Yes. Laminate is fitted as a floating floor, which makes it a natural match for a thin dry heating system. The Ribbon is 1.8mm and goes down over insulation with no screed, no self-levelling compound and no overboard. Nothing has to dry before the flooring goes on.
Why laminate is the easy one
One of the problems homeowners run into is that they are told which heating system they need before anybody asks what flooring they want. The floor covering should be one of the first things discussed, because laminate, engineered wood and LVT are not installed in exactly the same way.
Laminate is normally fitted as a floating floor, which means it is not glued or fixed down to the subfloor. That makes it the most straightforward of the three.
Our insulation goes over the prepared subfloor. It is 6mm Therm-All, which is acoustic, thermal and a 1000-gauge DPM in one. The Ribbon at 1.8mm is rolled out and secured over the top of it, and the laminate floats over that.
There is no screed. There is no self-levelling compound. There is no overboard. And there is no wet layer that has to dry before the flooring can be fitted.
What the finished build-up comes to
| Subfloor | Levelled, clean and dry |
| Insulation | 6mm Therm-All, which is acoustic, thermal and a 1000-gauge DPM in one |
| Heating | The Ribbon at 1.8mm, taped down with EkoBuild's own high-tech tape |
| Floor finish | Laminate, floating |
| Total added height | About 15mm with a 9mm laminate |
| Screed or self-leveller | None |
| Warm-up through the floor | 15 to 20 minutes |
| Certified to | Certified to EN 60335-2-96, the safety standard for flexible sheet heating elements for room heating, plus EN 60335-1 and EN 62233. Class II, double insulated. UL Listed for the US and Canada under UL 1693 and CSA C22.2 No. 217 for radiant space heating, certificate 20130417-E349312, and certified by Nemko under certificate P15220551 |
Temperature, and what the boards have to be rated for
With most underfloor heating you have to check that the flooring is approved for it, because cable and water systems run hot enough to damage a board.
The Ribbon operates at 27 to 28°C, averaging about 27°C, and the floor surface ends up at 24 to 25°C once the heat has passed up through the floor finish. No floor surface should exceed 27 to 28°C, so the Ribbon is already inside the limit rather than needing a layer of screed to cool it down.
Glue the laminate joints with glue the joints with a D3 or PVA waterproof adhesive. Leave the expansion gap the board manufacturer specifies, and if the laminate comes with its own integral underlay, do not add another layer on top of it.
Can it be the room's main heating?
The Ribbon runs at 150W per m². When at least 70% of the floor area is covered, and the room and flooring are suitable, it is designed as the primary heating for that room rather than a warm surface.
80% or more is better again. Below 70% it is a supplementary heat source, and we spec an infrared panel to make up the gap
That is the difference between a system installed to take the cold feeling off a floor and one using the available floor as a broad heat source that warms the room above it.
What goes wrong under laminate
None of these are laminate's fault. They are all avoidable.
- An integral-underlay board with a second underlay added underneath it, insulating the room from its own heating.
- No expansion gap, so the floor lifts as it warms and cools.
- The heating element must never be cut, shortened or overlapped
- Never put additional insulation, Kingspan, foam, beanbags or a mattress on top of the Ribbon. The heat has to escape upward. Trap it and the element keeps climbing
- Skipping the insulation underneath, so half the heat goes into the subfloor.
Full transcript
This is what Russell says in the video, in full. It is published so you can read it rather than watch it, and so search engines and AI assistants can read it too.
Can underfloor heating go beneath LVT, laminate and engineered wood?
Yes, it can, but the type of underfloor heating you choose makes a significant difference to the installation.
The Eko Build ribbon system can work beneath all three.
It is only 1.8 millimetres thick, requires no traditional screed and can be designed to provide the primary heating for the room rather than simply warming the floor.
I'm Russell White from Eko Build. I've spent 30 years working in contract flooring, 25 years specialising in underfloor heating and 20 years working with renewable energy.
I've installed and assessed water, cable and ribbon underfloor heating, as well as solar panels, heat pumps, biomass boilers and wind turbines. I've also helped develop products, rather than simply fitting what was already available.
Twenty years ago, I brought that experience together when I built my own eco home using waste pallet blocks, solar power, wind turbines, heat recovery, biomass heating and electric underfloor heating.
Living with and maintaining these technologies taught me that making something work is only half the job. It also needs to be practical to install, control, service and repair.
That experience ultimately led me to ribbon underfloor heating, and I'm now sharing what I've learned to help homeowners make a properly informed decision.
One of the problems homeowners face when researching underfloor heating is that they are often told which heating system they need before anybody asks what flooring they want.
The floor covering should be one of the first things discussed because LVT, laminate and engineered wood are not installed in exactly the same way.
Let's start with laminate.
Laminate is normally fitted as a floating floor, which means it is not permanently glued or fixed to the subfloor.
This makes it a natural match for a thin, dry underfloor heating system.
With the Eko Build system, our 6mm insulation which is acoustic, thermal and 1000 gauge DPM is placed over the prepared subfloor.
The 1.8-millimetre ribbon is rolled out and secured over the insulation.
There is no screed.
There is no self-levelling compound.
There is no overboard.
And there is no wet layer that needs to dry before the flooring can be fitted.
Engineered wood uses a similar floating construction when the particular product allows it.
Unlike solid timber, engineered wood is made from multiple layers. This generally makes it more stable when exposed to normal changes in heat and moisture.
Usually you must still check that the particular engineered-wood product is approved for underfloor heating but with the EkoBuild ribbon system you don't need to because it operates at a working temperature of 27 degrees celsius meaning the surface temperature will be 24-25 degrees.
The wood should also be acclimatised and installed with the expansion gap specified by its manufacturer.
LVT requires a slightly different explanation because there are different types.
Rigid click LVT is installed as a floating floor.
Many good-quality rigid click-LVT products can be laid directly over the ribbon, although some manufacturers specify a thin, low-resistance underlay. However, thinner or more flexible LVT, the floppier, less rigid products, will need a suitable overlay board to provide stability and prevent movement, distortion or joint failure as the floor heats and cools. Always follow the flooring manufacturer's installation requirements.
But by this point, you're probably cheaper just going with laminate
Flexible sheet vinyl and glue-down LVT need a smooth, solid surface.
The heatpak over board is not screed or self-levelling compound.
It is a dry protective layer, so there is no wet installation and no curing time.
The adhesive used with glue-down LVT must also be approved for use with underfloor heating.
The important point is that ribbon works beneath laminate, engineered wood and LVT. And most the time you don't need anything on top of the ribbon because of its operating temperature
This is one of the main advantages of the ribbon system.
Homeowners are not automatically restricted to tile or forced into a deep screeded floor construction.
The same ribbon technology can be incorporated beneath different flooring types with very little added floor height.
It also operates at 150 watts per square metre.
When at least 70 per cent of the floor area is covered, and the room and flooring are suitable, it can be designed as the primary heating for that room.
That means the system is not simply installed to remove the cold feeling from the surface.
The intention is to use the available floor as a broad heat source that warms the room above it.
So, can underfloor heating go beneath LVT, laminate and engineered wood?
Yes.
The Eko Build ribbon system is 1.8 millimetres thick and can be installed beneath all three without a traditional screed or wet floor construction.
Laminate and engineered wood normally float over the ribbon with a suitable underlay.
Click LVT can often float directly above it, while sheet vinyl and glue-down LVT normally require a thin, dry overlay board.
With compatible flooring, correct temperature control and at least 70 per cent floor coverage, ribbon underfloor heating can also provide the primary heating for the room.
The complete installation diagrams for LVT, laminate and engineered wood are available on the Eko Build website.
Price your laminate room
Draw the room in the free Room Designer and it works out the Ribbon layout, the coverage against the at least 70% threshold and the price.
Underfloor heating under laminate FAQs
Can you put underfloor heating under laminate?
Yes. Laminate floats over the Ribbon with no screed and no self-leveller. The Ribbon is 1.8mm and the whole build-up comes to about 15mm with a 9mm laminate.
How long does laminate take to warm up?
The Ribbon itself is producing heat in about 3 minutes, and warmth comes through laminate or wood in 15 to 20 minutes.
Does laminate need to be rated for underfloor heating?
Check the board, but the Ribbon operates at 27 to 28°C, averaging about 27°C with 24 to 25°C at the surface, which is well inside the limit manufacturers set. No floor surface should exceed 27 to 28°C.
Do I need screed under laminate?
No. The Ribbon is a dry system. No screed, no self-levelling compound, no overboard and no drying time.
Can it be my only heating?
Yes, at 150W per m² with at least 70% floor coverage in a suitable room. Below 70% it is a supplementary heat source, and we spec an infrared panel to make up the gap