Hardwood Floors and Radiant Heat

The ever-growing popularity of radiant heat in homes across America today is sending a wake up call to the wood flooring industry. There are enough "do's and don'ts" that will frustrate many homeowners to the point where they will forget about the idea of putting wood floors over radiant heat. Despite this though, the beauty of natural hardwood is still the most sought after look in America today.


Our job here at Launstein Hardwood Floors is to help educate homeowners and contractors while assisting them with any questions they may have in regards to what types of wood species are best and what installation methods are proven to work. Our new 1500 square foot addition to our radiant heating test lab is now completed and has allowed us to expand in to the electric and poured radiant systems. Our daily e-mails and phone calls from homeowners and contractors are a sure sign that the radiant industry is on its way to new heights and is the future of heating in this country.

Both floors were tested at a surface temperature of 80-85 degrees with no visible problems. We do not recommend going any higher than 85 degrees on your floor surface. The 3/8" solid wood floors averaged 5-7 degrees warmer than the 3/4" wood floors, with the water temperature at 115 degrees.

We do recommend a humidity level of at least 40% in the colder months when the floors are constantly kept at 85 degrees.