ᐅ Is click vinyl flooring suitable for underfloor heating?

Hello,

we are currently deciding on the flooring for our new build and have a question regarding click vinyl flooring in combination with underfloor heating. I would like to hear your opinions and recommendations on this. Is click vinyl flooring suitable for use with underfloor heating? If not, what alternative flooring options would you recommend?

Thank you in advance

Hello Homeowner

For this question, I would directly invite @KlaRa to join the discussion on the topic.

Bringing in an expert here is a bit of an exaggeration. Basically, almost all floor types are suitable for underfloor heating. Some conduct heat better (tiles), while others less so (thick floating parquet). Click vinyl falls somewhere in the middle. Vinyl itself conducts heat well, but the integrated backing board is less helpful. In the end, this doesn’t really matter. At first, we were also focused on choosing the floor based on its presumed suitability for underfloor heating. Luckily, we didn’t go with that approach.

No, that's not true; there are plenty of ways to get it wrong.
There are impact sound insulation layers that alone have a thermal resistance of 0.1 W/m²K. Then, an inexperienced person adds 14mm (about 0.55 inches) click laminate flooring on top, which quickly brings the total to 0.25 W/m²K—well beyond the recommended maximum for underfloor heating.

This can even be an issue with click vinyl flooring, as the impact sound insulation is often seriously underestimated.

There are impact sound insulation materials with a thermal resistance as low as 0.01 W/m²K—but they do cost a bit more.

That is a very general question. I assume there are some click vinyl floors that can be easily combined with underfloor heating. I believe this question has come up here several times before. Try using the search function, you should definitely find something.

Vinyl has good thermal conductivity; click-lock flooring can't be thick enough to prevent that. The crucial factor is impact sound insulation, as it is often completely overlooked in the planning or the cheapest option available is chosen.