Is it possible to install a floor heating system under a laminate on an old wooden floor?

I live in a house with wooden floors. Is it possible to install a floor heating system on an old wooden floor if it “plays” and, if possible, how to eliminate the defect? Is laminate flooring suitable for underfloor heating? Thank.

There are no technical restrictions for installing any “warm floor” system on an old wooden one, provided that it is in good condition. Moreover, in modern wooden houses, water or cable floor heating systems are mounted on a lighter wooden base, so as not to create an additional load with a heavy concrete screed on the wooden floors.

There may be several reasons why your wooden floor is “playing”:

between the lags under the boards a layer of insulation is not laid;
the distance between the lags exceeds the normative 60 cm, which is also a prerequisite for the use of a wooden base for a "warm floor";
floor boards are dry or rotten and need replacing.

By identifying and eliminating the causes of the defect, it is possible to mount floor heating.

Note!
A wooden floor can serve as the basis for a floor heating system, if it is made of boards of the same thickness, the deviations should not exceed 2 mm.

Mineral wool is placed in the space between the lags (not more than 60 cm) in 100 mm thick slabs, and on top is a vapor barrier and a draft floor.

Installation of a floor heating system under a laminate on an old wooden floor

Preparing a wooden base for installation of a water or cable underfloor heating

If the boards of your old floor need to be replaced, you can lay a draft floor from plywood sheets on the logs, and use the floor board as guides for cable or pipes.

Laying the contour of the warm floor in the guides of the wooden base

When installing electric heating mats on a rough floor, first lay a layer of a reinforcing mesh that protects the wood from overheating, and heating elements are attached to it with construction tape or a heat gun. The laminate can be laid directly on the mats in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.

The laminate is laid directly on electric heating mats, but a protective reinforcing mesh is first laid on a wooden base

Laminate, as a topcoat, is perfectly combined with all floor heating systems, and when using concreteless polystyrene or wooden substrates, it is recognized as ideal.

In conclusion, we offer a video, the author of which shares his experience of installing a floor heating system on an old wooden floor:

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