The short answer: let the floor finish decide. If the room will be tiled or finished in stone, choose an electric heating mat, which is laid directly in flexible tile adhesive under the tiles. If the room will have a suitable floating floor, such as laminate, vinyl or engineered wood, choose infrared heating film, which lies under the floor on a layer of insulation. The two systems are not interchangeable: a mat is not designed for floating floors, and heating film is not laid in tile adhesive.
This guide compares the two side by side, shows which one suits the rooms people ask us about most, and lists what else you will need to order for each.
Two electric systems for two kinds of floor
Both systems are electric, both are controlled by a thermostat with a floor temperature sensor, and both should be connected to the mains by a qualified electrician. The difference is how they sit in the floor.
A heating mat is a heating cable fixed to a self-adhesive fibreglass mesh, 50 cm wide. You roll it out, it holds its place on the floor, and it is then covered with flexible tile adhesive and tiled. The mesh keeps the cable at a fixed spacing while you work.
Infrared heating film is a thin, flat heating element, just 0.33 mm thick, supplied on a roll. It is laid on insulation under a floating floor, connected with clips and wire, and sealed with tape. Nothing is bonded to it.
Heating mat and heating film side by side
| Heating mat | Heating film kit | |
|---|---|---|
| Floor finish | Ceramic tiles and stone | Suitable floating floors: laminate, vinyl, engineered wood |
| How it is laid | Directly in flexible tile adhesive | Under the floating floor, on insulation |
| Heating element | Heating cable (3.6 mm) on a self-adhesive fibreglass mesh | Far infrared film, 0.33 mm thick |
| Output | 150 W/m² | 80, 140, 180 or 220 W/m² |
| Width and sizes | 50 cm wide, 0.5 m² to 20 m² | 1 m wide (0.5 m on request), kits from 1 m² to 30 m² |
| What comes in the box | The mat, installation instructions and warranty card; with a thermostat option, the thermostat and a floor sensor | Film, connection clips, electric wire, joining tape, butyl tape, vapour membrane, manual and warranty card; optional thermostat with floor and room sensors |
| Insulation | Recommended under the mat, for example a tile backer board | Must cover the whole heated area (not included in the kit) |
| Power supply | 230 V | 230 V |
Which one for your room?
Tiled bathroom or en-suite: heating mat
Most bathrooms are tiled, so a heating mat is the natural fit. Mats come in small sizes, starting at 0.5 m², which suits the free floor space in an en-suite once the shower tray, toilet and vanity are left out. The mats are rated IPX7. Your electrician will decide where the thermostat can go in a bathroom. For help with sizing, see how to choose the right heating mat size.
Kitchen: it depends on the floor
A tiled or stone kitchen floor takes a heating mat, laid only where the floor is free, not under the fitted units or the island. If the kitchen will have a floating vinyl or laminate floor approved for underfloor heating, heating film is the one to choose.
Living room, bedroom or home office with laminate or wood: heating film
These rooms usually have laminate, engineered wood or click vinyl. Heating film is made for exactly this: it lies flat under the floating floor and adds very little height, which helps in a renovation where doors and thresholds are already in place. Before you order, check that your chosen floor is approved by its manufacturer for electric underfloor heating. Our guide Which flooring is compatible with infrared heating film? goes through each floor finish in detail.
Hallway or open-plan ground floor: follow each floor finish
A tiled hallway takes a mat. In an open-plan space with tiles in the kitchen area and laminate in the living area, each floor finish needs its own system: a mat under the tiles and film under the laminate. Send us your floor plan and we will help you work out the sizes.
Output: one choice for mats, four for film
Every Termofol heating mat has the same output, 150 W/m², so for a mat you only choose the size. Heating film comes in four outputs, 80, 140, 180 and 220 W/m², and all four film kits contain the same components. The right output depends on the room’s heat loss, the usable floor area and the floor construction. The 80 W/m² film gives very gentle warmth, with a maximum film temperature of 32°C. Our guide How to choose the right infrared heating film output explains the differences.
What else you need to order
- Insulation. For a mat under tiles, insulation reduces heat loss into the subfloor; our 6 mm Insulation Tile Backer Board can be tiled over and the mat can be laid directly on it. For film, insulation must cover the whole heated area and is not part of the kit: choose an underlay such as the 5 mm insulation underlay for laminate and wood, or the Supertherm insulation board, which was developed for floating vinyl floors. See all insulation materials.
- A thermostat. Mats are sold on their own or with one of five thermostats, and a floor sensor is included with every thermostat option. Our guide to choosing a thermostat for a heating mat compares them. Film kits come with an optional thermostat with floor and room sensors.
- Enough thermostats for the area. One thermostat switches up to 16 A. That covers our largest mat, 20 m² at 3,000 W. For film, the area one thermostat can control depends on the output: at 80 W/m² it is up to 38 m². The heating film roll pages list the limit for each output.
- A crimping tool if you are fitting film, as it is not included in the kit.
We recommend having either system connected to the mains by a qualified electrician. Step-by-step guidance is in our underfloor heating installation guide, and for film under laminate, in heating film under laminate flooring.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put a heating mat under laminate?
No. Our mats are designed to be laid in tile adhesive under tiles or stone. For laminate, vinyl or engineered wood, use a heating film kit.
Can I tile over heating film?
No. Heating film is laid under suitable floating floors and is not bonded into tile adhesive. For a tiled floor, choose one of our electric underfloor heating mats.
Should I buy a film kit or film on its own?
If you are starting from scratch, a kit contains the connectors, tapes and membrane needed for installation. Heating film on its own suits installers and customers who already have these accessories and a thermostat.
How quickly will it arrive?
Delivery is free to the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland by courier, usually within 1 to 3 working days. We recommend not booking your tiler, fitter or electrician until your delivery has arrived.
Choose your system
Tiles or stone: browse our electric underfloor heating mats, for example the 10 m² heating mat. Laminate, vinyl or engineered wood: see our underfloor heating film kits, for example the 80 W/m² film kit. If your project mixes floor finishes or you are not sure which system fits, contact Termofol Ireland with your room measurements and we will help you choose.