Parquet flooring on sand bed with hydronic underfloor heating

[EJHermansson]

Hello!

I was about to start tearing out the old parquet floor to lay a new one when I noticed it seems to be on a sand bed. This concerns a townhouse and the downstairs area.
We also have water-based underfloor heating throughout the floor on this level. I guess it sits in the sand bed?
The existing parquet is straight and doesn't flex, although it's slightly cracked in some seams.

What should be done to proceed, tear out and lay new parquet in the same way.
Lay new parquet on top of the existing one. (Should you lay it in the same direction or crosswise?)
Remove the sand and insulate in another way?

I welcome all suggestions. I also have the kitchen on this floor if there's anything to consider with the weight of the fridge/freezer etc. when it's like this?

Best regards,
Johan

 

[GoC]

Do nothing at all or lay new across the old. Least amount of work and it will work.
Or you can tear everything out, use leveling compound, and lay a new floor if you want to incur lots of costs and work. Why should everything old and functioning be torn out?

 

[EJHermansson]

Do nothing at all or lay new flooring across the old one. Least work and it will function. Or tear everything out, use leveling compound and lay a new floor if you want to incur lots of costs and work. Why should everything old that works be ripped out?

No, I don't think all the old should be removed if it can be kept. Prefer to lay it on top to avoid tearing out and all the work with the substrate.

Mostly interested in knowing if it works like that so you don't lose too much heat from the floor heating and which direction is smartest to lay it.

 

[Allmänobildad]

Of course, you will lose efficiency from the heating coils, corresponding to the extra thickness. There are definitely tables and formulas to calculate how much the loss will be.
Is the old parquet so bad that a sanding is not sufficient as a measure?

 

[EJHermansson]

Of course, you will lose efficiency from the heating coils corresponding to the additional thickness. There are guaranteed tables and formulas to calculate how much the loss will be. Is the old parquet so bad that sanding it isn't enough?

I'll have to find one of those, thanks! Yes, unfortunately it is. Our first thought was to sand and treat it, but after talking to a few different flooring companies, we were recommended to install new flooring.

 

[GoC]

If you lay 7mm veneer flooring, you have at least laid a floor that provides minimal insulation.