15 Sqft 120V Electric Radiant Floor Heating Mat – Includes Heating Mat, Programmable Thermostat, Thermostat Floor Sensor, Installation Monitor and Under Tile Heater

I purchased two of these warming mats about a year ago and installed them in January of 2012. It is recommended that a curing period of 1 month be observed for the thin set to dry completely so I did not get to use them much last year as we had a warm spring. As mentioned I bought two mats and did two bathrooms. I felt like I was taking a bit of a risk with no reviews on this product and limited information but they were cheaper than I could find the mat and thermostat anywhere else. The math may have changed by now but these were a bargain and I see the price remains the same now (nov-2012) as when I purchased them. I did do a lot of research before going this route and came to the conclusion that the real value in these kits is in the controller and in this case this is an absolutely great controller/thermostat. It is easy enough to set up and offers all the programmable options I wanted. Aube is a high quality brand even if they are not as well known in the mainstream as some others. I went with the mats because they worked well for my bathrooms but depending on design I would not hesitate to use the cable. The mat was well made and relatively easy to install. This was my 5-6 tile job and it does add a little difficulty to the job but nothing an experienced DIY'er can't handle. The biggest concern is getting the tile with the mat under it to sit at the same height as the tile without mat under it. I used thin set to set mine on top of backer board and just was conscious to use more thin set (different trowel) on the tiles without mat under it and it turned out fine. The other option is to use self leveling compound but that would have added more height to the floor and I wanted perfect transitions to the surrounding floors. I am capable of doing the electrical and did so but if you are not familiar with household wiring, GFCI's etc I would recommend this part be farmed out to someone who can. Just follow the directions locate the temperature sensor correctly and be careful of the wire as you work and you should be fine. This year I have been using them more and more as we get into the winter months and boy do I love these. They start giving noticeable heat to your feet in 15-30 minutes but should be left on for about an hour to get the full effect. I do not try to use them to warm the room so can't comment on that. With the controller it makes it easy to have the floor all warmed up for a morning shower without having to do a thing. To summarize: Great product, relatively simple install, awesome controller, mat works well to aid install, and the end result is simply fantastic. My bathrooms were always a little cool and getting out of the shower onto a warm floor while I shave or whatever is just great. There are a lot of options when it comes to a floor warming system but for my money I think Warming systems Inc had the best value I could find and a great product. I will be doing 4-5 more bathrooms this winter for family/friends and will be using this product again where a warm floor is wanted.

This was an amazing kit. Super simple install and works awesome. Heat is plenty good. Easy to use controller. Even calling up the company, they were super helpful with technical support questions. I

Summary: I purchased this for a bathroom remodel, installation went smoothly, and I'm very happy with the result. My wife's cold toes are even happier with it! More detail: This is the first time I've installed a heat mat of any sort, and in fact the first time I've tiled a whole room on my own. Despite my beginner status, the whole process went smoothly. I did all the wiring first (power to the heat mat, thermostat control to sensor), then installed cement backer board. I put this heat mat directly on the backer board, using plenty of staples on the mesh part (not over wires) to hold it in place. (If you have an air compressor, I highly recommend a Surebonder 9600A, Heavy Duty Staple Gun with Case any time you do a lot of stapling. Much faster and less tiring.) You have to know the exact size and location of all your bathroom fixtures at this point, so the mat doesn't extend underneath anything permanent. Don't forget to place the thermostat sensor on the floor between wires at this stage also. I cut a little gouge in the backer board, so the end of the thermostat sensor wouldn't stick up so far. After I got all the tiles cut, I put thinset over the top of the mat. This is a little tricky, because you want a thin layer of thinset on top of the mat itself, being careful not to gouge the heat wires with your trowel, and then you want a thicker layer outside the heat mat, so the tile ends up level. Just be aware of it, and make sure you have plenty of thinset on hand. I didn't have any problems using a metal trowel over the heat mat; just be gentle and don't scrape through the wire. It's also tricky to apply thinset & place tiles after the heat mat is in place, because you need to be very gentle walking/kneeling on the heat mat. Then finish tiling as you normally would. I have not used this through a whole winter yet, but we've had several chilly fall days and it has worked wonderfully. As with most complex timer thermostats, he thermostat programming is not especially intuitive, so keep the instruction manual handy. But the instructions are clear, and once you get it set up it works well with the various automatic / timer modes. Overall, I have no complaints about this product, and it was the best deal I could find if you also intend to buy an auto/timer thermostat.

This electric floor heating mat works! Was easy to wire up and thermostat works well and has a nice back light. I put it in our bathroom under twelve inch tiles. Just make sure you get plenty of mortar on it and taper it out so the tiles will lay flat across floor. The downside of the project was that the heating element does only heat the tile that it's under. Should have ordered another kit and splice it onto the other kit. I could have worked the heating wire into other areas that need some heat. Other than that pretty happy with it. Nothin beats a warm floor on a cold morning!

I had to redo my bathroom floor and was on the fence about the fear of installation on this radiant floor heating. We decided to bite the bullet and try it. I am very glad we did. Here is what we learned. get a reliable Volt ohm meter. I used a fluke, but any decent one will do. Measure the resistance. (Touch the ends of the wires with the black and red leads from the multi-meter while on the setting that looks like a horseshoe). Just note the number. You don't have to do anything except make sure the wires don't get damaged. (If they do get damaged, the number will change when you check it again later). I wrote the number down on the drywall behind the medicine cabinet, so I could always retrieve it if needed. (make sure you get the number for the heat cord AND temperature sensor) Here is the second issue that came up often on the web research I did. You have to bury the mat under a coat of thin set mortar (tile mortar). People complained that the mat would rise to the surface and create problems when they tried to lay down the tile. So here is where I tried something new. I found a product that 3M makes for gluing corner bead on walls when you drywall. I know the adhesive has to be strong, so I bought a bottle of that and sprayed the floor where the mat would sit. I also sprayed the back of the mat. The adhesive was so good, that it made ripping sounds on the soles of my shoes when i would walk in the area after I was done. One more note. The kit comes with a thermocouple. (What is that you say? It's a little temperature sensor attached to a couple wires. you just install that in the middle between two heat cords in the floor and run the wires to the junction box where you install the thermostat). It's not pre-installed so you can place it in the best spot for your particular floor. I also used the Schluter Ditra decoupling membrane on the floor. (My substrate was concrete by the way, not cement board or plywood). I did the Ditra as I did the mortar for the radiant heat. I am a big fan of modified mortar knowing how well it adheres so I used that under the Ditra. I learned that isn't recommended, but in retrospect I don't know why. It worked great. (They said it wouldn't cure, that it might take weeks to cure, but I was in no hurry. It seemed to be rock solid in a couple days). I used a 3/8 notched trowel for the first step. I figure more mortar is better than too little. MAKE SURE you don't damage the radiant heat cord. That sounds like no big deal, but it's easy to do. The tendency is to bang the side of the trowel on the floor to knock the excess mortar off of it. If you do that on the cord you could break the insulation. I found I did it 3-5 times without thinking. (trust me, its easy to forget when you are in the moment) luckily, I did not hit the cord. I used flexible conduit in the wall to run the heat cord to the junction box (It says to make sure you use metal conduit). I wish I had used a bigger rigid conduit. The flexible stuff I used was barely big enough to pull the wires through and almost messed up the job. After that, just install the tile. Wait a couple weeks and power everything up. ( The only part I am leaving out is that you have to install a double gang box with a single gang box reducer on it for the thermostat in the wall. The double gang box gives you plenty of space to stuff wires and the single gang box reducer holds the thermostat). I guess I also assumed you know the whole unit will need a 110 volt GFCI power source. I just used the extra leads on my GFCI bathroom outlet. Depending on the amount of mats you use you may need some real amperage, but for this unit I used a single 15 amp breaker in the main power box for the house. We waited a few weeks for everything to settle checked the resistance in the wires. (Both the thermocouple and the heat mat cord to make sure the numbers hadn't changed). and powered everything up. It took almost 48 hours for the floor to heat. ( I was pretty nervous when the floor didn't get warm right away, but after web scouring I found that was normal). Concrete is quite a heat sink, but heat can only go up, so eventually the floor got warm and it's something I will be happy I did for the rest of the life of the bathroom. One more note if you aren't too bored yet. I used epoxy grout for the first time. I used spektra lock. I was nervous about it, not knowing if I was going to ruin the tile, (many people said it's difficult to clean off the tiles when applied) but if you follow the directions, it was very easy to do and NEVER needs sealing. (you just need vinegar and hot clean water). This grout is the stuff they use on tile floors in commercial kitchens for stain and chemical resistance. I'm really happy I used this. I spilled a little water on the floor when I was looking over the tile job and it beaded up on the grout in little spheres. (Yes!) Regular grout is by nature absorbent and you don't want that in a mildew and mold attraction environment. Another thing you will be happy you spent the extra 40 bucks on. Thank you so much for your time. I know that was long, but I found that information very difficult to find and I thought I would consolidate it here for you.

This first part is just about receipt of the materials and overall evaluation. So far, so good. I am really impressed by the construction of the thermostat that comes with this package - it is incredibly heavy and well-designed; there is nothing cheap about it. Instructions are clear and straightforward, and the functions available on the thermostat seem to be optimal for most households out of the box. And if not, everything is customizable. I used this manufacturer many years ago when this stuff was new in another house, and it worked like a charm. The only differences now are that the mat has sticky tape to hold it in place and it is far more affordable, as you would expect for a maturing product. I also like the fact that overall consumption is about 1A, which means about 120Watts. That's pretty low for something that generates heat. I am expecting to have a really great experience installing and using this under tile - I'll be installing over a 1/2" concrete backer board in a mortar bed. I will return here and update this review after install.

Every morning I go into my new bathroom I think: "NICE"! And it is indeed! This is also a very good value - you get the mat, the sensor, and the thermostat. I installed this mat in my basement bathroom directly on the cement slab. Before installation measure the resistance and make sure it is within the range specified on the wire tag. Also, measure the sensor resistance and also make sure it is working properly. I installed one extra sensor Honeywell AC112-01 Electric Heat Floor Sensor just in case the first one dies out (imagine installing everything and having no heat because of a busted sensor). It is fairly easy to lay it down, and to cut the netting (not the red wire!) and arrange on the floor. However, the wire tends to lift at every corner when changing the direction. If you have wood subfloor you can staple the net, but in my case I was able to make it stay flat brushing it under and then over with the primer for the self-leveling concrete (my floor was very uneven). I put about 1/2" of self-leveling over, then I placed the sensor under the tile (not with the mat) as I wanted the temperature reading to be more realistic. It takes less than 30 minutes to get from 68F to 76F. They specify that you need conduit, so I had some old 12/3 wire with metallic jacket, I pulled the wires out and used the conduit from the floor (through the stud) to the connection box. From the connection box to the thermostat I used regular 14/2 wire (this thing is drawing 3A, uses 360Watt and it requires a GFCI breaker). The thermostat is not the best - you can program 4 different time periods per day but only 2 temperature setting (?!?!). Night time, with day time share the same temperature, as do morning and evening (you can use only 2 periods if needed: day and night). What if I am home the whole day and want some heat but not as low as during the night? What if I want a different temperature in the evening vs the morning? Tough luck. Well, this is the thermostat issue, not a heat mat issue, so I don't want to deduct any stars here even though I feel compelled to... I have it at 76 in the morning and evening, and I have an infrared thermometer and it is spot on. The thermostat cycles on and off pretty quietly, and not too often. I purchased the 30ft mat, but in all honesty the 20ft one would have been enough (only 240 watt). They mention that you should not install the mat too close to the wall or under fixtures anyway. When making the decision which one to get, think where your feet are touching the floor, and where would you actually appreciate the heat. For me it's too late to change now... All in all I am very happy with it. Would I purchase it again? Definitely. But If I had just a tad more money, I would look into the Ditra Heat. Just saying...

OK...so there is much to like about this thing and a few things that are puzzlements. .First, the good. It is installed and works wonderfully in our newly renovated tiny little master bath. The installation process is pretty straight forward, once you have the floor appropriately prepped. The first challenge is figuring out how to trim the fiberglass mat to allow it to fold, flip, and turn to cover the area you want heated, while leaving the lead wires at the best spot for feeding to your thermostat, but as noted by other reviewers, a little creative patterning will work it out. The next problem is when you skim-coat the same mat in preparation for the actual tiling, you have to understand that you are essentially going to be tiling an uneven floor because even if you mix the mortar extra runny, you will end up with two different heights. I addressed this with either normally buttered tile in the heated areas or I buttered the crap out of the tiles being laid on the unheated areas which were below the height of the skim-coated sections. Used a 2 x 4 with a three foot level to verify consistent floor/tile height and yeah, I did have to pull up a tile from time to time and slather on a bunch more mortar but this was not my first tiling job so I was not too concerned with the practical issues...Ended up looking great and worked fine. My biggest gripe is the thermostat. The instructions encourage you to place the t-stat outside the bathroom, which makes sense but I suspect that unless you are involved in totally new construction, rather then renovation of a single bath, the t-stat design will make you crazy because it is big enough to require a 4 x 4 Jbox but a single center decora plate. Ever try to find what is essentially a double gang plate with a single centered decora opening? Don't spend much time looking because you never will. You can find new work solutions but if, like me, you want to put the t-stat outside a renovated bathroom without getting into drywall repair, paint etc on the other side of the wall, then that's a problem. I finally found Kyle Switch Plates on the interweb, bought one that came close, then Dremeled out a large enough opening for the decora guts of the t-stat to fit. Looks kinda funky, as you can see, but all in all, I am happy with it. Warming Systems really should offer the exact solution...and btw, they might....I never bothered calling them! But even in spring, the heated floor is delightful and I will never live in a house without this feature again.