You'd need an air gap really to get the best from it. My stack has all hot spots off set from the next vivarium apart from one which does just heat next vivarium but it's a huge 6 footer on top so it quickly disperses and makes little difference, I figured that there was no danger in the huge vivarium as the floor gets warm in that spot but never too warm before the stat below kicks in. If yours is already at 33°C then it has the potential to overheat.
It is only 33c directly above the ceramic in the viv below on the floor. Ambient temp, cold end and even warm and away from that one hot spot are all around room temp