Floor covering suitable for underfloor heating

[DP]

I think the heading says it all. I am installing (wet) UF heating in the bathroom and kitchen (new extension) at my son's house. Can you guys suggest what flooring would be apppriate for slab heating.

TIA

Dan

 

[DP]

Flooring has been decided. Kitchen and living room (attached) is to have engineered timber flooring. What should be laid under the flooring panels in the kitchen which has underfloor heating (living room panel radiators retained for heating here)?

TIA

Dan

 

[crazydaze]

Check the TOG rating of the underfloor heating system and ensure that the TOG of the Engineered floor and associated underlays do not exceed the TOG of the UFH, this will affect what underlay you fit in all areas and the performance of 'drum' sound and insulation for the whole installation.

 

[DP]

Crazydaze, all sounds very complicated. How do I extablish TOG rateing for the water heated slab. When you say 'drum', do you mean sound the flooring will make when walked on?

 

[crazydaze]

Crazydaze, all sounds very complicated. How do I extablish TOG rateing for the water heated slab. When you say 'drum', do you mean sound the flooring will make when walked on?

The TOG rating is the industry standard for indicating what limits the UFH will work to in order to effectively and economically transfer the heat it generates through any flooring layers fitted above so the heat can get into the room. The UFH system should have a TOG rating figure - check the manufacturer instructions/specs, the Flooring and underlays you are looking at will all have TOG ratings too, if not on the product, the manufacturers should be able to give you the information direct.

Companies like Duralay manufacture specific UFH underlays with low TOG ratings for UFH systems that allow Heat to flow through them more economically than 'standard' underlays, it should be fairly easy to match the UFH system to a suitable underlay and flooring product that does not exceed the UFH specifications, it's just that many people have no idea that the flooring should be matched to the spec of the UFH system and just fit what they like the look of etc. If you don;t investigate the TOG ratings you may end up with an un-economical heating system, at worse, you may do some damage to the UFH system, although that is more likely with an electric UFH system.

The 'drum' noise does indeed refer to the noise under foot when the floor is walked on, again, most reputable floors and underlay products will have a db rating to help you understand what spec you fit and what it will achieve. In general terms, the thicker and denser the underlay and flooring, the higher the DB rating but also the higher the TOG rating. You may need to compromise between 'drum' noise and the effectiveness of heat transfering through the flooring into the room.