Floor heating Milling
Milling floor heating into an existing floor? This mounting method is used in both new construction and renovation. We have four different floors that can be milled with this method:
– Zandcement vloer;
– Tegelvloer (de bestaande tegelvloer hoeft niet te worden verwijderd);
– Betonvloer (de frees wordt gekoeld met water);
– Fermacell / Knauf Brio vloer (wordt toegepast op houten ondervloer).
Specifications
| Installation method | Milling | |
| Minimum Installation Height* | n.v.t. | |
| Tube diameter** | 16 mm | |
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| Possible floor finish: | ||
| Sand-cement floor | ✔️ | |
| Tiled floor | ✔️ | |
| Concrete floor | ✔️ | |
| Fermacell / Knauf Brio floor | ✔️ | |
* When milling, no installation height applies, but a “free depth” of 15mm to 17mm is required to mill slots. In addition, the screed must have a thickness of at least 30mm to prevent cracking.
** In de tabel is uitgegaan van de meest toegepaste buisdiameter. Bij ingefreesde systemen zijn ook andere buisdiameters mogelijk, maar buizen van 16mm worden bij deze installatiemethode het meeste gebruikt.
Low-dust milling
When installing floor heating in an existing home, you often encounter the problem that a lot of cutting and breaking work has to be done. This chopping and breaking work creates a lot of dust and debris, this is the last thing you want in your existing home.
Nowadays the technique of milling floor heating is used. Braakman has developed its own system for this, which is very unique in this sector. Braakman has also developed a truck combination that can extract 6,000 kg of dust and water per day. By using this combination it is possible to mill with little dust in a space that is not full of rubble.So, that your house or building does not turn into a dusty construction site.
Advantages and disadvantages of milling floor heating
Advantages of milled floor heating
Milling floor heating offers several advantages, both for existing buildings and new construction:
Suitable for both existing buildings and new construction: Milling floor heating is possible in both existing homes and newly completed buildings, as long as there is a screed floor of which the first 20 mm of the top layer is free of other pipework.
Fast heating possible: The pipes are located directly beneath the floor surface, allowing the floor to heat up quickly. The slots are usually milled in a volute pattern, which ensures even heat distribution.
Can be realized quickly: Milling floor heating is generally a quick process. Often 50 to 60 square meters can be milled in one day. This means that underfloor heating can even be installed in all rooms of a home within a few days.
Direct floor finishing possible: After the pipes have been placed in the slots, the floor finishing can be started immediately. For example, tiles can be applied directly to the milled system. For other floor finishes, the cracks must first be closed with repair mortar.
Milling floor heating therefore offers an efficient and quick way to achieve a comfortable and evenly heated floor surface, without long drying times as with new screed floors.
Disadvantages of milled floor heating
However, milling floor heating also has a number of disadvantages:
Additional insulation is not possible: After floor heating has been installed by milling into the top layer of the screed floor, it is no longer possible to provide additional insulation from above. If additional insulation is needed, this should be done through the crawl space. This is because the pipes are already close to the floor surface, which means that heat radiates upwards and heat loss downwards is minimal.
Top layer free of pipes: It is essential that the first 20 mm of the top layer of the screed is free of other pipework to prevent existing pipes from being damaged during routing. If pipes are damaged, they must be repaired with repair couplings.
Closing grooves for floor finishing: After placing the pipes, the slots must first be closed with repair mortar before laying the floor finish can begin. It is important to use specific repair mortar and not tile adhesive or leveling mortar, because the latter materials can collapse in the grooves. This can cause the floor heating pipes to rise or 'float', which is especially problematic with floor finishes such as PVC strips, linoleum and marmoleum where the pipes can become visible at floor level.
These details are important to take into account when choosing whether to mill your floor heating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here we try to answer frequently asked questions from customers. If your question is not listed here, you can always reach us via email or telephone:
How deep is floor heating milled?
To install floor heating in an existing home, the screed must be at least 30 mm thick. This is because the slots are milled approximately 18-20 mm deep to accommodate the 16 mm pipe. If the floor is thinner than 30 mm, there is a risk that the covering layer will come off or the machine will hit the underlying concrete layer, which is too hard to make grooves.
How long does floor heating last?
Traditional water-based floor heating systems generally have a lifespan of approximately fifty years. This is important because the pipes are routed into the floor, and replacing them after a decade or so would require significant remodeling. The system consists of several parts, some of which have a longer lifespan than others. Certain parts such as pumps or control valves may need to be replaced sooner, but this will generally be less drastic than replacing the entire floor heating system.