ᐅ KFW55 house with underfloor heating... which type of flooring is best?
Created on: 17 Feb 2014 16:05
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Sumo
Hello everyone
My wife and I are planning to build a semi-detached house this year to the KfW55 energy standard, turnkey. Regarding the flooring, opinions seem to be quite divided. Since we will have underfloor heating, we keep hearing different advice about suitable floor coverings. Terms like thermal transmittance values, delayed heat transfer, and so on, are mentioned repeatedly. This is quite confusing for a layperson.
Our builder told us to choose tiles within a certain budget. Since we would like a wood-look floor and tiles are apparently the best option for heat conduction, the price would be well above our budget. Solid wood flooring would be great, but probably not cheap either (though we would be willing to pay more for real wood). We have often heard that wooden floors are definitely possible with underfloor heating but can be expensive. The same applies to parquet and laminate. Vinyl, however, seems to be a feasible alternative in terms of both cost and thermal conductivity.
So my question to all homeowners: How have you handled this? Tiles, solid wood planks, parquet, vinyl... what have you installed, and did you experience any positive or negative aspects?
We would really appreciate any advice that might make our decision easier.
Thank you very much,
Michael
My wife and I are planning to build a semi-detached house this year to the KfW55 energy standard, turnkey. Regarding the flooring, opinions seem to be quite divided. Since we will have underfloor heating, we keep hearing different advice about suitable floor coverings. Terms like thermal transmittance values, delayed heat transfer, and so on, are mentioned repeatedly. This is quite confusing for a layperson.
Our builder told us to choose tiles within a certain budget. Since we would like a wood-look floor and tiles are apparently the best option for heat conduction, the price would be well above our budget. Solid wood flooring would be great, but probably not cheap either (though we would be willing to pay more for real wood). We have often heard that wooden floors are definitely possible with underfloor heating but can be expensive. The same applies to parquet and laminate. Vinyl, however, seems to be a feasible alternative in terms of both cost and thermal conductivity.
So my question to all homeowners: How have you handled this? Tiles, solid wood planks, parquet, vinyl... what have you installed, and did you experience any positive or negative aspects?
We would really appreciate any advice that might make our decision easier.
Thank you very much,
Michael
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Bauexperte18 Feb 2014 10:59Hello Michael,
It also doesn’t really matter whether you choose tiles or parquet; the wood industry has long adapted to the requirements of underfloor heating.
Regards, Bauexperte
Sumo schrieb:Wood-look tiles are a current trend and usually cost a bit more than the agreed standard. The real expense mainly comes from the higher labor costs for installation and cutting waste.
The developer told us: Choose tiles within a certain budget. Since we would like wood-look tiles [...] the price is well above our budget.
Sumo schrieb:Just ask your supplier if there is an additional charge, and if so, how much.
Solid wood floors would of course be great, but probably not cheap (although we would certainly be willing to pay more for real wood),
Sumo schrieb:In our case, for example, tiles and plank flooring are offered at a neutral price. This is because tiles require more labor effort, while plank flooring installation is fairly quick, but the material cost is higher. Accounting-wise, the costs balance out.
we heard several times that wood flooring is definitely feasible but not cheap when combined with underfloor heating. The same applies to parquet and laminate. However, vinyl apparently is a cost-effective and thermally suitable alternative.
It also doesn’t really matter whether you choose tiles or parquet; the wood industry has long adapted to the requirements of underfloor heating.
Regards, Bauexperte
We haven’t decided on the flooring exactly yet. Tiles will probably go in the hallway, the utility room, and the bathrooms – most likely also in the kitchen. For the living and dining areas, as well as the hallways on the upper floors, we definitely want wooden floorboards. For the guest room and the children’s rooms, we would prefer wood as well, but if it gets too expensive, we’ll go with cork. In the bedroom and dressing room, we would like carpet. We don’t like laminate or vinyl at all. They seem too artificial, too cold, and too smooth.
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DerBjoern18 Feb 2014 11:30milkie schrieb:
Too artificial, too cold, too smooth. Actually, not cold. And when it comes to smoothness, the surface texture varies from...
I would think very carefully before using cork flooring with underfloor heating. Cork actually has insulating properties, which are desirable for floors without underfloor heating—especially in children’s rooms. However, the heat from the underfloor heating has to pass through this insulating layer first. This slows down the heat transfer and requires a lot of energy.
In that case, carpet would be a better option.
With our laminate flooring, you can’t tell the difference between wood and non-wood. It’s neither cold, slippery, nor artificial on our underfloor heating system. Today’s (high-quality!) laminate cannot be compared to laminate from the 1990s or the inexpensive laminate you might find at a big-box store for 4.99 €.
In that case, carpet would be a better option.
With our laminate flooring, you can’t tell the difference between wood and non-wood. It’s neither cold, slippery, nor artificial on our underfloor heating system. Today’s (high-quality!) laminate cannot be compared to laminate from the 1990s or the inexpensive laminate you might find at a big-box store for 4.99 €.
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Eigenheima21 Feb 2014 22:39Sumo schrieb:
Hello everyone
My wife and I are planning to build a semi-detached house this year, turnkey, to the KFW55 standard. When it comes to flooring, opinions seem to differ quite a bit. Since there will be underfloor heating, we keep hearing different advice about suitable floor coverings. Keywords like thermal conductivity, delayed heat transfer, etc. keep coming up. As a layperson, this is quite confusing.
Our developer told us: Choose tiles within a certain budget. We would prefer wood-look flooring, but since tiles seem to be the best for heat conduction, the price is way beyond our budget. Solid wood boards would be great, but probably not cheap (although we would be willing to pay more for real wood). We have often heard that wooden floors are certainly possible but not cheap in combination with underfloor heating. The same goes for parquet and laminate. Vinyl, on the other hand, seems to be a cost-effective and thermally suitable alternative.
So my question to all homeowners. What solution did you choose or use? Tiles, solid wood boards, parquet, vinyl... what did you install, and were there any pros and cons?
We would be very grateful for any advice that might make this decision easier.
Thank you very much
MichaelHello Michael,
About a year ago, I installed vinyl plank flooring in one room and wide plank floorboards in another (both with underfloor heating), and I am completely satisfied. Both have good thermal conductivity. The vinyl flooring has a cork core layer, which provides better impact sound insulation. On the other hand, the parquet floor looks more upscale.
Regarding flooring choice, you just need to ensure it is suitable for underfloor heating. I ordered my floors online from a supplier who mostly offers pre-finished parquet designed specifically for underfloor heating. I can share the contact details via private message if you like.
Personally, I find that vinyl or wooden parquet flooring looks much better than tiles, and installation over underfloor heating is no problem. After more than a year of heavy use, the floors still look like new, and I would definitely choose the same again.
Best regards,
Markus
Hello,
The more insulating the top surface of the underfloor heating, the less favorable the situation!
The thermal resistances above and below the heating element must be balanced in a suitable ratio. The more the top covering insulates, the more insulation is also needed below the heating element!
The worst case is a thick carpet, the best case is tiles, meaning materials with high thermal conductivity.
Best regards
Sumo schrieb:That’s to be expected, because it’s not as simple as some might think when energy and cost efficiency are the priorities.
.... This whole thing is really confusing for a layperson....
The more insulating the top surface of the underfloor heating, the less favorable the situation!
The thermal resistances above and below the heating element must be balanced in a suitable ratio. The more the top covering insulates, the more insulation is also needed below the heating element!
The worst case is a thick carpet, the best case is tiles, meaning materials with high thermal conductivity.
Best regards
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