floor coverings for radiant heating

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

Avoid carpeting covering

There are several other common floor coverings besides ceramic tile, and carpeting is one of them - and also a good example of a bad option. Carpet will reduce the radiant system efficiency.

If you want carpeting, use a thin one, with dense padding, and consider installing a more powerful radiant system (the water flowing under the covered floor will need some degrees more).

Vinyl coverings

Vinyl is another common floor covering in radiant heating, but you should also avoid it, not only because vinyl is an environmentally-unfriendly material but also because it also has insulating properties that will decrease the efficiency of the radiant system.

Linoleum covering

Linoleum is another alternative. Unlike vinyl, linoleum is an environmentally-friendly floor material, but like vinyl it will decrease the efficiency of radiant heating, for the same reasons. You may use it, but you will not get the thermal efficiency of ceramic tile.

Wood flooring

Ceramic is better and safer, but wood is now a common and reasonable alternative in radiant covering.

Solid wood wasn’t used till recently, due to its cracking susceptibility, but today, thanks to very recent advances in the heated floor industry, it’s possible to install it over radiant heating systems with some confidence.

Solid hardwood and engineered wood floors are now being used with radiant heating systems whether on sub-floors or concrete slabs, but the most common option is still laminated wood.

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 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 features affect the expanding and contracting properties of the wood.

Dimensions of the wood

When using 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 institution also advices the use of quarter-sawn wood for planks wider than 3 inches.

Installation

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

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.