Best floor covering for a home built on a slab with radiant heat.

[weekender7]

We are building our own post and beam home. We installed radiant heat in the slab. What type floor covering would work best? I want something that looks like wood, but my understanding is that real hardwood floors don't react well to radiant heat. Open to all suggestions.

 

[timberland]

Ceramic tile now in really sharp looking wood patterns

 

[ORHunter]

Hard to beat the look and durability of tile. Lots of plank options in the wood look.

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[MNBill]

We built a new house with radiant floor heat in the slab and used (I think) Core10 planks. We were told it is made for in floor heat. We have been happy with it.
ymmv and I hope this helps.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Yeah, I would agree with the above (ceramic tile). We have in floor radiant heat with fake oak flooring and I absolutely hate it. Walking around on it, especially in the winter time, creates a lot of static electricity and you end up getting shocked whenever you touch anything. No joke, I've turned on lights before and have been shocked (electrical arch from my finger to a screw head that holds the plate on the light switch) when my finger is still a inch away from the switch. We all have just got into the habit of slapping the light switches on and off. The static electricity isn't the only thing I hate about our flooring, but it's definitely one of the bigger issues I have with it.

 

[ODB]

I really like the plank tile.

 

[Whiskey_Fish]

The ceramic or porcelean tiles are the way you want to go for a couple reasons. They'll transmit the heat most effectively since there isn't any airspace or underlayment between them and the slab. The vinyl and woodpulp laminate floors act as insulators and have very slow response times as to when you'll feel the warmth. Be sure to use an appropriate mortar and get a tile you can set without grout lines. The heated slabs are hell on grout.


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[Farmerlentz]

If you don't want the hassle or cost of installing tile look at lvt plank flooring. You could also install it yourself

 

[Werty]

Depending how good the floor was finished, you could have it Acid-etched

 

[spike camp]

Agree with werty^^
You can have the concrete refinished and stained or etched.

The plank tile would be second choice.

 

[Fatcamp]

If you decide to go with ceramic be sure you use a contractor who has references to prove they are worthy. It is easy to mess up. Easy to do right as well with the proper skill set, but you can really screw it up if you don't know what you are doing.

Agree with the above on 1/8" grout joints.

 

[Wrench]

the coefficient of thermal expansion is a super important consideration. Its going to move a bunch with low density materials.

 

[Fatcamp]

the coefficient of thermal expansion is a super important consideration. Its going to move a bunch with low density materials.

Proper installation will accomadate with expansion joints.

 

[16Bore]

I’m guessing the slab is already poured? Ive seen concrete stamped to look like wood planks and thought it was pretty neat.

 

[Drenalin]

If you don't want the hassle or cost of installing tile look at lvt plank flooring. You could also install it yourself

I'd second LVP flooring. Plank options are virtually unlimited, it's easy to install, and easy to change. I like tile a lot, but I personally wouldn't want it in my main living areas, especially if those areas are relatively large and open. LVP has a softer touch and is better acoustically to me. It's also extremely low maintenance.

 

[Trial153]

We have a spare bath with wood grain tile on the floor, it has radiant heat under it. It looks good and is warm and pleasant on your feet. Easy to keep up with to.

 

[WCB]

Coming from someone who used to install and also been a Job Coordinator for my family's flooring company (one of the largest in the midwest). LVP/LVT is nice for what some people have stated as far as changing and feel...maintenance depends on the quality you purchase (do not cheap out...I recommend commercial grade) and talk the person you purchase from about the in floor heat aspect. DO NOT BUY FROM BIG BOX STORES!!! the product is junk.

I have installed and ran LVP/LVT jobs in excess of 20,000sq ft. while he options are pretty much endless they are not "maintenance free" and granted they are easier to repair than a broken tile (A LOT MORE RARE THAN SCRATCHED OR DAMAGED LVP/LVT)...think about the wear you will put on the floor. They scratch fairly easy...(dogs? kids? Chairs sliding in and out) depending on the color and finish they show dirt and traffic areas more than ceramic.

Personally, if you are covering a large area that you wanted to do wood floors in anyways I would go the Ceramic route as you were basically committing to not changing it out anyways. Also, I would assume you will have some rugs down anyways which will help with overall acoustics if that is a concern with ceramic.

I personally have LVP in my kitchen and it looks great...except for the scratches put in it from daily life activities. Wife wanted wood floors but we are planning on moving and had as stated above I know people in the floor covering world and have 0$ and about 4 hours into the floor.

 

[wytx]

How about cork ? Hard flooring over a slab kills my feet, bare slab for that matter too.

 

[Blueduck1957]

Hard to beat tile.

 

[Idaho_Potato]

Coming from someone who used to install and also been a Job Coordinator for my family's flooring company (one of the largest in the midwest). LVP/LVT is nice for what some people have stated as far as changing and feel...maintenance depends on the quality you purchase (do not cheap out...I recommend commercial grade) and talk the person you purchase from about the in floor heat aspect. DO NOT BUY FROM BIG BOX STORES!!! the product is junk.

I have installed and ran LVP/LVT jobs in excess of 20,000sq ft. while he options are pretty much endless they are not "maintenance free" and granted they are easier to repair than a broken tile (A LOT MORE RARE THAN SCRATCHED OR DAMAGED LVP/LVT)...think about the wear you will put on the floor. They scratch fairly easy...(dogs? kids? Chairs sliding in and out) depending on the color and finish they show dirt and traffic areas more than ceramic.

Personally, if you are covering a large area that you wanted to do wood floors in anyways I would go the Ceramic route as you were basically committing to not changing it out anyways. Also, I would assume you will have some rugs down anyways which will help with overall acoustics if that is a concern with ceramic.

I personally have LVP in my kitchen and it looks great...except for the scratches put in it from daily life activities. Wife wanted wood floors but we are planning on moving and had as stated above I know people in the floor covering world and have 0$ and about 4 hours into the floor.

Any experience with the Coreluxe brand at Lumber Liquidators? Seems a little better than the big box store brands but not unreasonable $ to do a big chunk of the house.