Electric underfloor heating system for laminate, carpet, vinyl, engineered wood and other floating floor finishes.

Key features

• Installed directly under the floor finish - No self-levelling required
• No raise to floor levels - Super-thin, fully earthed flat aluminum foil will not raise floor levels
• Fits around objects - Wire based system, can be adapted to fit around objects, no need for complicated wiring

What project is the Foil Heater designed for?

Foil underfloor heating is an ideal heater for larger areas and for use with so-called floating floors such as laminate, vinyl, engineered wood, and carpet. Simple to install, the Foil Heater delivers a consistent heat distribution with the thermal properties of the reinforced aluminum foil used in the heater helping to spread the heat evenly. Electric foil heating mats can be used both as a primary or secondary heating source in all rooms and projects that adhere to Building Regulations.

How Does the System Work?

The foil layer acts as a continuous earth layer within the floor construction whilst also diffusing the heat evenly and away from the heating cable itself and because it is installed directly under the floor finish, no self-levelling is required.

Room Shape

Suitable Floor Coverings

Foil underfloor heating is an ideal heater for larger areas and for use with so-called floating floors such as laminate, vinyl, engineered wood, and carpet. If you are using softer floor coverings such as Vinyl or carpet the Foil Heater must be used in conjunction with the Warmup Dual Overlay System. The Dual Overlay subfloor provides protection for the Foil Heater while allowing the heat to easily pass through to the final floor finish providing maximum comfort.

Laminate and Engineered Wood

The Warmup Foil Heater is an electric underfloor heating system designed for laminate and engineered wood.

Certain wood flooring finishes are not recommended for use with Warmup foil mats including wood flooring thicker than 18mm, wood flooring with metallic strips as part of their locking systems (these metallic strips may damage the Foil mats) or any wood flooring with a pad already attached.

In case you have any concerns, check with your chosen flooring supplier that your flooring option is compatible with an electric Foil Heating System.

Fitted between the insulating layer and the floating floor deck the heater adds negligible height to the installation. For wooden floors or similar, the thermal resistance should not exceed 0.15m² K/W.

Radiant Heat for Softer Floor Finishes

With softer floor finishes, the Foil Heating System is designed to be used in conjunction with Warmup’s Dual Overlay System; a free-floating subfloor that protects the system. Suitable floor coverings for the Foil Heater with Dual Overlay are carpet and vinyl.

Some flooring manufactures only allow the use of underfloor heating systems with their flooring when the system is embedded within a screed / levelling compound. It is important that you check with the Vinyl or carpet flooring manufacturer on the types of underfloor heating system that are suitable.

Warmup Dual Overlay System

Glued carpets, vinyl and other floor finishes can be laid over the Warmup Foil Heater by using the Warmup Dual Overlay system to create a thin floating floor deck between the heater and the floor finish (not suitable for wet rooms as the Dual Overlay may expand due to excessive moisture). The Dual Overlay System provides protection for the Foil Heater while allowing the heat to easily pass through to the final floor finish providing maximum comfort.

However, note that Dual Overlay must not be used in ‘wet’ rooms (such as bathrooms). If you are using vinyl or carpet in a wet room, consider using compatible electric systems such as the DCM-PRO, StickyMat or Loose Wire systems; all installed with a self-levelling compound for waterproofing.

Insulation with the Foil Heater

Before installing a Warmup electric foil heating system, always check the subfloor has adequate thermal insulation. This is particularly important where the foil heaters will be used as a primary heat source.

The heater must be installed on top of a suitable soft insulation material. This is necessary to prevent the heater from being damaged when the weight of furniture and people on the floor are added. Insulation material should be at least 6mm thick and suitable for use with electric underfloor heating. If Warmup Insulation board or similar is used, a soft underlay must be added to ensure the heater is not in contact with the cement facing of the board.

Improved savings can be achieved by using Warmup Insulated Underlay underneath the heater as this reduces the heat-up time by at least 50%, and results in cost-savings.

Foil Heater Installation

An electric Foil underfloor heating system is simple to install by rolling the mats out across the floor in parallel runs.

The Foil Heater is made up of a fibre reinforced foil wrapped around a thin multi-strand, dual-core heating cable that is insulated with an advanced fluoropolymer. The foil provides a continuous earth layer within the floor construction whilst diffusing the heat away from the heating cable. The Warmup Foil Mats are fitted directly on top of the insulation and directly under the flooring. Always carry out a heat loss calculation prior to the installation to ensure the heater will provide enough heat for your room.

Roll the foil matting out so that the lines are within 20mm of one another and 50mm of any wall. Ensure you use the separate foil strips provided to bridge any gaps when cutting and turning the mats to suit the room. This is important to keep the earth intact. The foil heating mat must be completely flat. Care should be taken not to fold or crease the mats at any time during installation.

If using laminate or wood, the floor finish can be laid directly on top of the heater or if using vinyl or carpet flooring, the Warmup Dual Overlay system can be used between the heater and the floor finish to give extra protection for the heater (only suitable for ‘dry’ rooms). Dual Overlay is also recommended to protect against heavy-load areas, such as large cupboards that may add excessive pressure to the heater.

Specifications