Wood Floors for Underfloor Heating
Discover our unrivalled range of beautiful wood flooring for underfloor heating
It is a well told myth that solid wood flooring isn't suitable for use over underfloor heating and engineered wood flooring is. In fact this is not the case as it depends how the timber is prepared and how the wood flooring has been made. That is why many engineered wood floors are marked unsuitable for use over underfloor heating if you read their installation guidance, whilst Broadleaf have been successfully supplying solid and engineered wood flooring to be fitted over underfloor heating for nearly 20 years.
We carefully select all of the timber used to make our wood flooring, and ensure that it is dried to the highest standards for maximum stability. As a result, most of our wood floors have several options that can be used successfuly over underfloor heating in line with our simple installation guidelines.
Choose from our huge range of solid and engineered oak flooring below and use the table on each page to confirm which options can be used over underfloor heating.
Scroll down for our top tips on what you should consider if you are planning to fit wood flooring over underfloor heating.
Can I fit wood flooring over underfloor heating ?
This will depend on the wood flooring that you choose. The good news is that there are lots of wood flooring options that can be successfully fitted over underfloor heating, but despite what you may have heard it isn't as simple as just choosing an engineered floor. If you check the installation details you will find that many engineered wood floors can't actually be installed over underfloor heating, and contrary to popular myth some solid wood flooring can. This is because suitability depends on how the timber is dried and how the flooring is made. To avoid potential issues, make sure that the wood flooring you prefer is specifically marked as suitable to be fitted over underfloor heating.
Do I need to tell my underfloor heating supplier that I am fitting wood flooring ?
Yes. You need to make sure that your underfloor heating system has been designed to work with wood flooring so that your room will be as warm as you want it to be. Wood is a natural insulator, so you will need a more powerful system to achieve the same level of heat in a room than if you were fitting a tiled floor for example. If your underfloor heating system is being designed for your home, your underfloor heating supplier will normally discuss which floor coverings you are intending to use and adapt it accordingly. If you are using an off the shelf solution, you will need to check that this is suitable - some electric systems require that flooring has a maximum tog rating. Tog ratings for Broadleaf wood flooring can be found here.
Do I need to follow any special fitting guidelines to fit wood flooring over underfloor heating ?
Yes. You will need to make sure that the maximum temperature of your underfloor heating is designed to accommodate wood flooring. You will also need to make sure that you choose a fitting method for your wood flooring that is compatible with the requirements of your underfloor heating system, and you will need to make sure that your heating is run as advised both before, during and after the fitting process. For full details of our simple guidance on how to successfully fit your Broadleaf wood flooring over underfloor heating, click here.