ᐅ Underfloor Cooling with Glue-Down Hardwood Flooring – Is It Problematic?

Hello everyone,

We just came back from the flooring studio.
They told us that underfloor heating is not an issue under parquet flooring, but underfloor cooling definitely is. Parquet floors are generally not approved or certified by manufacturers for use with underfloor cooling systems. As a result, there is no warranty on the parquet when using underfloor cooling, and the cooling could cause the parquet to expand and warp—essentially causing total damage.

Parquet was basically our preferred choice, but now we are uncertain because we will have underfloor cooling combined with underfloor heating (air-to-water heat pump) and we would like to use both.
What has been your experience? Are there any parquet manufacturers that approve their flooring for cooling via underfloor heating systems?
Is it possible to safely use underfloor cooling with parquet if certain conditions are met?

Our parquet will be glued down, as a floating installation would negatively affect the underfloor heating performance.

We were also told that the underfloor cooling system can only run continuously for 14 days and then must be switched off for 2 months (regardless of the floor covering). Is that correct?

Regards

Wood expands as the temperature rises, so it would be expected to contract as the temperature drops. Even water only exhibits its anomaly below 4°C (39°F)...

But that doesn’t help you. If the parquet flooring is not approved by the manufacturer, you proceed at your own risk. Perhaps consider consulting another flooring specialist?

Could tiles be an alternative?

The issue with underfloor cooling is not so much the temperature itself but the moisture caused by crossing the dew point.
This moisture can lead to swelling and mold.
Since it is not easy to monitor, no one would likely want to take warranty responsibility for it.

xMisterDx schrieb:

But that won’t help you. If the parquet isn’t approved by the manufacturer, you proceed at your own risk.
Maybe try another parquet specialist?

We definitely will. Our question is whether every parquet manufacturer really excludes the warranty when installed over a chilled floor system. We were hoping for some experience reports.
We find tiles quite hard and less cozy compared to wood flooring. However, we don’t want to completely rule them out.

RotorMotor schrieb:

The issue with chilled floor systems isn’t so much the temperature itself, but the moisture caused by dew point differences.
This moisture can cause swelling and mold growth.
Since monitoring this isn’t so easy, no one wants to take on the warranty risk.

In any case, a dew point monitor will be installed in our project.
Is there no one in this forum using parquet over a chilled floor system, or does everyone just accept the risk?

I’m not sure how many people actually use underfloor cooling, as it doesn’t provide much cooling capacity. Anyone wanting effective cooling will install an air conditioning system. The big advantage of that is it can also dehumidify.

I also think a dew point monitor might not be very useful because the screed reacts very slowly due to its high mass.

This discussion includes many opinions that I can fully agree with!
I personally do not know a single parquet manufacturer who approves their products for use on cooled screeds.
Apart from that, from my perspective, underfloor cooling is a "dead end," as such a system cannot function satisfactorily.
Example:
In the summer months, relative humidity levels of 70% at temperatures of 27°C (81°F) are not unusual.
The physical dew point under these conditions would be 21°C (70°F).
Since we must operate on the "safe side" technically—meaning it is absolutely necessary to prevent the formation of a liquid film on (cooled) floor surfaces caused by falling below the dew point—a buffer of 3°C (5°F) is included according to building regulations and industry standards.
These 3°C (5°F) must be added to the 21°C (70°F) in the previous example.
Thus, at an air temperature of 27°C (81°F), the cooled floor surface temperature must not exceed 21°C + 3°C = 24°C (75°F).
It does not take a genius to see that a temperature difference of only 3°C (5°F) between air and floor temperature will not produce the desired effect of noticeable cooling in a room.
In summary, two aspects must be considered:
1.) Any cooling of wooden surfaces leads to some degree of moisture absorption and swelling (i.e., expansion of the wood).
2.) The effectiveness of underfloor cooling is questionable.
Putting this together, one quickly concludes that an air conditioning system is a very good solution, and ceiling cooling is the best option among all cooling possibilities.
Final remark:
The industry recognized years ago that, in commercial construction, ceiling cooling systems are preferable to localized standalone cooling units.
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Hoping to have provided another thought-provoking impulse: KlaRa