Thermal conductivity of wooden floors in the context of underfloor heating system applications

Abstract

Wood, as a traditional flooring material, has fairly low thermal conductivity; hence achieving heat resistance at a level ensuring good heat transfer from the heating system to the room is very important. This can be achieved by selecting the right materials or by applying appropriate design solutions. Determining properties associated with heat transport for construction products usually involves determining the heat transfer coefficients of building envelopes in the context of thermal insulation. However, in the case of buildings with underfloor heating the expectations are reversed – flooring elements should have good thermal conductivity, i.e. low thermal resistance (below 0.15 m2 K/W). This condition was satisfied by almost all tested types of floorings. On comparison of the test results with the calculations, it was found that the calculated values of thermal resistance were lower than the experimental values, which may suggest that in relation to use on underfloor heating the calculated values imply better properties than are achieved in practice.