Flooring

Best types of flooring for radiant heat

Radiant heat has many benefits. Walking on heated floors in winter is very cozy. The dog will love laying on it. And radiant heat can be very economical.

If you’re considering the installation of a radiant heat system, some flooring options work better than others. Here are the top five flooring options for use over radiant heat.

Hardwood Floor Installation

The average total cost ranges from $9 to $20 per square foot.

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Carpet Installation

The average total cost for carpet ranges from $5.67 to over $21 per square foot, depending on the quality.

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Laminate Floor Installation

The average total cost for laminate flooring is between $3 to $13 per square foot.

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1. Tile flooring

Porcelain and ceramic tile are great conductors of heat, so your home will get the full benefit of the radiant heating system. In addition, tile flooring will not expand as it warms or contract as it cools. Such expansion and contraction can cause cracking. That’s not a problem with tile.

2. Laminate flooring

Laminate flooring replicates the look of solid hardwood flooring or tile flooring without the expense. It also does a great job over radiant heat. The laminate material is built up with layers of wood that run in opposite directions. This creates a more stable material than solid hardwood. The laminate won’t expand and contract, in other words, like solid hardwood flooring wood.

3. Engineered wood flooring

Like laminate, it is produced in layers, so it has a more stable base that won’t react to the heating and cooling process. The top layer, or wear layer, is solid wood and comes in all the same varieties that you’ll find with other solid hardwood flooring. Engineered flooring even comes in bamboo. It looks great, wears great and warms great.

4. Natural stone flooring

Granite, travertine, sandstone and other natural stone flooring types conduct heat wonderfully. You might think of stone as cold, but not when it has got warm water flowing beneath it. If you never thought you’d like to walk on stone flooring bare-footed in January, you never considered radiant heat.

5. Vinyl plank flooring

Luxury vinyl flooring, in particular wood look vinyl plank flooring, is incredibly popular and with the introduction of higher quality rigid core technology most vinyl plank and tile can now be used with underfloor heating.

Be sure to to check the installation requirements for each individual product as the warranty will often state the maximum temperature that the vinyl plank has been certified to work with.

What flooring should not be used over radiant flooring?

What about the opposite question?  What type of flooring should not be installed over radiant heat?  Carpet has insulation value, so it will prevent some of the heat from transferring through into your home. You can use a few area rugs over the flooring, but avoid large rugs or wall-to-wall carpeting.

Vinyl flooring is not a good choice either. The heat may discolor the vinyl or cause the off-gassing of chemicals. Finally, solid hardwood flooring will swell and shrink with the heating/cooling process, especially in homes that use a humidifier during winter. You don’t want to invest in pricey hardwood flooring only to have it cup, buckle, crown and crack.

If you’re planning to install comfortable, efficient radiant heat, your best choices for use with radiant heating are tile flooring, laminate flooring, engineered flooring and natural stone flooring.

Learn more about radiant heat and flooring options:

  • Energy.gov – Informative website run by the Energy Department that addresses energy and environmental concerns.
  • Nuheat – Top manufacturer of radiant floor heating systems that can help you save energy and live a greener lifestyle.
  • Warmup – Buyers guide from one of the largest providers of heating solutions

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Homefront has an affiliate disclosure policy. The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Homefront editorial staff alone (see About Homefront). Homefront adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is believed to be accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

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