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r value of plastic composite wood flooring

mncjoe| Posted inEnergy Efficiency and Durabilityon

Just installed a plastic composite wood like floor w/cushion backing in cabin. What is the r value of the flooring?

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  1. Expert Member
    Zephyr7||#1

    This depends on the thickness of the flooring, and the material it's made from. Only the manufacturer can really specify this with any accuracy. If I were to guess, I'd guess around R0.5 to R1 per inch, which is probably a bit on the conservative side. This would mean a typical 1/2" thick floor plank would probably be about R0.25 to R0.5 -- not much.

    The cushioned backing is usually a type of foam, and will add a little R value too. The backing is usually very thin though, around 1/16" to 1/8" or so, and is typically somewhere in the R0.25 to R0.75 range, depending on the specific material used and the thickness.

    Basically it's unlikely the entire assembly of plank plus pad is much more than R1 total, if that. Finish flooring materials alone don't typically add much R value to a floor.

    Bill

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