Journal of Korean Institute of Architectural Sustainable Environment and Building Systems ISSN:1976-6483(Print) 2586-0666(Online) 한국건축친환경설비학회논문집

In this study, the impact of floor coverings on the behavior of floor surface and room air temperature was investigated through mock-up experiment and energy simulation. The results showed that temperature unbalance between each room can be caused by different floor covering material. PVC flooring showed the fastest speed of temperature rise and descend, followed by VCT (Vinyl composite tile), wood and porcelain tile. It was found that the rise time is related with the heat capacity and thermal resistance, which were analyzed based on the heat balance equation. Thus, it was suggested to adjust water flow rate considering the heat capacity and thermal resistance of floor covering, in order to minimize the temperature unbalance in each room and the probable thermal discomfort. The augmented flow rate resulted in the reduced rise time in the room with massive floor covering such as porcelain tile, which was also effective in mitigating the temperature unbalance in each room. In addition, it was found that the rise time and temperature unbalance can be more reduced by resetting the augmented flow rate to design flow rate, if room air temperature approaches its set-point temperature.