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The installation of electric radiant floor heating is growing in popularity in both new homes and renovations that focus on clean, comfortable living. These systems come with many benefits such as consistent, energy-efficient warmth. Why? The answer is simple. Electric radiant floor heating systems are easy to install, produce no noise, require no maintenance, are non-allergenic and heat up quickly to provide uniform floor heating. Through a series of wires, typically customizable for design flexibility, electric radiant floor heating produces heat through thermal radiation. By heating the floor rather than the surrounding air, which can be less energy efficient due to duct losses, diffused heat radiates from the floor up and is absorbed by surrounding objects that in turn help warm the entire room.

Recently, Strata_Heat™ was selected to be installed in a home remodeling project for a private residence in Connecticut. The homeowner wanted to supplement the electric baseboard heat throughout their home and replace it with something more cost effective. Since heat travels upward, Strata_Heat would make for a warmer, more efficient home without breaking the bank.

“The plan was to install Strata_Heat in three zones of the private residence: the kitchen, family room, hallway, foyer and bathroom,” said Dustin Prevete, Laticrete senior product manager. “With multiple rooms and thermostats, we needed to carefully map the layout and account for future cabinet installation.”

Strata_Heat Mat was used as an underlayment to utilize mortar hydration vents that create a mechanical bond between the mat and adhesive mortar. This allows the mortar to cure faster and provides a stronger tile bond for a faster time-to-grout while using the appropriate mortar for the installation. Photos courtesy of Laticrete (Click on image to enlarge.)

Challenges

• Accommodating the Situation: Since the installation consisted of multiple rooms and thermostats, the install team needed to eliminate all of the current baseboard heaters and then add a suitable substrate over the concrete slab in the family room.
• Complicated Layout: Due to a complicated layout of the several rooms, the install team needed a wire system that provided enhanced flexibility and was customizable with various spacing options without interfering with other electronics in the area.

A Laticrete Solution

Before installation of thinset and tile, the heating system first required the application of the Hydro Ban Board, a lightweight, easy-to-handle and ready-to-tile wallboard designed to be used in bonded tile or stone installations. Made with a high-density, waterproof extruded polystyrene core and a reinforced, waterproof membrane on both sides, the Hydro Ban Board gives triple protection from water and vapor intrusion. Used on walls, floors and ceilings, it offered this installation a dimensionally sound and stable substrate, providing a ¹/₄-inch layer over the concrete slab in the family room to insulate against heat loss.

Strata_Heat Mat was then used as an underlayment to utilize mortar hydration vents that create a mechanical bond between the mat and adhesive mortar. This allows the mortar to cure faster and provides a stronger tile bond for a faster time-to-grout while using the appropriate mortar for the installation. The Strata_Heat Mat also allows installers to see the mortar coverage underneath the mat during installation without having to lift and verify. The Strata_Heat Mat has raised pegs that grip and space the Strata_Heat Wire allowing for multiple and consistent spacing options.

Due to a complicated layout of the several rooms, the install team needed a wire system that provided enhanced flexibility and was customizable with various spacing options without interfering with other electronics in the area. Photos courtesy of Laticrete (Click on image to enlarge.)

Lastly, the Strata_Heat Wire system was used, providing high customization with multiple spacing options for variability in heat output and design flexibility. Unlike most other systems, the Strata_Heat Wire does not have a minimum or maximum on straight run lengths and will not interfere with other electronics in the vicinity.

The Strata_Heat electric radiant floor heating system consists of the world’s first heat conductive thinset additive Strata_Heat Thermal Pack. This utilizes Thermal Diffusion Technology™ to uniformly distribute heat through the adhesive to eliminate cold spots and quickly achieve the desired floor temperature. The system also includes an innovative high-performance floor heating wire, an uncoupling mat and a Wi-Fi-enabled thermostat.

The advanced system transfers heat faster than standard floor heating products on the market to reduce energy costs and provide customers with the most customizable floor heating experience imaginable.

Thanks to the new Strata_Heat system, the residence achieved greater comfort with heated floors and benefitted from reduced energy consumption and better thermal distribution throughout the home.