Ceramic, slate and marble floors add beauty and value to any home, but have the
reputation of being cold underfoot. With the warm tiles system from easy heat, available
at your nearest Menards, that s no longer a concern! The heart of the system is an energy
efficient heating cable embedded directly beneath the tile. It s a great choice for
new construction or remodeling. Stay right here and we ll show you how. Determine the
square footage of the area you want to heat. In the case of a bathroom, subtract the area
where tubs, toilets and cabinets will be located. Then, consult the chart on the easy heat package
to determine what size kit your need. Make sure your subfloor meets the requirements
of your tile manufacturer. The easy heat system can be installed over plywood, concrete or
backerboard. Also, determine where to locate the electrical box for the thermostat. Holes
are drilled at floor level into the wall and a cable guard is installed so the cable can
later be run up from the floor to the electrical box. Then, measure and mark the mid-point
of the heated area. This may differ from the center of the room itself. s a good idea to
have the cable run parallel with the longest wall of the room. Measure and cut lengths
of metal strapping and nail or screw them into the subfloor at 30 to 36 in intervals.
Install the end screw or nail at a slight angle to provide tension along the length
of the strapping. To keep the cable from twisting, use a broom handle or something similar and
suspend the cable reel from a ladder. Pull the cold lead, which is the black section
of cable, up into the electrical box with a fish cord. Pull the cable up until the cold
lead splice is about 12 inches from the wall. Also pull the white sensor wire up into the
box. To keep the cold lead from interfering with the laying of the tile, cut a quarter
inch deep groove into the subfloor with a chisel or utility knife. Secure the cable
with the flat ribbon strapping included in your kit. Secure the cable between the cold
lead and where it meets the first metal strap with clips included in your kit. Now start
looping the cable through the metal strapping using every other slot as spacing. Carefully
loop the cable making sure it does not come out of the loop on either side. Keep the end
of the loop about an inch from the metal strapping. Make sure to keep the cable taut and bend
the tabs to hold the cable in place if needed. If the half-of-cable marker appears before
the half of area line on the subfloor you will end up short of cable before you finish.
If that s the case, carefully remove the cable and start farther away from the wall or place
less cable in low-traffic areas. If the half-of-cable marker appears after you ve reached the halfway
mark on the floor, you ll have excess cable when you reach the end. Surplus cable can
be used up by reducing cable spacing to an inch and a half between runs. Consult the
directions in your kit for further details. Now place the white sensor wire between two
sections of heating cable that are spaced 3 inches apart. A small groove will need to
be cut into the subfloor for the end of the sensor wire. Secure the wire into place with
the included clips. Before the finished floor is installed, check the electrical resistance
of the cable and sensor wire with an ohmmeter to ensure no damage has occurred to either
cable during installation. Consult the directions for exact details. Now the cables can be embedded
into place with a cement-based mortar compound. You can use either a thin-set mortar of self-leveling
mortar compound, but check with a Menards floor coverings team member for a product
that is right for your type of floor. Use a trowel to spread the mortar over the entire
floor at a uniform height. Apply the mortar in the same direction as the cable to avoid
disturbing the cable. The top of the cable does not have to be completely covered. Once
the scratch coat of mortar has dried the finished floor can be installed. Follow the tile manufacturer
s instructions for installation details. Once the mortar and grout have fully cured, the
tile warming system can be energized. Connect the power supply to the thermostat and warming
cable according to the directions in your kit. re now ready to enjoy a warm tile floor
along with the satisfaction that you did it yourself. For further details, visit Menards
dot-com. To stay up-to-date on all of Menards how-to projects, subscribe to our channel,
here!