If you want to keep your home cool this summer, choose laminate flooring right away. The heat retention property of laminate flooring is typically not as good as other types. Generally, the density and composition of the core material of the flooring types influence the way they retain or transmit heat. Due to the material properties, laminate flooring is not a good insulator and tends to assume room temperature. So, it can be stated that laminate flooring does not inherently make your home colder but for a range of factors contribute to a cooler sensation underfoot. Some of these are thermal conductivity, subfloor temperature influence and environmental conditions.
Know the underlying dynamics to make informed choices of flooring in your cozy home.
Understand the Factors to Better Manage Insulation in Your Home
Affecting the temperature perception within a home, laminate flooring can be your optimal choice to enhance comfort and energy efficiency. Look at the factors that interact to influence temperature perception within your living space due to the following reasons –
Thermal Conductivity of Laminate Flooring:
The laminate flooring has a composition of multiple layers, including a high-density fibreboard (HDF) core, a decorative layer and a protective wear layer. The density and composition of core material influence the retaining or transmitting of the heat feature of this type of flooring. Laminate flooring itself does not provide significant insulation. Instead, it quickly adapts to the surrounding temperature. As such, during hot summer months you can feel cool to the touch, as compared to other materials like hardwood or carpet.
Subfloor Temperature Influence:
Subfloor temperature also influences feeling cool underfoot in laminate flooring. In case the subfloor is cold, which is very common in concrete foundations that chill transfers through the laminate floor. On the contrary, if the subfloor is insulated and warm, laminate flooring can help to maintain more comfort and warmth on its surface.
Insulation Quality:
The insulation quality of flooring plays a significant role in managing a comfortable indoor climate. Proper insulation in walls, attics and floors helps to keep the inside warm during winter and cool during summer. If your home lacks proper insulation you can experience more significant fluctuations in temperature, affecting more the way laminate flooring feels underfoot.
Underlayment Considerations:
With an appropriate underlayment beneath laminate flooring, you can improve thermal comfort. Providing additional insulation underlayment can help mitigate the cooler sensation associated with laminate flooring. Due to this feature, you can avail the benefit of a comfortable living environment with less sound transmission within your indoor environment.
Environmental Factors:
The perceived coldness of laminate flooring is interrelated with environmental factors, like climate conditions and ambient room environment. High humidity levels can lead to increased moisture content in the air, which may cause the floor to feel cooler. Also, frequent use of air conditioning systems during summer months can create a draft to make the floor feel even colder.
Alternatives and Solutions
To better manage insulation within your indoor with laminate flooring, consider the following options:
Under-laminate Insulation:
Installing proper insulation under laminate flooring can enhance the overall warmth and comfort. Also, it helps to minimize subfloor imperfections, including soundproofing and improving thermal efficiency. Further, it acts as a barrier to prevent cold air from seeping up and retaining warmth. So, if you want to keep your indoors comfortable while reducing energy bills, consider this option to use.
Types of Underlayment:
For laminate flooring, you can use different types of underlayment to achieve varying levels of thermal efficiency, soundproofing and durability. Look at the following options to improve the condition of your indoor temperature –
- Foam: Although lightweight and easy to install, this may compress over time. So, it may not be considered the best choice for high-traffic areas.
- Fiberboard: It is a denser and more robust option to provide excellent support for uneven floors. At the same time, this option offers better soundproofing and thermal efficiency features.
- Polyethylene: This plastic-based material is commonly popular for its moisture-resistant properties. As such, if you live in areas with high humidity, then use it as a perfect underlayment option.
- Rubber: It is often considered the top choice for enhancing overall performance due to excellent soundproofing, thermal insulation and moisture resistance features. Hence, it is an excellent underlayment option for high-traffic areas and moisture-prone spaces.
- Cork: This underlayment type is a strong alternative to offer good insulation and soundproofing features.
Subfloor Type:
The type of your home subfloor type – whether wood or concrete – affects the insulation choice for your under-laminate flooring. If your home has concrete floors, then moisture control becomes your priority as concrete is more likely to transmit moisture. Hence, for laminate flooring rubber or polyethylene underlay is ideal due to their moisture-resistant properties. Whereas if you have a wooden subfloor, then you need to consider insulation underlay, like fiberboard or foam for your laminate flooring to achieve better thermal control outcomes with soundproofing and stability.
Climate and Location:
The climate and location have significant impacts in selecting the under-laminate insulation of your home. For example, in the colder regions use high thermal resistance as insulation to keep the cold out and retain heat inside. Whereas in warmer regions select reflective foil insulation to effectively reflect radiant heat for keeping your indoors cool.
Also, the thickness of material and building regulations to meet specific thermal performance standards can effectively manage insulation within your home environment. Check the factors to manage your indoor warmth and comfort properly.
Conclusion
At present, laminate flooring has emerged as an aesthetic and elegant option for its versatile features. Easy to clean and maintain and often resistant to mold and bacteria, this flooring promotes a hygienic environment. A durable and ideal choice for high-traffic areas in both residential and commercial settings, laminate flooring is also a cost-effective option if you have a tight budget. So, enhance the appeal of your indoors and mitigate the effects of low insulation with proper choice of underlayment option.
Avail the benefits of laminate flooring by combining functionality and addressing thermal factors to create a more pleasant indoor living environment regardless of the season.