Thermal performance analysis according to wood flooring structure for energy conservation in radiant floor heating systems

The aim of this study was to reduce energy consumption, especially heating, in buildings. Improvements in the thermal conductivity of wood flooring, which was considered to decrease heating between floors and the indoor areas, were investigated. Wood flooring components such as solid-wood, high-density fiberboard (HDF), adhesives and polyethylene generally exhibit low thermal conductivity. The thermal conductivity and transfer performance of 21 replicates of wood flooring materials generally used in Korea were measured. The thermal conductivity was measured by using the guarded hot plate method. The thermal conductivities differed according to the structure of the floorings. Laminate wood flooring exhibited the highest thermal conductivity because of its high density and thin layers compared to the other floorings. The thermal transfer performance differed according to the installation method. The floating installation method exhibited a lower thermal transfer speed than the adhesion installation method because of its air layers and polyethylene form.