heated flooring system -w/ tile

[busy2muchgiongon]

I need help!!! Can anyone recommend any companies that i can get heated flooring systems from? I am trying to finish up projects on limited funds, since loosing my job w/o any notice. I don't know if the systems sold at home depot or lowes are the best options for us. Researching on the internet is overwelming, and would like to get some advice because I have never done this before. My husband has experience w/ electrical and can help w/ that part. I have some money saved up and was going to order a Drake toilet (which was recommened here), but seems that will be waiting a little while longer.

Is it possible to put the matt in a bathroom w/o hooking it up (we have 2 bathrooms seperated by a wall and I want to use same thermostat w/ both rooms), but can't afford to do that room also at this time. Our plans changed and we just found out that we have 17 people coming to our house for thanksgiving so I have to get another bathroom in working order.

Thanks in advance for your help.
Me...... and my frustrated husband

[jadnashua]

Check on www.johnbridge.com for help on tiling. They have a lot of people with experience in heated tile floors. There are a couple of methods...matts, or wires. It's a little less expensive to use the wires because it means you do more of the labor in laying things out. this also gives you a little more flexibility, but if you have the custom matts made and you decide to change things or measure wrong, it can be a big pain.

[geniescience]

easy as pie to glue down cables.

Follow instructions. Read twice, and several days in advance so you can catch things you are learning for the first time. For example, they'll tell you not to turn on the heat until you have tiled on top. Duh. With one thermostat it means that both bathroom floors have to be tiled before you go showing it off.

Thinset on top is a tiling job.

Originally Posted by jadnashua

Check on ... for help on tiling. ... experience in heated tile floors. ...

[jadnashua]

A lot of tilers install the heating too, so there is a lot of experience at John Bridge forum. Depending on your tiling skills, you may want to pour SLC over it to flatten the surface before tiling. This also gives more thermal mass. But, your total floor thickness will be greater as over a plywood subfloor, the slc should be 1/2" over the highest point. You can flatten things with thinset, but it takes more skill and time.