Installing electric floor heating under laminate flooring

Our Environ Flex Roll system is ideal for laminate floors. Designed for floating floors for a quick and easy installation. To learn more about this type of system, visit: www.warmlyyour...
If you've purchased an Environ system, be sure to review the checklist before installation:
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For more information on heating laminate floors, visit: www.warmlyyour...
A walk through video demonstrating all of the important aspects of installing WarmlyYours Environ Flex electric floor heating rolls under carpet, laminate or floating hardwood flooring.

[@dusanpavlik6973]

I would like to point out that the extra Al tapes are intended to make conductive connections between every separate part of heating mat (when you cut it to multiple mats). The Al layer is connected to earthing thus each separate part must be conductively connected with the first part of mat which contains the cold lead.

[@luizftavares]

It's 4:30am and Im watching heated floors, what am I doing with my life.

[@timjones3486]

LFCookie • don’t worry I’m doing the same! I’m trying to find out if I can use Prowarm pro foam insulation matts with 150 w electric matts under laminate. They say they can be used with wooden flooring but I can’t find a mention anywhere on the internet about bloody laminate flooring!!! Ahhhh!!

[@Warmlyyours]

Hey Tim, We actually just did a webinar on Laminate and Hardwood flooring earlier this month. For laminate, the insulation should be at least 1/4" thick. With Prowarm, we can't speak to the material it's made of but it looks like the thickness does meet the requirement at 6mm. We offer cork insulation for laminate typically. Here's a link to a webinar on just Laminate: www.warmlyyours.com/en-US/video-media/heated-laminate And here is the more recent one from last month: www.warmlyyours.com/en-US/video-media/heated-wood-floor-tips

[@timjones3486]

WarmlyYours that’s great I’ll watch the videos ASAP. Many thanks.

[@sconna4951]

Great video and great advice, Thankyou very much for the time and effort you put in to this for us

[@MrThe1234guy]

You don't need to put it underneath the entire floor? What are two strips going to do for the entire room

[@Warmlyyours]

This is just for demonstration purposes, an actual installation would use more product. The heating mats only radiate out 1.5 inches from the cable, so heating the entire room would require more mats.

[@patrickhawkinson8399]

I realize this is not recommended with LVT, but could it be possible to use this under luxury vinyl planks over a cement slab if the planks have a cork backing on them? Don't really want to have to deal with the self leveling cement.

[@Warmlyyours]

You would need to check with the flooring manufacturer - but we really do not recommend LVT be paired with the Environ floating system due to the structure of the flooring. LVT is not as rigid as many people think, it is still made of materials that can flex even with backing. You can learn more about why we recommend our TempZone Flex Roll for LVT here: www.warmlyyours.com/en-US/floor-heating/luxury-vinyl-tiles

[@sincerely5569]

Thanks brother just what I’m doing

[@judderman8756]

Well presented and very informative

[@mikethompson3353]

I have a van I am turning into a camper. Currently the plans for the floor call for (in order, bottom to top): van metal floor, 1" extruded polystyrene (XPS) insulation, 3/8" plywood floor that the van came with from the manufacturer, rubber coin flooring. I would like to add your product between the XPS and the plywood, will that work? Would it be better to add a cork layer on top of the plywood, then add your product, and finally the coin flooring?

[@Warmlyyours]

Hi Mike, I checked with our tech team and they said: rubber coin flooring is not the best flooring for heating with our Environ floating floor heating system. It is not resilient enough to hide the ridges of the Environ heating mats. Laminate is a better flooring choice for heating an RV-type space. Here are the layers that would be needed: Cork or Cerazorb over the plywood, Environ on top of the cerazorb, laminate over the Environ.

[@freedomforall2924]

What if its plywood and not concrete, do I still need to use the cork insulation?

[@Warmlyyours]

Thanks Mark is your Buddy! With a plywood subfloor, It's recommended to have an underlayment of some sort, as 2 hard surfaces should not be in contact with the Environ heating roll. Having an underlayment helps protect the heating element as it dampens the weight coming from the top of the floor. 1/4" cork is a good match, as it allows the routing of the leads (as seen in the video) and has a good r-value. Cerazorb Underlayment can also be used over a plywood floor. You can find further information on our Website regarding the underlayments here: www.warmlyyours.com/en-US/floor-heating/underlayment

[@natalieboos6482]

WarmlyYours Would a XPS rigid insulation sheet be a safe underlayment? We’re looking to install in our van conversion 🙌🏼

[@Warmlyyours]

Hi Natalie, I checked with our tech team and this is their response: "XPS is never used under flooring directly, and there is always a layer of plywood or other substrate that goes over XPS first. In this case, if it's for Environ with Laminate in RV, they would still need to install 1/4" underlayment over final plywood before laying Environ." Also XPS may not be rated as something to be paired with radiant floor heating. Check with the manufacturer to be sure. You can also see the underlayments we recommend with floor heating here: www.warmlyyours.com/en-US/floor-heating/underlayment Thanks for watching!

[@janetstone236]

I'm a rookie, but just thinking for proper sensor reading, if it was me, I would lay the tip on top of the silver and cut out a small 'window' to recess it into the cork so that the sensor tip, is actually touching the floor. To me with the 'housing on top' of the sensor, it will not be a true 'floor' reading. It's going to be warmer under the 'housing sliver layer' that on the floor due to air circulation. Just a thought.

[@Warmlyyours]

Thanks for watching and for the comment, Janet. A customer of ours suggested this type of placement years ago after having installed dozens of systems. However, we never advocate cutting the Environ Easy Mats at any time, as too much can go wrong with that operation to deem it a foolproof suggestion. A common issue with having the sensor on top of the mat is that it can lead to having the sensor tip lie directly on the heating wire. This leads to improper operation, because the wire heats up much quicker than the rest of the floor which results in short-cycling the thermostat. The floor will never reach the desired temperature when this condition exists. For safe, reliable operation, the method we describe on the video has served us very well and has resulted in thousands of trouble-free installations. Thanks again and feel free to give us a call at [phone] if you have any other questions.

[@jayjohal6892]

Brilliant video!! I’m going to install mine today!! What happens when you have to cut around a fireplace hearth like mine??

[@Warmlyyours]

The company you ordered from should have provided an installation plan and accounted for the fireplace hearth and how to install around it. If you're using a cut and turn floor heating roll, the instructions will be with the box for the type of system you're using.

[@I.heart.summertime3]

I hope this isn't a stupid question, but can you install these heated rolls under carpet tiles that have a rubber backing on them?

[@Warmlyyours]

With rubber backing it may not be compatible. The rubber is usually there to act as additional support and insulation which if put between the heating system and the top of the carpet, could prevent some of the heat from transferring through the floor. I'd recommend checking with the flooring manufacturer to see what their warranty says. But we usually only offer these systems in cases where it's stretch in or tape down carpet and not the tiles.

[@KennethScrues]

I'm curious if this would work in a northern basement with the constant temp changes. Would the underlayment change? What about the walls as well?

[@Warmlyyours]

How far north? We often get orders from those living in the greater Toronto area and even a bit further north than that. For a basement you would definitely want to go with our synthetic cork product - CeraZorb (product page:www.warmlyyours.com/products/line/underlayment-cerazorb) With the potential moisture in a basement, it's best to use a mold resistant cork instead. We don't sell insulation for walls, but they could also be insulated if you'd like, but we've had customers do just the floor and still warm their basement. We actually have a tool that can help you see how much heat you're losing and where you can add more insulation to make floor heating effecient for you: www.warmlyyours.com/tools/heatloss-calculator

[@jayjohal6892]

Can the cold tail (power cord) be fitted in the insulation UNDERNEATH the heating mats??

[@Warmlyyours]

If you watch this video, you'll see that's what the installers do for this system. Trace the shape of the cold lead, cut out that strip from the underlayment so that cold lead lays flat in the channel. If you need help installing quickly Jay, we'd recommend you give our tech support team a call as these comments are only monitored a few times a week. Thanks for watching!

[@briancarno8837]

Very detailed and informative video..better than the one the manufacturer of my product supplied. Just a few observations tho. When you test the sensor its a good idea to put it in your hand and check the resistance changes as it heats up. Usuually its NTC ie as the temprature rises the resistance should get lower. In the UK the kit is supplied with a flexible plastic conduit so if the sensor fails you can remove it and fit a new one without lifting the floor.. so its an idea to keep an note of the resistance of the sensor so if you ever need a new one you have an idea what R reading you need (say at 20deg c) maybe they are a standard type for all thermostats.. I dont know

[@Warmlyyours]

Definitely agree that testing as much as possible is always best! We provide a warranty information card where installers/homeowners can log the readings of the tests while installing and submit them to us for easy reference if anything should happen to the system later on.

[@zmarssojourner7435]

Won't the laminate flooring feel uneven when laid on the heating wire?

[@Warmlyyours]

The heating system is spaced in such a way that it lays evenly underneath the flooring - preventing any teetering when walking on the floor. As long as you lay the wires into the cork correctly, you won't feel any of it underneath the floor.

[@AlexSmith-fs6ro]

Mars Sojourner I agree, the thickness of wire is at least 2mm. I am thinking of using vinyl or click vinyl, so the approach here is no good, as especially for click vinyl the floor needs to be dead level.

[@Lightcode]

Q: what if theres no thermostat in the room? Mine is a small bathroom - no electrical or thermostat.

[@Warmlyyours]

A thermostat must be installed with the floor heating system, otherwise there's no way to control it. If there is a light switch in the room, this is usually in the generally area an electrician will install one. They simply run new conduit through the wall and hook everything up. Just make sure you have enough power supply to that room for the system.

[@Lightcode]

@@Warmlyyours thank you for sharing that.

[@xiaoxiaqin7827]

Can I understand the bottom of the wood floor. This is the electric floor heating under laminate flooring can withstand multiple furniture weight? Such as the bed will not break the wire?

[@Warmlyyours]

That’s a great question, Mary. It is necessary for the heating mat to be installed between an underlayment and laminate flooring to prevent Environ™ Flex Rolls from damage from the weight of the floor, furniture, and people. Unavoidable wooden floor movements, due to changes in temperature or moisture content, will not harm Environ™ Flex Rolls, when the installation is done correctly and the underside of the final floor covering is installed evenly. Please see page 5 of the Installation Manual for Environ™ Flex Roll System to find more information about compatible underlayments and compatible wood laminates.www.warmlyyours.com/publications/ENVIRON-FLEX-MANUAL-20004-B/download

[@xiaoxiaqin7827]

Thanks for the reply! I shopping the WARMLY on the COSTCO website (WarmlyYours - Environ Floor Heating Kit for Laminate Flooring - 240V 12.54 m² (135 ft.²)), but my room only needs 80ft, Can I cut the excess to another room?

[@Warmlyyours]

Thanks for the interest Mary! To answer your question about cutting the roll to fit your room, our answer is no. Cutting the heating cable is something we never do. But if you need to find an Environ product that fits your area, please visit our website's Environ product page, www.warmlyyours.com/en-US/products/floor-heating-environ-flex-roll/goods-heating-elements-heating-rolls?discard_product_filters=true. There you will find a product that fits your room exact without having to cut the heating element. You can make the purchase straight from our website, and if you need further assistance as to which product works best for you, please call our sales staff at [phone]. Any one of our knowledgable staff can help make the best purchase and shipped out to you quickly:) Thank you!

[@atsukoito1410]

Hello, should I put plastic vapor barrier between the cork and concrete?

[@Warmlyyours]

Yes, if it is required that is the layer it would go within. Thanks for watching!

[@ryangarland9682]

Can I use this product for Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring, with the same installation method?

[@Warmlyyours]

Hi Ryan! Great question! Environ floor heating can not be used for Luxury Vinyl plank flooring. BUT, we do have a product that does work with it, it's called TempZone™ Floor Heating Mats and Cable. TempZone™ will work just fine under luxury vinyl plank flooring as long as its covered with Self Leveling Cement, so that when it cures it leaves a nice level surface to apply your flooring to. To learn more about TempZone™ visit us: www.warmlyyours.com/en-US/products/line/floor-heating-environ-flex-roll To see TempZone Cable under Self Leveling cement with Hardwood flooring (almost same process) watch this:) kzbin.info/www/bejne/qqbEZ6xmq5yBjbM Thanks for watching!

[@chadlecraft4971]

I think Ryan was asking about laminate vinyl planks that you put down like other laminate flooring not the traditional vinyl that needs a smooth surface to glue too.

[@Warmlyyours]

Keyword is "vinyl" though. Luxury Vinyl Plank/Tile is still a mixed of wood and petroleum products and very flexible when compared to actual wood floor products. It may look like laminate but it is not really laminate in material composition. Even the stuff with stiff backing can flex over time and should only be paired with an embedded heating system like TempZone.

[@jenniferbassfirstchannel]

Would this work in a trailer house??

[@Warmlyyours]

Hi Jennifer, Yes the system should work as long as all the installation instructions are followed correctly. Since the space under the trailer may not be insulated as well as foundation-based home, definitely look into adding an insulating layer between the heating system and the subfloor to help direct the heat upwards. Thanks for watching!

[@ddetrick2008]

Do you need a dedicated breaker for this?

[@Warmlyyours]

Yes, we always highly recommend a dedicated non-GFI breaker for floor heating. (This is only if a GFCI thermostat is used).

[@montroseringler494]

Any idea how much per square foot this costs to install? Also, how much in electricity it costs to run?

[@Warmlyyours]

You can figure out the cost for a specific room/flooring type here: www.warmlyyours.com/floor-heating/quote-builder And you can see the operating cost here with this tool: www.warmlyyours.com/floor-heating/cost-calculator Thanks for asking!