Tiled bathroom floor in a contemporary home

Electric heating solution

HeatBase Underfloor Heating for Tiles

Flexible electric cable heating with a decoupling membrane for tiled and natural stone floors.

Shape the heating layout around your room while adding a decoupling layer beneath the tiles. Ideal when a pre-spaced heating mat is less suited to the layout.

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Get a HeatBase Layout Checked Before You Order

Send us the room dimensions, free heated area and floor construction. We can help check the cable size, membrane quantity and components needed for the complete installation.

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HeatBase decoupling membrane and ELEKTRA DM10 electric underfloor heating cable kit

The system behind the solution

What Is the HeatBase Underfloor Heating System?

HeatBase combines a profiled decoupling membrane with an ELEKTRA DM10 heating cable. The cable clips into the membrane’s formed channels, giving you more freedom to plan warmth around fixed fittings and irregular room edges.

Browse the standard kits, or send us your room plan for help checking the heated area, membrane quantity and complete floor build-up.

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  • 5.5mm profiled decoupling membrane
  • 10W/m ELEKTRA DM10 heating cable
  • Flexible routing through formed channels
  • For compatible tile and natural stone

The membrane is 5.5mm high before adhesive and floor finish. It is not thermal insulation, and a waterproof installation requires the specified joint, edge and penetration details.

10W per linear metre
Heating cable output
5.5mm
Membrane profile
4.3mm
Heating cable diameter
2.5m
Cold tail length
ELEKTRA DM10 heating cable being routed through the channels of a HeatBase membrane

Installation overview

How HeatBase Is Installed

Plan the cable route and floor sensor before bonding the membrane. Follow the current ELEKTRA DM cable instructions and the specified membrane, adhesive and floor-finish requirements throughout the work.

  1. 1Measure the free floor area to be heated, excluding permanent fittings and other restricted zones.
  2. 2Confirm the required cable length, membrane quantity, floor sensor position and complete floor build-up.
  3. 3Prepare a clean, dry, level and structurally suitable base, with any specified insulation beneath.
  4. 4Bond the HeatBase membrane with the specified flexible adhesive, keeping the cable channels aligned.
  5. 5Route the cable and floor sensor through the planned channels without cutting, crossing or overlapping the cable.
  6. 6Complete and record the required electrical tests, install the tiled finish, then arrange final connection with a qualified electrician.
HeatBase membrane channels showing the heating cable and correctly positioned floor sensor

Understanding the system

How the Membrane and Cable Work Together

The membrane performs more than one job in the floor and gives the loose cable a defined route. The main practical points are:

  • The membrane creates a profiled routing layer for the loose heating cable.
  • Area output depends on the cable length, permitted channel spacing and actual heated area; 10W/m is the cable’s linear output.
  • The decoupling layer helps reduce stresses transferred from small movements in the prepared base.
  • Flexible tile adhesive surrounds the cable and bonds the compatible tiled finish above.

Plan the complete installation

Where HeatBase Works Best

Choose HeatBase where a tiled floor benefits from a flexible cable layout and a decoupling layer. If the room is open and regular, an MD heating mat may be quicker to plan and install.

  • Tiled kitchens, bathrooms, hallways and living areas.
  • Irregular rooms where a loose cable is easier to route than a fixed-width mat.
  • Renovations where the tiled-floor specification calls for a decoupling layer.
  • Wet areas with a complete, separately specified waterproofing system.
HeatBase floor cross-section showing the prepared subfloor, adhesive, membrane, heating cable and tiled finish

Typical HeatBase Floor Build-Up

The illustration shows the principal layers. Allow for any specified insulation and floor preparation beneath the membrane, plus the adhesive and chosen floor finish above it.

  1. 1Sound, dry, level and structurally suitable prepared subfloor
  2. 2Any specified insulation or preparation layer beneath the system
  3. 3Compatible flexible adhesive bonding the HeatBase membrane
  4. 4HeatBase membrane with ELEKTRA DM10 cable and floor sensor
  5. 5Compatible flexible tile adhesive around and above the cable
  6. 6Approved tile or natural stone finish with the required movement joints

HeatBase advice

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to common questions about planning a HeatBase tiled floor.

Is HeatBase an insulation board?

No. Its role is to support the heating-cable layout and the specified decoupling construction. Any thermal insulation must be selected separately as part of the floor build-up.

Why is the membrane area different from the heated area?

The membrane can extend beyond the areas where cable is permitted. A kit’s heating coverage also depends on its cable length and approved spacing. Check both the cable coverage and the membrane quantity rather than treating one square-metre figure as the whole kit size.

Can I cut the cable or change the spacing to use up the spare length?

You can cut the membrane to fit the floor, but you must never cut or shorten the heating cable. Choose the cable length for your usable heated area and keep to the approved channel spacing.

Is 5.5mm the total height added to the floor?

No. That is the nominal membrane height. The complete build-up also includes bonding and tile adhesives, the final tile, and any preparation or insulation.

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Can I use it in a bathroom or wetroom?

It can form part of a correctly specified tiled wet-area floor. Confirm waterproofing details, electrical requirements and compatible installation materials with the relevant instructions.

Would an MD mat be a better choice?

For open, regular-shaped tiled areas, an MD heating mat can make laying a pre-spaced cable straightforward. HeatBase is useful when you want to plan the cable route yourself and include a decoupling layer. The choice depends on the complete floor construction.