Eucalyptus flooring with Warmboard?
We are planning on installing radiant heat flooring using the “Warmboard” product, and have come across an opportunity to purchase FSC certified Eucalyptus solid hardwood flooring. However, the distributor tells us that Eucalyptus is not a good choice to use with Warmboard, and to use an engineered flooring product that can be installed as a floating floor instead. However, Warmboard tells us that solid hardwood flooring is fine to use with their product. We are confused. What’s your opinion? I recently saw a question somebody asked about using maple flooring with radiant heat, and it was discouraged due to the nature of that particular wood. Does anybody have any experience with Eucalyptus solid hardwood flooring and radiant floor heat ( in particular Warmboard)?
Thanks for any input!
Barbara
Replies
Barbara,
First, Welcome to Breaktime! I see this is your first post.
Designing a radiant floor heating system with the knowledge of the limitations of the specific materials to be utilized is critical when the material may be marginally acceptable for the application. Water temperaure and floor surface temperature are key numbers to know. I don't know enough about eucalyptus to say categorically, but its very probable that this hardwood is as suitable as oak or cherry. Typically, if you can limit the surface temperature of the wood to 85 degF or less, the wood, nailed or floating, will not suffer greatly.
The use of insulators as floor covernings (wood, rubber, various textiles/carpets) for RFH systems, in my opinion, negate most of the benefits available from the RFH concept. But then again, I like wood floors, too. It is relatively easy to heat with a concrete slab. It takes a competent system designer and some software to make it work right with wood.