the infrared range. Objects are heated directly, by analogy with UFO heaters. Advantages: efficiency, small thickness (several millimeters), ease of installation, absolute fire safety and harmlessness.

What you should know about warm field

Water and electric, varied in modes of action and energy consumption, heated floors require special handling during installation, laying finishing materials on it, such as tiles or laminate, as well as its subsequent operation

Failure to comply with safety precautions and installation technology will entail not only destruction of the surface, be it a loose tile or a cracked self-leveling coating, such as expensive 3D, but also the absolute inoperability of the heating elements

However, having familiarized yourself with all the rules for installing equipment and its subsequent finishing, you can do without outside help and do everything yourself.

The most common areas for installing heated floors are the bathroom and kitchen. Tile is most often used for finishing here; it does not absorb moisture and is easy to clean; in addition, laminate and parquet are less susceptible to mechanical damage. Also popular areas for installation are swimming pools, garages and private parking lots. Using a water floor for the latter eliminates ice and snow drifts in winter, which means it significantly saves the time and effort of the owner of the premises.

Laying tiles on a heated floor

Laying tiles on a heated floor with your own hands is possible for any man who knows how to hold a hammer and spatula in his hands. By and large, laying tiles on a heated floor is no different from ordinary tile laying.

Necessary tool

For work we will need:

• Rubber spatula;
• Toothed trowel;
• Rubber mallet;
• Level (water or laser);
• A set of crosses of the required size;
• A ball of twine.

Laying tiles on an electric floor

It must be said right away that under ceramics you can make a warm floor based on a heating mat and a heating section.

In this case, the arrangement of materials will be as follows:

• Concrete screed;
• Thermal insulation (may not be);
• Heating elements;
• Concrete screed (about 3-5 cm);
• Tile adhesive;
• Ceramic tile.

Approximate floor image

Advice! Many people are not satisfied with the second screed. However, it is better to do it. It perfectly protects heating elements from mechanical damage due to uneven load.

It must also be said that it is best to level the floors with the first screed, and lay the heating elements on an already flat surface.

As already mentioned, there may also be no insulation layer. However, professionals recommend taking care of it too. Eps boards can be used as insulation. In this case, it is better to take a material that has a density higher than 35 kg/cubic meters.

A foil tape should be placed on top of such insulation. It is recommended to tape the seams between its individual parts with tape. The price for it is not particularly high, but its effectiveness is obvious.

Foil with seams taped

Next, the underfloor heating tape or pipes are laid.

A layer of concrete is poured on top of them. It, like the first layer, is recommended to be laid using beacons. They will help make the screed equal in height at all its points.

Laying heated floors on foil

After the concrete screed has dried sufficiently, which occurs approximately on the fifth day with a thickness of no more than 50 mm, you can begin directly laying the ceramics.

The instructions are very simple. The glue is applied to the screed using a special notched trowel. The corner element is laid first. It is aligned with the walls and level.

Advice! Often the walls themselves are slightly uneven. In this case, the tiles need to be laid along them, that is, also unevenly. Otherwise, it will seem that it is laid obliquely.

If there is a situation as described above, then the ceramics are laid parallel to the longer wall, that is, along the room. On the perpendicular wall, a mark is made or a strip is nailed. Both the mark and the batten must be located strictly at right angles to the longer wall.

In this case, at the end of the small wall there will be a gap between the tiles and the wall, the size of which depends on the degree of unevenness of the walls. This gap can easily be hidden under the floor plinth. If the gap is large, then pieces of tiles cut to size can be laid on it.

The photo shows how the gap increases already on the second element (far left row)

It is recommended to place plastic crosses - joint formers - between every two adjacent tiles. They will help make all seams the same thickness. A cross is placed on each corner.

It is worth noting that the glue is applied not only to the screed, but also to the ceramic itself. To ensure it lies flat, you need to use a level. It can be pressed with your hands. If very minor changes are needed, you can tap the surface of the tile with a trowel handle or a rubber hammer.

Laying tiles on a water-heated floor

The sequence of work is as follows:

• Surface preparation, that is, removing the old floor and so on;
• Installation of leveling concrete screed;
• Construction of a thermal insulation layer;
• Pipe installation. In this case, all equipment connections and system testing are carried out immediately. If necessary, problems are resolved;
• Filling the entire floor with a layer of concrete (unlike the previous case, here a second screed is simply required, since the pipes are quite thick and hiding them under a layer of adhesive is simply unprofitable);
• Laying ceramics or tiles.

It must be said that the tiles are laid according to the same principles as in the previous case.

As you can see, laying tiles is carried out the same way in all cases. The differences lie only in the preparatory processes associated with the installation of the heated floor itself. The video in this article will help you get visual details in this matter!

Types of heated floors

The types of floors differ in the principle of operation, the amount of energy consumption, the installation method, as well as the duration and characteristics of operation.

There are three types of heated floors that can be covered with ceramics:

1. Water floor heated pipes are pipes of a certain cross-section. The principle of operation is similar to central heating; heating is carried out using hot water that circulates through the system. The floors are poured with concrete screed or dry installation is performed. The floor can be laid on top using ceramic tiles. Installation work is high cost, labor intensive, and the operation of this type of floor is not safe.
   

   Attention! Before you begin laying tiles on a heated water floor, you should make sure that all elements are in good working order; if an error is discovered during floor heating, you will have to remove all the finishing.

2. Infrared floor heating is considered a modern type of heating. The system works using thin plates that heat up and are covered with a polyethylene film to protect them from moisture. This type is considered a more economical option; the elements are not subject to corrosion. During a breakdown, there is no need to turn off the entire system; only the faulty area can be repaired. The floor design is reliable and easy to install and operate. The mounting mesh serves as the basis for the tiles; glue is used instead of screed.
3. The electric type is a multi-layer floor that has insulation, a heating element, screed and tiles. The heated floor covering reduces the height of the room by up to 10 cm.

Warm floor tiles selection criteria

To solve the problem of cold flooring and reduce heat loss, warm floor tiles have recently been increasingly used. Therefore, the selection criteria for this material are extremely important. And since such products have appeared on the market, it is necessary to be able to distinguish them.

Features of the technology

Foam ceramics, on the basis of which the tiles are made, are an innovative product, safe for use, and, moreover, inexpensive. Due to the fact that the substances included in it do not react with cement, concrete and plaster, it can be used as a filler for ceramic products and artificial stone. Its structure consists of cells and therefore retains heat well, and the performance characteristics of the coating are high.

The raw materials for production are ceramic and slag waste, slate, river silt, waste rock. As a result of firing, closed pores are formed, evenly distributed throughout the entire structure of the material. This determines the thermal insulation properties of the product.

Granular ceramic foam is an analogue of expanded clay and similar backfill materials. Natural origin eliminates the release of toxic substances into the environment. The starting materials – minerals – determine the main properties.

Compared to other coatings, this is an affordable option for flooring, consisting of mineral and diamite elements (deep-sea silt). Its cost mainly depends on the complexity of production.

Advantages

The advantages of warm tiles are undeniable, since the technology involves the creation of a reliable mantle that protects the surface from significant mechanical loads.

Main qualities:

• high parameters of compressive, tensile and pressure strength,
• moisture repellence,
• good noise-absorbing properties,
• safety thanks to natural ingredients,
• resistance to pollution,
• fire resistance and antistatic,
• dielectric strength,
• wear resistance in any aggressive environment, when exposed to ultraviolet rays, high and low temperatures, and household chemicals.

Ceramic tiles are available in different colors and have different formats, which makes it possible to choose the product that best suits all the requirements for any room and style.

This coating can be used independently without heating and for underfloor heating in combination with water and electric heating systems. Due to thermal conductivity, heating costs can be profitably minimized.

How to choose?

You need to select the material taking into account other decorative elements, the features of furniture, wall cladding, and in the bathroom – the specifics of plumbing fixtures. Using these criteria, it is easy to choose the size, color, and pattern of the flooring.

It is necessary to coordinate this decision with the lighting of the room, since it is of no small importance and can make it visually more spacious and bright with small area parameters

Particular attention is paid to such an indicator as porosity. The lower it is, the greater the strength, performance, including cold resistance and moisture resistance

Thermal insulation and absorption of extraneous sounds also depend on this criterion.

Other important points:

• If the traffic in the room is high enough, you need to choose a coating with a high abrasion class and a safety margin. Therefore, a product with low porosity is needed.
• The friction parameter is also relevant. If the tile is glossy and therefore unstable, it is necessary to make its surface rougher. To do this, you will need to apply a special composition to it, making the texture more prominent.

It is better to purchase any flooring material from trusted manufacturers. For such products there is a certificate and other documentation confirming quality.

Alternative options

Floor insulation can also be done using other cladding products. Ordinary ceramic or porcelain tiles are quite suitable for this purpose, because they have all the necessary properties for this - durability, reliability, strength.

Most products of this type are suitable for installation on heating systems. With the exception of rectified ceramic granite - it expands when heated, and installation is usually carried out closely, virtually without seams.

Since the material will have to be “planted” with glue, this issue will also need to be given attention - only a special composition is used that is able to maintain a normal surface and protect it from the formation of cracks. Such products have a place on the construction market, and the packaging contains all the necessary information about the purpose and use

We are considering options for a warm water floor under ceramic tiles

There is no particular difficulty in choosing a water heated floor option for heating premises. The only difference is which installation method to choose: concrete underfloor heating or a flooring system. This depends on what room you plan to work in.

For country houses and wooden buildings, a flooring system would be ideal. The lack of durable concrete floors does not allow the installation of heating floors in a concrete screed in bathhouses, saunas, and dachas. Here it will be successful to use a modular or slatted flooring system. In the usual case, in a permanent, durable stone structure for heated floors, it is best to focus on the construction of a water floor on a concrete base.

For reference: the weight of one sq. meter of concrete screed with heating circuit pipes is 200-300 kg. In a stone building, the interfloor floors are able to withstand such additional load, which cannot be said about wooden buildings.

Having set yourself the task of making heated floors throughout the house or equipping heated floors in the bathroom, start designing water floors on a concrete base. Tiles can be laid on such a surface without any problems. The main condition for using tiles is a perfectly flat surface. With wooden structures of water floors it is quite problematic to achieve this indicator, especially over a large area.

Note: for installing heated floors under ceramic tiles, the technology allows you to create a dry screed. The design has the necessary strength and rigidity. Sheets of plywood, gypsum fiber board or chipboard are laid on top of the stacked structure, with the help of which the surface is leveled.

Having achieved a strong and reliable water floor design and put the heating system into operation, you can begin finishing work and installing the floor covering.

Laying tiles on electric heated floors

Laying the flooring is one of the final stages of renovation work. Specifically, there is no clear framework in what sequence the construction process should be carried out, and whether laying the flooring will be the final stage or not. But, nevertheless, this point is very important and responsible, especially if ceramic tiles act as the floor covering

It is worth paying special attention if it is placed on an electric heated floor; a qualified specialist is required to perform this work. Laying tiles on cable electric heated floors includes a number of important steps: 1) Firstly, you must use a special tile adhesive for heated floors, which would withstand temperatures of at least 50-60 degrees. Since when the heating element is turned on for the first time, the temperature on the thermostat is set to the maximum, and it can be 40-50 degrees

You need to be sure that the glue will hold it.

2) Secondly, the floor sensor from the thermostat must be in the corrugation. A canvas is cut under the corrugation, which is covered with glue so that the level of the heating cable is the same everywhere.

3) Thirdly, if a heating mat is used as a warm floor, many experts recommend pre-tightening it with a thin layer of tile adhesive. This is done so that during the process of laying the tiles you do not accidentally damage the heating cable, otherwise the entire floor will completely fail. And only after complete drying can you proceed to the next stage of work.

4) Before you start working with tiles, it is worth calculating where to start. If there is a pattern, then you need to start from it (it should be in the central part of the room); if the tile moves from one room to another, then the transition and trimming of the tiles in the area of ​​the doorway should not be visible. It is recommended to calculate it in such a way that there is as little trimming as possible, and it is located in the most inconspicuous places. 5) Apply the glue using a 7-8 mm comb to the work surface, as well as to the tiles. If necessary, its inner side is first wiped with a damp cloth in order to remove dust (otherwise, there is a high probability that the tile may quickly come off due to lack of proper adhesion). In this case, you always need to monitor the floor level, removing excess glue if necessary, and also, to maintain the same distance between the tiles, use crosses, which in turn have different sizes.

6) After the glue has dried, you can begin sealing the seams. For this, special putties of different colors are used. If this is a production facility and beauty is not so important, or there are financial constraints, you can use the same tile adhesive as a putty. All seams are first cleaned of dust using a knife; if necessary, an industrial vacuum cleaner is used. The glue is applied using a special flexible (rubber) spatula. After 10-20 minutes (depending on the room temperature), all excess is wiped off with a damp sponge (rag). After this, walking on the tiles is prohibited until the joints are completely dry, at least a couple of hours.

Another important point is that heated floors should never be turned on until the tile adhesive has completely dried. If, when laying the tiles, the rough screed was completely dry, then the heated floor system can be put into operation no earlier than after 14-16 days. If the screed was previously insulated and poured, then the drying time increases to a month. If you turn on the heated floor earlier than the specified time, in most cases the tiles may move away from the base.

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Finishing heated floor with tiles

The rules for laying it on a warm floor do not differ from the rules for cladding a regular surface. The exception is the choice of tile adhesive. For heated floors, there is a special adhesive that has increased ductility. It contains thermoregulating additives.

Materials and tools

• Tile adhesive for heated floors;
• Grout for joints;
• Deep penetration soil or concrete contact;
• Comb spatula, 100-150 mm;
• Rubber spatula, 50-70 mm;
• Crosses for seams;
• Electric drill:
• Rubber hammer;
• Mixer attachment;
• Construction level, 700-1000 mm;
• Tile cutter or glass cutter;
• Mastic;
• Paint roller, 250 mm;
• Protective rubber gloves and glasses;
• Thin cord and chalk.

Calculation of material quantity

First of all, the area of ​​the room is calculated. Then the number of boxes with tiles is determined. The area is indicated on each of them. A margin of 10% for trimming and fitting is added to the result obtained.

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The volume of glue depends on the unevenness of the base and the thickness of the layer. Average consumption values ​​per square meter are given on the packaging. The soil norm is 200-300 g/m2.

Preparation

Before laying the tiles, preparatory work is carried out. Most often, the base of a heated floor under tiles is a cement-sand screed. It is impregnated with deep penetration soil or concrete contact. Concrete heated floors are covered with polyethylene film or impregnated with bitumen mastic.

Application of deep penetration soil onto a cement-sand screed

The drying time for the soil is 2-3 hours. To improve adhesion, the floor can be treated 2 times.

Room layout

Drawing guide lines for laying tiles
There are two main ways to lay tiles on a heated floor: in rows or staggered. In the first case, all horizontal and vertical seams of the rows coincide. In the second, the heated floor is laid in a checkerboard pattern. The installation method does not affect performance characteristics.

The layout of the room starts from the longest wall. Using chalk and a thin cord, the first row is beaten off. The rest of the room is marked off from it. This method is suitable for classic styling without additional patterns.

When it is necessary to lay ceramic granite with a pattern, diagonals are beaten off. This is done using rope and chalk. The intersection point is the center of the room. The whole drawing is laid out from him.

If you plan to lay out a pattern or diagonal, then first lay out the entire tile “dry”. This is done to check the calculations and the actual layout.

Laying technology

• Preparation of tile adhesive for heated floors. To knead it, use a plastic or metal bucket. The glue is prepared in two stages. At the first stage, part of the water is poured in, and the dry mixture is poured in. The components are mixed using an electric drill with a mortar attachment. On the second, the remaining water and dry mixture are added to the bucket. Everything is thoroughly mixed. The finished consistency should be slightly thicker than sour cream.

Mixing tile adhesive in a plastic bucket using a drill

Pilot glue sets quickly. Therefore, a small volume is mixed at a time - for 30-40 minutes of work.

• The adhesive is applied either to the base or to the tiles. When applying to the base, a regular and comb spatula is used. Conventional - the mixture is leveled, comb - furrows are made for better adhesion to ceramic tiles. The size of the surface to be coated with glue at a time should not exceed 1 m2. When applying to tiles, a trowel and a comb spatula are used. The craftsman applies glue to the back side of the ceramic tile. Using a comb spatula, it is stretched over the entire surface.
• Laying. In both cases, each element is applied to the base and slightly pressed in with smooth wave-like movements. Then tap it with a rubber mallet. The action is repeated with the next element. Using a building level, the horizontalness of the surface is checked. If the tile has sagged or heaved, it is removed and the defect is corrected. Then she returns to her place. To maintain an equal distance between the tiles, crosses are inserted into them: two on each side of the tile. A gap of 10-20 mm is left between the wall and the tile. It plays the role of an expansion joint. After the glue hardens, all crosses are removed.

The setting time for tile adhesive for heated floors is 24 hours. After 72 hours, the floor can be loaded with furniture.

• Trimming and laying tiles. If possible, uneven and cut pieces are placed in corners or under furniture. To frame the areas around the pipes, use a template made of cardboard or paper. It is made for each element. The shape is then transferred to the tile and cut out. The finished pieces are placed in their place. Depending on the strength, ceramic granite is cut with a glass cutter, tile cutter or grinder with a ceramic saw blade. The grinder is used for cutting durable types of flooring, which are rarely installed at home. A tile cutter is used to cut large quantities of ceramic tiles. A glass cutter is necessary for curly trimming of small areas. However, many professional floor tile installers use a glass cutter as their main tool.

Using a glass cutter to cut porcelain stoneware

Ceramic granite is cut only from the smooth front side.

Seam processing

They come in two types:

• Installation – between tiles. Their width varies from 1.5 to 3 mm. Less than 1.5 mm is considered seamless installation. The seams are sealed 24 hours after the installation of the flooring is completed. First of all, all the crosses are removed. Then all seams are sealed with grout using a rubber spatula. The movement of the spatula is strictly along the seam.

Sealing joints between tiles using a rubber spatula

30-40 minutes after grouting, the seams are washed with cold water.

• Perimeter - between the tiles and the wall. These are expansion joints. They are sealed with silicone sealant or rubber gasket. Then they are covered with a plastic plinth.

This completes the work on laying ceramic tiles. This is a durable and reliable coating that:

• withstands hundreds of cleaning cycles;
• does not change color when exposed to chemicals;
• complies with all hygiene standards and rules;
• distributes heat evenly throughout the room;
• pleasing to the eye.

Features of laying infrared heated floors

When installing an infrared floor under the tiles, it is recommended to use additional material - plasterboard or glass-magnesite sheets.

Figure 2. Ease and short installation time are the main advantage of heating mats.

Laying an infrared floor under tiles consists of the following steps (see Fig. 3):

• cleaning the base and laying heat-insulating material with metallized lavsan (for example, Infraflex or Poliform);
• laying thermal film, which should be cut into the longest possible strips in order to minimize the number of connection points;
• insulation of all copper strip outputs;
• fixing the film panels with masking adhesive tape without overlaps;
• connecting the thermostat in a convenient place;
• supply and connection of connecting wires to the thermostat;
• connecting a temperature sensor located under the tile;
• insulation of all connections using a thermosilicone gun;
• connecting the thermostat to the electrical network;
• checking the performance of the heated floor;
• laying polyethylene film;
• laying plasterboard or glass-magnesite sheets;
• laying floor tiles.

Do not use foil as a heat insulator and do not lay a metal mesh when laying tiles. For floor heating to be effective, you need to place infrared film on at least 80% of its surface.

How to lay ceramic tiles on a heated floor

To cover such special equipment, the tile laying scheme is not very different from the usual work with this type of flooring. Here are step-by-step instructions for this process:

1. check the reliability of fastening of the heating structure elements and the absence of cavities. So, for a wired heated floor, you should cut the tape that attaches it to the polymer mesh, otherwise this will lead to the appearance of air pockets, which will negatively affect the quality of work. You can secure the structure with tile adhesive by spreading it on top;

Pouring screed onto a warm base

Fill the screed with a sand-cement mixture or use tile adhesive on a heated floor - you will have to decide on your own, but if the layer is small and the area of ​​the room allows it, you can use the second option. A screed filled with tile adhesive will be more durable and less susceptible to damage. Care should be taken to distribute the material. Structural elements must be reliably filled to avoid air pockets and subsequent cracking of the canvas. A self-leveling floor will also serve well as a screed. Particular attention should be paid to the evenness of the coating level, because its discrepancy in different corners of the room, differences in the future will lead to poor-quality placement of the tiles. The level and rule will help you in your work. In no case should you forget about the general measured level. The screed, depending on the material, dries from three to five days, although complete drying can occur in 21-25 days. But the tiles can be laid already on the fifth day; laying out tiles also begins with measuring the area. In addition, it is important to decide on the pattern. The laying usually starts from a flat surface, an adjacent room, a wall, etc. A layer of fixing tile adhesive, approximately 50 millimeters, is applied with a notched trowel, after which the tile is fixed to the screed, pressed or tapped with a hammer, and leveled. After this, crosses are placed at the corners of the elements, and the next tile and so on are fitted, butt-to-edge. When they reach the corner, they leave a gap. The final part, consisting of trimmed parts, is placed last. Each level is measured; if there is a discrepancy, the element is removed and re-installed, removing the excess or adding the missing layer of tile adhesive. However, with a fairly even initial screed, this happens extremely rarely. It should also be remembered that walking on freshly laid surfaces is prohibited. This will lead to deformation of the coating and possibly a complete redo of the work done;

Grouting floor tiles

The drying time for the tiles is 3 – 5 days. Only after this time can you begin to grout it. Grouting is needed not only for aesthetic reasons, but also to protect against chips, mold in the seams and stubborn stains. At this stage, the crosses are removed. The contacting surface of the wall and decorative elements, if any, are sealed with paint glue; if this is not done, after the grout has dried, it will be very problematic to clean it of them. You should not wait for the grout to dry completely before cleaning non-groutable tile elements. After just two hours, it should be washed, carefully going around the seams, because... Once the grout has completely set, it will be much more difficult to clean it.

But the question of when you can turn on the heated floor after laying the tiles requires detailed consideration. The total drying time for tile adhesive and screed is 21-25 days; only after these materials have completely dried can the equipment be started. Premature switching on will lead to the formation of air bubbles in the coating, which will lead to fragility or overheating and, as a result, burnout of the cable structure. Therefore, no matter how much you would like to test the result of your own work in action, you will have to wait, this is provided for by the technology of the work.

Tile laying options

The tiles can be laid immediately after pouring the floor screed or after additional leveling of the base has been carried out using a finishing leveling compound. It is the second option that requires a little more attention and labor, but the result will be much better. If you lay the tiles immediately after pouring the screed, you will have to apply a significant layer of tile adhesive for complete leveling. This also causes financial costs.

The additional leveling layer is considered the most durable and durable. It is most often used in work, sparing no time. It is almost never worth laying tiles on a heated floor right away if you want to get an excellent final result and a long service life for the entire structure. This can only be done in exceptional cases, under limited time conditions.

It is worth remembering that this option will still require replacement in the near future, within about a few years. So you should think about whether it is worth spending money now so that in the future you can accurately dismantle and re-install the flooring in the bathroom.

But you should not lay tiles on a heated floor that is turned on. This will lead to premature drying of the tile adhesive, and the tile itself will not have time to adhere to the base and will lag behind.

Typical installation errors

• Do not turn on the heating until the screed or adhesive coating of the floor has completely dried.
• Before pouring the electric floor with screed, treatment with a primer is required. Otherwise, voids may form around the wire.
• Service equipment (for example, a temperature sensor) must be placed in a tube (or corrugated). Then it can be removed for prevention or replacement.
• Do not cut a cable that is industrially secured to a heat mat. You can cut the backing and rotate the halves at the required angle.
• Be sure to record a “map of the area,” that is, a diagram of the location of the heating elements. This will come in handy when rearranging furniture.

How to properly install an infrared floor

The installation technology of this system is quite simple, so you can carry out all the work yourself. You just need to be very careful when connecting the film to the power supply. So, laying an electric heated floor of this type involves the following sequence of actions:

1. Leveling the base.
2. Installation of thermal insulation substrate. It spreads over the entire surface of the base. It is best to choose a substrate that is equipped with a foil layer. It will reflect infrared rays in the desired direction.
3. Laying out the film on the surface of the subfloor.
   If thermal mats are only trimmed in the required places, then the infrared film is cut completely along the intended line. In this case, you need to be very careful not to damage the heating elements. Step-by-step technology for laying IR film
4. Insulation of copper conductive strips. It is applied only on one side, because the power wires will be connected to the other. When laying the canvases, there is no need to maintain a step between them, but crossing them is prohibited.
5. Connecting the canvases to each other. In this case, a parallel connection method is used. It is advisable to insulate all connections with special tape.
6. Checking the system and installing the finishing cladding. You can lay tiles or laminate directly on infrared film. After the glue has dried, you can once again check the effectiveness and functionality of the system.

As you can see, the technology for installing an electric heating system is not very complicated. The main thing is to connect everything correctly, follow the installation steps, insulate the contacts and connect to the power supply. Leave your additions and opinions!

Electric heating systems

This flooring option works using electric current. The system is connected to the premises' electrical network and can operate throughout the year, regardless of the heating season. These floors are easy to adjust the temperature.

Expert opinion

Afanasyev E.V.

Chief editor of the pol-exp.com project Engineer.

In apartment buildings, it is recommended to install electric floor heating systems, since, although they consume electricity, they do not pose a threat of flooding in the rooms located below a particular apartment.

Laying tiles on a heated floor

In turn, electric heating systems can be divided into several types:

• cable;
• film;
• thermal mats;
• core floors.

What affects the energy consumption of underfloor heating

Cable systems

In this case, a fairly thick cable laid under the screed and tiles is used as a heating circuit. Such heating can be either the main or an additional source of heat.

Cable for heated floor

As a rule, cable floors in apartments under tiles are used extremely rarely. The reasons are simple - to make cable heating, after laying the circuit, you will have to fill in the screed, which takes a long time to dry (28 days), and only then can you lay the tile itself directly as a finishing material. It is also important to remember that due to the additional screed, the height of the floors in the room will increase slightly, which sometimes will not allow the doors to function normally. And the additional weight that the cement mixture will add to the floors is also not the best condition for an apartment building. But in a private house it is quite possible to install such floors.

On a note! It is also possible to install cable floors in an apartment building, but it is better if the room has not yet been finished - in this case, the likelihood that the screed has already been poured is minimal. This means that you can do it yourself by first laying the heating wires.

Stages of laying cable heated floors

The cable system can be made of single-core or double-core cable. You can use heating only after the cement screed has dried, but before pouring it, the system must be checked for functionality. The disadvantages of cable heating include the fact that if the heating system fails, it will be extremely difficult to repair it - you will have to disassemble the entire screed.

Table. Power of heating mats.

Cable heated floor

Heating mats

Heating mats, which were also invented for underfloor heating, are a variation of electric underfloor heating. They are much more often used for installing heating in an apartment, since they do not require pouring a screed. Heating mats are a mesh on which sections of heating cable are fixed. Power comes from electricity.

Installation of such a system is carried out using tile adhesive, and tiles are laid on top. Thus, work on arranging heating can be done very, very quickly - the floors can be used as soon as the tile adhesive has dried. And the height of the floors will increase by a maximum of 1.5 cm.

Heating mats do not require screeding

Important! Before laying heating mats on the base, you need to think about where and how the interior items will be placed. The fact is that in those places where such a mat will lie, no objects can be placed. Otherwise, you can cause the system to overheat and fail.

Installation of the system is simple, the main thing is to know the basics of physics and carefully study the instructions for connecting to the electrical network. Everything else is extremely simple and clear.

Installation of thermal mats

Step 1. Before you start installing the underfloor heating system, it is important to prepare the rough foundation for subsequent work. Thus, floors must be cleared of debris, leveled as much as possible and treated with waterproofing. To level small differences and defects in the base, it is recommended to use self-leveling mixtures. If the floor screed is in perfect condition, then you can simply clean it of debris and carry out waterproofing work.

It is advisable to take care of waterproofing

Carrying out waterproofing work

Step 2. When the floors are prepared, you need to mark the places where the tiles will be laid. It is important to consider that all intact ceramic elements are in open spaces, and that those that will have to be cut are not conspicuous. For ease of marking, the tiles can be laid out on the floor as they should be after the work is completed.

Preliminary tile layout

Step 3. It is recommended to cut the tiles in advance if it is necessary to adjust individual elements to cover free areas of the floor, for example, along the walls, where a row of whole tiles simply does not fit.

Tile cutting

Step 4. On the floor and walls you need to apply markings along which grooves will be made for laying the temperature sensor and wires. The temperature sensor is placed in a groove in a corrugated pipe. After laying the sensor and bringing the wires out, the groove must be sealed with a solution.

The sensor installation location is sealed with mortar

By the way! It is best to groove the walls and do these preparatory work before applying waterproofing to the base. It is best to check the mats for functionality before final installation.

Step 5. Now you can prepare the tile adhesive. It must be kneaded according to the instructions given on the package.

Preparation of tile adhesive

Step 6. Next, you can lay the tiles in the place where the bathtub will stand. There is no need to install heaters underneath. You need to place a little tile adhesive along the wall where the bathtub will be located.

Glue is laid out along the wall

Step 7. Then the tile adhesive should be leveled with a spatula-comb, spreading evenly over the surface.

Leveling tile adhesive

Step 8. After this, you need to apply a little tile adhesive to the first tile from the wrong side.

Glue is applied to the tiles

Step 9. Next, the smeared tile must be carefully placed in its intended place and pressed.

The tiles are laid in place

Step 10. In this way you need to lay out the first row of tiles. Don’t forget to use dividers, which resemble crosses in appearance and are installed between the tiles. They will help maintain the same distance between ceramic elements and make neat seams.

Laying the first row

Step 11. Now you need to apply tile adhesive to the base in those places where the heating system will be installed.

The glue is applied to the area where the heated floor will be

Step 12. Individual heating mats must be connected to a temperature sensor and thermostat using wires. The connection of the cables of individual mats is made using heat-shrinkable sleeves, which just need to be heated with a hair dryer, and they will be fixed. If a larger number of mats are used, then they also need to be connected to each other.

How individual mats are connected

Step 13. Now you can lay the heating mats themselves on top of the glue.

Laying heating mats

Attention! When installing heating mats, you need to ensure that the temperature sensor is located between two adjacent heating strips, and not under one of them, otherwise it will show incorrect data.

Step 14. After the heating system has been laid and connected, you can continue to lay the tiles according to the same principle as before: apply glue to its underside and lay it on top of the heating mat, pressing it. This completes the installation of the tiles. After the glue has dried, the seams between the individual elements can be sealed with a special tile grout.

Laying of floor tiles continues

It is important to remember that heating mats cannot be cut . So when calculating their quantity, it is worth rounding it down.

Calculator for calculating the amount of adhesive for laying tiles

Go to calculations

Video - Installation of heated floors (heating mats)

Core floors

There is another option for electric heated floors - the so-called rod floors. They are made of several non-flexible carbon elements connected in parallel to each other. They work on the principle of well-known thin film infrared floors.

Rod floors are not very popular

Such floors are economical, but difficult to install (the process is no different from laying a cable floor, that is, it is necessary to install them in a cement screed). This is a fairly rarely used system, as craftsmen say that it is much easier to install another option or use a simple cable than to mess around with rod floors. However, they still undertake to work with them.

Installation of a core floor

Step 1. First, the rough base needs to be leveled, cleared of debris and thoroughly primed, then allow the primer layer to dry.

Applying primer

Step 2. Then you need to apply markings on the rough base according to the diagram of how the core floor will be laid. It is worth remembering that there is no need to place it under furniture - heating should only be under areas of the tiles on which nothing will stand.

Applying markings to the base

Step 3. If necessary, the mat must be cut into separate pieces according to the size of the room. You can only cut along the power end cable in the middle between the two rods.

Trimming the mat

Step 4. Now the mat needs to be spread on the floor as it will lie.

Laying out the mat on the floor

Step 5. It is advisable to place a heat-insulating backing material under the mat, which can be fixed to the base with tape.

Thermal insulating substrate is placed

Step 6. Next, using a utility knife, you need to trim off the excess substrate so that it is located only under the elements of the heating system. In some cases, you can completely avoid installing the substrate.

Trimming excess backing

Result of work

Step 7. The mat must be fixed to the base of the floor using construction tape, gluing it in several places along the power cable.

Fixing the mat with tape

Step 8. Next, the system needs to be connected. From the wire that comes with the system, you need to remove the insulation at its edge and put a connecting sleeve on the free end, and then crimp it. The same sleeve with the other end must be put on the stripped outer wire of the mat and also crimped. Next, you need to put a heat-shrinkable tube on the sleeve and heat it with a hair dryer, it will be firmly fixed to the wires.

Connecting the system

Step 9. The same steps must be performed on the other side of the mat, connecting the wire to it as well.

On the other side of the mat you need to do the same

Step 10. The end wires need to be plugged by putting heat shrink tubing on them and heating it with a hairdryer. They will not play any role in the operation of the system.

The end of the wire is heated with a hairdryer

Advice! It is most convenient to draw up a system connection diagram in advance and navigate it during operation.

Connection diagram

Step 11. The wires connected to the mats need to be connected to the thermostat. All connections must be carefully insulated.

Wires are connected to the thermostat

Step 12. You need to install a temperature sensor for the thermostat. It is fixed between two rods of the mat near the thermostat using tape. If the sensor is double insulated, then it can be laid without using corrugation.

Installing a temperature sensor

Step 13. Once the system has been assembled and connected, you need to turn it on and check if it works. To do this, you need to touch the mats and make sure that they are heating up.

System health check

Step 14. Now you can prepare the cement mixture for the screed and continue working. The mixture should be applied in a thin layer over the laid heated floor - this will help fix the mats in place.

Applying the mixture over a heated floor

Step 15. The screed will be poured on top of the mats. First you need to install beacons along which the filling will be carried out. They must be installed at the same level so that the final floor is perfectly level.

Installation of screed beacons

Step 16. Next, you need to fill the screed in the traditional way along the beacons and let it dry. Drying period – 28 days. During drying, the floor heating system cannot be used and any other work is also prohibited. After the screed has dried, you can install the ceramic tiles themselves in the traditional way.

The screed is poured

Video - Installation of a rod floor

Film floors

So we come to the well-known infrared film floor. Perhaps this option is the best for installing a heating system in apartment buildings. However, it can also be used in a private home.

This floor is called infrared, since heating is carried out precisely due to infrared radiation. But the system still needs to be connected to the mains.

IR film heated floor

This floor is considered the most effective, economical and, moreover, does not emit electromagnetic radiation, which means it is safe for health. Such a system itself is a polymer film with graphite stripes.

Important! An infrared floor is rarely installed specifically under tiles; more often it is installed under coverings such as laminate or wood. The fact is that the materials of some types of systems can react negatively to tile adhesive. At least, you don’t need to buy bimetallic versions of infrared floors, but carbon ones will easily withstand the test of tile adhesive.

Installation of IR floor

Step 1. First of all, the floor surface must be cleaned of debris and dust, thus preparing it for applying a primer.

The floor is cleared of debris

Step 2. Now you need to apply primer to the entire surface of the floor. It is most convenient to apply using a regular roller with a long handle. It is important to coat the entire surface well. Then the surface needs to be dried thoroughly.

Next you need to apply a primer

Step 3. Next you need to mark the location of the IR film. It is important to note that the film must be laid at a distance of at least 5 cm from the walls. And where the furniture will be placed, there is no need to lay down film at all. These points must be taken into account when applying markings.

Marking

Step 4. Then you need to lay the infrared film on the floor in accordance with the markings. Separate canvases can be laid next to each other, but overlapping them is prohibited.

Laying IR film

Step 5. You can connect individual film sheets to each other either by soldering or using contact clips. The latter must be inserted into holes specially made for this purpose along the edges of the film, where the copper busbar is located, and clamped.

Using Contact Clips

The clip is clamped

Step 6. Now the connecting wires need to be connected to the clips with areas stripped of insulation and clamped with pliers. The individual strips of film must be connected to each other in parallel.

Connecting wires to the clip

Connection diagram

Step 7. The ends of the film at the cut points (if the film needed to be cut) must be glued with insulating tape. Also, using butyl tape, all connections, contacts and unused wires are glued. It is recommended to glue the butyl tape on top with insulating tape.

Using insulating tape

The joints are also glued

Another photo of the process

Step 8. Now you can begin installing the temperature sensor. In the floor at its location (under the film), you need to make a small recess and place the backup and main temperature sensors connected to the thermostat in it.

Backup and main sensors

Step 9. Next you need to cover the thermal sensors with IR film. To prevent the sensors from moving, they can be attached with insulating tape directly to the film itself, placing a piece of tape under them with the sticky side up.

Step 10. Now you need to turn on the system for 20-30 minutes and make sure that it works. The floors should warm up.

The system is checked for functionality

Step 11. Next, you need to apply a thin layer of special heat-resistant acrylic glue under the film so that it does not move in the future. Moreover, later the tiles will be mounted on top of it. After gluing, you need to go over the film with a spatula to expel any remaining air from under it and distribute the glue evenly. You need to wait for the glue to dry.

Application of heat-resistant acrylic glue

The film is laid on glue

Step 12. After this, concrete contact must be applied to the surface of the IR film and to the remaining uncovered concrete base.

Application of concrete contact

Step 13. When the concrete contact has dried, you can lay the floor tiles in the traditional way.

Now you can start laying the tiles

Thermal insulation for electric heated floors under tiles

This stage may precede or occur after the next one. It all depends on the type of thermal insulation material used. The choice of insulation thickness depends on the condition of the floor slabs and the installation location:

It is advisable to make a thick thermal insulation layer above the basement, ground or unheated room, as well as on a balcony or loggia. Polystyrene foam or polystyrene foam is suitable for these purposes. It is wiser to lay thick material before leveling the floor. Layer thickness – from 20 to 100 mm;

a thin thermal insulation layer is laid on the prepared floor. Typically, foil penofol is used for these purposes, which is laid with the reflective surface facing up. This backing will direct heat into the room.

The insulation is laid at a distance from the wall. The thicker the insulation, the greater the distance. So for expanded polystyrene it will be 100 mm, for penofol - 50 mm. The junction of the insulation to the wall is taped with damper tape. It is designed to compensate for the thermal expansion of the material.

Preparing a heated floor project

Design is an important component; in this case, a good design allows you to reduce the cost of purchasing materials and avoid local overheating of the cable.

When developing a project, you should remember that the cable cannot be laid under furniture and heavy household appliances (for example, a washing machine, refrigerator). This creates an additional load on the system (the heated air will not rise upward, but will return back to the heat source), which can be avoided. For the same reason, it is recommended to purchase a bed with legs. In addition, the cable (or mat) should be placed at a distance of 150-200 mm from the wall. The distance between adjacent turns is at least 100 mm.

The project determines the installation location of the heat regulator. Usually it is mounted at a height of 900-1,000 mm from the floor surface. This location will be optimal, since the regulator will be convenient to use and there will be no need to cut a large section of the wall to lay the wire connecting the regulator and the cable.