Oak Flooring For Under Floor Heating

Under floor heating is a really popular choice these days.  A great way to have a warm and cosy home without cluttering up your walls with radiators, it gives you flexibility and style.  When you have radiators on your walls, you’re restricted regarding where you can put your furniture, but take them out of the equation and the world’s your oyster.  This is probably why so many people are choosing this option when it comes to heating their home.  However, one of the big questions that raises its head when you decide on under floor heating is whether or not you can you can still have wood flooring.

The answer to this question is “Yes!”, and if you’re looking specifically for oak flooring to go over your under floor heating the news is even better.  Oak is one of the most popular choices when it comes to wood flooring because it is so attractive, hard wearing and long lasting.  In fact, oak is such a durable wood that the oak tree is often used in company logos to represent longevity, strength and solidity.  These are all qualities that are thought to make companies attractive to potential buyers and they also make the wood attractive to wood flooring buyers.

When it comes to wood flooring, there are two main types, and as any regular reader of this blog will know, they are solid oak flooring and engineered oak flooring.  Solid oak flooring, as the name suggests is made from floor boards that are cut from oak wood and nothing else.  Engineered oak flooring is made from cleverly constructed core boards that are made up of layers and layers of ply that are bonded together and a solid oak lamella or top layer.  It’s this solid oak top layer that makes engineered oak flooring look just like the real thing.

The way engineered oak flooring is constructed means that it can withstand ups and downs of temperature and moisture levels without expanding and contracting too much.  Solid oak flooring on the other hand tends to expand and contract significantly when temperatures and moisture levels rise and fall.  What this means is that if you were to lay solid oak flooring over under floor heating, it would expand and contract when the heating was switched on and off and eventually would run the risk of either cupping or bowing or developing significant gaps between the boards.  None of these situations are desirable and all can be avoided by choosing engineered oak flooring.

When you have under floor heating, you needn’t feel restricted by having to choose engineered oak flooring rather than solid oak flooring because you still have all the choices open to you that you would have with solid oak.  When it comes to choosing the right engineered oak flooring, you need to make sure that you select the best grade that you can for your budget and that you research all the finishes and colours to make sure you get the one that suits the look you’re hoping for as well as a finish that will stand up to the wear and tear your room is likely to suffer.

When it comes to laying your floor, when you have under floor heating, it’s not normally a good idea to either nail or staple down your floor, rather you should opt for either a glue down or floating installation option.  Gluing down your engineered oak flooring will allow your floor to be well fitted over your under floor heating, but will allow for movement as the room heats and cools.  Floating installation on the other hand relies on the weight of the floor to keep it in place and is normally accompanied by an under floor heating compatible underlay to help the floor slip neatly and easily into place.

Finally, when you’re choosing your oak flooring to go over your under floor heating, it’s essential that you choose a thickness of board that will allow the heat to pass easily and efficiently.  Generally speaking, you should choose no thicker than 18mm board with a top layer that is no greater than 5mm.  This will allow your heating to work to its optimum.  All of that said, you should always cover yourself by checking with your supplier or flooring manufacturer that the choice you’ve made is suitable for the type of under floor heating that you have.

If you have under floor heating and are seeking an oak flooring solution, why not get in touch?  At Wood and Beyond we’re passionate about oak flooring and have the expertise and experience to help you make the right choice.