How to install electric radiant heat and snap lock flooring.
We had a tile floor, with a concrete slab underneath, and we wanted a warmer floor with a wood look. We chipped out the tiles where the heat mat will fit. 
We pulled power off of a circuit that was set up to run a freezer, so we have plenty of power. 
The wire leads also have to be recessed.
Use a hot glue gun to glue the leads down.
Fill in the area with a mortar based leveling compound.
Be sure to blend the height in, or your flooring will rock and click. The mural on the back wall is a copy of an Issaquah Salmon Days poster, adapted and painted on the wall by Kaleigh Frisinger, granddaughter of mayor Ava Frisinger. 
Lay down underlayment, another time a glue gun is handy... just keep it on low, or the underlayment will melt. Stagger your joints, by at least 1/3 of the board length. 
Use a blade suitable for cutting finish grade material. The more the teeth, the cleaner the cut
Use a nylon or plastic block and a hammer to tap the boards into place. 
Use a nylon or plastic block and a hammer to tap the boards into place. 
This shows the staggering.
Here's how it looks done. |