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I really don't know how is named this material in English but I have to prevent heat lost through it. I assume that it is named mosaic, but I might be very wrong.

Ideally I'll like to have the floor heated by a hydronic system. Do you have any idea about what materials to use and which added to the solution doesn't result in a too height floor?

PS: mine looks like mosaic tiles from this link. It is definitely polished and made of cement and small stones.

enter image description here

Alx
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    Hard to tell from the picture. Does it feel like stone or concrete? – Freiheit Jul 22 '16 at 19:48
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    can you clarify. Do you want to put radiant heat tubing ( or electric ) under the substance in the photo or on top of and then a new floor above that? – Alaska Man Jul 22 '16 at 20:09
  • @Alaskaman: I'll like to add radiant tubing on top of this floor (and a new floor above it) – Alx Jul 22 '16 at 20:11
  • The floor in the link is concrete... that has been painted, covered with sprinkles, and sealed with epoxy. Does that sound like your floor? They are talking about tiles, but the picture is not of a tiled floor. – Ben Welborn Jul 22 '16 at 20:12

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Not sure if this should be a comment or an answer. You will need something on top of the concrete but under the radiant tubing to reflect the heat upward. They do make a metal coated wood for that purpose that has channels already routed out for the tubing. It will ad to the height of your new finished floor.

I assume your concrete is on top of earth or soil and no way to get under it. ( my forth floor condo has a two inch concrete floor so i could in theory put something under it.) You will not be able to stop the concrete from absorbing some heat but once the concrete has heated up it will act like a big heat sink and radiant that heat back out. that said it might be that the reflective material on top of the concrete would prevent the concrete heat sink from radiating upwards.

Alaska Man
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  • Yes, it is on ground floor. – Alx Jul 22 '16 at 20:41
  • there really is no way to stop heat loss through the concrete to the ground below it, you can only try to minimize it as i suggested. It sounds like you do not have much room to raise the floor significantly. – Alaska Man Jul 22 '16 at 20:49