Slab Design

To ensure an even floor temperature, allowance needs to be made in the slab construction for 40mm concrete cover from the top of the pipe. This may be achieved by increasing the slab thickness to e.g. 130mm, or using lower height chairs. In either case the slab must conform to the requirements of AS 2870-2011. It is the responsibility of the builder to verify the slab design with a structural engineer.

For optimum performance of the underfloor heating system, it is highly recommended to install a sheet of suitable insulating material, particularly for installations going directly onto sand.

The waffle pods and reinforcing mesh need to be laid level to ensure that the pipe has even 40 mm coverage from the top of the pipe to the floor. This is to prevent uneven heating or hotspots in the finished floor.

The reinforcing mesh sheets need to be laid in a square and continuous grid type pattern as the grids govern the way the underfloor heating pipe is installed. Particular attention needs to be paid where walls are designed on an angle.