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Floor Coverings for Radiant heating

Ceramic tile covering

Ceramic tile is the most common floor covering for radiant floor heating. Ceramic tile application is easy and the material has good heat conduction and good storing properties.

Coverings you should avoid

There are several other common floor coverings besides ceramic tile: vinyl, carpeting, wood…

Avoid any covering that may help to insulate the floor from the room. It will decrease the efficiency of the radiant heating system.

Carpeting can be one of these coverings: a thick carpet will reduce the system efficiency.

If you want carpeting (or other covering with insulating properties) use a thin one (with dense padding, in the case of carpeting), and consider installing a radiant system with some extra degrees of temperature. The water flowing under the covered floor will need these some degrees more to compensate for the insulating properties of the covering.

Wood flooring

Radiant wood flooring is usually based on laminated wood. Solid wood wasn’t used till recently, due to the effects of the heat on the wood, namely the cracking susceptibility.

Today, thanks to very recent advances in the heated floor industry, it’s possible to install hardwood floors over radiant heat systems with some confidence. Solid hardwood and engineered wood floors are now being used with radiant heating systems whether on subfloors or concrete slabs.

Tested woods vs Exotic or little known woods

Be aware when using solid woods, unknown in their stability and properties. Cherry, oak, hickory, ash, maple or walnut are good and tested choices for radiant wood floor coverings.

The source and age of the woods, or the methods used in their drying are also very important, since these factors affects the expanding and contracting properties of the wood.

Dimensions of the wood

Use narrow boards, with a maximum wide of 3 inches. Narrow wood boards respond better to wood’s expansion and contraction, avoiding gapping and cracking.

Tests quoted by the Hardwood Information Center found that very thick hardwood floors are a frequent cause of gapping. Three-eighths of inch thick hardwood flooring is ideal for heat conduction and to avoid gaps. This association also advice the use of quarter-sawn wood for planks wider than 3 inches.

Wood Installation

Chose experienced flooring installers, namely in you intend to use wood coverings. Only they can ensure that the wood floor’s moisture content is appropriate for your region.

Avoid installing wood flooring during painting, or the installation of sheet rock. Before installing the wood covering make sure that concrete, gypsum cement and other materials used on radiant floor heating systems are completely dry. This can take several weeks.