Wood Flooring That Will Work With Radiant Heat

You can install a wood floor over radiant heat, but you must take into consideration a number of factors such as type of flooring, type of installation, wood species and humidity control.

Wood Species

Species like oak, teak and American cherry, which remain more stable and move less in changing humidity, make better installations over radiant heating.

Types of Wood Floors

Laminated wood, the most stable type of wood floor, has a plastic surface bonded to a pressed wood or plywood sub-board. Engineered wood has several layers of wood bonded with the grain. Engineered floors and floating floors, which have no attachment to a subfloor, tend to move as a unit. The stability of different solid wood floors depends on wood species, width and cut of the board. Boards of up to 2.25 inches wide are more stable.

Type of Installation

You can glue or nail down a wooden floor and embed the heating element in or apply it to the underside of the subfloor.

Moisture

Maintain a constant level of moisture appropriate to the type of wood to prevent excessive movement that may damage the floor. Insufficient humidity will cause cracks, while excess humidity will cause cupping or warping.

Important Considerations

Let the wood and subfloor adjust to the moisture in room before installing the floor. Distribute the heat over the subfloor evenly.

References

• Radiant Panel Association: Hardwood Floors and Radiant
• Woodfloorsonline.com: Radiant Heat under Wood Floor Products