Considerations when Heating Wet Room Floors
Introduction
A wetroom, sometimes also known as a "flat floor" shower room, is typically an area created in a larger bathroom (or in a separate room) that is completely waterproof. The walls of the room serve as the walls of a shower so no separate shower cubicle is required. The open plan design is often completed with a washing basin and a toilet. Wetroom's can offer many advantages over traditional bathrooms in the modern home. They can be incorporated in to areas where space is a premium, for example in a box room or a downstairs toilet. Wetroom's are economical, easy to clean and can readily be accessed by bathers of all ages and abilities including the elderly and the disabled.
Wetroom's must ofcourse be 100% waterproof. This is usually done by "tanking" the entire area with a suitable waterproofing material and coating. Mira® Safecoat is such a product. It is a cloth material available in rolls of various widths which can be used in combination with Mira® Multicoat (a liquid neoprene) to create a waterproof membrane for floors and joints around shower trays in wet rooms. Marmox® Showerlays are a 100% waterproof, preformed shower trays and are available in a variety of sizes which can be fitted to concrete or wooden subfloors.
Electric Underfloor Heating in Wet Rooms
Ceramic tiles are a popular floor covering for wet rooms. Unfortunately the ceramic tiles, of which there is likely to be a large surface area even in the smallest wet rooms, are invariably cold and uninviting to bare feet. Wet rooms are therefore a logical choice for electric underfloor heating. Electric underfloor heating is suitable for providing primary heating or cosy, "comfort" heating in single rooms, such as wet rooms, and because it invisible it does not detract from the space available or the interior design of your space.
Electric underfloor heating can be installed in most wet rooms(without the need for unsightly difficult to clean traditional radiators) with the added benefit of significantly reducing the drying time of the floor significantly. However, depending on the dimensions of the room, the insulation properties and the surface area of the floor, electric underfloor heating may not be suitable as a primary heat source in all wet rooms.
Electric underfloor heating cable is a flexible heating element made from insulated, heat resistant wire. When an electric current passes through the wire, its electrical resistance causes heat to be generated and it is this heat which radiates to the floor covering and in turn, to the room above. Electric underfloor heating cable is designed so that it generates a certain amount of heat output, measured in "Watts", per unit area, when installed according to manufacturer's guidelines. Heat output per unit area varies from cable to cable, typically from around 75w/m2, which may be suitable for engineered wood or laminated floors, to 200w/m2 which generates the extra heat required in wet rooms (but should only be used beneath stone or tiled floors).
Some manufacturers produce underfloor heating mats which employ the same technology as heating cables and are available in variety of sizes, typically from 0.75 Sqm to 22.0 Sqm the heating mats are simply the heating cable already affixed to a mesh matting and spaced to provide the designated heat output. A standard 160w/m2 heating mat, for example, is usually suitable for installation on any subfloor and beneath any floor covering (including tiles, linoleum, carpet etc.). Due consideration should be given to insulation, if installing on a timber, or a concrete, subfloor. Concrete in particular, can dissipate heat very quickly in a downward direction (away from the floor where it is needed) if not properly insulated, so insulation board (also known a "tile backer board") should be installed onto the subfloor, before a heating mat is put into place. Insulation boards are typically available in depths of between 6mm and 50mm the actual depth that you can install may be limited by the extent to which you can raise the floor height. The presence of insulation directly beneath the heating system significantly reduces heat losses and allows wet rooms to heat up and dry much faster.
Modern electric underfloor heating cables feature twin conductors, so there is only one connection point usually to a programmable electronic controller. The systems are usually installed in conjunction with a room thermostat and temperature sensor installed into the floor itself which allows the temperature to be regulated. In wet rooms, it is not uncommon for the floor sensor (or probe) to be installed in the wet area, but wired to a programmable room thermostat in an adjacent dry area such as a landing or hallway.
Further wet rooms Information
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