BARLINEK FLOORBOARD – FLOOR HEATING

Thanks to its layered structure, the Barlinek floorboard is an excellent thermal conductor, and it can be safely applied as a part of floor heating – both in electric and hot-water heating systems. It is a proven product that guarantees long years of service.

The hot-water or electric heating systems are frequently used in our homes as heating systems. Floor heating systems offer the following advantages:

Favourable temperature distribution in all rooms – It is warmer near your feet, but cooler near your head. This way, temperature in a room that has a floor heating system may be approx. 2°C lower than temperature in the rooms equipped with traditional radiators, and you will not feel the difference at all.

Heating is invisible – instead of being dissipated only in the vicinity of the radiator. Low-temperature floor heating enables connecting the entire circuit to a heat pump. This way, it is possible to generate significant savings on heating.

Heat is uniformly dissipated in the entire room – instead of being dissipated only in the vicinity of the radiator. Low-temperature floor heating enables connecting the entire circuit to a heat pump. This way, it is possible to generate significant savings on heating.

Low-temperature heating – means that heating surfaces are warm, but their temperature does not exceed the temperature of human skin, and it is similar to the temperature of surrounding air.

Their advantages make floor heating the system of choice, thus slowly driving away the traditional radiators. – The air movement in the room does not create swirls, which means that there are no dust particles floating in the air as in the case of a traditional heating system. As a result, it will also be a preferred solution for allergy sufferers.

As far as the wood used in floor heating system is concerned, there are doubts as to its drying up, resulting from the changes in temperature and moisture levels. However, we must bear in mind that the work of wood can be limited. The solution is three-layered wooden floors with a “click”-type, glueless locking system, based on a truss structure that effectively reduces the work of wood. Consequently, this type of floorboard is extremely safe, much unlike solid floors that do not feature such a structure. Some see the insulating properties of wood to be a problem, but we must bear in mind that it is not a 100% insulator – each floorboard has its own thermal conductivity. One such floorboard is the Barlinek floorboard featuring the “Barclick” joint that flexibly responds to the changes in moisture and temperature levels. This way, the Barlinek three-layered floors can be installed as part of both hot-water and electric heating systems.

Technical parameters of the Barlinek floorboard*:

• Thickness: 14 mm
• Thermal resistancey: 0,1 m² K/W
• Thermal conductivity: 0,14 W/mK

Installation in a hot-water floor heating system:

PWhen installing a layered floorboard in a hot-water floor heating system, it is required to carry out the so-called annealing of concrete topping. It consists in cyclical heating of the topping, in order to get rid of the so-called residual moisture in the concrete topping, and eliminate hazardous stresses in the concrete underlayment.

See below for a cycle (protocol*) of burning-in of concrete topping:

PROTOCOL OF ANNEALING OF CONCRETE UNDERLAYMENT WITH FLOOR HEATING TO BE FILLED IN BY THE INVESTOR (CONSTRUCTION SITE INSPECTOR) Applicable to a single room: (For example: living room, kitchen, other…)

There are two assembly systems that can be applied on a floor heating system:

Glue-based assembly on a hot-water floor heating system

When using a glued floor, make sure that the applied glue retains its properties and flexibility, even when exposed to significant temperature fluctuations. The manufacturers of such glues provide special pictograms and information on the packaging that indicate, whether a particular type of glue can be applied on floor heating systems. Barlinek recommend having a parquet floor company carry out the gluing.

Important!

When using a 2m straight-edge applied at any point on the surface, the area of the concrete underlayment plane should not demonstrate a deviation from the horizontal plane larger than 3mm/2m of length.

Floating assembly on a hot-water floor heating system

In the case of floating assembly, use a concrete underlayment that demonstrates the lowest possible heat loss coefficient. According to standards, it is recommended to use a concrete underlayment featuring the heat loss coefficient equal to R < 0,05 m² K/W, e.g. Standard corrugated board, 3mm thick, or other specialist concrete underlayments.

After burning-in the concrete underlayment and selecting the appropriate underfloor, the assembly process regarding a layered floorboard is identical to the one applied when no floor heating is used. As far as the floating system is concerned, Barlinek recommend using an insulating foil installed with an approx. 20cm overlap, and joined with a sealing tape.

All layered floorboards manufactured by Barlinek can be installed as a part of both hot-water and electric heating systems.

Installing the Barlinek floor on an electric heating system

Important!
Prior to installing electric heating systems, carefully read the Assembly Manual that accompanies such a system.

Some guidelines for the fitters and users of wooden floors installed on electric or hot-water floor heating systems.

1. The most advantageous floor covering solution for a floor heating system is a ready-to-use three-layered wooden floorboard featuring a glueless click lock.

2. If you choose to glue your floor to a concrete underlayment, make sure that the glue of your choice retains its properties and flexibility for long years, even when exposed to significant temperature fluctuations.

3. The pre-condition for laying floorboards over a floor heating system is having a protocol from burning-in of concrete underlayment, filled in and signed by a team of qualified fitters. If the process of burning-in the concrete underlayment was followed by shutting down the heating system, then set the heating system to 21°C (70°F), between ten and twenty days before assembly, and then proceed with installing the floor.

4. It is worth making sure that the level of moisture in the floor does not exceed the permissible range, both during assembly and use, which guarantees its correct installation. In the case of the Barlinek floorboard, it is 7% ± 2%.

5. It is recommended to keep the temperature at 21°C (70°F) for the first 48 hours, and then to increase it by 1-2 degrees a day, in order to obtain the optimum temperature after assembly. It is not advisable to exceed the threshold of 29°C (84°F), when adjusting the temperature of heating on the floorboard surface. The relative humidity in the room must be maintained at 45-60% for the entire year, regardless of the heating system in use.

6. The level of moisture in the concrete underlayment should not exceed:

• 1,8% when using cement underlayment, measured by the carbide method (CM);
• 0,3% when using anhydrite underlayment, measured by the carbide method (CM).

7. The entire surface of the floor should be heated, so as to prevent the wood from non-uniform working. It will also guarantee the greatest possible comfort in use (there will be no cooler areas on the floor).

8. It is not allowed to cover a wooden floor installed over a floor heating system, with carpets. All pieces of furniture put on floor heating, such as sofas, should have legs at least 20cm high.

9. It is recommended to use insulating foil, when applying the floating assembly method directly on underlayment. Apply insulting foil with a 20cm overlap and then join, using tape.

10. There may occur some tiny gaps between floorboards, resulting from the minimum working of wood, during the heating season.

11. With the heating season drawing to an end, the temperature should be gradually reduced, by approximately 1°C or 2 °C, daily.

* These represent average values, corresponding to a 14mm-thick floorboard.