There is a well-established myth in the world of interior design that wood flooring and underfloor heating simply aren’t compatible. This isn’t difficult to believe. Wood as we all know is a fairly temperamental material – contracting and expanding in different climates.

However, when it comes to flooring, there are ways around this. And it simply isn’t true that you can only have one of wooden floorboards or underfloor heating and not the other. Below is a guide on how to compromise to enjoy the best of both worlds.

The myth

Natural wood gives a great, traditional, rustic look to your house. So it would be a shame to sacrifice this to accommodate for your underfloor heating. According to the myth associated with the flooring, the natural wood will expand in hot weather and then contract in cold weather.

Therefore, underfloor heating will make the wood expand, which could lead to the floor rising, only to contract again and leave large gaps between the planks. Thus your only choice would be to buy engineered floorboards instead.

However, whilst this is true about wooden flooring and wood as a material to an extent, there are ways around this. You just need to do plenty of research.

Solutions

There are several things to be aware of before you purchase wooden flooring that will be compatible with underfloor heating. A good guide to this is included here, which lists several key things to look out for. Firstly, be aware of the manufacturer’s quality control process. The floors you need will have to have consistently low moisture content to counteract the heating. They should also be pre-finished.

Many companies will have invested in and boast about their research into using underfloor heating with their floors. One of these companies would be the ideal choice, and they can be recommended by the Underfloor Heating Manufacturer’s Association should you need some assistance. You want to find a company with experience, technical expertise and, if possible, a guarantee which protects you alongside your use of underfloor heating.

Different types of wooden flooring

Timber is, in most cases, compatible with underfloor heating. However, as above, the timber should have been recommended for use with this. Furthermore, the flooring should have a top temperature of around 27°C, and an expansion gap around the edges to allow room to maneuver in.

Similarly, with vinyl or laminates, you should ensure that the flooring is definitely compatible with underfloor heating by contacting the manufacturer. Many of these suppliers will have already developed their own underfloor heating systems, or will have ones they can recommend.

There are still many options available to you should you want to enjoy both wooden flooring and underfloor heating. It’s simply a matter of properly investigating before you jump into it, otherwise you could encounter problems further down the line. But there is always expert advice out there, and you shouldn’t be afraid of asking as many questions as necessary to the advisers. After all, you want to enjoy these floors for a long time. And if you follow this guide, hopefully you will.

Stephen MacVicar runs Green Apple Flooring, a specialist in wooden floors and laminates. Green Apple Flooring is based on Essex and deliver all over the UK.