Installing Radiant Heat Under Hardwood

Installing an electric floor heating system under a hardwood floor is a great way to add warmth and comfort to any room.

Installing radiant heat under hardwood.

Most wood flooring can be installed over radiant heat providing all of the necessary conditions are met. The subfloors shown here are recommended for hardwood floor installations. This would be affected by the heat in the near future and cause conflict in case of any repairs. Plywood 5 8 or oriented strand board 3 4 make good candidates for subfloor materials in radiant installations.

As a hardwood floor installer it is your responsibility to install the hardwood floor perfectly to the radiant heat system. If you choose to have radiant heat installed beneath your wood floors the next step is planning the installation. Adding an in floor heating system under hardwood flooring is simple with these instructions. When necessary bore inch holes through the joists to continue the run of tubing.

2 snap the flexible pex tubing into the grooves of the heat transfer plates. It s also a fairly simple process because there are no vents ducts pipes or radiators involved. Wood flooring manufactured and expected to perform at mc levels higher than 9 percent or in conditions above 50 percent rh should not be used with radiant heating systems. Communicate frequently with your customer about the best ways to maintain humidity and temperature.

Particleboard subfloors are not recommended by radiant heat companies. These step by step instructions show how to install a radiant heat system and tile floor. Install two parallel rows of plates between each pair of floor joists. Direct contact of the tubing with the flooring is not recommended.

Installing radiant heat under hardwood floors the challenge when installing radiant heat under hardwood floors comes from the fact that wood naturally expands when there is moisture in the air. Since humidity affects wood so much and the heating in your home affects humidity you ll have to take care not to install your radiant heating system during a particularly humid time of year. Electric radiant underfloor heating systems can be installed under wood floors by working from the basement or from a basement crawlspace. Floating floors work best.

Once you ve installed it the customer must be aware of all the ins and outs of the radiant heat system. It is recommended that you do not glue or nail down your wood floors. This is the easiest and most cost effective way of. A heated floor is a great addition to a kitchen.