Putting laminate over tiles with UFH

maynooth_rules

We have just bought a house that has UFH downstairs, and absolutely horrible tiles over it. We want to laminate the whole downstairs. Is it madness to put laminate over the tiles and will this really effect the heat from the UFH? I imagine it would be a big enough job to remove all the tiles?

TheBully

Will also ne a big enough job putting down laminate. My theory is if your doing something do it right. Lift the tiles, try remove as much adhesive as possible, throw down a bit of leveling compound and then install the floor.
This will also eliminate having to get all your doors planed on the bottom as the floor will be a similar level to what it was previously

maynooth_rules

TheBully wrote: »

Will also ne a big enough job putting down laminate. My theory is if your doing something do it right. Lift the tiles, try remove as much adhesive as possible, throw down a bit of leveling compound and then install the floor.
This will also eliminate having to get all your doors planed on the bottom as the floor will be a similar level to what it was previously

True. Even when writing the OP I kinda knew it made no sense. There won't be any difficulty taking up the tiles with underfloor heating underneath will there?

TheBully

maynooth_rules wrote: »

True. Even when writing the OP I kinda knew it made no sense. There won't be any difficulty taking up the tiles with underfloor heating underneath will there?

No there won’t be any difficulty in relation to the UFH. A Tidy job will consist of taking off skirting boards and cutting the bottom of the door frames. Are you doing the work yourself

maynooth_rules

TheBully wrote: »

No there won’t be any difficulty in relation to the UFH. A Tidy job will consist of taking off skirting boards and cutting the bottom of the door frames. Are you doing the work yourself

Nope I'll be getting someone in to do it. Actually underestimated the price of the job. We will be putting laminate in an area taround 70 Square metres.
I notice there is different thickness of laminate. Will that impact the heat coming from the UFH?

Gumbo

The UFH pipes are buried under the concrete.
Be prepared for a mess, dust will be rampant so block off unaffected rooms with plastic sheeting as much as you can.

Homer

The tiles conduct and hold the heat much better than a laminate will just so you are aware. Also ufh can take hours to actually heat the floor if you haven’t used it before. We learned this after moving into a house with ufh and expecting it to come on like radiators

Gumbo

Homer wrote: »

The tiles conduct and hold the heat much better than a laminate will just so you are aware. Also ufh can take hours to actually heat the floor if you haven’t used it before. We learned this after moving into a house with ufh and expecting it to come on like radiators

My opinion is they UFH is best left on all the time and you simply control the temp. It takes too long to heat up and cool down that it’s pointless coming home from work cold and expecting the UFH to heat the house.

I find the best solution is when it’s connected to a heat pump to off set the cost of it been on 24/7.

caddy16

kceire wrote: »

My opinion is they UFH is best left on all the time and you simply control the temp. It takes too long to heat up and cool down that it’s pointless coming home from work cold and expecting the UFH to heat the house.

I find the best solution is when it’s connected to a heat pump to off set the cost of it been on 24/7.

Do you reduce the temp on timer while your out of the house working?

Gumbo

caddy16 wrote: »

Do you reduce the temp on timer while your out of the house working?

I assumed you set the thermometer to keep the house at a constant temp.

caddy16

kceire wrote: »

I assumed you set the thermometer to keep the house at a constant temp.

So did I, sorry think I misunderstood your post

Calahonda52

maynooth_rules wrote: »

We have just bought a house that has UFH downstairs, and absolutely horrible tiles over it. We want to laminate the whole downstairs. Is it madness to put laminate over the tiles and will this really effect the heat from the UFH? I imagine it would be a big enough job to remove all the tiles?

Why not replace the tiles?

The reason I suggest that is due to the math/science at work here
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/thermodynamics/specific-heat-and-heat-transfer/a/what-is-thermal-conductivity

so the lower the thermal conductivity, k, the higher the delta T required to get the same watts per square meter of heat emitted from the floor
A higher delta T means means higher heat losses down through the slab.

https://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/thermal-conductivity-d_429.html
shows that timber has a lower k than concrete, and that ignores the insulation characteristics of normal underlay

twignme

The UFH should be left on 24/7 with a good room thermostat. I turn mine on in October time and leave it until April or so. Tiles are the best flooring to use, they heat up and retain that heat brilliantly, whereas laminate would be much less effective. If you do use a laminate, make sure it’s suitable for that purpose and when you turn on the UFH the first time, do it gently and gradually over a couple of days. I have UFH in my shower too but that’s on a timer as it heats up really quickly under the tile.
I agree with Calahonda and think you should consider just replacing the tiles.

maynooth_rules

Thanks for the advice all. Maybe we will consider going down the tile route. We had originally decided on new tiles but have fallen in love with a grey wood laminate. But I'd prefer to have the downstairs heating well so maybe sticking to tiles makes more sense.

Gumbo

maynooth_rules wrote: »

Thanks for the advice all. Maybe we will consider going down the tile route. We had originally decided on new tiles but have fallen in love with a grey wood laminate. But I'd prefer to have the downstairs heating well so maybe sticking to tiles makes more sense.

You can get a grey wood effect tile.

runawaybishop

maynooth_rules wrote: »

Nope I'll be getting someone in to do it. Actually underestimated the price of the job. We will be putting laminate in an area taround 70 Square metres.
I notice there is different thickness of laminate. Will that impact the heat coming from the UFH?

Laminate will drastically reduce the heat emitted, if you are dead set on putting it in then get thin boards.

You should really retile though.

maynooth_rules

kceire wrote: »

You can get a grey wood effect tile.

Just looked them up there, think that ticks all boxes. Thanks