Underfloor heating


All laminate flooring produced by Balterio is suitable for underfloor heating in case the aspects underneath are followed:

Beforehand

  • The heating elements of the (warm water) underfloor heating must be embedded in the basic floor.
  • the tubes must be min. 3 cm underneath the surface.
  • the heating system must be tested according to the directions of the installer before the laminate flooring is laid.
  • the moisture content in the concrete floor must not exceed 1.5% (CM method).

Installation

  • Before you start, switch of the underfloor heating as the floor should not be higher than 18°C before , during and 24 hours after installation of the laminate.
  • install the dampscreen, the underlayment and the laminate as described in the installation instructions. In case another type of underlayment is used, check its suitability to use in combination with underfloor heating.
  • leave an expansion gap of 8 to 10 mm on all wall sides and around obstacles. For larger surfaces a connecting profile should be used for each ten metres and between every room so there is an expansion gap of 8 to 10 mm.

The heating

  • After the installation of the floor wait at least 24 hours before you switch on the underfloor heating again and increase the temperature gradually.
  • always change the temperature gradually (max. 5° C/day) - also at the start and the end of the heating period
  • the contact temperature must not exceed 28°C; the maximum warm water temperature is 50° C.

Values (according to norm ISO 8302 - 1991)

The highest acceptable heat conduction (R) of floor covering (laminate + subfloor) is 0.15 K*m²/W.
In case of electrical floor heating, the value of 60 W/m² must not be exceeded

Thickness Heat conduction R
7mm 0,046 m² K/W
8mm (Xpressions) 0,062 m² K/W
8mm 0,057 m² K/W
9mm (Grande) 0,080 m² K/W
9mm 0,066 m² K/W
Iso-Trans 0,085 m² K/W
Iso-Silent 0,07 m² K/W
Thermo-Trans 0,02 m² K/W
Thermo-Silent 0,01 m² K/W

Remarks

  • Follow the installation instructions of Balterio at all time, except when indicated otherwise.
  • The installation of a floor cooling system or combined underfloor heating and cooling system is possible subject to strict conditions. For this see floor cooling.
  • In case of an electrical floor heating system, which is installed on top of the concrete slab and therefore directly underneath the underlay and laminate flooring, we advise a heating system with a value a maximum 60W/m². If it is higher, the laminate floors will heat up too quickly and too abruptly, leaving no time for the floor to adapt itself to the new temperature. This can cause problems on the laminate flooring planks (deformation, splitting HDF, …).
  • In case of an electrical heating system that is embedded into the concrete slab, there are no problems or extra restrictions because the concrete slab is functioning as a security zone (slows down the up going heat). It is sufficient to follow the advice and recommendations for the warm water heating system.