First determine if your board is mostly flatsawn f s or quartersawn q s.
Thermal coefficients of hardwood floors.
If used on a higher floor in a multi story structure insulation between the floor of one room and the ceiling of the room below plays an important.
Based on the dimensional stability parameters in astm f1700 which is the solid vinyl lvt standard the maximum allowable coefficient of linear thermal expansion is 0 0000156.
K l length m q total heat transfer watt q heat flux w m2 r thermal resistance t temperature c or k tf builk fluid temperature c or k t surface temperature c or k u thermal transmittance vm total volume of material vp non solid volume.
Astm f710 provides installation guidelines for acceptance of hardwood flooring using alciumchloride testing.
Few boards are entirely one or the other.
Where k conductivity.
To better understand what this means for flooring let s imagine an area where a 48 long astm f1700 compliant lvt plank is installed.
B k р c.
Thermal properties substrate and ambient air temperatures must not exceed 85 f 29 4 c.
When getting readings over 3lbs and up to 7lbs you must use a vapor retarder.
K coefficient of thermal conductivity w m.
C specific heat.
The storage area must be clean dry and temperature controlled.
These recommendations should also be followed in schools where children often play directly on the floor.
Technical manual for interior flooring products 08 10 12 lonseal sheet vinyl flooring and related installation products.
One method of describing the influence of flooring on bare feet is by using the contact coefficient b which integrates flooring characteristics into a numerical value written as.
To save energy flooring materials with a low contact coefficient cork wood carpets radiant heated floors or floor heating systems can be used to eliminate the desire for higher ambient temperatures caused by cold feet.
Dimensional change coefficient a number that reflects how much a certain species of wood will change in width.
Other factors include the underlayment and subfloor plus adhesives and sealants used during installation.
Typical limit for direct glue down wood flooring is 3lbs 1000sf 24hr.
Note how the higher the contact coefficient of the floor the more effective it will be at drawing heat out of the feet.