Is luxury vinyl flooring suitable for underfloor heating?

As we face colder winters and embrace open plan living in our modern homes, many of us are choosing to install underfloor heating for maximum efficiency and cosiness. There are many benefits to having underfloor heating installed, from low running costs to lovely sleek walls without the need for radiators, and it’s ideal for busy family rooms where you want to heat a larger area all at once and enjoy that warm, underfoot feeling at the touch of a button.

Alongside this increase in underfloor heating installation, more and more of us are looking at bringing budget-friendly yet stylish features to our interiors, and LVT flooring is a fantastic way to achieve this. Harvey Maria’s extensive range of luxury vinyl tiles has been carefully curated to complement both period and contemporary homes; from ultra-chic pattern and chequerboard, to elegant wood and stone-effect finishes. Easy to clean, waterproof and incredibly robust, LVT flooring is ideal for any space, and the fact that it is suitable for use with underfloor heating is another huge benefit.

What’s more, because of the nature of luxury vinyl tiles and how they’re produced, your chosen flooring will transfer heat through the floor more effectively than just about any other floor covering including real wood planks, carpet and even stone tiles, resulting in a warmer room and vastly reduced running costs too.

All of Harvey Maria’s floors are suitable for use with underfloor heating, whether you’re looking for a stylish pattern, trending chequerboard or chic wood-effect floor. There are some things to consider before installing your LVT alongside underfloor heating:

• Before laying your LVT flooring with underfloor heating, we recommend checking with your system’s manufacturer for its suitability. Our luxury vinyl tiles can be installed over underfloor heating providing the subfloor temperature is controlled to a maximum of 27 degrees celsius which is the maximum allowable temperature according to British Standards.

• Once you’ve established your underfloor heating system is suitable for our LVT flooring, be sure to switch it off at least 48 hours before installation of your LVT floor and for the same amount of time after fitting. Once switched on, the temperature should then be only gradually increased very slowly over the following seven days. This is to ensure that the adhesive has the appropriate time to bond properly and to prevent any sudden expansion and lifting of the tiles.

• Having an appropriate and suitable subfloor is of great importance when installing your LVT, and it is imperative to follow the guidance when laying with underfloor heating. LVT floors are suitable for both electric and wet heating systems, and it’s important to follow the subfloor and installation guidance provided by the manufacturer of each underfloor heating system when fitting with LVT.

At Harvey Maria, we’ve ensured that all of our LVT floors are suitable for use with underfloor heating, meaning you can choose any of our stylish designs to work alongside your heating system. What’s more, because Harvey Maria LVT flooring is glued directly to the subfloor, it’s ideal to partner with underfloor heating as it transfers heat so effectively from floor to room, especially when compared with most other floor coverings, such as click LVT floors, which can act as heat insulators preventing efficient heat transfer.

Another benefit to Harvey Maria’s LVT flooring when used alongside underfloor heating is how low maintenance the luxury vinyl tiles are; incredibly robust and durable, it means that your underfloor heating won’t be impacted by constant upkeep or replacement.

Whether you’re looking at an LVT design or something from our rubber flooring collection, you can rest assured that our flooring is ideal for using alongside underfloor heating in your next home project.

When it comes to installing luxury vinyl flooring on top of underfloor heating, there are some important steps to take and points to remember:

• Acclimatisation is a vital step in installing LVT flooring; it’s important that the tiles have had the opportunity to reach a stable temperature and humidity before they’re fully laid in your room. This involves keeping the temperature between 18-26ºC before, during and 72 hours after fitting. The room’s temperature must not fluctuate by more than 3ºC and so ensure your tiles are shaded from sunlight throughout the day and prevent night time temperature drop where possible.
• If you already have an underfloor heating system installed, it’s important that this is switched off for at least 48 hours before and after your luxury vinyl flooring is fitted; this is to ensure the adhesive is fully dry and allows the tiles to settle into their new home.
• When it comes to using an appropriate adhesive when fitting LVT flooring alongside underfloor heating, be sure to check with the adhesive manufacturer that it is sufficient to work with the maximum temperature of your underfloor heating. If the adhesive is not able to sustain this, it can make your tiles bubble and curl up, eventually lifting your flooring and making the adhesive redundant.
• After installation, underfloor heating must not be ramped up immediately; it is important that you increase your heating system’s temperature only gradually over the following seven days to bring the floor’s temperature slowly up.