ᐅ How harmful to health is parquet adhesive when used with underfloor heating?

Created on: 1 May 2022 12:39

Hello,

this summer we are starting the construction of a semi-detached house and are currently deciding on the flooring. We have chosen to install tiles throughout almost the entire house, as they are considered the best option for heat transfer with underfloor heating. The exception will be our living/dining area, as we find tiles too cold for this 70 m² (750 sq ft) space and prefer wood for its warmer feel. For this reason, we have decided on solid oak parquet, which will be fully glued down using a parquet adhesive with a weight of 80 kg (176 lbs). I know that parquet is not the ideal choice for underfloor heating but it is still feasible.

While researching online, I came across some articles claiming that parquet adhesives can be toxic, which has left me a bit concerned. Could this issue be worsened by the underfloor heating warming up? Will the adhesive off-gas and release “toxic fumes” into the room? Or are modern parquet adhesives generally safe? I have read about the EC1 and EC1 Plus standards. Does choosing an adhesive with such certification ensure safety?

I would appreciate a brief assessment.

Best regards,
hansmuff

netuser2 May 2022 10:44

hansmuff schrieb:

Our living and dining area will be excluded from tiling because we find tiles too cold for this 70 sqm (750 sq ft) space, and wood gives a warmer feeling. That’s why we chose solid oak parquet, which will be firmly glued down with a parquet adhesive rated at 80 kg (176 lbs). I know parquet isn’t the best choice for underfloor heating, but it’s still feasible.

Good decision! 🙂
Both in terms of choosing parquet and the gluing method. However, 80 kg (176 lbs) will probably not be enough. You will likely need 85 to 100 kg (187 to 220 lbs).

hansmuff schrieb:
Wouldn’t the problem worsen due to the heating of the underfloor heating system?

Today’s supply temperatures typically reach up to 35°C (95°F). So calling it “heating up” is not really accurate.

hansmuff schrieb:

Will the adhesive off-gas and release “toxic gases” into the room? Or are modern parquet adhesives safe? I’ve read something about the EC1 and EC1 Plus standards. Does using such an adhesive put you on the safe side?

I always say: no chemicals are truly health-promoting, and there’s quite a lot of them around us—in furniture, paints, carpets, even tile adhesives. 😉
What you can do is minimize possible emissions, and you’re doing exactly that by choosing adhesives that meet the EC1 standards and opting for solvent-free, higher-quality products. So pick a sensible adhesive and don’t worry too much about it.

By the way, I used to live only with floating floors in apartments and houses, but ultimately decided on gluing down in my own home. We debated back and forth for a long time but never regretted making that choice. Long plank oak.

Tamstar2 May 2022 12:43

Last week, I attended a short webinar on harmful building materials, where I asked the speaker if they could recommend any adhesives for hardwood or plank flooring, as we are considering installing plank floors. They couldn’t recommend any, due to reasons related to boiling points and labeling requirements. The advice was to go for nailed planks or linoleum (apparently, there are water-based “good” adhesives available for linoleum).

I’m still undecided because nailed planks are not an option for us. I like linoleum, but doing it myself? Hmm...
You probably can’t get a perfectly healthy home anyway. Maybe it’s best to just choose the best possible adhesive and still go with plank or hardwood flooring?

netuser2 May 2022 13:13

Tamstar schrieb:

Then maybe just focus on using the best possible adhesive and still go with floorboards/hardwood flooring?

Exactly. You can’t completely eliminate or reduce potential harmful emissions to zero.
With a controlled ventilation system, if installed in the house, I believe that any possible issue is at least somewhat mitigated.

motorradsilke2 May 2022 13:45

#10

Tamstar schrieb:

Last week, I attended a short webinar about harmful building materials, where I asked the speaker if they could recommend any adhesive for hardwood flooring or planks, since we would like to install planks ourselves... they couldn’t recommend any (something to do with boiling point and labeling requirements, etc.). They suggested using nailed planks or linoleum (there are apparently water-based "good" adhesives for that...).

I’m still unsure because nailed planks are not an option for us. I like linoleum, but doing it myself? Hmm...
You can’t really get the perfect healthy home anyway. Maybe it’s better to just focus on using the best possible adhesive and still go for planks or hardwood?

Or just install it as a floating floor? That’s what we did—I wouldn’t glue hardwood.

Benutzer2002 May 2022 13:55

#11

motorradsilke schrieb:

Or just lay it as a floating floor? We did that, I wouldn’t glue parquet.

Ideally, parquet should always be glued down whenever possible.

Tamstar2 May 2022 13:55

#12

motorradsilke schrieb:

Or just lay it as a floating floor?

The manufacturer clearly advises against this "due to the exceptional dimensions."

ᐅ How harmful to health is parquet adhesive when used with underfloor heating?

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