Best Hardwood Species Over Radiant Heat Nwfa

Types of wood flooring that are best suited for radiant heat subfloor are products that possess improved dimensional stability such as these.

Best hardwood species over radiant heat nwfa.

Guide the homeowner in selecting a hardwood floor that is appropriate for their scenario. Engineered wood flooring is more dimensionally stable than solid wood flooring. The nwfa offers information on radiant heat in its technical manual a100. How to install hardwood floors over radiant heat parquet floors are readily used in radiant heat applications.

Water and wood as well as in its installation guidelines. When possible choose a species that is known for its stability. Plainsawn wood will move more than quartersawn especially when it is over 4 inches wide. The inherent dimensional stability of engineered hardwood floors makes it a great choice for radiant heat systems.

Wood flooring can be installed over radiant heat as long as you understand radiant heat and how it can impact wood flooring what precautions to take and what type of wood flooring to use. Certain species are known for their inherent dimensional stability such as north american oak and others. Species both in solid and engineered flooring options certain species are known for their inherent dimensional stability such as mesquite black cherry black walnut and others. The national wood flooring association nwfa put together a radiant heat taskforce made up of many experts from the radiant heating industry including members from the radiant professionals alliance rpa.

Together the taskforce developed maximum recommended allowable operating temperature guidelines for wood floors. The types of wood flooring best suited for under floor radiant heat systems should be accounted for to ensure long term performance. Most newer radiant heat systems have exterior thermostats which will gradually bring up the temperature within the floor during the start of the colder season so that the heat will not shock the wood flooring causing the. Certain solid hardwood floors are appropriate as well.

One of the best options over radiant heat is to use an engineered hardwood floor. With strip flooring the wider the board the greater the potential for gaps between the boards when they contract with seasonal changes in temperature and humidity. It s best to follow the manufacturer s recommendation for a species suitability over radiant heat. Quartersawn or rift sawn flooring is preferable to plainsawn in the search for stability.