Is a vinyl floor compatible with an underfloor heating system?

The answer is YES!
Many of our modern or renovated homes are equipped with underfloor heating. It is a pleasant and environmental-friendly way to warm up your home.
Underfloor heating is a common used heating system. But is it compatible with all possible flooring systems, especially with flooring on vinyl rolls?

The only requirement is that the heating system has been installed properly. The underlying floor must be level and smooth for the installation of vinyl flooring.

What do you need to consider when laying a vinyl floor on underfloor heating?

You need to make sure that the heating system has an automatic cut-off to ensure that the temperature never exceeds 27°C. This applies to all heating systems actually, both heated water systems and electrical systems.
Because, when the heating system is in contact with the floor-covering and it exceeds 32°C, there is a danger of discoloration.

In order to install your vinyl floor properly on an underfloor heating system, there are a few things to take into consideration:

# The underfloor heating must be switched off for 48 hours prior to and 48 hours after the installation of the vinyl flooring.
During this period an alternative form of heating should be provided to maintain a room temperature of ideally 18°C - 30°C.

# After installation, the temperature of the underfloor heating should be raised gradually, in increments of 5°C per day, until the desired level.

# Underfloor heating should never be installed over an existing floor covering. Any existing floor covering should be removed and the subfloor should be prepared in line with the manufacturer’s specifications.

# The thermal resistance of the vinyl flooring will affect the temperature output of the underfloor heating. To ensure optimum performance, you should select a vinyl floor covering with a thermal resistance below 0,10 m2 K/W.
Otherwise the temperature of the underfloor heating would constantly have to be set too high to ensure an adequate transmission of heat.

Underfloor cooling systems & vinyl floors

On the opposite, vinyl flooring can also be installed over underfloor cooling systems; however, the temperature of the cooling water supply must never be below 18°C.
Temperatures below this will produce condensation and could damage the floor covering. 

Similarly, room thermostats must never be set to a temperature which is more than 5°C below the room temperature.