Underfloor heating melting/staining wooden floor lacquer

[molko]

Not sure which area to post this, but we have underfloor heating and a hardwood flooring.

Just recently we have noticed what looks like a stain/fade or a laquer issue in three of our rooms (kitchen, hall and living room). Only really noticed it today, then the more you look the more you see.

It looks to me to be related to the underfloor hearting, but not sure how.

Any ideas what it could be ?

 

[molko]

FWIW we also have a GSHP installed

 

[muggles]

It's possible. Was the flooring rated for use with UFH? What's the flow temperature? Are there any floor temperature sensors installed with the thermostats to limit surface temperature?

 

[Justin Passing]

Can't really see what you mean. Those lighter stripes look like the wood's "figure" of heartwood & sapwood is just that colour. Rather nice. UFH will be all across the room, not just under one plank.

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Wood changes colour when it changes moisture content or in the sun.... What type of flooring is it? Ithasn't shrunk so I wouldn't worry.

 

[molko]

Not sure re. rating for UFH - we've been in the house 12-13 yrs now, the floor was laid by the previous occupiers. No floor temperature sensors as far as I am aware.

The first two pictures are from the kitchen - this was re-laquered in 2021, the third picture is the living room which has had no work done to the floor.

So yeah, a bit of a concern and also not sure why it's happening or how to remedy it

 

[molko]

Can't really see what you mean. Those lighter stripes look like the wood's "figure" of heartwood & sapwood is just that colour. Rather nice. UFH will be all across the room, not just under one plank.

underfloor heating pipes at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

Wood changes colour when it changes moisture content or in the sun.... What type of flooring is it? Ithasn't shrunk so I wouldn't worry.

Hard wood flooring.

I get what you saying re. the natural "figure", the top two pictures the planks are parallel to each other with about 6-8 planks (not affected) in betweeen

 

[Johntheo5]

Can you post a photo of the UFH heating manifolds to see if they have TMVs (thermostatic mixing valves), any idea of the flow (hot) temperature of the Heat Pump.

 

[Madrab]

I would agree with @Justin Passing and say that's just the natural grain of the wood and given the flooring been down for a considerable time then that will just be the normal aging process and colour changes that it would normally go through. Have you treated or oiled the wood at any time?

I have engineered, lacquered oak in three rooms with UFH, I've oiled the floor twice in the 4 years it's been down and it manages to sustain it's even colour. My understanding is that wooden floors - coated or not - need to be maintained and treated over it's lifetime.

 

[molko]

I would agree with @Justin Passing and say that's just the natural grain of the wood and given the flooring been down for a considerable time then that will just be the normal aging process and colour changes that it would normally go through. Have you treated or oiled the wood at any time?

I have engineered, lacquered oak in three rooms with UFH, I've oiled the floor twice in the 4 years it's been down and it manages to sustain it's even colour. My understanding is that wooden floors - coated or not - need to be maintained and treated over it's lifetime.

The first two pictures are from the kitchen - this was lacquered in 2021. The third picture is from the living room this was lacquered before 12+ years ago, before me moved in.

 

[molko]

Can you post a photo of the UFH heating manifolds to see if they have TMVs (thermostatic mixing valves), any idea of the flow (hot) temperature of the Heat Pump.

Will do, later on today.

TBH not had the heating on for some time. When it's on the room temp is around 20deg.

 

[Madrab]

Again, given the colouring and the natural shapes to the lighter lines, I would say that is a natural change in the wood grain rather than it's anything to do with the UFH really. If it was the UFH and all the floor is the same then it wouldn't be restricted to a couple of planks like that IMO.

As long as the grain isn't actually lifting/warping or the layer delaminating (if it's engineered) then I wouldn't worry about it.