Wooden floors are a timeless option to suit any taste within your house, due to the abundance of options available. As a result of this variety, each type of wood has different heat properties to consider when choosing your flooring.

Generally, engineered wood provides the best performance out of its counterparts due to its durability and ability to conduct heat quickly and easily. Any other thin, dense wood will also act as a good conductor of heat.

More natural softwoods do not perform as well with underfloor heating as they are not as great thermal conductors, while their properties may be slightly altered when exposed to heat. Despite this, they can still remain a good flooring option above your heating system, providing you ensure that the floorboards are not too thick and you check with your supplier the maximum heat that they can be exposed to. This is usually in the region of 25℃-27℃.

Carpet is a great flooring option for underfloor heating and a perfect choice for living rooms or bedrooms where it can provide a soft, cosy touch to your feet for maximum comfort.

Furthermore, it also absorbs dust and other particles that would otherwise be circulated around the air in your room by a conventional heating system. As underfloor heating does not use convection to heat your room, the dust and particles absorbed will remain in your carpet to be vacuumed away, providing a great improvement in hygiene and health especially for those suffering from allergies or respiratory diseases such as asthma.

In order to make the most of your heating system, there are a few considerations to take. The most important thing is that the tog rating of your carpet and underlay does not exceed 2.5 tog, otherwise the carpet will act as an insulator and not absorb the heat as well. The same applies when considering the thickness of your carpet, as thicker carpets are likely to have a higher tog rating and take longer to heat up. While carpets may take longer to heat up, they retain heat well, so will stay warm for longer once you turn your heating system off.

Vinyl and Linoleum are cost effective and stylish alternatives to flooring. They are great options due to their availability in a variety of styles to suit your taste, while their slimline design means that they absorb heat extremely quickly from the heating system below. Both vinyl and linoleum are easy to maintain and clean, while vinyl in particular is very durable.

However, like softwood, it is important to consider the maximum heat that they can be exposed to. Consult your floor supplier for exact figures, but it is likely to be in the region of 26℃-27℃.

It is a common misconception that rugs are not suitable to use with Underfloor Heating. This is not true, however there are a few precautions to take first. Like carpet, rugs can act as an insulator to heat, making it more difficult to heat your floor and room. As a result, it’s best to choose a thin rug with a low tog rating.

Furthermore, we recommend not to use heavy rugs on floors that are more sensitive to heat such as wood and vinyl, as the higher concentration of heat required in that area may warp and damage your floor in that spot.