Mats for warm water floors: selection tips + installation guide

An important condition for the proper functioning of a warm water floor is the use of thermal insulation, which allows you to reduce energy costs and avoid heat loss.

The most modern and convenient type of insulation is mats for heated water floors, available in a wide range on the construction market.

It’s sometimes quite difficult to understand the variety of thermal insulation materials, isn’t it? Each manufacturer tries to demonstrate the best aspects of their product, sometimes keeping silent about possible shortcomings.

We will help you choose the optimal solution for water floor insulation. The article describes different types of polystyrene foam mats and provides practical advice on their selection and installation. We also identified manufacturers whose products have won the trust of consumers and are in active demand.

What is the function of thermal insulation?

When installing a water heating system, the most important task is to minimize heat losses and direct all the heat directly to the room where the structure is installed.

If you simply lay pipes on the main floor, then there will be very little use from this system, since most of the thermal energy will go down to the basement or to the neighbors on the lower floor.

Thermal insulation is precisely designed to solve this problem, which, on the one hand, is a barrier to the entry of cold air from the basement (if the system is installed in a private household), and on the other, serves to preserve and distribute heat evenly throughout the room.

Properly selected and installed thermal insulation allows you to eliminate the loss of thermal energy and redirect the warm flows coming from the heating pipes upward, towards the room. In addition, the insulation prevents condensation from accumulating and prevents the formation of mold on the walls

When choosing a particular material, you need to focus on its initial characteristics and the features of the room

The classic types of insulation that were widely used in the past are ecowool and polystyrene foam. Actually, even now the inexpensive cost of these materials still attracts very thrifty buyers.

However, progress does not stand still, and manufacturers offer more practical and convenient thermal insulation materials – special mats for water floors.

Features of the material for the production of mats

Modern mats are produced from extruded polystyrene foam - a material that not only has excellent heat-insulating properties, but also has a whole list of other advantages.

Main advantages:

1. Low vapor permeability (0.05 mg(m*h*Pa). For comparison, for mineral wool this figure is 0.30.This means that polystyrene foam does not transmit water vapor well and does not accumulate moisture, is constantly in a dry state, and as a result does not contribute to the formation of condensation.
2. Low thermal conductivity, which means maximum heat retention in the room.
3. Soundproofing characteristics.
4. Does not attract rodents and is not a breeding ground for the formation and development of microorganisms.
5. Durability. According to the results of tests (alternating high and low temperatures from plus 40 to minus 40 degrees and exposure to water), the service life of products made from this material is up to 60 years.

The mats use expanded polystyrene with a density of up to 40 kg/m³, so they can withstand heavy loads perfectly.

This property is especially valuable when water floor installation, since a fairly heavy structure is laid on top of the mats, consisting of water pipes, a layer of concrete and a finishing floor covering.

Weight of the water heated floor system per 1 sq.m. is about 200 kg, the thickness of the layers is approximately 150 mm. The main load falls on the bottom layer. The high density of polystyrene foam ensures the strength of the mats and allows them to support a heavy structure (+)

The main advantages of using mats

Mats for water heating structures are a modern thermal insulation material manufactured in accordance with accepted European standards for quality and safety.

The slabs are produced using the latest technologies and combine all the advantages of traditional insulation materials, and at the same time are free from their inherent disadvantages.

Advantages of mats:

• have excellent performance characteristics;
• have good thermal and sound insulating properties;
• suitable for both semi-dry installation and wet screed;
• with prolonged use they do not deform or change size;
• equipped with a locking system, thanks to which the slabs are quickly and easily laid;
• most mats have markings, which greatly simplifies the pipe installation process;
• do not rot, resistant to bacteria;
• do not swell from exposure to water;
• safe for humans, under normal temperature conditions they do not emit harmful odors;
• withstands both high (up to +180°C) and low (up to -180°C) temperatures;
• have a long service life of up to 50 years.

It must be taken into account that untreated polystyrene foam is a flammable and fire-hazardous material and emits toxic smoke when burned.

To reduce this property, fire retardants are added to the insulation during production, which makes it a self-extinguishing material. In domestically produced products, such material is marked with the letter “C” at the end.

Types of polystyrene foam boards

There are four types of mats that are suitable for use when installing water floors. Each of them has its own characteristics and is intended for installation in certain conditions.

Types of mats:

1. Rolled materials equipped with a foil layer.
2. Expanded polystyrene boards.
3. Panels made of expanded polystyrene with foil and film coating.
4. Profile mats with bosses.

The choice of a heat-insulating coating depends on the parameters of the room, the base on which it is installed, the dynamic and mechanical load that the insulation must withstand. The slabs have different heights, so it is also necessary to take into account the thickness of the future screed.

The selection of thermal insulation is largely determined by the type of heating (main or additional) it is intended for (+)

Rolled foil insulation

Insulation in rolls is made from penofol with a thickness of 2 to 10 mm. On one side, the material is covered with aluminum foil or polymer film, the function of which is to direct the heat flow and distribute heat over the entire floor area.

This type of thermal insulation material can be classified as mats very conditionally, since it has low thermal insulation properties. This causes a rather limited scope of its application.

Foil insulation is used only when a water floor is used as an additional heating system and the main floor already has some degree of insulation.

Roll insulation is the simplest and most inexpensive type of thermal insulation, but it can only be used under certain conditions

It is not advisable to lay rolled material on the first floors of buildings and in rooms below which there are unheated areas, since the insulation efficiency in this case will approach zero.

Installation is somewhat difficult underfloor heating pipes for this thermal insulation material. It is required to use additional fasteners: staples, clamps, reinforcing mesh, etc.

When laying the covering, the sheets are placed end-to-end with each other; to ensure better sealing, the seams are taped with special foil tape.

However, despite its very modest characteristics, insulation in rolls under certain circumstances is the only possible insulation option, for example, in low-height rooms, when every centimeter of space counts.

Polystyrene foam insulation boards

Flat polystyrene foam mats can be used as thermal insulation for a water floor. The simplest and cheapest option is ordinary polystyrene foam; more durable and high-quality insulation is a plate of extruded polystyrene foam.

If you decide to go with more affordable polystyrene foam, then when purchasing it you need to focus on the density of the material. This figure must be at least 35 kg/m³. At lower strength values, the insulation may not be enough to support the load of the heating system.

It is more preferable to use the second option, which has higher quality indicators. The best representative of this series is Penoplex. It has a closed cell structure, is durable, and can withstand loads well.

To improve the thermal insulation characteristics, foil insulation in rolls can be laid on top of the mats.

The edges of the slab are equipped with special locks, which simplifies its installation. There is also material on sale with already applied markings. The pipes are secured using plastic brackets, which are simply stuck into the slabs in the right place.

Expanded polystyrene panels with foil and film

This type of insulation is made of polystyrene foam mats with a foil and film layer applied.

They are available in two types:

• separate tilesequipped with a locking connection;
• in the form of panels, bonded together with a common film coating.

In the first case, when laying the tiles, they are fastened together with waterproof tape. In the second, the mats are simply laid out on the surface.

A coordinate grid is applied on top of the panels, the step of which is 50 or 100 mm. The markings help you figure out how best to lay the pipeline and allow you to quickly lay the pipes in accordance with the chosen layout.

The slabs are produced with a thickness of 2.5 cm. The width of the mats is 100 cm, the length of the roll is 5 meters. In some models, a self-adhesive layer is applied to the edge of the panels for convenient joining of mats

To fasten the pipes, staples are also used here; it is possible to lay them with a reinforcing mesh, which is laid on top.

Profile mats with bosses

The most advanced and most comfortable insulation. The mats are specially designed for installation of heated water floors.

The material from which they are made is still the same - polystyrene foam, but thanks to the use of advanced hydropellet stamping technology in production, the mats have special protrusions (bobs).

In the production of mats, polystyrene foam with a density of at least 40 kg/m3 is used, which copes well with any load

The bosses can have a wide variety of shapes: round, cylindrical, cubic, polyhedrons, etc. The protrusions, located at a certain distance from each other, ensure reliable fastening and fixation of the pipeline in the desired position.

When using these mats, the possibility of pipes moving during their installation and subsequent pouring with concrete is virtually eliminated.

The height of the projections is 20-25 mm, which is quite enough for laying pipes with a diameter of up to 20 mm, which are usually used for heated floors. The total thickness of the insulation, depending on the model, is 40-50 mm

The coating of the mats depends on the model and manufacturer.Some types of heat insulation are produced without any coating at all; you can buy models with a top film layer or stretched waterproofing film. This indicator does not affect the quality characteristics of the product.

For convenience and ease of installation, the insulation is equipped with special locking connections, which, among other things, ensure good tightness of the joints. The mats form a continuous surface without cracks or gaps, on which any type of screed can be laid.

Another undoubted advantage of profile mats made of expanded polystyrene is that they create an excellent noise barrier; insulation can significantly reduce the noise level to 25 dB.

Recommendations for choosing mats

When choosing insulation, you should pay attention to such various technical and operational indicators.

Main selection criteria:

• waterproofing;
• the ability of the material to withstand static and dynamic loads;
• pipe diameter;
• features of the room in which the water floor is laid.

Thus, roll material, due to its low waterproofing characteristics, is not suitable for installation on basement floors. It should also be used with caution in apartments where people live below, because if the pipes leak, it will not be able to retain moisture, and the water will flow directly into the neighbor’s apartment.

Sheet mats and foil-coated polystyrene foam blocks, on the contrary, have good waterproofing qualities, which eliminates the possibility of leakage. In addition, they belong to materials whose thermal conductivity coefficient is very low, due to which their use ensures the maximum level of heat transfer to the floor.

When organizing a water heated floor, the characteristics of the material such as load retention are no less important. Profile mats made of polystyrene foam with a density of 40 kg/m3 cope excellently with this. Flat boards and foil mats also have a high density.

These insulation materials can be safely used to organize a heated floor system in an apartment or private house, which will be used as the main heating.

But rolled material remains an outsider in this position. Its density is not enough to withstand the loads, so it can only be used for organizing additional heating.

The diagram below shows what values ​​make up the total thickness of the layers of the water floor, and what height of the room it can take (+)

Another parameter that needs to be taken into account is the thickness of the mat. If the floor already has some kind of thermal insulation, you can use thinner slabs. Also taken into account is the height of the room itself, the diameter of the pipes, thickness of the future screed and floor covering.

Tips for installing thermal insulation

Regardless of what type of mats will be used for a warm water floor, it is necessary to lay a layer of waterproofing underneath it. This is necessary to protect the bottom layer from the penetration of drops of moisture, as well as to create a strong barrier that can prevent flooding of the lower floors of the building in the event of a pipe leak.

The waterproofing material can be thick polyethylene film, bitumen coating or penetrating waterproofing.

If film is used, it must be glued to the walls with damper tape. The same tape is installed around the entire perimeter of the room after laying the mats.

Installation of profile mats is quite easy; special locks facilitate quick and high-quality assembly of the heat-insulating material

The easiest installation option is to use profile mats.They need to be laid on a layer of waterproofing and fastened together using a locking connection. Then the pipeline is laid in the spaces between the bosses using the chosen installation method, and with a light pressure the pipe legs are fixed in the desired position.

Installation of flat polystyrene plates is also not particularly difficult. The panels are either fastened with locks or simply glued to the waterproofing material, and their joints are fixed with waterproof tape.

The locking connection allows you to simply and very quickly fasten polypropylene slabs together

Roll insulation raises the most questions regarding installation. It is placed so that the foil layer is on top. The heat insulator also needs to be glued to the base, and the joints between the tiles are connected with mounting tape.

Then markings are applied to it, and pipes are being laid. The pipeline is fixed using clamps or clips.

To fasten the rolled material, a special foil tape is used, which fixes the sheets and seals the joints between them

The difficulty of installation lies in the fact that the thin and light insulation is very mobile. Therefore, you need to tie it very carefully so as not to move the structure attached to it.

It should be noted that when laying mats of any type, only plastic fasteners can be used; metal parts can damage the integral structure of the mats and break their tightness. Installation of the pipeline system can only be carried out after all work on laying thermal insulation has been completed.

Review of manufacturers and models

Mats for warm water floors are produced by many foreign and domestic companies.However, the leading positions are occupied by only four brands, whose products are in greatest demand among buyers.

Insulation materials of the German brand have high quality and performance indicators Oventrop. The model range includes profile mats with bosses, slabs for dry installation, installation roll and folding insulation in polypropylene film.

The slabs with bosses have dimensions of 100 x 100 cm, they are available in two types: with thermal and sound insulating properties, and also without thermal insulation

Another German manufacturer of thermal insulation is the company Rehau, whose mats also attract increased consumer interest. The main products are polystyrene foam mats with bosses, equipped with layers of thermal and sound insulation.

The slabs have dimensions of 145 x 85 cm and are suitable for laying pipelines with a diameter of 14 to 17 mm. The total thickness of the insulation is 50 mm. The delivery set includes clamps for securing pipes

Among Russian manufacturers, the company's products are best known Energoflex.

The model line includes several items:

• foil-coated polystyrene foam boards;
• thin roll insulation with foil;
• expanded polystyrene slabs with bosses.

All heat insulators are marked with a coordinate grid with a pitch of 50 mm.

Foil boards are covered with a protective film, they are available in the form of a roll or book, have dimensions of 100 x 500 cm, the insulation thickness is 2.5 cm

Water floor insulation produced by the Russian brand has excellent consumer and performance characteristics Ecopol.

The manufacturer offers smooth polystyrene foam boards and mats with bosses.The panels are equipped with a locking connection and covered with film waterproofing.

The mats are available in three versions: with 20 and 30 mm thermal insulation and without thermal insulation. The dimensions of the slabs are 115 x 85 mm, the total thickness of the layers is 38 mm

Conclusions and useful video on the topic

The video talks about the advantages of Ecopol mats

You can learn how to install a floor heating system from the following video:

Expanded polystyrene mats are a modern universal insulation material; they are excellent for arranging a water floor.

The improved design ensures efficient and long-lasting operation of the heating system and greatly facilitates the pipeline installation process, the installation of which can be easily handled even by a non-professional.

Do you have experience working with heat-insulating mats when installing a water floor? Please tell readers about the specifics of their application and share feedback on the operation of such systems. You can leave comments and attach photos in the form below.