How to Install Floor Tile Over Infloor Heat
Heated floors aren't just a luxury. They are more efficient than baseboard heaters because the heat is delivered directly through the floor without traveling through ducts where hot air can be lost. Installing infloor heat means that you don't have radiators or baseboard heaters taking up space in the room. You will need a licensed electrician to do the final hookups, but you can save yourself money by doing all the other work yourself. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Electric heat mat
- Heat mat alarm
- Ceramic tile mortar
- Notched trowel
- Self-leveling compound
- Chalk lines
- Tiles
- Tile spacers
- Grout
- Float
- Sponge
Instructions
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Measure the floor to determine which size electric heat mat you need. You can purchase a mat in a standard size, or have one custom made. Don't buy too large a heat mat thinking you can cut it down to size. That would require cutting the embedded heating coils, rendering the mat useless. Heat radiates beyond the mat edge, so leave four to 12 inches between the edge of the mat and the wall. If you are installing infloor heat in a bathroom, leave 12 inches between the toilet flange and the mat, or the heat will melt your toilet's wax seal.
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Hook your heat mat alarm to your mat's lead wires. The alarm will make a sound if you bend a heating coil while you work. Damaged coils will not heat up. If the alarm sounds, inspect the mat where you have been working or stepping. When you locate the dinged coil, straighten it out. If you are unable to fix the bent coil, the mat will not heat and you will have to replace it.
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Place the heat mat on the subfloor with the lead wires closest to the room's exit. Fold back the half of the mat farthest from the door and spread ceramic tile mortar on that section of the subfloor. Comb the mortar with the edge of your notched trowel, forming grooves in the mortar. Fold the mat back down onto the mortar, being careful not to damage the coils. Press the mat into the mortar with a grout float until the mortar oozes through the mesh mat and between the heating coils. Repeat for the other side of the mat and let the mortar cure overnight.
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Position the mat's wires so that they can be hooked up after the tile has been laid. Specific instructions vary by manufacturers; follow the directions that come with your heat mat. Keep the wires away from the heating coils to keep them from becoming damaged by the heat after installation.
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Pour self-leveling compound on top of the heating mat, spreading it with a grout float. The self-leveling compound will settle to create an even surface. Allow the self-leveling compound to cure according to the manufacturer's instructions, most likely overnight. Disconnect the heat mat alarm.
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Lay tile on the floor as you would for any other project. Snap chalk lines on the floor as a guide for placing tiles. Spread and comb mortar on the floor with a notched trowel. Insert spacers between the tiles to keep them evenly spaced. Once the mortar has dried, use a grout float to work grout into the spaces between the tiles. Clean the grout from the tile surfaces, first with the edge of a grout float and then with a wet sponge. Run the corner of a damp sponge along all the grout lines to create an even depth.
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Tips & Warnings
According to BobVila.com, vinyl, linoleum, and wood tiles can decrease the efficiency of your infloor heating system. Use ceramic and stone tiles for floors with infloor heat.
Not all infloor heating systems are compatible with tile; check with your supplier before purchasing.
Avoid walking on the floor while the mortar is drying, to avoid damaging the heat coils.
References
- Photo Credit bathroom image by Mikhail Olykainen from Fotolia.com
