Can I use underfloor heating with my Pergo wood parquet floor?
We answer all your questions about combining Pergo wooden floors with underfloor heating or cooling.
Contrary to popular belief, wooden floors can be installed with underfloor heating. Engineered wood is able to withstand the stresses caused by temperature changes or humidity. What’s more, underfloor heating adds to the warm feel of a genuine parquet floor.
Types of underfloor heating
All Pergo wooden floors are compatible with low-temperature underfloor heating (valid for both glue down and floating installation). However, the maximum contact temperature of the wood floor cannot exceed 27°C. Pergo wooden floors can be installed with both classic hot water or electric heating elements and with new systems such as heating films which are placed onto the subfloor. When installing Pergo wooden floors with underfloor heating, it’s important to pay close attention to the instructions.
Wood flooring with underfloor heating: things to bear in mind
When combining a wooden floor with underfloor heating, you should make sure that the overall thermal resistance does not exceed 0.15m² K/W. The higher the thermal resistance, the longer it will take your floor to warm up and the less efficient your underfloor heating will be. The thermal resistance of Pergo wooden floors can be found in the specific guidelines for underfloor heating.
It is also important to put an insulating layer below your underfloor heating that provides better insulation than the wood floor. This way, heat is reflected away from the insulative layer and is conducted through the floor.
Wood flooring and floor cooling
Floor cooling follows the same principles as underfloor heating, except it uses cold water instead of hot water. Since the systems cools down your floor it is important to have an advanced control and security system to prevent internal condensation when using underfloor cooling. This prevents your floor from sustaining water damage.
For floor cooling, a thermal resistance of less than or equal to 0.09 m²K/W is generally advised. The thermal resistance of Pergo Wood Parquet 14 mm is approximately 0.14 m²K/W. Therefore, a certain loss of capacity should be taken into account
Installing a wooden floor with underfloor heating
Pergo wooden floors can be installed in two ways: glued down or ‘floating’. A glued-down floor transmits the heat slightly better. If you do opt for a floating installation, we advise using our Silent Walk underlay for the best results. The general installation guidelines still apply, unless our specific guidelines for underfloor heating state differently. When in doubt, always check with your dealer.
Download the instructions for underfloor heating
Find out more:
- Learn more about wooden flooring
- How to lay wooden flooring