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Original poster

Wooden (engineered)FLoor with wet under floor heating

40 replies

TDiddy · 04/08/2009 18:48

Sorry about the overlap with previous thread of mine, but wanted to know if anyone actually has wooden floor with (wet) underfloor heating. Some of the advice says not to as wood is an insulator. Some of the "experts" that I spoke to says it works fine as long as you don't expect to create a sudden blast in heat.

Would be grateful for your experience/insight

OP posts:
fanjolina · 04/08/2009 20:06

We looked into this as I really wanted a wood or an engineered wood floor. The room we were looking to put it into is big - 7m x 8m - and every expert we spoke to said it wouldn't be sufficient to heat it, and would need to be supplemented by radiators.

So in the end I had to make a choice between type of flooring or type of heating......and chose tiles instead, with wet underfloor heating

Original poster
TDiddy · 04/08/2009 20:11

thanks. And how are you finding tiles + wet underfloor (running) costwise if you don't mind me asking. The rooms aren't quite as large as yours but that info is useful to know.

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missingtheaction · 04/08/2009 20:13

i had a screed floor with engineered wood over it. Was brilliant - but not the same as a retrofitted joist wooden floor. my suppliers were great.

missingtheaction · 04/08/2009 20:21

When I had underfloor heating throughout the house, which was about 240sq m with 5 people living in it, two working from home so heating and hot water demands high, mix of carpet, wood and tile on a scred base, two years ago, the gas bills were £40 a month. We had a brand new 93% boiler as well, but personally I thought it was dirt cheap.

Original poster
TDiddy · 04/08/2009 22:13

Hmmm missingtheaction

I am swinging back to underfloor heating with engineered wood. If anyone has had this and found that it didn't work I would be very interested to hear from them. thanks

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Original poster
TDiddy · 05/08/2009 06:13

missingtheaction was you house a well insulated modern home or was it a period house without cavity walls?

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Original poster
TDiddy · 05/08/2009 10:25

anyone else running underfloor heating with wooden floor in period house?

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fanjolina · 05/08/2009 15:14

No idea what the bills are like TDiddy

But the underfloor heating with tiles not only heats that room so well, it also heats the 3 rooms on the floor above so we never have to put the heating on in them.

Original poster
TDiddy · 05/08/2009 16:09

Fanjolina- many thanks. We are going for tiles (Edwardian style) in the hallway only and engineered wood otherwise. Now leaning heavily towards underfloor heating with insulation under it to reduce heat loss to the ground...unless someone comes along and says definitely doesn't work for them.

can I call you Queen Fanjolina by the way? grand rooms and no idea of the bill?!!

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fanjolina · 06/08/2009 09:21

Ha ha Queen Fanjolina I am not! We just made downstairs into one large open plan area and I am useless with money so DP deals with that!

Original poster
TDiddy · 08/08/2009 09:57

Anyone out there who is running wet underfloor heating under engineered wood?

OP posts:
YesImSinister · 08/08/2009 20:12

No. We looked into it, but every reputable outlet advised us against it.

Original poster
TDiddy · 08/08/2009 20:31

Because of the wood being an insulator or because of warping of wood?

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womblingalong · 08/08/2009 20:35

we have electric underfloor heating and an engineered floor and it costs a packet! I think wet heating would be cheaper, but would alos supplement with another heating source if poss, especially if you have a large open plan space and lots of glass.

YesImSinister · 08/08/2009 22:51

Because of wood being an insulator, TDiddy

Original poster
TDiddy · 08/08/2009 23:07

thanks womblingalong and YesImSinister. We are planning wet underfloor heating with tiles in the hall way but engineered wooden floor elsewhere, with fires in the reception rooms.

womblingalong - ignoring costs, is the room warm enough? We are hoping to do away with radiators but still open to advice from anyone who has it. We have decided against electric underfloor heating. thanks again

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Original poster
TDiddy · 09/08/2009 19:50

bump...looking for someone who has wet underfoor heating under engineered wooden floor....interested to know whether it does or doesn't work for you.

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katiestar · 09/08/2009 22:12

Some friends of ours put wet underfloor heating all through their downstairs and had an engineered wood floor in the lounge diner.The boards started to warp and 'pop up'
I'm not sure whjat they did about it - it involved taking the floor up again though.The flooring they used was in wide planks though and I have heard that narrow ones are better. DH knows more about it - will ask him exactly what the problem was , when he gets home.

katiestar · 09/08/2009 22:13

They don't have any other heat source and the room seems warm enough though

wilbur · 09/08/2009 22:19

We have wet underfloor heating in a Victorian house using engineered wooden floor in the living room and porcelain tiles in kitchen. It is marked how much better the tiles conduct heat, but the whole system works very well and we are pleased with the lower bills we have had the last two winters. It did take us a bit of time tinkering with thermostats (there is a sep one for the underfloor heating alone) to get the right balance in the house, but it is good now. Also, the wood floor is still looking good, hasn't warped or split apart in any way - we have 10cm wide walnut planks. The floor we have it on is the raised ground floor, so there are rooms below which also seem to benefit slightly from the heat.

wilbur · 09/08/2009 22:21

Just read a couple of your other qs. We have no radiators and room can be boiling if we want it. When we first had it put in, we had friends round and some were sitting on the floor wondering why their bums were roasting.

Original poster
TDiddy · 10/08/2009 06:06

katiestar and wilbur - many thanks for your posts. THis is very helpful. Sorry to ask more questions but would be very grateful to know the name of the wood used for the situations yo outlined.

wilbur- we are planning tiles in the hall way as well so that will mean nice warm entrance. Will eventually do the same for the kitchen in phase 2 of the refurb in a few years time.

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Original poster
TDiddy · 10/08/2009 13:14

wilbur - I am assuming that you have a suspended wooden floor i.e. joists below as opposed to solid concrete? thanks again

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wilbur · 10/08/2009 14:14

Tdiddy - yes the floor is suspended on wooden joists, but a lightweight concrete screed has been laid between the joists in the living area. In the kitchen, we were really ripping things apart, so that has a whole new concrete floor supported by steel joists so it's very effective.

Will ask dh about the name of the wood. I seem to remember we got it from a v helpful merchant in Forest Hill/Catford area of S London.

sillyoldfatcatpuss · 10/08/2009 14:22

We have wet underfloor heating throughout our old house. All floors are concrete (insulated below). We have a mixture of wood and tiles downstairs and carpet and tiles upstairs. Tiles defintely warmest but rooms with wood are very comfortable. We have a coal fire in lounge for added heat in winter but only as a comfort thing really or if we want a burst of heat.

Ours is not engineered though, it is real wood, not sure if that makes any difference.