Wood flooring and under floor heating Wood flooring and under floor heating can make a great combination, however care must be taken to choose a heating system and wood flooring that are compatible. Under floor heating systems: The most suitable types of under floor heating in conjunction with wood flooring are either radiant screed or electric systems. Some electric systems now have the ability to vary the temperature in different areas of the floor, and this is ideal as it helps prevent hot spots occurring under thick rugs or solid furniture. It is essential to install efficient thermostats to avoid overheating the floor – it may be necessary to fit a thermostat outside to help keep the temperature balanced. Please see our products section for details of electric under floor heating systems available from Foresbec. http://www.foresbec.co.uk/underfloorHeating.html Wood flooring: the flooring will usually lose moisture and contract when the heating is turned on, and expand when it reabsorbs moisture in summer. For this reason engineered flooring is recommended as this effect will be minimised – however check that the flooring is suitable with the manufacturer. If you prefer solid wood flooring, you need to choose the species carefully and fit flooring narrower than 100mm that is kiln dried to below 9% moisture content. Some species, in particular Beech, Birch and Maple, are not suitable for use with under floor heating, regardless of whether the flooring is solid or engineered.
