Radiant Heat & Wood Flooring: Part 2

A strange phenomenon occurring in radiant heat floors is color change directly over the tubes, typically happening with oily woods (often exotics). Over time, the difference in heat exposure directly over the tubes, compared to the rest of the floor, causes a color change in the warmer areas, usually darker, and reveals the exact pattern of the tubes. This is damage to your flooring that cannot be sanded out of the floor.

Before the wood flooring arrives at your job site, the radiant heat system must be running. How long depends on the moisture conditions necessary to bring the wood flooring inside. Some say 2 weeks, others say 30 days minimum. Turning the system on will ensure it is functioning properly, there are no leaks, and it is driving moisture out. If it is not turned on, and the subfloor sufficiently dried before the wood flooring is installed, it is a virtual certainty that when winter arrives, and the system is turned on for the first time, the wood flooring will cup and buckle as the moisture is driven out of the subfloor and into the wood flooring.

Once the flooring has been installed and it is time to apply the finish, it is important that prior to the finishing, the radiant heat is turned off long enough to allow time for the floor surface to reach a normal temperature, usually a minimum of 6 hours. If not, the entire floor will act like one big “hot spot”, similar to any spot where sunlight is directly hitting the floor. This will cause the finish to dry too fast, leaving applicator marks and causing bubbles. Once the finish is dry, the radiant heat can be turned back on.

Lastly, what happens after the installation is just as important as before and during. The environment must be maintained at optimal levels. Stabilizing humidity is the key. Whether that means adding moisture in winter or drier months or dehumidifying in summer or warmer months – this is critical to the success of the floor. Speak with you contractor to understand what the optimal environment is for your floor. Understand that even with humidity controls, it’s natural for wood floors to shrink and swell. It is also important that after being turned off for the season, the radiant heat is gradually turned back on. By its nature, radiant heat warms up slowly and it will be hard to resist the urge to turn it up higher and faster. This will cause a drastic temperature change for the floors and potentially irreversible damage. There are safeguards available to ensure this does not happen. Outdoor thermostats automatically and gradually turn radiant heat up or down in response to outdoor temperature changes. You should be educated by you contractor or installer as to how the heat works and why it shouldn’t be turned up too much at once. Finally, controls can be included in the system that prevent anyone from turning up the system too much at any one time.

For more helpful information on hardwood flooring options, or to buy the right flooring for your radiant system, please visit www.GateWoodFloors.com.

Contractor Responsibility

Hardwood flooring contractors work with a natural, infinitely variable, renewable product that has a warmth and beauty all its own.
This unique product can last a lifetime. What is the contractor’s role and responsibility when it comes to providing this lifetime product?

The contractor is obligated to know the product he is installing. He should be accountable for proper placement and installation, as well as the products requirements. Wood is a naturally dynamic and variable product, particularly sensitive to moisture. Each species, size, and construction type will react differently to moisture. A contractor should know the typical environmental conditions for the geographical area in which he is working, and how the flooring to be installed will react. A contractor should know if the product, as specified, is suitable for the intended use and application.

For example:

• A solid product should not be used below grade.
• A wide plank, or species with high expansion tendencies, should not be used with radiant floor heating or in areas with extreme moisture ranges.
• A close grained species, such as maple, should not be used with a dark stain finish.
• Flooring with a lot of character marks should not be used in a formal setting.
• Soft species should not be used in high traffic areas.

For acceptable product performance, and a long life, one should expect exceptional quality workmanship from his contractor. The contractor should also know what conditions are required for the flooring to produce the highest performance possible. Site conditions need to be evaluated, and inadequacies need to be discussed. This will allow the consumer to make the best decisions, and provide the best opportunity to have his or her expectations met.

All manufacturer’s installation instructions and applications should be followed, including using the appropriate tools and proper use of those tools. The contractor should know the specifics for each and every item. Contractors should not install a defective product.

Finally, and maybe most importantly, the contractor is responsible to produce quality work that will satisfy his customer.

As a consumer, do your research, and ask a lot of questions. The more knowledge you have, the more educated your decision will be. And in the end, you will have a hardwood floor that gives you a lifetime of pleasure.

For more information on getting the right floor and making it last, check out the Buyer’s guide at GateWoodFloors.com.