Underfloor heating is a way of heating your home, office or commercial space that has grown significantly in popularity in recent years. Hailed as an environmentally friendly as well as foot-friendly way of heating your home, you can see how this way of staying cosy is so popular.
Apart from the fact that heat rises naturally, which means that the lowest point in a room is the most logical place to source it, this way of heating your house means that you don’t need to worry about whether or not your radiators block your furnishings or are in or out of fashion. But when it comes to underfloor heating, which flooring works best is a question that often troubles people. It’s for this reason that we’ve decided to write this overview, which should help you make the right decision for your project.
Stone, slate, tiles and marble
There’s no getting away from the fact that stone and ceramic materials are amongst the most efficient conductors when it comes to allowing heat passage from underfloor heating. As conductors of heat, they are efficient and, irrespective of their thickness (within reason), they will allow for an effective passage of heat from beneath the floor to the room itself.
The types of floor that we’d include in this category include the likes of: ceramic tiles, polished screeds, limestone, slate, flagstones and marble. If you are happy to have a hard floor finish, then each of these materials will allow heat to pass from your underfloor heating with great efficiency. However, there are people who reject these flooring options for softer options, such as wood, high quality vinyl or rubber. So how do these other options compare?
Wood
If you have underfloor heating and still yearn for the style and underfoot comfort of a real wood floor, then you truly can have your cake and eat it. While solid wood flooring isn’t normally recommended for installation over underfloor heating, there is no reason why you can’t have a great, real looking wood floor. Engineered wood flooring is perfectly suited for fitting over underfloor heating and lets you have the benefit of the heating method of your choice, without having to compromise on the flooring you really want.
Engineered flooring comes in a really broad choice of species, finishes, grades and board sizes and while your choice of species and finish will be largely unaffected by your underfloor heating, there are certain things to respect when choosing your board size. We recommend that board thickness should be no more than 18mm and that the top layer, or lamella of the engineered board should be 5mm thick or less. These are what we believe to be the maximum thicknesses for heat efficiency.
One more thing to bear in mind when choosing engineered wood flooring to go over underfloor heating is your fitting method. We recommend that when engineered flooring is being installed over underfloor heating that it’s best to be glued down. Gluing the floor down means that it can comfortably expand and contract as temperatures rise and fall, thanks to the flexibility of the glue. This method of installation also helps minimise the risk of air pockets appearing in your floor.
Laminates and vinyls
While both of these options offer good heat transfer, they are currently less popular than the other options. In this group of flooring though, we’d include rubber, which is a relatively sought after flooring option right now. Suitable for use with underfloor heating, rubber is of medium rate efficiency when it comes to heat transfer.
The real no-no’s
When it comes to real no-no’s for flooring to go over underfloor heating, the best way to think about it is whether the flooring itself has insulating properties. Carpeting, cork and coir matting for example, all have insulating qualities and as such could prevent your heat from conducting from your system to your room. This is what makes these solutions no-no’s when it comes to flooring a room that has underfloor heating.
—
FAQ
1. Why is underfloor heating considered beneficial?
Underfloor heating is hailed as an environmentally and foot-friendly way of heating homes or offices. Its benefits include natural heat rise from the lowest point of a room, no obstruction from radiators, and freedom from concerns about whether radiators fit your home’s style.
2. Which flooring materials work best with underfloor heating?
Materials like stone, slate, tiles, and marble are among the most efficient conductors for underfloor heating. They allow for effective passage of heat from beneath the floor to the room itself irrespective of their thickness.
3. Can wood flooring be used with underfloor heating?
Yes, engineered wood flooring can be used with underfloor heating. However, it’s recommended that the board thickness should not exceed 18mm and the top layer, or lamella, should be 5mm thick or less for optimal heat efficiency.
4. What is the recommended method for fitting engineered wood flooring over underfloor heating?
The recommended method for fitting engineered wood flooring over underfloor heating is gluing it down. This method allows the floor to expand and contract comfortably with temperature changes and also minimizes the risk of air pockets appearing in the floor.
5. Which flooring materials should not be used with underfloor heating?
Flooring materials with insulating properties, such as carpeting, cork, and coir matting, should not be used with underfloor heating. These materials can prevent heat from conducting from the system to the room, making them unsuitable for rooms with underfloor heating.