Behind the Scenes: How We Install Heating Film

Installing heating film has four stages: survey and technical proposal, preparing the site, cutting and fixing the heating films, and finally wiring and commissioning the control. Because there is no pipework or boiler, the installation itself is fast: when this article appeared in 2022, we installed the heating film of an average 150 m² family house in 1 day, and the exact time depends on the size of the heated area.

Most workflows in a renovation or construction take weeks from design to commissioning. Heating can be an exception, because heating film is built into the layer structure of the floor, wall or ceiling and can be used right after wiring. There is no trick behind the pace – there is organisation and practice. Let us see what happens behind the scenes.

Survey and technical proposal

Installation is preceded by a preliminary discussion, by phone or in person, in which we map the customer's needs and the features of the property. We usually ask for a floor plan too, because from it we calculate exactly how many heating films are needed for what area to reach a pleasant temperature. The technical proposal, which contains an exact sum, is prepared from the answers and the survey; this is also when we agree the date of installation. The course of the survey is described on our on-site survey and consultation page.

At the time of writing, even with many orders we generally undertook installation within 2-4 weeks if someone urgently needed heating. We always agree the current start date when the quote is requested.

Preparing the site

After the order we hand the customer a preparation list. It lists the conditions without which heating film cannot be installed: for example a finished slab, plasterboard in place, or a cleared work area. If every point on the list is met, our team starts on the pre-agreed day.

What a well-prepared site looks like in practice is shown, using the example of an event hall, in our article on preparing for infrared heating.

Cutting to size and fixing

On site, based on the technical proposal, we first inspect and clean the surfaces needed, then measure the area again so that the heating films can be cut to exact size. We then connect the wires to the cut films.

We attach the films to insulation material, check the wires, and then fix the film in its final place – depending on the system, the ceiling, floor or wall. The layer structure decides that the heat goes towards the living space: the insulation and reflective foil behind the film serve this. For floor installation you will find details on our underfloor heating page, and for ceilings on our ceiling heating page.

Wiring and control

After fixing, we join the wires and connect them to the main cable, then check and set up the system. As the last step, the control unit, the thermostat, goes into the wall. The wiring is done by a qualified electrician.

What do you get after installation?

Heating film is radiant heating: it warms not primarily the air but the surfaces of the room and the people in it, so heat is distributed evenly and it stirs up dust less than heating that circulates air. There is no boiler, chimney or pipework that would have to be serviced regularly. How much electricity it uses is determined by the building's heat loss and the temperature set – we write about this on our consumption page.

Today we install 4th-generation heating film: we give a 15.5-year warranty on 4th-generation heating film if we carry out the installation.

This video shows the course of installation:

You can request a quote by phone on +36 20 400 7400, or on our quote request page. Installation is available in Hungary.