Timber Flooring glued/underlay with UFH

Wigster

Is there any one out there that has successfully installed timber flooring with underflooring. Most companies reccommend Engineered boards with a special underlay for UFH. I spoke to some manufactures of underflooring heating systems who have a range of suitable flooring but the cost of these Engineered boards is €110 per sq Metre. This does not include the underlay. Some do not reccommend solids even glued doen. A friend of mine that has Underfloor heating installed solid flooring glued down to the screed and his experiance of it is 30 to 40 % less efficient than the tiles he has installed. I know that tile are abetter conductor of heat but this loss is very significant when it comes to comfortable and cold! Any experiances would be helpful.

iplogger1

Wigster,

For a start that 110Euro per sq metre (w/o underlay) sounds extortionate.
That has to be either very high end (eg, Junckers) or else the ufh guys
trying you on. Hmm - just wondering are they somehow incorporating the
cost of high density insulation which is around &/or above service pipes
but below the screed in that quotation and trying to give you an overall
cost for the finished floor including or excluding the screed ?

I'm looking at putting in mixed grade white oak engineered floors and
I've heard figures closer to 30-45Euro per square yard for the timber
excluding underlay. I spoke to one supplier who seemed to be recommending
glueing but the glue is meant to be very expensive and I'd personally
feel ropey about the idea of glueing down the type of flooring you
are talking about. I know glueing is probably the main option for
fully solid (no backing layer) flooring but most folks I've spoken with
say it is best to avoid full solid flooring with UFH.

Qwerty who contributes on this forum has put in some very nice oak floors from Zaria in Blanchardstown and they are floated above an underlay.
Expect to pay approx 15 per square yard for fit of floating engineered
timber floor if you aren't up to the job yourself.

~ipl

Wobs

Hi,

I was with a supplier last friday who says the only way to install wood floors solid or engineered with ufh is to glue them. They say they have been doing it this way for 15 years and it causes the least problems and is the most efficient way.

We thought you could not use solid with ufh but after talking to these guys we will probably go with it. Once your moisture levels are ok and the wood has been properly acclimatised they say there wont be any problems.

Wigster

Most timber flooring suppliers reccommend glueing solids but not Engineered. Also this company would only sell 15mm engineered boards suitable for use with ufh. I was with another flooring supplier yesterday and all theirs were 20-22mm which the ufh company said was too thick. They agreed with the latters installation methods by putting in a layer of (foil type) underlay.

Do-more

Wigster wrote:

Most timber flooring suppliers reccommend glueing solids but not Engineered.

??? Which companies don't reccommend gluing engineered floors? Glueing is a better option than floating and in some countries (such as Germany) the Standards require you to glue.

Wigster wrote:

Also this company would only sell 15mm engineered boards suitable for use with ufh. I was with another flooring supplier yesterday and all theirs were 20-22mm which the ufh company said was too thick. They agreed with the latters installation methods by putting in a layer of (foil type) underlay.

Not sure what your saying here.

Wood is a good insulater, by placing wood flooring over your ufh your are inhibiting the heat being radiated from the slab. The thicker the board the greater this effect. Underlays are normally also good insulators so the effect of reducing the heat is increased even further. (not sure which you mean by "foil type")

I used to work for Tarkett flooring and all their 14mm engineered flooring was approved for use with ufh and glueing, so that might be a good option. I have a 10mm engineered Maple floor glued down of my ground floor. It should be good for 50 years so will definetely outlast me. Don't have ufh but the flooring is approved for use with it....

yop

We have put in semisolid floating floor with UFH. I had to get a special porous underlay, about 140 per roll, 2 rolls was enough for 130 sq yards of timber flooring

Wigster

Yop;

How has the system performed with the semi solids. Am I correct in saying this underlay is specifically for UFH and you only glue the boards together.

yop

It is working fine, no cold spot as what my mate is finding when he used the standard 3mm non pourous underlay.
Yes tongues are glued

Wigster

Yop,

How is its performance compared to tiles. (assuming you have tiles).

yop

To be honest I have noticed little difference, I have not walked around on it on my feet yet but from walking into a room with tile and a room with timber I can feel no difference.

the chippie

theirs a product called elastilon which has a unique onesided specially formulated adhesive layer that provides a continuous contraction force on the wooden floor , plus the floor will be virtually seamless and free from gaps .
it can be used with most floors with tongue and groove (solids,semis,laminated) regardless of the thickness.
because of the unique adhesive layer you do not need to glue,nail or clip your flooring and virtually no gaps will develop, even when installed on a under foor heating .i have used it on about 4 jobs and found it to give the floor a smooth finish and strong floor that is comfortable and silent , the only draw back is the cost at about e12 a sqyd.

Salem

Yop,
Could ye give me the name of that porous underlay you used and was it just rolled out over the screed and taped together ??