Heating mats: electric underfloor heating beneath the floor covering
A heating mat is a thin heating cable fixed to a 50 cm wide mesh. It goes under the floor covering and warms the floor. The T-Mat heating mesh is for tiled floors, and the LIKEWARM F-Mat ALU heating mat for smaller areas of laminate or wood.
In brief
- A heating mat is a thin heating cable fixed to a 50 cm wide mesh. It goes under the floor covering and warms the floor.
- Under tiles goes the 3.8 mm T-Mat heating mesh, embedded in tile adhesive or self-levelling compound; under a smaller area of laminate or parquet goes the 1.8 mm LIKEWARM F-Mat ALU heating mat. For a larger laminate area we recommend 4th-generation heating film.
- It can only be laid on free floor area: not under a bath, shower tray, built-in furniture, vanity unit or toilet.
- The heating cable must never be cut; when changing direction only the carrier mesh may be cut.
- It needs a thermostat with a floor sensor; this is not in the package and must be ordered separately.
Which heating mat should you choose?
The two families differ in the floor covering: the T-Mat heating mesh is made for tiled floors, the F-Mat ALU heating mat for laminate and wood.
| LIKEWARM F-Mat ALU | T-Mat heating mesh | |
|---|---|---|
| Installed thickness | 1.8 mm | 3.8 mm |
| Where does it go? | on an insulating underlay, directly under laminate or wood flooring | embedded in tile adhesive or self-levelling compound, under tiles |
| Power per m² | 80, 100 and 130 W/m² | 100, 150 and 200 W/m² |
| Floor covering | laminate, parquet, engineered wood | tiles, ceramic, porcelain stoneware |
| Sizes | 1–20 m², 50 cm wide | 0.7–18 m², 50 cm wide |
| In a renovation | the floor level rises a few millimetres together with the underlay | sits in the adhesive or levelling layer, so the floor level barely rises |
| Cold lead | 2.5 m, factory-fitted | factory-fitted |
Source: the distributor's (Dimat Kft., dimat.hu) product pages and the web shop data sheets, 16 September 2026. Under laminate or wood only with the flooring manufacturer's approval for underfloor heating, and if the covering's thermal resistance is no more than 0.15 m²K/W.
Heating mats under laminate and parquet: LIKEWARM F-Mat ALU, and T-Mat heating mesh under tiles
Current prices of the LIKEWARM F-Mat ALU heating mats and T-Mat heating meshes are in the web shop: all heating mats and heating meshes (Hungarian-language shop, delivery within Hungary).
What W/m² heating mat do you need?
The power per square metre depends on the floor covering and on the role of the heating. According to the manufacturer's descriptions:
- Under floor coverings such as laminate (F-Mat ALU): 80, 100 or 130 W/m². 80 W/m² is supplementary comfort heating in a well-insulated building (floor surface 26–29 °C), 100 W/m² is balanced comfort, and 130 W/m² heats up faster.
- Under tiles (T-Mat): 100, 150 or 200 W/m². The higher value heats up faster, for example for a bathroom used in the morning or under thick porcelain stoneware.
Whether it is the main or supplementary heating, and how much power you need, depends on the building's heat loss. For an estimate, use the heating mat calculator.
What to watch for during installation
The most important rules from the manufacturers' installation instructions.
- 1
Level, dry subfloor
The subfloor must be free of dust and sharp protrusions; the height difference may be at most 2 mm/m², otherwise a levelling compound is needed.
- 2
Free floor area only
Never under a bath, shower tray, built-in furniture, vanity unit or toilet: calculate the heated area from the floor that is actually free.
- 3
Never cut the heating cable
When changing direction, only the carrier mesh (on the ALU version, the aluminium shielding) may be cut, not the cable.
- 4
Thermostat with a floor sensor
The thermostat also monitors and limits the floor temperature. It is not included in the package and must be ordered separately.
- 5
Laying and connection
You can order the heating mat from the web shop, or we install it as part of a complete installation (available in Hungary). Laying can be done by a tiler or installer, and the 230 V connection by a qualified electrician.
Questions about heating mats
What is the difference between a heating mat and a heating mesh?
The T-Mat heating mesh is 3.8 mm thick and goes under tiles, ceramic and porcelain stoneware, embedded in tile adhesive or self-levelling compound. The LIKEWARM F-Mat ALU aluminium-foil heating mat is 1.8 mm thick and is meant for laminate and parquet. Both are 50 cm wide and work with a floor-sensor thermostat. Products: heating mats and heating meshes (Hungarian-language shop, delivery within Hungary).
Can a heating mat go under laminate flooring?
Under laminate we first recommend 4th-generation heating film: it can be laid with a simple layer build, without a solid layer, and can be the main heating for the whole home (electric underfloor heating with heating film). For a smaller, retrofitted area of laminate or wood, the distributor says the LIKEWARM F-Mat ALU heating mat is also an option (80, 100 or 130 W/m²), if the flooring manufacturer permits underfloor heating and the covering's thermal resistance is no more than 0.15 m²K/W. The T-Mat heating mesh is made for tiled floors.
What W/m² heating mat do I need?
The power per square metre of a heating mat depends on the floor covering and the role of the heating. According to the manufacturer's descriptions, 80 W/m² suits supplementary comfort heating in a well-insulated building, 100 W/m² balanced comfort and 130 W/m² faster heat-up under a floor covering such as laminate (F-Mat ALU). Under tiles the T-Mat heating mesh comes in 100, 150 or 200 W/m², the higher values suiting, for example, a bathroom used in the morning or thick porcelain stoneware. Whether it is main or supplementary heating depends on the building's heat loss. Estimate: heating mat calculator.
What size heating mat does a bathroom need?
The size of the heating mat follows the free floor area of the bathroom, excluding the bath, shower tray, vanity unit, built-in furniture and the area under the toilet. In the manufacturer's example, a 6–7 m² bathroom gets a 4 m² mat; the LIKEWARM F-Mat ALU comes in 1–20 m² and the T-Mat heating mesh in 0.7–18 m². Work it out with the heating mat calculator.
How much power does a heating mat use?
At full load a heating mat uses its rated power per hour: a 5 m² mat at 100 W/m² uses 0.5 kWh. The thermostat with a floor sensor switches it on and off, so real consumption is lower and depends on the building's heat loss, the set temperature and usage. Estimate: electric heating calculator.
Does a heating mat need a thermostat?
A heating mat needs a thermostat with a floor sensor, because besides the air, the temperature of the floor covering must be monitored and limited. The thermostat is not in the heating mat package and must be ordered separately; the floor sensor sits in a protective tube between two heating strands, so it can be replaced later. Types: thermostat for electric heating.
Can I lay the heating mat myself?
A tiler or installer can lay the heating mat (on request we install it as part of a complete installation in Hungary), but the 230 V connection must be made by a qualified electrician. The subfloor must be level, dry, free of dust and sharp protrusions, with a height difference of at most 2 mm/m². When changing direction only the carrier mesh may be cut, never the heating cable. Thermostat for it: thermostats with floor sensors.
How much does a heating mat cost?
The price of a heating mat depends on its size and type; current prices of the LIKEWARM F-Mat ALU mats and T-Mat heating meshes are shown in the web shop. The thermostat with a floor sensor, tiling and electrical work are separate items, which are worth adding to the price of the mat. Full range: heating mats and heating meshes (Hungarian-language shop, delivery within Hungary).
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Thermostat
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Request a quote — installation anywhere in Hungary
We survey, design and install heating film and infrared heating throughout Hungary. Tell us about your home and we will get back to you.
Sources
- Dimat Kft.: LIKEWARM F-Mat ALU heating mat for floor coverings such as laminate (80, 100, 130 W/m²; 1.8 mm) (16 September 2026)
- Dimat Kft.: T-Mat heating mesh for tiled floors (glued or embedded in self-levelling compound) (16 September 2026)
- LIKEWARM F-Mat ALU 130 W/m²: web shop data sheet (September 2026)
- LIKEWARM F-Mat ALU 100 W/m²: conditions for use under laminate and wood
- T-Mat 100 W/m² heating mesh: manufacturer description and installation guide