undertile heat

[ShawnS]

has anyone ever tried to wire mesh stuff you put under tile for heated floors? I am redoing a bathroom right now and am seriously thinking about trying it. Any pros or cons would be helpful. I'm thinking of small section roughly 2 by 5 in front of the shower.

 

[CrealBilly]

Not tried but good idea... My wife always complains about cold bathrooms. Doesn't bother me much but does her.

Maybe the Fountain of Youth isn't a fountain at all. Maybe it's a way of looking at things. A way of thinking.

 

[aplpickr]

If heat inside concrete is involved, stay away! Very smart thermostats are involved. Lag time is critical. Must be turned on before it is needed, turned off while heat is still needed. Heating tons of concrete is slow and cooling it off is just as slow!

 

[ehpoole]

If heat inside concrete is involved, stay away! Very smart thermostats are involved. Lag time is critical. Must be turned on before it is needed, turned off while heat is still needed. Heating tons of concrete is slow and cooling it off is just as slow!

Typically such installs are typically either kept on thermostatic control for the duration (24/7) of the heating season or programmed according to timer...but the heat must be turned on hours ahead of need, but the result is warm tile floors that can also provide the primary heating for the bathroom as well.

That said, it is worth keeping in mind that electrical strip heating is not the most efficient (compared to heat pump, for example) and often more expensive than many of the other alternatives (such as gas or oil). So it really depends upon how much you desire warm floors and whether or not the bathroom has an existing heating source (such as central heat). Of course, if your primary heat source is electric strip heating then it makes little difference as the in floor heating mat will be equal to the electric strip heating any how.

 

[Jeff]

It seems like more hassle and inconvenience than it's worth. How about a few bath mat/rugs that can be moved and replaced at will?

As soon as you step off of that 2' x 5' heated section your back on cold floors so what's the advantage?

 

[kave]

If I was redoing my bathroom tile I would not hesitate. These systems properly installed have an excellent operational track record. IMHO, you won't regret it!!

 

[Hmerkle]

I am familiar with the radiant style (tubes of hot water) but not the electrical style...

 

[redknife]

We've used the mesh and wires. We used coated wire and plastic guides for our recent master bath including installation in the shower and seat (has a Ul listing for such and inspected). Like many, I embed the mesh or wire in self leveling compound. Since the shower floor is not flat, I used thinset.
Schluter now makes a "Ditra-Heat" that allows you to snap the wires into their specific uncoupling membrane. If you are using Ditra anyway, the Ditra heat might make sense. A lot of people like it because it's fast and easy. One downside is that it has a lower maximum temperature.
I've used a couple different brands of heating wire, mesh and thermostats. All worked fine and as I recall they have a long warranty. I like how the under tile heating mitigates the cold tile in winter but clearly this is moderate luxury.

 

[Dreuxgrad]

No, I have not done the pre-spaced radiant heat wire(mat), but have done two re-dos
with cable. Its basically the same, except I had to nail in strapping to space the wiring.
Double up the thermo sensors, as it is cheap insurance. I would not have a tile floor without
in floor heat, but would suggest Ditra as an additional preventive measure. Have not needed
the extra sensor hookup yet and its going on ten years.
Ed

 

[jazzflute]

We have it in our master bathroom and leave it at 79F all the time. We absolutely love it, although there is one problem with it. If you have cats, you are going to need to learn to step over them in the dark when you go to the bathroom at night. If they didn't have to eat, I don't think they would ever leave the room.

K

 

[davidbr]

I have installed these and I would say it is one of the best things to do. It works very well under the tile and they are controlled by thermostats for each room. I did not notice any lag time but just left the strips on all the time and works good. Also with the mesh ones they are very easy to install.

 

[ShawnS]

I've looked at a couple different brands haven't decided yet but it will be going on top of the tile board which is screwed to a plywood subfloor, which is screwed down on top of 1 inch lumber. It is insulated under the lumber and is on a second floor will this make any difference? What brands does anyone recommend?

 

[redknife]

I used Suntouch on the last install and it has been perfectly fine. I've used other brands before and they were also fine. Get and install the extra thermostat wire as mentioned above (cheap insurance). They all have good instructions online which should be followed. You didn't ask but make sure your subfloor and plywood is adequate for ceramic/porcelain or stone tile. Insulation underneath is recommended but not required so you are good.

 

[laurawhite]

I have heard that the radiant heat system uses a series of hot water tubes or wires under the floor to produce a smooth and even heat. By its pros, its heat radiate over an entire floor, heat not only spreads evenly but objects in a room also heat up slowly, releasing more warmth. Laying an electric RFH system requires tearing up the existing floor, laying down wire mats and then replacing the floor. Its cons is relatively more expensive upfront than a forced air furnace. The cost savings over time combined with slow, even heating make RFH choices a solid investment for any bathroom.

 

[aplpickr]

My experience with floor heat was with steel hot water pipes in a 4" thick poured concrete floor in North Florida school systems. When heat was really needed in true winter it worked well. However in Spring and Fall it had many problems. If it was used to take the morning chill off, it was COOKING you at 1 PM. There was no provision for sudden cold fronts. It was 24 hours before it helped. Instead of heating a little air, you are heating or cooling tons of rock. You need a thermostat that is smart enough to know what the temperature will be in 24 hours! Leaks in the concrete can be major repair jobs involving air hammers, welders, etc. Be careful before you leap! Materials and instrumentation are much better today than systems in stalled in the '50s, but there are still problems.

 

[CrealBilly]

I am enjoying this conversation. Having never had this type of heat before I find it very interesting... Thanks for the education guys.

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