A parquet floor is not the first thing you think of when installing underfloor heating in your home or commercial building. PVC floors or tile floors often come up first. Yet this is not necessary. A parquet floor is a more than fine alternative, especially if you also use a heat pump. Why? Parquet has a high thermal resistance. Especially if you compare it to PVC or tiles that have a relatively low thermal resistance. How that works, and how to make the best choice for the right decorative floor. We are happy to explain it to you.
Wood Flooring Promotion Foundation
Because the combination is probably not the first thing you think of, the Wood Floor Promotion Foundation commissioned a report from a professional party. R Floorzz is a member of this foundation. The report that was prepared makes the comparison between PVC floors and so-called stony floors v.s. the wooden parquet floor. In the comparisons made, the underfloor heating system is coupled with a heat pump. In practice, this is not strictly necessary, but, as we have written before, using a heat pump in combination is wise.
Heat resistance
The technical explanation is as follows: Thermal Resistance refers to the amount of heat that can be retained in a structure (Rc value) or in a layer (Rm value). Simply explained, it means the amount of heat that a layer or material can transmit and retain. And therein lies exactly the crux of the biggest advantage of installing a wood parquet floor on top of your underfloor heating.
What the report says: "A floor finish with low thermal resistance (PVC and stony floors) has the advantage that there is a rapid transfer of input and output energy from the delivery system. This ensures faster heating of the room than a floor finish with greater thermal resistance such as parquet. However, this low thermal resistance also has a disadvantage. At times when the floor is not being heated, it cools down again more quickly."
Advantages parquet flooring on underfloor heating
That's where the biggest advantages of parquet flooring come right around the corner. Parquet which, unlike PVC and stony floors, has a high thermal resistance. The report concludes the following: "Parquet has a higher thermal resistance than a stone-like floor finish or PVC slate. However, this has no negative impact on the heating and cooling of a home, and no higher energy losses through the insulated building structure are measurable. In contrast, this can make a positive contribution to the efficiency and service life of a heat pump, and heated rooms are perceived as comfortable for longer."
In practice
The report clearly shows that thinking about a possible parquet floor on the installed floor heating is a wise thing to do. Regardless of whether parquet is possible or desirable. It does increase the possibilities for decorative flooring in combination with underfloor heating. We can imagine that you have questions about this, or perhaps are curious about the entire report we are talking about here. We will gladly send you the report. Please feel free to contact us. This is of course also possible if you have other questions. We are happy to help. Call us on 0342 - 760 200 or fill in the contact form on our website.