Before installation
Contents
1. Is it possible to achieve a sufficiently high room temperature through thick solid wooden planks Answer A room temperature of approximately 20 C is easily achievable Of course this requires that the building is correctly insulated and that you follow the advice and recommendations in Dinesen s instructions In older buildings with inadequate insulation it will often be necessary to have a supplementary heat source 10 11 12 22 Is the energy consumption higher with solid floors than with 15 mm engineered wood flooring Answer As wood has insulating properties a certain heat loss should be expected through the construction Therefore when the heat has to pass through a thicker layer there will be a higher heat loss A thick floor therefore requires a higher flow temperature to achieve the same surface temperature as a thin engineered wood floor However this does not lead to a significantly higher energy consumption Does the energy consumption go up when the flow temperature is raised Answer The first time the water is heated to 45 C instead of 35 C it uses slightly more energy but in subsequent use it makes no difference This is because the energy consumption depends exclusively on the difference between the flow and return temperature Why is it important to start the underfloor heating up gradually Answer The wood needs to adapt to the temperature changes gradually If the change is too rapid the wo2. 22 35 mm Douglas 0 035 0 13 0 27 22 mm Oak 0 022 0 17 0 13 30 mm Oak 0 030 0 17 0 18 As shown in the examples above the thickness of the floor affects its insulation ability The thicker the floor the better the insulation Therefore you may have to set a higher flow temperature to achieve a suitable surface temperature The impact on energy consumption is minimal The difference in energy consumption between a tile floor and a solid floor with 28 mm thick planks is max 5 10 And the difference in energy consumption between floors with 28 versus 35 mm Douglas planks is at most a few percent See also section 4 1 3 4 1 3 Heating requirement When designing private homes the goal is typically to ensure a room temperature of 20 21 C in the winter Over the years insulation requirements have gone up considerably and this is reflected in the energy consumption of private homes The energy consumption for heating in modern buildings will be 35 45 W m compared to 45 75 W m in older buildings Therefore you should carry out a formal assessment of the actual heating requirement of the building The surface temperature of a plank floor must never exceed 27 C and the surface can therefore not emit more than 75 W m The surface temperature in a well insulated house will typically need to be 2 C above the desired room temperature The less effective the insulation the higher the surface temperature will need to be 4 1
3. In the winter months the electrical underfloor heating must be switched on all the time to provide basic heating for the house It may be an advantage to combine electrical underfloor heating with radiators Electrical underfloor heating is installed by a carpenter and an electrician Constructions 4 31 Underfloor heating in concrete The heating coils are tied onto a mesh and embedded in a 10 cm thick layer of concrete on top of the insulation The construction is simple and only requires that the heating coils are closely attached to the mesh The surface of the concrete floor must be level with a maximum deviation of 2 mm measured across a 2 metre straightedge The concrete moisture must not exceed 85 RH and a vapour barrier must be used Insulation must conform to the building code 4 3 1 1 Directly on concrete with heating coils Place a sound absorbing vapour barrier on top of the concrete Dinesen recommends Platon Stop Make sure that the vapour barrier is impenetrable to irregularities in the concrete Fasten the floor planks directly to the concrete with a Dinesen screw and Dinesen rawlplug as described in Dinesen s Installation instructions Make sure to push the planks firmly into the substructure You should be aware that this type of floor is relatively hard to walk on and is therefore generally less comfortable than other installation types Installing the floor directly on the concrete layer requires knowing exactly wh
4. from Dinesen provides a firm foundation To ensure the high level of quality and careful processing every plank passes through 10 pairs of hands on its way through the production process Generally we always recommend the thicker planks They are more stable have a deeper sound and last a generation or two longer Dinesen planks are always delivered unfinished and after installation the floor must be sanded and finished This gives you the opportunity to choose the finish that matches your expectations of the floor It is important to consider the advantages and disadvantages of the various finishes carefully You can read more about this in Dinesen s After installation instructions The properties of wood Wood is a hygroscopic material which absorbs and emits moisture from the surrounding materials Wood will always adapt to an equilibrium level of humidity in relation to the temperature and the relative humidity of the air When delivered Dinesen planks are dried to a moisture content of 8 10 This corresponds to a relative air humidity RH of 40 50 If the air humidity decreases the wood will emit moisture and shrink in width which results in contraction gaps Contraction gaps will always appear in winter and at this stage the floor has its most beautiful appearance Generally however the goal should be to prevent the air humidity from dropping below 35 RH Below is an overview of the reaction of the floor planks to vary
5. of humidity in relation to the temperature and the relative humidity of the air When delivered Dinesen planks are dried to a moisture content of 8 10 This corresponds to a relative air humidity RH of 40 50 If the air humidity decreases the wood will emit moisture and shrink in width which results in contraction gaps The higher the surface temperature the lower the air humidity just above the floor and the more the wood will contract Contraction gaps will always appear in winter and at this stage the floor has its most beautiful appearance Generally however the goal should be to prevent the air humidity from dropping below 35 RH cf Table 1 The capacity of a material to conduct heat is called its thermal conductivity w m k For plank floors the thermal conductivity depends on the density of the wood kg m Therefore Oak has a slightly better thermal conductivity than Douglas 12 The thermal conductivity is used to calculate the thermal resistance Guideline values for thermal resistance Wood type Thermal resistance Oak 0 17 Douglas 0 13 Thermal resistance is calculated based on the thickness of a material divided by its thermal conductivity Thus thermal resistance reflects the insulation ability and is normally labelled R thickness thermal conductivity Thermal resistance calculation examples Thickness and variant Formula and result R 28 mm Douglas 0 028 0 13 0
6. the conductivity of heat RSS 7775 yyvywyyyw yw dv vV _ TT_ Floor plank Cardboard E EAS RE Vapour barrier oe ee O mee 4 3 2 Underfloor heating with heat emission plates Underfloor heating with heat emission plates provides a very responsive underfloor heating construction and a pleasant floor to walk on All in all it is a very comfortable solution 16 4 3 2 1 Heat emission plates on laths on top of joists The floor planks are laid in the same direction as the joists We recommend installing the planks lengthwise in the building With this solution you therefore need to install the joists lengthwise so that the laths can be laid across the joists Install the joists at approximately 60 cm intervals with insulation in between On top of the joists install a layer of planed 21 x 100 28 x 120 mm laths at approximately 30 mm intervals to make room for the grooves in the heat emission plates Next install the heat emission plates fastening them with nails on one side After installing the heating coils lay out grey flooring cardboard 400 g m and fasten the floor planks to the laths with screws Pay attention to the placement of the coils Floor plank aa OO DS TT Flooring cardboard Heat emission plate Lath Heating coil Joist Vapour barrier Concrete Figure 3 Cross section heat emission plats on laths on top of joists 4 3 2 2 Heat emission plates on laths between joists T
7. time and sanding and re finishing the floor may be sufficient Measuring residual humidity When installing a Dinesen floor make sure that the residual humidity in the concrete does not exceed 85 RH It is difficult to carry out an accurate measurement of concrete moisture and surface hygrometers are not nearly accurate enough You need to measure the moisture content in the middle of the concrete layer This may be done by placing a sensor in a hole drilled into the concrete After some time the sensor achieves moisture equilibrium with the concrete and the relative humidity can be determined A more accurate measuring is to carve a piece of concrete out of the middle of the concrete layer and carry out a humidity test in a laboratory The finding of this test is documented in a humidity report which can serve as part of the contractor s quality assurance process A humidity measurement is a very cost efficient insurance that may save the contractor and the client substantial costs 10 3 8 3 9 Liability and warranty The responsibility for drying the concrete is often in a grey zone which means that no one feels ultimately responsible Client and contractor need to agree who is responsible and agree not to install the floor before Dinesen s requirements are met Expansions warping and other deformation of the floor planks due to high levels of humidity are not covered by Dinesen s warranty Change of delivery time Be realisti
8. 4 Heat loss If the building has insufficient insulation there may be days when underfloor heating alone cannot provide the desired room temperature There is a considerable heat loss through floors walls ceilings and windows The building code contains requirements to insulation effectiveness the so called U value which buildings must conform to 13 4 2 The U value for a ground floor with underfloor heating must not exceed 0 10 That typically requires insulation with at least 300 mm polystyrene The U value for heat loss through the foundations with underfloor heating must not exceed 0 12 Heat loss through the foundation has a considerable impact on heat energy consumption You also need to consider thermal bridges and leaks The building code also states U values for external walls ceilings windows outer doors etc Heat loss through windows regardless of the type of glazing far exceeds heat loss through walls and the size of the glazed area will therefore have a major impact on the total heat loss Note that the placement of windows in relation to the points of the compass open areas or the sea may cause above average heat loss just as cold downdraughts from windows can be substantial This should be countered with convectors along windows that go all the way to the floor The convectors can also be used to draw heat into the room quickly Convector grids can be made in the same wood as the floor to achieve a beautiful architect
9. Instructions Before installation Hp TT i Um da KUH DID y ep PU W V DDD DP 4 y RIE YA OH Fi 0101 van Ih y ji un HN pt A NM i area Y i gt UA ma w N M y Y M M 0 I TI Ny plug HN I Vy Ue lf a N COZZA oi IG Dinesen N April 2014 A Dinesen floor is a unique piece of nature It is a living material which must be treated with care Our instructions explain in detail how you get the best result so the floor can last for centuries If you need any additional advice about Dinesen floors you are very welcome to contact us To order and purchase products in the maintenance series please go to webshop dinesen com Contents 1 1 1 2 1 3 1 3 2 3 3 3 4 3 5 3 6 3 7 3 8 3 9 41 4 2 4 3 4 4 5 1 74 7 2 A solid plank floor The properties of wood How to succeed General requirements for humidity and climate Humidity Humidity and plank floors Air humidity Construction humidity Drying of concrete Humidity in the substructure Damage Measuring residual humidity Liability and warranty Change of delivery time Underfloor heating under Dinesen floors Conditions Types of underfloor heating Constructions Test start up and use Pitfalls Dinesen recommends FAQ General guidance Dinesen instructions Literature 12 12 14 15 19 20 20 21 23 23 23 11 A solid plank floor A solid plank floor
10. adapt to 6 which means that it contracts The underfloor heating does not in itself lead to larger contraction gaps The higher the surface temperature the larger the contraction gaps You should expect the planks to contract by an average of approximately 1 in width cf Table 1 Does underfloor heating cause more warping Answer With seasonal variations floor planks will warp slightly That is the nature of wood it occurs regardless of underfloor heating and is of no concern Significant warping only occurs if there are problems with humidity levels in the building or if the construction humidity has not been fully eliminated before the floor planks were installed Does underfloor heating make the wood creak Answer If you follow Dinesen s recommendations for temperature and air humidity underfloor heating will not make the floors creaky Creaking often occurs because the joists are too wet the joists are placed too far apart or the blocking up of the joists is not good enough However large variations in temperature or air humidity can temporarily cause individual planks to creak slightly Why must the surface temperature not exceed 27 C Answer A temperature above 27 C will not be pleasant If the temperature exceeds 27 C the air humidity can drop below 30 RH which depletes the wood and may cause cracks and scratches If the building is properly insulated a surface temperature above 27 C will never be necessary
11. and fasten floor planks to the chipboard with screws Pay attention to the placement of the coils con Floor plank Flooring cardboard Heat emission plate Heating coil Underfloor heating chipboard Vapour barrier Concrete Figure 7 Longitudinal section underfloor heating chipboard on concrete 18 4 3 3 Underfloor heating plates Underfloor heating plates are used in an underfloor heating system where polystyrene will establish an insulating layer directly on the levelled sand layer For example lay out a layer of polystyrene that is 250 mm thick On top of this lay out a vapour barrier and a layer of 50 x 50 mm joists at 60 cm intervals In between the joists lay a 25 mm layer of polystyrene and on top of that 25 mm underfloor heating plates tracked polystyrene plates with aluminium heat emission plates with room for heating coils After installing the heating coils lay out grey flooring cardboard 400 g m and fasten the floor planks to the joists with screws ZE ZA ZE T F oor plank u u IA 4 4 Flooring cardboard Joist Underfloor heating plate Heating coil Polystyrene plate Vapour barrier Polystyrene plate EH Levelled sand Test start up and use Start up the underfloor heating slowly and gradually It is important that the plumber pressure tests the system to make sure there are no leaks that the coils match the room specifications and that the thermostats are working The u
12. because a large volume of concrete has to be heated before the heat reaches the plank floor Heavy underfloor heating therefore makes it harder to control the room temperature than light underfloor heating The benefit of heavy underfloor heating is that the construction of the floor is simple and that the heating system can be used to dry out the concrete floor Heavy underfloor heating is installed by a mason and a plumber 4 2 2 Light underfloor heating Light underfloor heating is based on heat emission plates in aluminium where the heating coils are placed in curved grooves The heat emission plates are placed just underneath the plank floor and because aluminium is a good thermal conductor the heat is quickly distributed throughout the floor surface Aluminium responds quickly to changes in the demand for heating so the room temperature will feel more stable than with heavy underfloor heating The construction is slightly more complicated but provides a more pleasant floor to walk on as the substructure is usually a joist construction Light underfloor heating is installed by a carpenter and a plumber 4 2 3 Electrical underfloor heating Electrical underfloor heating is typically constructed with heat cables distributed in a joist construction As with the other types of underfloor heating the surface temperature must not exceed 27 C The cost of electricity should be included in considerations to install electrical underfloor heating
13. c in your assessment of the drying time for the concrete At Dinesen we will remind you of the importance of concrete moisture and we will only reluctantly deliver the planks before the building is dry Instead we offer to postpone production and delivery and normally we also have the storage capacity to store the planks until the conditions are right 11 41 Underfloor heating under Dinesen floors Dinesen recommends installing underfloor heating under Dinesen floors as a comfortable and durable solution About 80 of our projects are established with underfloor heating Dinesen has years of experience with underfloor heating under solid floors and it is an unproblematic solution provided you adhere to the conditions described below In principle water based underfloor heating is simply a plastic coil that is embedded in the floor construction Sending hot water through the coil heats up the construction and thus the room Depending on the building s insulation it may be necessary to use supplementary heat sources in the form of radiators a heat recovery system or a wood burning stove If the underfloor heating is to be the only heat source the total heat loss from the room must be less than the heat emitted by the floor surface That requires a formal energy or heat loss assessment especially in older buildings or in connection with renovation projects Even if the building lives up to the insulation requirements in the buildin
14. e requirements in this instruction manual and verifying this is your responsibility If any of the conditions are not met this must be rectified before the planks are installed Dinesen recommends 20 Light underfloor heating with heat emission plates provides the shortest response time and the easiest temperature control Make sure the building conforms to the U value requirements in the current building code at any given time Install convectors in front of windows that go all the way to the floor Always start up the underfloor heating system slowly and gradually FAQ 21 Will underfloor heating result in more cracks and similar damages Answer If the air humidity is kept between 30 and 60 RH underfloor heating will not result in cracks etc If the surface temperature of the floor exceeds 27 C it will bring the air humidity under 30 which may deplete the wood and cause cracks Low air humidity and inadequate care and maintenance can cause minor cracks Does underfloor heating mean larger contraction gaps Answer Wood will always strive for an equilibrium moisture level in relation to the air in the environment Dinesen floors have been dried to 8 10 and regardless of underfloor heating they will contract in the winter when the air humidity is low With an interior air humidity between 40 and 45 RH the wood will adapt to a moisture content of 8 wood humidity If the air humidity drops to 30 RH the wood will
15. ere the heating coils are placed to avoid drilling or screwing into them 15 Sinking screws into concrete is more time consuming than other types of installation An alternative option is to use full surface gluing to install the planks on the concrete cf Dinesen s Installation instructions and the supplementary Full surface gluing instructions PRESSE LL LL LLL AZ Floor plank A es ge 3 pe ne a e e Mero barrier o KJE ee oe KR Concrete Heating coil o e e o e 4 3 1 2 Plywood chipboard on concrete with heating coils On concrete floors always use a vapour barrier of at least 0 20 mm PE foil with 20 cm taped overlay Let the vapour barrier continue up the wall and cut it off behind the skirting board Make sure that the vapour barrier is impenetrable to irregularities in the concrete Lay out grey flooring cardboard 400 g m on at least 22 mm plywood or chipboard The planks are installed with hidden screws or screwed from above as described in Dinesen s Installation instructions The advantage of this type of installation is that it is relatively simple In addition the solution ensures an effective separation between the concrete and the wood construction Due to the thickness of the planks the flow temperature needs to be slightly higher but as mentioned above this only has a marginal impact on the heat energy consumption as long as there are no cavities or irregularities that may block
16. g code for example in a new building the conditions listed below should still be considered in the decision making process Conditions 4 1 1 Humidity and underfloor heating Regardless of whether the floor has underfloor heating concrete moisture will always be very harmful for a plank floor It is very important to ensure that the humidity content of the concrete does not exceed 85 RH If heating coils have been embedded in the concrete the underfloor heating should be switched on after 30 days when the concrete has hardened Even in the warmest summer and with high outdoor temperatures the underfloor heating should be switched on at an acceptable temperature for at least 1 month before the floor is installed and you must always check the concrete moisture before installing the floor Dinesen recommends a destructive measurement of concrete moisture An indicative surface measurement for example a GANN measurement is not accurate enough If the underfloor heating is not switched on the residual humidity will not leave the concrete until after the floor is installed and the heat is switched on that may cause severe damage to the floor A vapour barrier should always be installed on top of the dry concrete floor 4 1 2 The properties of the floor with underfloor heating As mentioned before wood is a hygroscopic material which absorbs and emits moisture from the surrounding materials Wood will always adapt to an equilibrium level
17. he floor planks are laid across the joists This construction can be used on a tier of beams or a new tier of joists with a cc distance of 60 cm Place insulation in between the joists Install at least 45 x 45 mm planed battens fillets at 60 cm intervals between the joists Recess them so the top of the laths is level with the top of the joists Lay out a layer of planed 21 28 x 120 95 mm laths at approximately 30 50 mm intervals to make room for the grooves of the heat emission plates Install the heat emission plates and fasten them with a nail on one side After installing the heating coils lay out grey flooring cardboard 400 g m and fasten the floor planks to the joists Pay attention to the placement of the coils Floor plank Flooring cardboard Heat emission plate Lath Heating coil Batten fillet Joist Insulation Vapour barrier Concrete Figure 4 Longitudinal section heat emission plates on laths between joists 4 3 2 3 Self supporting heat emission plates on joists Install the joists with a cc distance of 60 cm with insulation in between Install the self supporting heat emission plates directly on the joists nailed onto the plates through the steel bands that run across After installing the heating coils lay out grey flooring cardboard 400 g m lay out the floor planks across the joists and fasten the planks to the joists with screws 17 Floor plank i Flooring cardboard Heat emission plate Heat emissio
18. ing degrees of air humidity at a normal temperature of 18 25 C The recommended intervals and tolerances in air humidity are highlighted in grey The overview applies to a correctly installed floor cf the guidelines in this and the other instructions from Dinesen and the information is only intended as a general guide Climate condition Reaction 60 70 RF Slight transverse warping should be expected 50 60 RF No contraction gaps slight warping should be expected 40 50 RF The floor planks are stable and level 30 40 RF Moderate contraction gaps approximately 1 of plank width and slight warping should be expected 20 30 RF Contraction gaps of 1 of the width or more and moderate transverse warping should be expected There will also be minor drying cracks lt 20 RF More pronounced transverse warping and drying cracks will appear The floor will be depleted and the lifetime of the planks will be reduced 21 How to succeed Consider the humidity factor throughout from the design stage to construction Let the humidity factor play a decisive role from the beginning and never allow yourself to be pressured into installing floors under conditions where the humidity presents a problem Always make sure to measure the moisture content of the concrete prior to installation All work that might add moisture to the construction such as masonry work and basic paint work must be finished prior t
19. n plate Heating coil Joist Insulation Vapour barrier Concrete Figure 5 Longitudinal section self supporting heat emission plates on joists 4 3 2 4 Underfloor heating chipboard on joists 22 mm floor heating chipboard can be installed on top of an insulated layer of joists with a cc distance of max 60 cm Grooves have been prepared in the chipboard for the heat plates and 16 or 17 mm heating coils Lay out grey flooring cardboard 400 gr m and fasten the floor planks to the chipboard with a screw Pay attention to the placement of the heating coils LLL LL LIL LL LL LL LI LI LL LALA LALALA LIZ Floor plank O Flooring cardboard n Heat emission plate Heating coil Underfloor heating chipboard Joist Vapour barrier Concrete Figure 6 Longitudinal section underfloor heating chipboard on joists 4 3 2 5 Underfloor heating chipboard on concrete The surface of the concrete floor must be level with a maximum deviation of 2 mm measured across a 2 metre straightedge The concrete moisture must not exceed 85 RH and a vapour barrier must be used On the dry and straight concrete floor place a 22 mm underfloor heating chipboard on top of a vapour barrier of at least 0 20 mm PE foil with 20 cm taped overlay Let the vapour barrier continue up the wall and cut it off behind the skirting board Make sure that the vapour barrier is impenetrable to irregularities in the concrete Lay out grey flooring cardboard 400 g m
20. o the installation of the floor For the vapour barrier use at least 0 20 mm PE foil or similar The building must be dry and without construction humidity in accordance with Dinesen s humidity guidelines Never have the floor planks delivered until the building is sealed off dry and warm and the humidity levels are under control Place a good hygrometer in the building and keep an eye on the humidity level The building must be at an equilibrium with the season s mean humidity A digital hygrometer can be purchased from Dinesen Check document and conform to the values in Table 2 General requirements for humidity and climate Measuring point Level Room temperature 18 25 C Room humidity 35 65 RH Concrete moisture content Max 85 RH when a vapour barrier is used If you leave out the vapour barrier the residual moisture content must be less than 65 RH NB 85 RH corresponds to approximately 2 0 CM depending on the type of concrete etc Be aware of any restrictions in the national standard requirements Humidity in joists beams Max 10 12 Humidity in plywood chipboard Max 8 10 Vapour barrier Min 0 20 mm PE foil 3 1 3 2 3 3 Humidity Humidity should be one of the main focal points in connection with the design planning and installation of a solid Dinesen plank floor Humidity and plank floors Much construction work requires proper drying and materials such as pla
21. od may warp That applies both to the first start up after installation and to any subsequent start ups for the winter season What are the benefits of using an oil finish in connection with underfloor heating Answer Oil seals the surface and preserves the natural moisture content of the wood which helps prevent the plank floor from drying out Can I use lye and soap on Douglas in connection with underfloor heating Answer Yes It is important however to pay attention to the state of the floor and to clean it in accordance with Dinesen s recommendations The floor needs moisture soap as well as correct maintenance to avoid tiny depletion cracks in the wood surface How does the room temperature affect energy consumption Answer If the room temperature is lowered from 22 C to 21 C you can save approximately 10 on your heating bill 71 7 2 General guidance Dinesen instructions Before installation Installation Full surface gluing After installation See also our detailed instruction videos concerning sanding finishing floor washing and maintenance on dinesen com The instruction videos are only to be seen as a supplement to our instructions Literature Treeinformation Tree 63 and Tree 64 traeinfo dk 23 Dinesen Klovtoftvej 2 Jels 6630 R dding Denmark 45 7455 2140 info dinesen com dinesen com
22. olystyrene base If the air humidity is kept at 50 RH and the temperature at 20 C it will take 3 4 months to achieve a concrete moisture level of 85 RH But often the temperature is lower and the air humidity considerably higher which makes it necessary to extend the drying period by several months Drying traditional concrete to a level of 85 RH should therefore be expected to be a very lengthy process that can easily last 4 6 months And even that can only be achieved if the building has been sealed off quickly to initiate the dehumidification process Humidity in the substructure Joists beams and substructures consisting of existing beams plywood or chipboard must be dry before the new floor is installed In renovation or restoration projects existing substructures made of planks or beams may have absorbed humidity during the construction period Always check the humidity of the substrate substructure before installing the new floor and make sure that it does not exceed 12 for joists beams and 10 for plywood chipboard and plank substructures cf Table 2 Damage Long term impact of humidity will cause the planks to warp and the gap between the floor and the wall will disappear In worst case scenarios walls joists etc may be dislocated when the planks expand When that happens it is probably necessary to re install or replace the floor With less severe humidity damage the warp will be fully or partially eliminated over
23. ser should also receive a user s manual and be given a thorough introduction to the operation of the system During the first week the flow temperature must not exceed 25 C After the first week it may be increased by max 5 C every other day until the required surface temperature has been reached If the flow temperature is raised too quickly the planks will warp Often the underfloor heating system is left on all year around since it is controlled by in room thermostats and therefore only uses energy when the thermostat reaches its pre set point 19 5 1 Pitfalls Always consider humidity when planning the project and before the planks are delivered Any damage that may occur is typically due to unintended high levels of humidity because humidity has not been a focal point Make sure to determine and agree who is responsible for the dehumidification etc during the construction process in order to prevent later complications Upon delivery always check that planks and accessories conform to order specifications in terms of quality quantity moisture content and appearance That makes it possible to rectify any shortcomings or misunderstandings right away Always carry the floor planks inside immediately after delivery never under any circumstance leave them outdoors Always check the straightness and the condition of the subfloor before beginning the installation It is absolutely crucial that the subfloor lives up to th
24. ster and wood suffer considerable damage if they are exposed to high levels of humidity Unfortunately those responsible for construction projects often compromise on the drying phase which results in severe damage Construction humidity is the cause of major delays as well as over expenditure but fortunately this is avoidable if humidity is included in the planning process from the design stage Make realistic timetables plan the dehumidification process and use the right type of concrete Air humidity If the air is fully saturated with steam the relative air humidity RH is 100 A relative air humidity of 50 means that the air contains 50 of the maximal amount humidity it can contain When it rains the relative air humidity exceeds 100 Air humidity depends in part on the building s location structure heating and ventilation The higher the temperature the more water the air can hold When cold outside air enters the building and warms up the air dries Dry air absorbs humidity from the plank This causes the plank to contract and in turn leads to contraction gaps between the planks The gaps appear when the air is driest and the lower the air humidity the larger the gaps See also Table 1 Construction humidity Concrete is a porous material and throughout its lifetime the concrete absorbs and releases moisture to and from its environment depending on the temperature and the humidity of the environment Concrete consis
25. tion and heat loss The real limitation is the surface temperature The surface temperature of the plank floor must not exceed 27 C as higher temperatures may severely damage the floor The room temperature is controlled by in room thermostats The thermostats turn the heat supply on or off to accommodate additional heat from people in the room the impact of sunlight lighting etc The thermostats are positioned in places unaffected by sunlight on interior walls 1 5 metres above the floor In room thermostats can be either cabled or wireless Types of underfloor heating Underfloor heating is typically water based The two main categories are heavy underfloor heating with coils embedded in concrete and light underfloor heating with coils in heat emission plates In rare cases electric underfloor heating is used 4 21 Heavy underfloor heating Heavy underfloor heating is based on heating coils embedded in concrete where the concrete distributes the heat to the entire floor surface The concrete has good thermal conductivity properties but the challenge is that the concrete accumulates 14 4 3 a great deal of heat and therefore responds slowly When there is a change in the heat supply due to sunlight or when there are many people in the room the concrete stays warm for a long time after the thermostat has turned off the heat supply When the need for heat arises again it takes a relatively long time to bring the temperature back up
26. ts of sand and pebbles held together by a paste of cement and water Concrete hardens and acquires its strength when the cement hydrates meaning that it reacts chemically with water and ina process producing heat it forms a binder that glues sand and pebbles together This process begins a couple of hours after the components are combined and is largely complete after 1 month During the hydration process the cement binds 25 of its weight in chemically bound water In addition the cement absorbs 15 of its weight in water Thus in total the hardening of the concrete floor consumes an amount of water corresponding to 40 of the weight of the cement The water that remains in the concrete after this process is complete is so called free water which has to evaporate from the concrete surface 3 4 3 5 3 6 8 7 Drying of concrete In simple terms the quality of the concrete can be expressed in the ratio of water to cement w c For example concrete that contains 150 litres of water and 215 kg of cement per m has a w c ratio of 0 70 Once the concrete has hardened about 64 litres of free water remain in the concrete Eliminating this water is a time consuming process which is highly dependent on the room temperature air humidity one or two sided drying the quality of the concrete the thickness of the concrete layer and the substrate A traditional concrete floor has a w c ratio of 0 65 and is often cast in a 100 mm layer on a p
27. ural solution The number of external walls in a room has a considerable impact on heat loss The more external walls the greater the heat loss Be particularly careful to calculate heat loss in small annexes that have three external walls and perhaps also have large window sections as the size of the thermally conducting floor surface affects the ability to heat up the room The area is reduced by kitchen units cupboards etc Rugs mats and runners also reduce the emission of heat and risks bringing the temperature under the rugs etc above the max level of 27 C Small rooms can therefore be more difficult to heat up than large rooms High ceilings or cathedral ceilings may also lead to higher heat loss 4 1 5 Flow temperature and surface temperature The flow temperature depends on the required output and the chosen flooring Normally the flow temperature is 30 to 45 C and it should not exceed 50 C The flow temperature has a limited impact on the heat energy consumption If the temperature is raised from 30 to 45 C heat energy consumption only increases by 6 as energy consumption is determined by the difference between the flow and return temperature It is only marginally more expensive to heat a thick plank floor than a thin engineered wood floor but it takes a higher flow temperature to ensure the required surface temperature Dinesen cannot provide any additional advice on flow temperature as it depends on the construc
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