Underfloor heating

[Mr T]

Hi

Has anyone had problems with underfloor heating effecting their furniture?
I have recently had some cabinet doors twist over UF heating and have been advised to have a disclaimer when putting furniture into an UF heated environment in future.

Chris

 

[Richard D]

Have I ever!

It's been a particular problem for new stuff - I've bought a few pieces off the internet that are from the far east, and each of them has suffered. A couple of pieces now have1/" gaps in panels that fitted fine 6 months ago.

It's also a huge issue for solid wood floors. Mine was kiln-dried, supposedly rated for installation over underfloor heating, and there's now over an inch gap between wall and flooring! At some stage I'm going to have to fetch the skirting boards off and lay some extra "spacer" pieces.

If stuff is headed for a room with underfloor heating, the timber needs to be kiln-dried to a very low moisture content - something lower than the usual 10% or so.

 

[trousers]

Have been involved with several u/f heated installations and never had problems. In fact customers have been chuffed as nuts (no ugly rads, nice even heat etc).
Wrt to solid wood floors, did you leave the board in the heated room(s) for a substantial period of time before laying? Absolutely essential otherwise you are heading for trouble.
Also, I don't see why anything should be affected more by uf heating than ordinary central heating. If you put anything into a warm, low rh environment and it hasn't been in that environment before then it's going to move.

It's been a particular problem for new stuff - I've bought a few pieces off the internet that are from the far east, and each of them has suffered. A couple of pieces now have1/" gaps in panels that fitted fine 6 months ago.

Probable been in a container on the high seas for months and in conditions of high rh. If you've got 1" gaps it was made from rubbish wood (fast grown stuff) which was wet when manufactured.
That's the trouble with the internet, can't get your hands on it before you buy it.

 

[RogerS]

.....
Also, I don't see why anything should be affected more by uf heating than ordinary central heating.......

I do...it's in direct contact with the heat source. Case in point...on our landing I laid oak floorboards - duly acclimatised. The board that lies over a pair of ch pipes feeding a radiator has severely shrunk in width. The others relatively untouched.