photo: Dany Zikic; Managing Director, Ecomaxx Ltd
Design & Build met up with Dany Zikic, who has been providing his business services in Malta for decades. He is a specialist in flooring and heated flooring, having been involved in their supply, preparation and installation for over 20 years.
Through his company Ecomaxx Ltd, Mr Zikic brings a whole world of knowledge regarding how to enjoy our flooring. Ecomaxx is specialised in the supply and installation of quality underfloor heating which is particularly suited to our climate and times.
T That Dany, and therefore Ecomaxx in turn, is so proficient in professional underfloor preparations and installations has assisted the company to provide a level of service that is hard to replicate. The tile and floor layers who work after Ecomaxx are pleasantly surprised at the quality and level of works they benefit from once a property includes Ecomaxx underfloor heating.
The company caters for a wide expanse of the market tiers and those seeking its solutions are from both the residential and commercial sectors. This business is based upon the personal touch which Dany gives and which their clients expect, by finding solutions to any issues, and following these up to ensure the client’s complete and utter satisfaction. “I absolutely love what I am doing,” Dany said. “I find the finishing of a property as a very exciting thing, even if it is very demanding. The fact that clients keep coming back with their other properties and additional requirements already says a lot about the way we tend to look at the quality of product and service that we provide.” “Our underfloor heating systems operate on low voltage. Coupled with our wide heating strips, these two product advantages result in almost instant floor heating. The heating aluminium foil, which encompasses 50 to 80% of the floor area, contributes significantly to the heating coverage, ” he added.
Our underfloor heating systems operate on low voltage. Coupled with our wide heating strips, these two product advantages result in almost instant floor heating
Dany explained that Ecomaxx always places thermal insulation under the installation, thus preventing heat loss and maximising efficiency. The heating elements are additionally protected by a layer of fibre mesh, along with a layer of cement over it when required, which provides an even surface for the flooring to be laid on top. Ambient temperature is regulated and controlled by the thermostat which can be classically operated through switches or cordless, programmable or remotely operated.
The living experience
We asked Dany what Ecomaxx’s clients typically ask for. He told us that while several clients are concentrating on their living and dining areas and their bathrooms, others are increasingly seeking their best heating solutions for their complete dwellings and developments. “Obviously, all clients are different and have different needs,” he said, adding that many of them also realise that after installing underfloor heating in their area of choice, this heating process is really not a luxury at all and they would start thinking of the need to extend the system to other rooms. “Once you get used to underfloor heating you won’t do without it!” he commented.
The Advantages of Underfloor Heating
“What happens,” explained Dany, “is that underfloor heating is generated on the lowest part of a room, unlike other heating methods which first heat up the ceiling area. However, once underfloor heating commences, it works through the lower parts of the room, rising upwards.
once you switch off the system the underfloor will continue to release its heat energy into the room as it slowly cools down
This is one of the major advantages of electric underfloor heating. In fact, even once you switch off the system the underfloor will continue to release its heat energy into the room for some time as it slowly cools down.”
Water-based or electricity-based?
Dany goes on to explain that when it comes to the water heating process, a water-based system is basically a pipeline network beneath the floor, connected to a boiler or a heat exchanger. The warm water is propelled by a pump and regulated with a series of valves to circulate and thus heat the floor which in turns radiates heat into the area in question.
“ ‘Wet’ systems come with the disadvantage of price, a complicated installation, moving parts, maintenance required, leaking and jamming risks, and a slow response. A water-based underfloor heating system furthermore relies on the actual water system that exists in the premises in question. If this is not up to scratch then the system would not operate optimally. But with an electrical system, though there could be problems – especially if the installation process would not have been properly and meticulously implemented, or if the materials made use of are not of high quality – they are generally easier to overcome,” he explained. “Therefore, electricity based systems possess advantages which are very obvious to us.”
The Ecomaxx product
Dany explained that some electric underfloor heating systems on the market run on high voltage: “thick, insulated copper cables installed beneath the floor that use 220-240V alternate current (AC) from the grid… These systems consume higher quantities of electricity units and create other issues such as high cable temperature.”
Ecomaxx has several advantages over high voltage systems such as safety, low consumption, simple installation, low temperature of the heater – all coupled with a 20 year warranty
Dany stressed that Ecomaxx’s advanced underfloor heating systems use low voltages of 12 to 24 volts, employing aluminium alloy instead of copper and wide tapes instead of cables. Those specific properties result in corrosion resistivity and wider heating surface which results in longer life spans and lower running costs. Dany insists that “Ecomaxx has several advantages over high voltage systems such as safety, low consumption, simple installation, low temperature of the heater – all coupled with a 20 year warranty.
These factors are very important for the safety of the client while using it, and make an Ecomaxx underfloor heating installation the most competitive underfloor heating system on the market when compared to any kind of underfloor heating, which will surely take longer – and labour more – to heat up.”
“Our product has many other advantages including the fact that you can switch it on (and off) whenever you want to, with its heating effect initiating immediately. This is very beneficial to our Mediterranean climate. You don’t need to keep it on all the time to keep the heat ongoing – just switch it on and use it when you actually want it!” added Dany. “An Ecomaxx installation”, he continued to explain, “is typically guaranteed for at least 20 years on service and parts. If the installation is done correctly, and as our systems are working to temperatures which do not need to be heightened, as other systems do in order to circumvent the limitations of their designs, there is practically no possibility for the heating elements to get damaged or to damage the flooring itself. Of course, there is always the possibility that something could go wrong, but the way the system is designed prompts such problems to only be able to emerge above the flooring – and not under the flooring itself – with such things as thermostats and the usual electronics controlling the system heating; there would be no such need for penetrating through the floor for repair purposes.”
our systems are working to temperatures which do not need to be heightened, as other systems do in order to circumvent the limitations of their designs
He emphasised the importance of genuine supervision at the installation stage. “We have highly professional installers but I make it a point to be personally on site to oversee the work myself and ensure that everything is being done properly and professionally as per my standards, and those of my clients – all the time.”
Preparation is Key
One has to keep in mind that the build-up of any flooring has to be stable. “One can note the presence of methodologies and systems into Malta’s construction industry brought in by foreign workers. This has often led to improvement. A case in point is the traditional use of torba, which is giving way to the screed laying system favoured by foreigners such as Italian technically competent workers. In our case, a torba-based underlay would dissipate and absorb some of the heat created. It would also jeopardise the lifespan of underfloor heating, as well as the end result and longevity of the finalised flooring,” Dany explained.
He added that he is always trying to simplify the work of the floor and tile layers who will work after the completion of his underfloor heating; preparing the actual surface for them to work on as efficiently and trouble-free as possible. “This naturally comes from my experience in the preparation of pre-tiled flooring, and we can also provide our clients with the preparation of the flooring as required for the proper laying of an underfloor heating system, and subsequently, of the finished tiled, marbled or wooded flooring above it” he added.
A Customised Product
“Our product really is custom-made, and is the coming together of a number of different hand-picked electronic parts, aluminium foils, and other items that together make our customised product ideal for the Mediterranean climate (which is different from the Continental one!) as well as for the requirements of each property that we are working in,” said Dany. He continued to explain that these are benefits for the clients, as every client’s requirements are different. “In a way, one can say that each installation is tailor made for the client. For every project, new calculations kick in: everything is different.”
For every project, new calculations kick in: everything is different
Dany explained that all these items are supplied from different places in central and eastern Europe, so that they reach European Union requirements and have all the necessary certifications for the local quality controls as well as those of the EU. “With a project of a commercial nature it is usual here in Malta to be requested to supply this kind of certification by the architects involved,” he added. Dany’s relations with his clients’ architects is based on efficient execution of their requirements, supported by his expertise which is gladly provided when asked for.
Safety First
We asked Dany if he could appease any possible concerns about implementing an electricity-based installation within a water-laden environment such as bathrooms. He pointed out that the fact that the Ecomaxx product range uses a very low voltage for heating eliminates the risks typically found within a combined electric/water environment. “Our finishing also secures the finalised project, thus protecting the elements from surroundings. It is not harmful to users even in a humid ambient. We have even installed them behind the tiles of swimming pools and the system is effective and safe in such conditions too,” he added.
Quality control
Once the project is laid, Ecomaxx conducts a number of quality check-ups. This involves specialised equipment which registers the actual output and efficiency of the heat being generated. Ecomaxx also executes a thermal imaging of the system during operation to ensure the right amount of heating being generated in the right places.
underfloor heating is becoming a requirement for the mid to upper bracket properties on the market today
Conclusion
When assessing the benefits which underfloor heating provides, it becomes obvious that a very beneficial element is given to the value of a property, giving it a differential advantage over other similar properties. “Underfloor heating is hence becoming a requirement for the mid to upper bracket properties on the market today,” Dany said. He mentioned cases where local purchasers are already insisting with developers on including underfloor heating in their properties. He feels that with the economic increases that the island is prone to face alongside the rest of Europe, this demand for efficient home comforts will continue to rise. “These comforts have become a part of our lives,” he continued, “and more emphasis is now being placed on them for our living standards. In fact, we are finding that our banks are looking more favourably on the inclusion of these possibilities in the properties they grant loans for and they do tend to look more favourably on loan applications for properties and developments which pay tribute to environmentally efficient and friendly manners of climate control.”
“Throughout our experiences we have encountered many different problems which, with a good will to overcome them and using our experience, we have always managed to find solutions for,” Dany commented, adding that “sometimes we have to work with the builders and explain certain things to them that they have to adjust – otherwise the underfloor system wouldn’t work as optimally as they must. Where there is a will then problems get overcome. We do not accept that an installation – a plumbing environment which affects floor levels – or any other form of issues which underfloor installations sometimes encounter – will disallow such upgrades to be installed. There is always a way!”
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