Installing underfloor heating in your bathroom is a perfect way to add that little bit of luxury. After all, there is no better feeling than stepping out of your shower to a warm floor and toasty feet.
Typically speaking, underfloor electrical heating mats are not overly complicated to install and are really easy to control to provide a luxurious and even heat. There are lots of kits available on the market today that can be used to heat the floors in any room in the home.
To help you along the way, we’ve compiled a simple step-by-step guide to how to fit underfloor heating:
So to start, you will need the following:
• Underfloor heating mat(s)
• Sensor
• Heating thermostat
• Chisel
• Large faced hammer
• Scissors
• Tape measure
• Spirit level
• Adhesive spreader
• Tiling adhesive and tiles
Step 1: Plan the positioning of the wires
First and foremost, you’ll need to plan out the positioning of the heating wires to ensure the ends are as close as possible to a convenient power supply. If you’re not confident on the wiring or electrical outputs in your home, you may want to seek to advice on this before you begin by contacting an electrician. With some underfloor heating mats, plastic mesh may hold the wires a certain distance apart so take this into consideration also.
Step 2: Fit the wires around the entire room
The majority of supplied underfloor heating mats will just be a case of rolling out to fit a room and will not require any sort of adjustments. This being said, there are others that may need the wiring to be cut down. Whatever underfloor heating mats you are using, always ensure that you keep the underfloor heating wires away from electrical equipment and never overlap the wires.
Step 3: Create an electrical conduit
Most underfloor heating systems will be supplied with a sensor that is typically wired directly into the thermostat to give you ultimate control over the temperature of your floors. This must be fitted into an electrical conduit and recessed into the floor near to the position of the thermostat. Chisel away a groove in the floor in which to fit the conduit and seal the tip with a little silicone sealant. This will ensure that the tile adhesive will not set around the sensor.
Step 4: Connect to the mains power supply
This is a job best left to electrical professionals so make sure you ask a qualified electrician to check the system has been installed correctly and connect it to the mains power supply.
Step 5: Lay the flooring
Start off by spreading the tile adhesive across the underfloor heating mats and fix your floor tiles one by one. If you have laminate or wooden flooring, you will probably need to install an insulation board under the element to ensure the most efficient heating.
Step 6: Refit skirting boards and doors if necessary
After the floor has been laid, refit all the skirting boards in the edges of the room. Underfloor heating will add some height to the floor to the doors may need a little trimming to accommodate this. Once you have trimmed them to floor level, refit the doors back in their original positions.
Tips for fitting underfloor heating
• If you are placing more than one mat, make sure you place the sensor in between both so it can detect the overall temperature of both mats
• Installing insulation boards between the joists of timber in the floor can help to heat the room more efficiently and in some instances reduce the heating bills in your home
• Make sure the tile adhesive has dried completely before switching on the heating for the first time
Please note that this guide is a rough step by step guide. Fitting some underfloor heating will require a slightly different method so if you don’t feel confident with the removal, make sure that you hire a fitting or electrical professional to carry out the work for you.
