Installing Engineered Hardwood Flooring Over Radiant Heat

First let s discuss the basics of wood flooring species engineered hardwood and solid hardwood.

Installing engineered hardwood flooring over radiant heat.

One of the best options over radiant heat is to use an engineered hardwood floor. The inherent dimensional stability of engineered hardwood floors makes it a great choice for radiant heat systems. If a solid 3 4 thick wood floor is desired it is recommended to use quartersawn flooring not usually available factory prefinished. But if you do wish to put radiant heating under solid hardwood use quarter sawn wood flooring instead of plain sawn wood flooring.

With strip flooring the wider the board the greater the potential for gaps between the boards when they contract with seasonal changes in temperature and humidity. The heating element should be embedded within a sleeper system subfloor under a traditional subfloor or embedded within concrete. For more information about engineered flooring see our article all about engineered wood floors. Successful wood floor installations occur when the radiant heat.

Quartersawn is a method of cutting the boards from the log so that the direction of the. The key to installing wood floors over radiant heat lies in these factors which agree with rpa s guidelines. The nwfa offers information on radiant heat in its technical manual a100. Engineered wood flooring works better for radiant heating than under solid hardwood.

Certain solid hardwood floors are appropriate as well. Guide the homeowner in selecting a hardwood floor that is appropriate for their scenario. Dimensions of the wood floor plainsawn or quartersawn understanding the difference between quartersawn and plainsawn flooring can help with your decision of what flooring to purchase. Can 3 4 solid wood flooring be used over radiant heat systems.

First you need to do your homework and we will give you key tips so that you have a general understanding of exactly how you can use electric radiant heat under your wood floors. Most wood flooring can be installed over radiant heat providing all of the necessary conditions are met.