If you have or want to use underfloor heating with a hardwood floor you must use engineered wood. Underfloor heating can be a great way to heat a room. You will get lovely warm flooring, which radiates up through the whole room, and you don’t need to use additional radiators or heaters.Which floor can I use with underfloor heating?
It is essential that you use engineered hardwood flooring or bamboo flooring. You cannot use solid wood flooring as it is not stable enough to cope with the constant changes in temperature. Engineered wood flooring has a real layer of hardwood on the surface, so it looks and feels like solid wood flooring. The bonus is that underneath the surface there are base layers (usually made from plywood) which give the planks of flooring additional stability. This means that engineered hardwood floors are much more versatile than solid wood. They can withstand fluctuations in temperature and humidity making it the ideal partner for underfloor heating. We have an extensive range of engineered wooden floors for you to have a look at, including:
Quick guide to hardwood and underfloor heating
Engineered wooden floors are safe to be fitted over an underfloor heating system, but there are a few things to be mindful of:
• Firstly, use engineered hardwood or bamboo flooring. Never use solid wood flooring.
• You must heat the whole of the room, not just part of it. This allows your wooden floor to heat evenly.
• If you are using an underlay, please use a special low tog underlay designed for underfloor heating.
• You could alternatively glue down the flooring with a full surface bond.
• Never use nails or screws during the installation of your flooring. These could puncture the underfloor heating pipes.
• Remember to leave the correct expansion gap around the perimeter of the room. This will allow your floor to naturally expand and contract with the changes in temperature.
• Always follow the underfloor heating manufacturers guidelines and instructions.
• The surface temperature of your wooden flooring should never exceed 27°C.