Best Hardwood Species Over Radiant Heat Nwfa

Quartersawn wood flooring is always more stable under conditions of extreme moisture or heat and is always a good choice over radiant heat especially when going with flooring wider than 4 inches.

Best hardwood species over radiant heat nwfa. Guide the homeowner in selecting a hardwood floor that is appropriate for their scenario. One of the best options over radiant heat is to use an engineered hardwood floor. 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. It s best to follow the manufacturer s recommendation for a species suitability over radiant heat.

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. 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. When possible choose a species that is known for its stability. Engineered wood flooring is more dimensionally stable than solid wood flooring.

The types of wood flooring best suited for under floor radiant heat systems should be accounted for to ensure long term performance. The inherent dimensional stability of engineered hardwood floors makes it a great choice for radiant heat systems. Types of wood flooring that are best suited for radiant heat subfloor are products that possess improved dimensional stability such as these. Certain solid hardwood floors are appropriate as well.

The nwfa offers information on radiant heat in its technical manual a100. Water and wood as well as in its installation guidelines. Certain species are known for their inherent dimensional stability such as north american oak and others. Types of wood flooring that are best suited for radiant heat subfloor are products that possess improved dimensional stability such as.

Plainsawn wood will move more than quartersawn especially when it is over 4 inches wide. 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. Together the taskforce developed maximum recommended allowable operating temperature guidelines for wood floors. 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.