Electric Radiant Floor Heat Over Concrete

While most radiant heating systems are in floor installations and go down before the floor is placed some electric systems are available in mats or loose wire systems as thin as 1 16 inch that can be affixed to existing concrete or wood subfloors and then covered with a thin set cement or gypsum overlay without significantly raising the floor height.

Electric radiant floor heat over concrete.

How to add floor heating over existing concrete measure and design the template. Prepare the floor and mat. Tubes that circulate hot water or electrical heating elements are installed in the concrete slab when it s poured turning the thermal mass of the concrete into an inconspicuous radiator of warm even heat. Then you can install tile carpet or wood flooring over this to have heated floors.

Electric radiant heating systems use wires embedded in a mat laid right on your. It comes with the following features and benefits. Provides slab storage heating in new construction or when pouring a new slab. Cerazorb acts as a moisture resistant barrier that does not absorb water or swell under the effects of heat or cold weather.

The science behind radiant floor heating is quite simple. However if the heating elements will be within 1 5 of the finished flooring surface then the heating system will still be able to provide heat for the room because the heating elements essentially turn the embedding concrete thinset into a heat bank that then evenly radiates heat upward through the room. Since concrete flooring is homogeneous concrete alone is a poor choice for radiant heating. You would have to remove the existing flooring and allow for this new floor.

I don t particularly like them however because they re not very energy efficient. Find concrete floor contractorsto install radiant heating. Cerazorb is a 3 16 inch 5 mm thin synthetic cork underlayment that is highly recommended when installing a floor heating system over an existing concrete slab or under tile and stone. Some look like wire fencing that you roll out over the floor.

Radiant systems require layered flooring so that the tubing can be hidden under the top layer. Within the 48 contiguous u s. However radiant heat systems can be embedded in concrete floor slabs as long as a subsequent top floor covering such as tile is added. Things you ll need tape measure layout sheet radiant matting continuity tester ground fault circuit interrupter electrician thermostat trowel thinset water tubing concrete fasteners.

There are several manufacturers of electric radiant floor heating systems that can be placed directly on top of an existing concrete slab. Thermoslab storage heating system consists of heating cables installed in the foundation of a building either in the concrete slab or in the sand bed below the concrete slab.