Derrick walked into our Plymouth showroom with a simple goal: real wood floors in the home he was building in Andover. The complication was underfoot, because the main level was a concrete slab with in-floor radiant heat, and that rules out traditional three-quarter-inch solid hardwood.
He was building with a general contractor but wanted to source the flooring himself, so he came to us to compare samples across three different materials at once. Along with wood for the main level, he needed carpet for the kids' bedrooms and a hard surface for the upstairs laundry room. The slab, the radiant heat, and the builder's schedule all shaped what we could recommend, and we walked him through the tradeoffs on each before anything was ordered from our Flooring Options.
Key Takeaways
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THE CHALLENGE
A slab-on-grade Andover home with in-floor radiant heat couldn't take the solid hardwood the homeowner originally wanted.
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THE INSTALL
We glued Hallmark Malibu European white oak direct to the slab with Taylor Ridgeline adhesive, used a glue-assist install upstairs, and added LVT and carpet on later trips.
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THE RESULT
A light white oak main level over the radiant system, plus a laundry room that meets the hallway wood flush with no transition strip.
Engineered hardwood made sense here because its layered construction handles slab moisture and heat cycling better than solid wood, and the product we used is approved for glue-down over radiant systems. Derrick didn't come in knowing that, so the conversation started with education rather than samples. Once he understood why the slab and boiler changed the material list, he picked a light European white oak he loved from our Flooring Showroom and we built the rest of the house around it.
Project Summary
| Client Profile: |
Derrick, a homeowner building a new construction house |
| Project Location: |
Andover, Minnesota (Twin Cities metro) |
| Primary Objective: |
Get real wood on a slab with in-floor heat, starting with honest Material Selection in the showroom. |
| Flooring Installed: |
Hallmark Malibu European white oak glued direct to the slab through our Hardwood Floor Installation crews, with Mannington ADURA Flex LVT and Dixie Home carpet in supporting rooms. |
| Key Outcome: |
Three phased trips that fit the builder's schedule, and a flush wood-to-LVT doorway with no transition strip. |
Slab, Radiant Heat and Hardwood
The main level was poured concrete with in-floor heat as the home's heat source, which is a combination that works against solid wood in two directions. Moisture moves up out of a slab, and radiant heat dries wood from underneath. Solid three-quarter-inch material sitting in that environment is asking for movement.
Derrick and his wife didn't have much background on what a slab-on-grade home with in-floor heat requires, so we explained it before showing product. Engineered hardwood uses a stable layered core under a real wood wear layer, which is why it can be glued direct to concrete and used over an approved radiant system. The second story was a standard wood subfloor, so that area called for a different installation method than the main level.
Glue-Down Install and Phased Scheduling
On the main level we glued the Hallmark Malibu European white oak directly to the slab using Taylor Ridgeline adhesive, which handles the moisture coming out of concrete and holds up under the in-floor heat. Upstairs, over the wood subfloor, the same floor went down as a glue-assist install. The builder had the house ready on the day we were scheduled, so nothing slowed the wood install down.
★★★★★
"UB Hardwoods is competitively priced and they were easy to work with on my project. They showed up on time, the installation was smooth, and I couldn’t be happier with the final results." — Alex
We came back twice more rather than trying to do everything in one visit. The upstairs laundry room wasn't ready on the first trip, so that Mannington ADURA Flex in Basilica Statue went down later as a glue-down Vinyl Floor Installation, and the Dixie Home Nature's Glen carpet in White Pine was saved for the end so the kids' bedrooms weren't being walked on by other trades. Scheduling Carpet Installation Services last on a new build is one of the easiest ways to have fresh floors on move-in day.
How the Andover Floors Turned Out
The detail Derrick noticed most wasn't the wood species — it was the laundry room doorway. Because the engineered hardwood sat higher than the LVT would on its own, we added half-inch plywood under the vinyl to bring the two surfaces level. You walk from the upstairs hall into the laundry room on one continuous plane with no transition strip underfoot.
With the wood glued down over the radiant system, we handed off the manufacturer documentation and warranty information so the floor stays covered. Most engineered products are rated to roughly 70 degrees at the boiler, and the heat should be brought up slowly in the fall rather than switched on all at once. Derrick was thrilled with how the whole package came together, and he told us he was glad he'd decided to work with UB Hardwoods.
Building? Let's Talk Floors Early
We've installed a lot of wood over concrete and radiant heat around the Twin Cities, and we know how to phase a new-construction job so our crews stay out of the builder's way. Our installers are trained, in-house employees, not subcontractors, which keeps the same team accountable from selection through the last room.
Planning a new build or remodel in Andover and wondering what will actually work over your slab? Stop by the showroom or Schedule Estimate with us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you install hardwood over in-floor radiant heat on a slab in Andover, MN?
Not traditional three-quarter-inch solid hardwood, but engineered hardwood can go over radiant heat on a slab. The engineered core is more dimensionally stable, and with the right adhesive it can be glued directly to concrete. The specific product still has to be approved by its manufacturer for radiant installation.
Can I buy flooring outside my builder on a new construction home?
Yes, and that's exactly how this Andover project worked. Derrick had most of the house built by his general contractor and sourced the flooring through us, so we coordinated our dates around the builder's schedule. We made three separate trips — wood first, laundry room LVT once that space was ready, and carpet at the end.
How do I protect an engineered floor over radiant heat?
Keep the boiler within the temperature the manufacturer allows, which for most engineered products is around 70 degrees. Running hotter than that risks damaging the floor from below. Bring the system up gradually in the fall instead of turning it on all at once, and hold onto the documentation we provide so the manufacturer warranty stays intact.