Can an oak floor go on underfloor heating? Dadawood explains it to you.

Can an oak floor go on underfloor heating? Dadawood explains it to you.

In recent years, underfloor heating has become almost impossible to imagine modern homes without. A cozy heat source with the great advantage of even heat distribution, instead of unsightly dusty radiators. Dadawood has been applying its floors to underfloor heating for years. In fact, Dadawood floors are made for it!

Can underfloor heating be combined with a wood floor?
It is certainly possible to combine a wood floor with underfloor heating. However, there are some things to consider.

There are different types of underfloor heating systems. You have underfloor heating systems that serve as either main heating or supplemental heating. Underfloor heating occurs as either a hot water or electric system. When an underfloor heating system is electric, it usually acts as a supplemental heating system. A hot water system usually acts as the main heating system. Both systems should be installed so that the heat is distributed very evenly, and the floor never gets hotter than 27 degrees.

Because wood is a natural product that will react to changes in temperature and humidity, we take care in the production account to select stable wood, proper drying and proper gluing. If you keep an eye on temperature and humidity in use, the effect in the floor will be minimal. Dadawood provides some great tools for this, such as the Fidbox but also humidifiers that give that little bit of moisture to the wood in winter!

What is the efficiency of a wood floor on underfloor heating?
When buying a new wood floor combined with underfloor heating, you need to consider the efficiency. Ideally, you want the lowest possible resistance value so that as much heat as possible gets through the floor. You also want as thick a top layer as possible, so a floor that will last a nice long time. The lower the resistance value – the RC value – the less need to be fired. In general, the thermal resistance value of the floor itself should not exceed 0.14 m2K/W. In our experience, a floor thickness of approx. 16mm the best combination of efficiency versus longevity, because of the thickness of the top layer! Furthermore, we recommend that the floor always be glued directly and “full-surface” so that the heat is better conducted. With “floating installation” there often remains an insulating layer of air between the board and the concrete, so the efficiency is lower, and the floor can give more action.

Dada floors more than meet the required RC standards. You can tell your installer the value of our floors:

Our 16mm = 4mm top layer + approx. 11.5mm birch plywood : 0.1143 m2K/W

Our 13mm = 4mm top layer + approx. 8.5mm birch plywood : 0.0929 m2/KW

Can wood floors be combined with heat pumps?
As more and more homes must “get off the gas,” the heat pump is on a rapid rise. This system efficiently extracts heat from the outside air or from the ground beneath the home, and distributes it through the home via fluid lines. Since the liquid cannot be heated as far as with a gas central heating system, it must be distributed over a large area to give off enough heat. Floor heating is ideally suited for this purpose! Not surprisingly, that’s why all newly built homes today have underfloor heating.

Can a heat pump be combined with wood floors?
Given the very wide popularity of wood floors, heat pump systems should therefore be adapted to the R-value of wood floors. Thus, heat pumps that cannot handle these values are not suitable. So as far as we are concerned, you can rather ask the question whether all heat pumps are suitable for wood floors….

Which parquet can go on underfloor heating?
Not all wood floors on the market are suitable for underfloor heating. In many cases, a high-quality wood floor will last for decades. It would be a shame for the floor to bulge and/or hollow with cracks and crevices after a few years. The type of plank best suited for installation on underfloor heating is a composite plank (often called duo plank, multi-plank, laminate parquet or 2-layer parquet). By gluing multiple layers, the effect is neutralized, and this type of flooring works much less than solid flooring, for example. A composite board consists of an underlayment and a top layer of real wood. At Dadawood, most floors consist of an underlayment of approx. 11.5 mm birch plywood topped with a full top layer of 4 mm oak. In total, the board thickness is approx. 15.5 mm which is an extremely suitable thickness for a very stable floor with long life and excellent efficiency on underfloor heating.

What type of wood is best for on floor heating?
Not all woods are suitable on underfloor heating. Dadawood only offers floors in oak. If processed properly, this wood species has proven itself on underfloor heating for decades!

Which underfloor heating systems are suitable for on a wood floor?
In principle, all modern underfloor heating systems are suitable for combining with a wood floor, provided the underfloor heating is well distributed, properly finished and properly set.

A water-borne underfloor heating system with hoses, is finished with a layer of sand cement on which a wooden floor can be glued after it is dry and primed.

A drywall underfloor heating system is a system where boards are used to snap in the underfloor heating, then Fermacell or similar boards are laid on top. Once the floor is primed, the wood floor can be glued directly.

A wood floor can also be laid directly over an existing tile, screed or natural stone floor with existing underfloor heating. However, in most cases, the floor should be roughened with a coarse abrasive grit, and primed. The system should also distribute heat well.

Electric floor heating is usually used as supplemental heating. It is applied in the form of a foil or wires that are heated. It is best to lay or pour a solid finishing layer over this that the floor can be fully glued to. This prevents floor action, and better heat transmission takes place.

Before gluing a wood floor to underfloor heating, there are some rules to consider with underfloor heating. One example is the firing protocol. A new floor heating system should always be tested through a heating protocol that ensures the heater heats up slowly. Once the underfloor heating is up to temperature, care must be taken not to raise the temperature too abruptly. After laying the floor, never heat the floor too quickly or too hot.

Want to know more about wood floors on underfloor heating? Dadawood is happy to help. Get in touch and get advice from wood-interior specialists, or design your ideal wood floor yourself in the online design studio.

About Dadawood
Dadawood is a Dutch manufacturer and webshop of wooden floors with a showroom in Amsterdam. The company builds on decades of experience in producing, crafting and delivering quality wood floors. No stores, no middlemen and no warehouses. But it does: a high-quality range at a favorable price, and an inspiring online design studio where you can put together and purchase your ideal wood floor based on your dream interior.

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