Guide the homeowner in selecting a hardwood floor that is appropriate for their scenario.
Lw hardwood flooring over radiant heat floor.
Can 3 4 solid wood flooring be used over radiant heat systems.
For more information about engineered flooring see our article all about engineered wood floors.
This gently warms the floor under your feet.
Particleboard subfloors are not recommended by radiant heat companies.
Such expansion and contraction can cause cracking.
One of the best options over radiant heat is to use an engineered hardwood floor.
But if you do wish to put radiant heating under solid hardwood use quarter sawn wood flooring instead of plain sawn wood flooring.
Floor temperature provide the radiant heat system designer with the hardwood flooring dimensions species and the desired temperature of each room.
Porcelain and ceramic tile are great conductors of heat so your home will get the full benefit of the radiant heating system.
Successful wood floor installations occur when the radiant heat system design engineer the radiant heating system installer the wood flooring installer and the end user all communicate and fully understand what is required for the entire.
If a solid 3 4 thick wood floor is desired it is recommended to use quartersawn flooring not usually available factory prefinished.
Plywood 5 8 or oriented strand board 3 4 make good candidates for subfloor materials in radiant installations.
In addition tile flooring will not expand as it warms or contract as it cools.
With the right experience moisture testing understanding of the radiant heat system and knowledge about the wood flooring being used contractors can make wood flooring over radiant heat work even.
Certain solid hardwood floors are appropriate as well.
There are still some considerations homeowners should look at before making the decision to install wood flooring over radiant heat and we hope to address most those issues.
Most wood flooring can be installed over radiant heat providing all of the necessary conditions are met.
Under floor radiant heating systems work by running hot water through pipes or electricity through resistance wires which are installed under the finished floor.
When you are installing wood floors over top of concrete the double layer two layers of 1 2 ply floating plywood method will be the best method.
Installing hardwood flooring over a radiant heating system.
Engineered wood flooring works better for radiant heating than under solid hardwood.
The inherent dimensional stability of engineered hardwood floors makes it a great choice for radiant heat systems.
A good compromise is to install the hydronic system right in a concrete slab and install the wood on the concrete.
While radiant heat is not in the realm of a novice wood flooring contractor wood floors are installed over radiant heat with success every day.
But that said even a wood floor will warm up and heat you and the room quite well.