Should I be concerned about wood floors above woodstove?

[Tom Rupp]

Hi,

I'm planning to install a woodstove in my basement but concerned it could damage the hardwood flooring upstairs above the stove, the floor is classic red oak flooring. The room I'm installing the stove in doesnt have a finished ceiling just the joists and the subfloor.

 

[bholler]

Hi,

I'm planning to install a woodstove in my basement but concerned it could damage the hardwood flooring upstairs above the stove, the floor is classic red oak flooring. The room I'm installing the stove in doesnt have a finished ceiling just the joists and the subfloor.

How would a stove damage them

 

[Tom Rupp]

The woodstove be directly below and heat would radiate up causing them to heat up and possibly dry out. Hoping it wont be an issue

 

[bigealta]

You will most likely have warmed floors above the stove. Ah that's a good thing.
I have the same deal with the second floor here. Warmed 8" wide pine floors are so nice.

 

[EatenByLimestone]

The wood will dry out. Depending on how the board is sawn, this could make the board open gaps on each side. After heating season, the board will return to equilibrium with the environment and return to the original size.

 

[begreen]

The wood will dry out. Depending on how the board is sawn, this could make the board open gaps on each side. After heating season, the board will return to equilibrium with the environment and return to the original size.

It may, if the basement is very hot, but not if the hot air has an easy path out to upstairs. The subfloor will act as a barrier.

 

[PA452]

Interested in this as well, but more concerned with the floor joists above my basement stove. I think someone told me to be cautious about the stove drying out those floor joists above it but I don't know the validity of that concern.

 

[cahaak]

There is not an issue if structural lumber dries out. In practice, the ceiling isn't going to get above 80-85 F for a normal installation. Wood flooring does change size in response to humidity levels, so ideally you keep them in a reasonable range, 35-65% RH.

 

[peakbagger]

I have a large hardwood floor with open joist bays and plywood subfloor. Its is mix of 3" wide oak and ash sitting on rosin paper. Every board is 12" long (or shorter) and laid out straight as well as a herringbone pattern around the edges, therefore its well nailed down. The wood does expand and contract a bit but no issues except for a slight gaps in winter. If I go away for a few days in cold weather and the boiler is not being run and in the fall when I start using the boiler and heating up the basement, I will hear the floor shifting around when I am first walking on it. The sound is best described as a light "crinkle". Once its been walked on the noise stops. I was pretty careful to leave expansion and contraction gaps around the edges when I installed it.