Replies

1. 
   Tim | Feb 24, 2006 10:53pm | #1

   Gastonbob,

   I have installed the system with screw down clips and a spool of wire, Infloor brand, and I have installed several of the fibermat versions, NuHeat brand.

   The mat is easier to install but also very easy to get air pockets. Put down a good solid layer of thinset and set the mat in completly, back butter large tiles, and make sure the surface is damp from the first layer of mortar. The controller from NuHeat controls on floor temperature only and is programmable.

   The wire/clip version took more planning to get the wire to layout properly. You cannot cut the wire to shorten or lengthen it. If you go this route, I would recommend a self leveling floor compound to cover the wires instead of thinset. It is hard to get a good smooth and level surface over the wires using mortar and a trowel. The system that I have is controlled by air temperature with an internally set floor temperature limit. Non-programmable, just manual temperature seting and a separate on/off switch.

   All subsequent heated tile floors, after one of each, I chose to go with the NuHeat mat. I have 5 tile floors heated in my home, 4 are with NuHeat, 1 with Infloor.

2. 
   sully13 | Feb 25, 2006 03:01am | #2

   gastonbob:

   The electric mats install quicker but you can get a more customized layout and more even heating with the single wire systems.  We have installed many of these systems and we always pour self leveling underlayment instead of troweling on thinset directly on top of the wiring no matter which type of system we use.  It goes quicker and makes for a cleaner job.  Good luck.

   sully

1. 
   davidmeiland | Feb 25, 2006 05:54am | #4

   Your method is the one I prefer... SLC over the mat, and then thinset to that. There was an article in JLC by Michael Byrne on electric radiant and tile, about 6-9 months ago...? Anyway, the brand he uses has an alarm that goes off immediately if you nick the wire. I have seen more than one tilesetter removing tile so that the mat could be replaced, usually within a week or two of first setting the tile.

1. 
   sully13 | Feb 25, 2006 06:24pm | #5

   Whether you use the mat or the single wire system the manufacturer should sell (for about $25) an alarm which is nothing more than a continuity tester.  The one we have is called a Loudmouth, which will produce a tone if the wire is broken during installation.  If you already have a continuity tester you could just hook it up to the wires and check it frequently for a complete circuit.

   sully

3. 
   MNMike | Feb 25, 2006 04:39am | #3

   Gastonbob - I've put down 7 rooms of in floor electric radiant heat.  The first three rooms (mudroom, breakfast nook, and bathroom addition) were in my last house, where I used the Warmly Yours product, ordered off the Internet.  The last four rooms (master bath, kids' bath, mudroom and sunroom) are in my current house, and I used the Sun Touch product available at Home Depot.  No real difference in the products.  Extremely easy to install (assuming you know your way around the electrical connections).

   I concur wholeheartedly with the poster that recommended putting down self-leveling cement over the mesh, provided you can afford the extra floor height.  I did that in my master bathroom, and it makes the tile setting MUCH easier.  Without the self-leveling cement, you need to be pretty careful with the notched trowel, and you will use considerably more thinset.  Moreover, if you're setting a small mosaic tile, the sheer amount of thinset you need to put down over the mesh makes getting a level job a real PITA, and you get lots of thinset squishing up in between the tiles.

   At the end of the day, however, I couldn't be happier with the results (in all 7 rooms).

1. 
   TTF | Feb 25, 2006 08:17pm | #6

   I totally agree - mud the mats in first with leveling compound. I did not do that - and I had to butter a lot tiles that exended beyond the mat area to get everything level.

    

4. 
   TTF | Feb 25, 2006 08:18pm | #7

   There is another thread that may be helpful: http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages/?msg=69106.1

   Thanks,

   TTF