Timber Floor Over Underfloor Heating
The natural properties of timber also mean that it has a fast heat up time whilst also resisting heat from escaping too quickly making timber helpful in maximising the energy efficiency of an underfloor.
Timber floor over underfloor heating. The best flooring for underfloor heating is one that efficiently transfers heat from the ufh to the surface of the floor. Your wood floor must be laid close to the subfloor and without an air gap as air gaps can cause the wood to dry out very quickly. Hard surfaces like stone or ceramic tiles or engineered wood offer the best heat transfer as they are the most thermally conductive but many other options work well. When laying a floor over underfloor heating loops the working temperature should be at least 18 c.
Installing over underfloor heating. This is applicable to boards subfloors and room temperature. Using timber with ufh if the desired look includes a wood floor engineered timber is the best option for use with underfloor heating as its structural stability allows it to perform well with fluctuating temperatures. Battened timber floors are best heated using the diffusion plate system though installing hydronic heating pipes between batten on an existing concrete slab and filling up to the top surface level of the battens with a screed can also provide acceptable results provided suitable insulation is used.
Both hydronic and electric underfloor heating systems work well with timber floors as timber conducts and holds the warmth produced by the floor heater and radiates this into the room. The majority of wooden flooring is suitable for underfloor heating systems but at nu heat we recommend using engineered timber flooring rather than solid hardwood.