Do you want to set up underfloor heating yourself? Everything is possible!

Are you dreaming of underfloor heating and would like to install it yourself? Experienced handymen can handle it without any problems; you just need to study this topic in advance so that nothing surprises you during the installation process!

Any experienced DIY enthusiast can manage to install underfloor heating themselves.

DIY underfloor heating – is it possible?

Of course, it is! However, if you have no experience with the assembly and installation of various equipment, it will be better to contact a company with years of experience to implement the underfloor heating. If you still dare to install it yourself and want to save money on professional services, this article will be beneficial for you.

Do you want to learn how to build DIY underfloor heating? Purchase our underfloor heating course!

Underfloor heating – the procedure and site preparation

In the following lines, you will learn how to implement underfloor heating. First and foremost, before laying the heating surface on the ground, you must secure the site to prevent any mechanical or chemical damage to the floor.

It has happened to many home DIYers that the insulation layer caught fire during welding, complicating the entire installation process. Start installing the underfloor heating only when you have completed all plastering and finished the boiler circuit.

Underfloor heating – the floor structure is impossible without preparation

In addition to the rooms themselves, do not forget the careful preparation of the area where you will lay the heating pipes. This includes removing anything that could disrupt the installation process. Get rid of all coarse dirt, including bumps, debris, and grease, and ensure the floor is as clean as possible.

Floor structure – underfloor heating

Even when planning the rough construction, you should be clear about what the floor structure will look like. In case there is a risk of moisture penetrating the house from the ground, prevent it by inserting an insulating foil into the structure – either PVC or PE. Stretch the foil directly onto the base concrete and ensure it covers the entire area.

Keep in mind that its edges must overlap each other to a width of 2 – 3 cm, and they should be pulled up onto the vertical structure at least to the same thickness as the heating surface structure.

The floor structure for underfloor heating is nothing overly complicated

It consists of these steps:

• Laying perimeter insulation strips – a continuous, uninterrupted strip at the same height as the floor structure.
• Laying thermal-acoustic insulation – its thickness must be determined by the designer based on exact calculations, but it usually ranges from 4 to 6 centimeters.
• Laying waterproofing foil – loosely laid on the surface of the insulation boards. Nowadays, multi-layer foil is also used, which not only prevents moisture penetration but also functions as an insulator.
• Attaching pipes – by tying to a mesh, pressing into a system board, attaching to a mesh or rails, fixing into an insulation board, attaching to reinforcement meshes, but there are other methods as well.
• Laying heating pipes – either from the center of the room or, conversely, from the manifold.
• Creating expansion joints – to allow for the expansion and contraction of the floor during summer and winter.
• Laying concrete screed – the thickness will be determined by the designer. In addition, proper conditions for the concrete to set must be ensured.
• Laying the wear layer – into a leveling layer of cement (stone, tiles) or into adhesive (PVC, carpet, parquet).

Underfloor heating – diagram

In the picture below, you can take a look at what an underfloor heating diagram looks like for a better idea.

Underfloor heating circuits in a house

Adjusting the underfloor heating flow rate

Regarding hydronic underfloor heating, the manifold is used to regulate the temperature. It is the control unit that distributes the water flow to all circuits and rooms. Thanks to flow control, every room can have a different desired temperature. Logically – the larger the circuit, the greater the flow we need for heating. And what about the temperatures?

How to correctly set the heating – temperature

If you thought the whole house must have the same temperature, that is not true. To create ideal thermal comfort and a pleasant atmosphere, every room needs to be heated to a different value.

To what temperature should underfloor heating be set in the rooms of the house?

• Bedroom: 16 – 18 °C
• Children's room: 20 °C
• Hallway/vestibule: 15 °C
• Bathroom: 24 °C
• Living room: 20 – 22 °C

Underfloor heating – water temperature

The floor surface temperature in a space with long-term human occupancy should range from 19 to 29 °C. The Decree of the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic No. 259/2008 Coll. states that the floor surface temperature in areas where people stay long-term can range from 19 to 29 °C.

Important: To set up underfloor heating, you will need modern accessories!

Which underlayment to choose for a floating floor with underfloor heating?

The underlayment beneath the floor increases its lifespan, prevents floor movement, multiplies thermal insulation, and acts as a moisture barrier. The type of underlayment and its thickness depend on the specific flooring. On the market, you can find underlayments from 1.2 mm to 1.5 mm.

Setting up underfloor heating – digital or manual?

You can set up underfloor heating either digitally – using modern controllers that automatically set flow rates and maintain the required temperature, or manually – open the longest circuit to the maximum and throttle the others in proportion to their length (a circuit with half the length by half).

Underfloor heating brings many benefits to households

Electric underfloor heating – installation can only be done by a qualified person

Electric underfloor heating consists of heating mats, which are mainly intended for supplementary heating of rooms such as the kitchen, bathroom, toilet, and the like. We do not recommend using them throughout the entire building, as it is an economically disadvantageous solution and has high operating costs. For its installation, contact a professional with the appropriate certification.

Floor structure for electric underfloor heating

There are several options for implementing the floor structure for electric underfloor heating, but we will provide an example specifically for direct heating. These are the individual layers:

1. base layer – for example, concrete with proper penetration,
2. fixing tape,
3. heating cable,
4. suitable leveling compound,
5. adhesive,
6. floor covering.

How to set up electric underfloor heating?

Even with this type of underfloor heating, the same temperatures apply as with hydronic underfloor heating. To regulate the temperature, do not forget to get a high-quality thermostat. A selection of top-notch thermostats can also be found in our offer. If you cannot make a choice, you can contact us at info@homesystem.sk or call +421 948 213 492.