Parquet on underfloor heating?
No problem!

Parquet on underfloor heating is for many, who build their own house, the ideal combination of aesthetics and functionality. For those who plan and for those who execute a building project there is always the question of capatibility which is given priority; nowadays, many years of experience have proven it, with thorough planning and execution, parquet is a suitable floor covering - also on underfloor heating. Essential, for a lasting, reliable installation, is a careful choice of all components. The material, the type of wood as well as pipe material are most important. Surface heating copper pipes for example are, with their special heat-pearmeable protective coating, are suitable.

Hygroscopic properties

When chosing the parquet floor, most of all it´s hygroscopic properties should be taken into consideration. This means, that wood, depending on temperature and air humidity, either swells or shrinks. Not all timbers, however, behave the same way.

• Foliage timber like oak, cherry or walnut are, if laid professionally, very much suited for surface heating.
• Also exotic timbers like merbau and doussie as well as olive-tree, bamboo and coconut can be laid without any problem on a heating strip.
• Not so suited are beech or Canadian maple.

Wood humidity and temperature level

Additionally the wood humidity has to be taken care-off - it should be around 9%. Basically an even temperature level of approx. 20°C with an air humidity of approx. 50% contribute to the parquet floor maintenance and care. For surface treatment of parquet laid on underfloor heating are best used environment-friendly oil-wax-systems, because their open pores ease the exchange of humidity. By maintaining the maximum heat pearmeability of 0,15 m² K/W to DIN EN 1264. Apart from the wood layer thickness most of all the laying is of importance: parquet on concrete floor should have full surface gluing. With floating laying the heat permeability resistance can, through the formation of airbubles, compared to gluing, increase up to 64%. As the surface temperature of concrete floor is, according to knowledge of experience, ideally 25° C, maximum 28° C, a suitable laying of the underfloor heating has to ensure, that heat performance does not exceed 70 W/m². As a rule, underfloor heating is preferred, when starting temperatures work efficiently.