Engineered Hardwood Flooring For Radiant Heat

If a solid 3 4 thick wood floor is desired it is recommended to use quartersawn flooring not usually available factory prefinished.

Engineered hardwood flooring for radiant heat.

Some manufacturers even make hardwood floors specifically for radiant heat systems. Can 3 4 solid wood flooring be used over radiant heat systems. It is also important to consider the heat transfer qualities of the sub flooring used the sub floor and wood floor should be within 2 3 degrees of each other. The inherent dimensional stability of engineered hardwood floors makes it a great choice for radiant heat systems.

Quartersawn is a method of cutting the boards from the log so that the direction of the. Engineered flooring with a less stable wear layer species such as hickory beech and maple are not normally best suited over radiant heat unless otherwise suggested by the flooring manufacturer. The heating element should be embedded within a sleeper system subfloor under a traditional subfloor or embedded within concrete. Engineered flooring works well over radiant heat because its unique plywood construction creates greater stability as each wood layer is positioned perpendicular to the other thereby resisting movement from environmental fluctuations depending on the selection can be nailed glued or floated over the subflooring.

For more information about engineered flooring see our article all about engineered wood floors. Engineered wood flooring works better for radiant heating than under solid hardwood. North american oak american cherry and american walnut are all appropriate. However not all engineered wood flooring is recommended or appropriate for use over radiant heating systems.

Which is why the most efficent way to use radiant heat under your wood floors is to use a hardwood with a low r value.