Engineered wood on UFH overlay panels… 90 degrees? 45 degrees?

[mwebber]

I’m preparing to install wet UFH throughout the ground floor using an overlay panel system (xps400).

The manufacturer has advised (as they all seem to) that engineered wood can be laid directly onto the panels (with a few mm of underlay), but that we should lay the planks at 90 degrees to the direction of the pipes. If we want to lay herringbone we will need to first pour a levelling compound over the top of the UFH panels.

We can’t afford the additional cost or the additional floor build up of pouring a levelling compound. How bad an idea is it to lay 15mm engineered wood planks in herringbone style directly onto the xps UFH panels?

I’m not sure I understand the problem with doing so and I’ve had several different answers from manufacturers that just don’t really make sense to me.

Any thoughts?!

 

[crazydaze]

Most Engineered Herringbone has to be direct stuck and can't be floated on an underlay so you would need a 10mm Screed over the UFH

 

[dazlight]

It’s needs a 10mm compound above the pipes.

 

[markc1992]

Hi I had a similar query about heringbone pattern over retro fit wet UFh heating system. Did you install your floor yet and if so how did it got. Thanks.

 

[crazydaze]

Hi I had a similar query about heringbone pattern over retro fit wet UFh heating system. Did you install your floor yet and if so how did it got. Thanks.

Always follow the flooring manufacturers instructions/specs.

 

[mwebber]

We are literally just about to crack on with this - and we are laying herringbone style direct onto the overlay panels (with 3mm underlay)

Having spoke to various people at the UFH supplier, I think the reality is that the guidance about needing to pour 10mm compound when laying herringbone is based on the fact that for a long time the main way herringbone has been laid is T&G and/or glue down systems. What I want to lay is relatively large format, click together, floating planks. In that sense, although the pattern is herringbone, the structure of the floor is no different to the floating planks that are laid straight.

The main justification for the more recommendation about laying engineered wood at 90 degrees to the pipes seem to be to avoid potential point of weakness (ie the joints of adjacent planks) running directly above a pipe. Laying herringbone (ie at 45 degrees to the pipes) seems to satisfy this concern.

In short, I’m going for it and the UFH supplier hasn’t told me I can’t!

 

[crazydaze]

We are literally just about to crack on with this - and we are laying herringbone style direct onto the overlay panels (with 3mm underlay)

Having spoke to various people at the UFH supplier, I think the reality is that the guidance about needing to pour 10mm compound when laying herringbone is based on the fact that for a long time the main way herringbone has been laid is T&G and/or glue down systems. What I want to lay is relatively large format, click together, floating planks. In that sense, although the pattern is herringbone, the structure of the floor is no different to the floating planks that are laid straight.

The main justification for the more recommendation about laying engineered wood at 90 degrees to the pipes seem to be to avoid potential point of weakness (ie the joints of adjacent planks) running directly above a pipe. Laying herringbone (ie at 45 degrees to the pipes) seems to satisfy this concern.

In short, I’m going for it and the UFH supplier hasn’t told me I can’t!

The UFH supplier don’t warranty the flooring though

It’s the flooring manufacturer guidelines that need to be followed.

 

[mwebber]

The UFH supplier don’t warranty the flooring though

It’s the flooring manufacturer guidelines that need to be followed.

Well yes, but the floor warranty isn’t the issue here. They have no opinion on whether the floor is laid parallel, perpendicular or at 45 degrees to the pipe runs. The original post wasn’t really about floor warranty it was about the guidelines from the UFH companies that produce these overlay panels.