ThermoSphere Underfloor Heating Membrane & Cable System

Description

The ThermoSphere Underfloor Heating Membrane & Cable system (previously known as Vario Pro) is a system that combines an uncoupling membrane with a electric heating cable. Please note that the membrane/cables are supposed to be ordered as individual items.

The ThermoSphere Membrane Matting is a waterproof, polypropylene decoupling matting with square shaped dimples.  These are designed to form channels that hold the ThermoSphere Ultimate Electric Underfloor Heating Cables, at variable spacing depending on the required heat output – 2 dimples apart equates to a 195W/m² output, 3 dimples equates to a 135W/m² output. This matting has an anchoring fleece on the underside to provide a strong bond to the substrate below and is designed to be used with tile adhesive. It forms an uncoupling layer between the tiles and the substrate – this neutralises the stress caused by different rates of expansion and contraction in a tiled floor and minimises the risk of tile delamination and cracking. This matting can also be used with the Comfortzone Electric Underfloor Heating Cable, a budget alternative to the ThermoSphere Ultimate Underfloor Heating Cable.

The matting is also available with a self-adhesive backing – this cuts down on additional costs for adhesive to fix the matting and makes it quicker and easier to install. Please note this is only suitable for flat, level substrates that are dry and free from dust and debris.

The ThermoSphere Underfloor Heating Membrane & Cable system provides a number of additional benefits – the studs and fleece backing in the membrane allow water vapour beneath it to escape effectively. This means you can save time by tiling over a substrate that is not fully cured. The stud structure also provides efficient load distribution for the tiled surface by transferring the load to the subfloor evenly – this reduces the risk of cracks so the ThermoSphere Underfloor Heating Membrane & Cable System is recommended for use in high-traffic areas.

The ThermoSphere Ultimate Heating Cable combines a TwistedTwin cable, and in-line joint technology that removes the bulky hot/cold joint seen on older versions of this type of heating cable. This removes the risk of damaging the cable during installation, as cutting into the membrane and substrate is no longer required.

The ThermoSphere Ultimate Heating Cable is compatible with all decoupling membrane mats, not just the ThermoSphere Membrane, so you can use your preferred brand of decoupling mat with this cable if you wish.  The advantage of a loose lay cable system is that is can be laid out in a completely flexible, custom layout that best suits your walkable/exposed floor area, as it can be laid around fixed items such as toilets, cabinets, baths, etc. We recommend using a ThermoSphere Thermostat with this cable. ThermoSphere Ultimate Heating Cables are available in the following sizes to suit a range of area sizes, as shown below. 2 dimples apart equates to a 195W/m² output, 3 dimples equates to a 135W/m² output. Please note that laying the cable 2 or 3 dimples apart changes the area coverage of the cable length, which is why there are two area coverage figures for each cable.

These cables cannot be cut or joined, but more than one cable can be joined to the same thermostat, as long as the total system load/draw is under 3600W/16A (the limit of all ThermoSphere Thermostats) – which equates to a floor heating area of approx. 23m². Larger areas than 23m² with one thermostat are possible, using a ThermoSphere Snubber Unit.

Installation:
The ThermoSphere Underfloor Heating Membrane & Cable system is easy to install. We recommend laying Tile Backer Board onto the floor area first to provide a thermal insulation layer underneath the membrane. This drastically reduces downward heat loss and speeds up the initial warm up time of the cable, but is not mandatory. Fix the uncoupling membrane to the entire floor area using a suitable adhesive. We recommend using Ardex AF200 or Mapei Ultrabond VS90 Plus for wooden substrates such as floorboards, any flexible cement-based tile adhesive is suitable for concrete, screed, tile backer board substrates.  The self-adhesive membrane does not require any additional fixing adhesive. Then lay the ThermoSphere Ultimate Heating Cable into the grooves in the matting until you’ve covered the desired area/s that you want to heat. Tiles can then be laid directly over the installation using a flexible tile adhesive.  Levelling compound can also be poured over the membrane to fully encapsulate the ThermoSphere Underfloor Heating Membrane & Cable installation prior to tiling.

Product Datasheet Installation Guide

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