I would really appreciate some real world input on this question.
The residence is a passive solar in Western WA. Construction is ICF with 4" concrete slab over 2" foam and hydronic (in-slab) heating. What kind of (engineered) wood flooring would be suitable and what would the attachment method be?
Everything else in this home has been optimized for solar gain, but, well, the flooring choice in the main living areas is not mine alone. I have prevailed on tile in the kitchen and even some tile at the french doors and other points which "see" a lot of solar radiation, but the majority of the living areas will be wood. The question is what kind of product and how to attach it?
At the flooring showrooms, I see what appears to be two basic types of engineered wood flooring
1) Fairly thin overall with some kind of MDF or composite base and
2) more "traditional" (and thicker) plywood-type base.
Because we are not Arizona up here and because we have attenuated the most intense direct sun in July and August through overhangs and shading, we are talking about a more gentle incident radiation due to our higher latitude. I'm not too worried about "cooking" the floor, but I am thinking about stability of the flooring with respect to the underfloor heating as well as the ability to transfer some heat to the slab below when the sun hits it directly.
The major goal, of course is to avoid installing a floor that splits, checks, cups or otherwise goes bad from heating or humidity changes. Assuming that can be done, there are other questions to consider.
Do we glue down and go for the most direct contact or take an additional hit on heat transfer and do wood sleepers or a floating floor or some other less direct method?
Is the thin stuff (mdf) fine or do we want a product with a thicker base which will slow the thermal transference? At the risk of confusing the issue, I have seen flooring products with both thick and thin plywood bases as well. Is one considered "better" than the other for this application?
If we glue down, what is the best process and type of glues to use?
And, finally, we would like a solid floor, not a "clicky" one.
Anybody out there with similar issues?
What has worked for you? |