Expert gives advice on choosing a warm floor

In some cases, underfloor heating can be a full-fledged alternative to radiators. In order for it to work for a long time, effectively and without having a destructive effect on the flooring, you need to know how to choose it correctly. Advantages and disadvantages of the two main types of warm floors named in a conversation with Izvestia on November 18, construction expert, founder and CEO of the company GLASNAB Fedor Vasiliev.

"Buying a warm floor, you will face the main choice - will it be water or electric. Water floor on the principle of operation - a system of pipes laid in the floor screed, which circulates hot water from the boiler or central heating system. The water heats the surface of the floor, which, in turn, evenly warms the air in the room. A water floor connected to a boiler or centralized heating is many times more economical than an electric floor. Its running costs are usually lower than those of electric systems. Water floor heating provides a more even heating of the room and creates a comfortable microclimate even in the cold season. This floor heating is suitable for most floor coverings, including tiles, laminate, parquet, linoleum," he said.

According to the expert, laying pipes and pouring screed takes from 4 to 7 cm of room height, so such a floor should not be installed in small rooms. Also, the design is quite bulky and difficult to install, and also has legislative restrictions, for example, in apartment buildings with central heating, the installation of a water-warm floor is prohibited.

"As for the material, I recommend buying metal-plastic pipes, as they hold their shape well and install them will be easier, unlike pipes made of cross-linked polyethylene, which will require more fasteners," - specified Vasiliev.

He noted that electric floor heating has many design variations. It is much easier to install, and it practically does not "eat" the height of the ceiling. The maximum thickness of the screed for an electric floor is 1.5 cm. It is independent of the central heating system and can be flexibly adjusted in each individual room. There is a wide variety of electric floors on the market: cable, film, rod.

"The main disadvantage is the increased consumption of electricity and the load on the electrical wiring. Therefore, you need to properly select the power and be sure to make grounding. Now let's understand a little about the types of electric flooring. Cable - single or double core - is laid in the screed or under the tiles. Single-core cable has a fixed length, you can't shorten it, so it is selected by length for a particular room," Vasiliev explained.

Heating mats are a simplified form of cable fixed on a grid, he said. This design simplifies installation and is suitable for localized heating. It can also be placed both in screed and in a layer of tile adhesive. The rod infrared floor looks very similar to heating mats. It is suitable for any finish and furniture dimensions.

"Film infrared infrared floor heating is a great solution for laminate, linoleum, carpeting. Let's summarize: which warm floor to choose? Water warm floor is suitable for private houses and apartments with independent heating and high ceilings. Electric floor heating will be an excellent option for private houses and apartments with central heating. Choose one of the types under the desired flooring and the amount of furniture in the room," - concluded the expert.

Earlier, on November 10, "Izvestia" got acquainted with the study of online hypermarket "VseInstrumenty.ru", according to which the demand for floor heating in Russia in October 2024 increased by 14% compared to the same indicator of 2023. In particular, in Samara and Omsk there was a record interest of buyers. The dynamics increased five times compared to last year. In addition, residents of Krasnodar (+86%), Perm (+80%) and Volgograd (+50%) became frequent buyers of underfloor heating.