Can anybody tell me if I'm reading this corectly? I want to compare
the two materials' heat insulation.

According to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R-value_%28insulation%29
1-inch thick hardwood has an R-value of 0.12 using SI unit (not the US
unit).

According to
http://www.carpetinstitute.com.au/do...sh_thermal.pdf
1-cm thick carpet has an R-value of 0.18 in SI.

So 1-inch carpet would have 0.18*2.54=0.4572, about 3.8 times as much
as that of hardwood. Correct?

One more question. Among various types of hardwood, which type is
better (even though none is better than carpet)? I'm going to have the
carpet in the upstair bedroom replaced with hardwood. Considering its
heat insulation is meaningful when the bedroom is above the garage or
car port.

Thanks.

"Yong Huang" wrote in message
...
Can anybody tell me if I'm reading this corectly? I want to compare
the two materials' heat insulation.

According to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R-value_%28insulation%29
1-inch thick hardwood has an R-value of 0.12 using SI unit (not the US
unit).

According to
http://www.carpetinstitute.com.au/do...sh_thermal.pdf
1-cm thick carpet has an R-value of 0.18 in SI.

So 1-inch carpet would have 0.18*2.54=0.4572, about 3.8 times as much
as that of hardwood. Correct?

One more question. Among various types of hardwood, which type is
better (even though none is better than carpet)? I'm going to have the
carpet in the upstair bedroom replaced with hardwood. Considering its
heat insulation is meaningful when the bedroom is above the garage or
car port.

Thanks.


Insulation difference is small. What you will find is that wood will feel
colder to the bare foot than carpet. It has nothing to do with insulating
value, but the surface contact area of a smooth surface is greater than a
carpet weave.

Use a hardwood you like and a couple of throw rugs where you stand or feet
contact when you get out of bed.

Yong Huang wrote:
Can anybody tell me if I'm reading this corectly? I want to compare
the two materials' heat insulation.

According to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R-value_%28insulation%29
1-inch thick hardwood has an R-value of 0.12 using SI unit (not the US
unit).

According to
http://www.carpetinstitute.com.au/do...sh_thermal.pdf
1-cm thick carpet has an R-value of 0.18 in SI.

So 1-inch carpet would have 0.18*2.54=0.4572, about 3.8 times as much
as that of hardwood. Correct?

One more question. Among various types of hardwood, which type is
better (even though none is better than carpet)? I'm going to have the
carpet in the upstair bedroom replaced with hardwood. Considering its
heat insulation is meaningful when the bedroom is above the garage or
car port.

Thanks.

Hi,
Solve the problem by having hard wood and rug of you choice.
That room must be pretty noisy when car comes and goes in the garage.

On 7/31/2011 2:11 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

"Yong Huang" wrote in message
...
Can anybody tell me if I'm reading this corectly? I want to compare
the two materials' heat insulation.

According to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R-value_%28insulation%29
1-inch thick hardwood has an R-value of 0.12 using SI unit (not the US
unit).

According to
http://www.carpetinstitute.com.au/do...sh_thermal.pdf
1-cm thick carpet has an R-value of 0.18 in SI.

So 1-inch carpet would have 0.18*2.54=0.4572, about 3.8 times as much
as that of hardwood. Correct?

One more question. Among various types of hardwood, which type is
better (even though none is better than carpet)? I'm going to have the
carpet in the upstair bedroom replaced with hardwood. Considering its
heat insulation is meaningful when the bedroom is above the garage or
car port.

Thanks.


Insulation difference is small. What you will find is that wood will
feel colder to the bare foot than carpet. It has nothing to do with
insulating value, but the surface contact area of a smooth surface is
greater than a carpet weave.

Use a hardwood you like and a couple of throw rugs where you stand or
feet contact when you get out of bed.

That, and consider all the electrons you will use up keeping carpet
vacuumed, while a simple dust mop once a week keeps hardwood
presentable. Not to mention how hardwood floor is much better for people
with allergies, to sleep in.

--
aem sends...

Yong Huang wrote:
Can anybody tell me if I'm reading this corectly? I want to compare
the two materials' heat insulation.

According to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R-value_%28insulation%29
1-inch thick hardwood has an R-value of 0.12 using SI unit (not the US
unit).

According to
http://www.carpetinstitute.com.au/do...sh_thermal.pdf
1-cm thick carpet has an R-value of 0.18 in SI.

So 1-inch carpet would have 0.18*2.54=0.4572, about 3.8 times as much
as that of hardwood. Correct?

Correct. But the difference is undetectable with anything other than
instruments of laboratory quality.


One more question. Among various types of hardwood, which type is
better (even though none is better than carpet)? I'm going to have the
carpet in the upstair bedroom replaced with hardwood. Considering its
heat insulation is meaningful when the bedroom is above the garage or
car port.


I'd guess Balsa Wood is the best due to its porosity and trapped air.
'Course Balsa is not what one would exactly call 'hardwood'...

It's difficult - and usually futile - to insulate a floor. Better to
insulate the garage ceiling. There you can add R30!

"Ed Pawlowski" wrote:


-snip-

Insulation difference is small.

Ed mis-spelled 'insignificant'.

What you will find is that wood will feel
colder to the bare foot than carpet. It has nothing to do with insulating
value, but the surface contact area of a smooth surface is greater than a
carpet weave.

Exactly-

Use a hardwood you like and a couple of throw rugs where you stand or feet
contact when you get out of bed.

And while you're working in that room, make sure the joist space is
well insulated.

Jim

Can anybody tell me if I'm reading this corectly? I want to compare
the two materials' heat insulation.

According to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R-value_%28insulation%29
1-inch thick hardwood has an R-value of 0.12 using SI unit (not the US
unit).
According to
http://www.carpetinstitute.com.au/do...sh_thermal.pdf
1-cm thick carpet has an R-value of 0.18 in SI.

So 1-inch carpet would have 0.18*2.54=0.4572, about 3.8 times as much
as that of hardwood. Correct?

One more question. Among various types of hardwood, which type is
better (even though none is better than carpet)? I'm going to have the
carpet in the upstair bedroom replaced with hardwood. Considering its
heat insulation is meaningful when the bedroom is above the garage or
car port.

Thanks.


Is the hardwood you are interested in floating type or solid planks you nail.
if it's a floating type like engineered hardwood it may be a bit warmer.
Those hardwood floors can use a 6 mil foam type underlay plus the hdf or
mdf base of the planks might not transfer as much cold either. The actual
hardwood part of engineered hardwood floors is only 3 or 4 mil thick. Solid
hardwood floors might transfer more cold from the garage and the subfloor.


Here's my expierence. I have solid oak hardwood flooring in my bedroom that
is above a garage. last fall I had a brand new garage door installed. R-12
with a really durable yet flexible weather stripping. Made in Canada door
for my Canadian house. Garage door and bedroom window in above bedroom face
west. Great for getting hit by most winter winds.

Before, the garage would get down to as low as 28 degrees but this winter
garage stayed above 40 all winter. My wife and I say that translated into
a 3 degree difference in our bedroom and we no longer need to keep an electric
heater in our room.

Even in this hot hot hot summer our bedroom temp has been lowered from 78
to 76 during the day. With the fan ciculating air around that room settles
down to 75. In other words the best thing we did to get ideal temperatures
for our bedroom was change the garage door underneath.

On Sun, 31 Jul 2011 06:55:10 -0400, aemeijers wrote:
That, and consider all the electrons you will use up keeping carpet
vacuumed, while a simple dust mop once a week keeps hardwood
presentable.

We've mostly got hardwood flooring... and pets. It's incredible how much
hair and dust they generate, which can be easily swept away, but much of
which would probably end up stuck in a carpet otherwise.

I'm up in northern MN and even in winter the hardwood floors aren't
*that* cold (and on the lower floor we've just got cold basement beneath,
so similar to the OP's room-above-a-garage) - I think the idea of a rug
just beside the bed's a good one though.

cheers

Jules

The Henchman wrote:
Can anybody tell me if I'm reading this corectly? I want to compare
the two materials' heat insulation.

According to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R-value_%28insulation%29
1-inch thick hardwood has an R-value of 0.12 using SI unit (not the US
unit).
According to
http://www.carpetinstitute.com.au/do...sh_thermal.pdf
1-cm thick carpet has an R-value of 0.18 in SI.

So 1-inch carpet would have 0.18*2.54=0.4572, about 3.8 times as much
as that of hardwood. Correct?

One more question. Among various types of hardwood, which type is
better (even though none is better than carpet)? I'm going to have the
carpet in the upstair bedroom replaced with hardwood. Considering its
heat insulation is meaningful when the bedroom is above the garage or
car port.

Thanks.


Is the hardwood you are interested in floating type or solid planks you
nail. if it's a floating type like engineered hardwood it may be a bit
warmer. Those hardwood floors can use a 6 mil foam type underlay plus
the hdf or mdf base of the planks might not transfer as much cold
either. The actual hardwood part of engineered hardwood floors is only 3
or 4 mil thick. Solid hardwood floors might transfer more cold from the
garage and the subfloor.


Here's my expierence. I have solid oak hardwood flooring in my bedroom
that is above a garage. last fall I had a brand new garage door
installed. R-12 with a really durable yet flexible weather stripping.
Made in Canada door for my Canadian house. Garage door and bedroom
window in above bedroom face west. Great for getting hit by most winter
winds.

Before, the garage would get down to as low as 28 degrees but this
winter garage stayed above 40 all winter. My wife and I say that
translated into a 3 degree difference in our bedroom and we no longer
need to keep an electric heater in our room.

Even in this hot hot hot summer our bedroom temp has been lowered from
78 to 76 during the day. With the fan ciculating air around that room
settles down to 75. In other words the best thing we did to get ideal
temperatures for our bedroom was change the garage door underneath.


Hmmm,
No wonder above garage is a bad place to locate any bedroom. I had 5
houses built during the course of my family life, never had a bedroom
above garage. Open deck or 3 season sun room are what I had. I don't
like noise when car moves in and out of garage. At present our garage
door is Steel Craft with foam core R12 walls, R20 ceiling above is 3
season sunroom and dry sauna. I am in Calgry

On 7/31/2011 1:11 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
....

Insulation difference is small. What you will find is that wood will
feel colder to the bare foot than carpet. It has nothing to do with
insulating value, but the surface contact area of a smooth surface is
greater than a carpet weave.
....

Nit...

It's really not the surface contact area difference (after all, your
feet are touching something on all the surface and in fact in the softer
carpet may have more actual area in contact than on a bare floor
assuming you do have _some_ arch vbg) but the difference in heat
transfer coefficient--the hardwood or tile is much more effective as a
heat sink so the skin surface cools much faster (and thereby actually is
cooler) than against the carpet...

--

dpb wrote:
On 7/31/2011 1:11 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
...

Insulation difference is small. What you will find is that wood will
feel colder to the bare foot than carpet. It has nothing to do with
insulating value, but the surface contact area of a smooth surface is
greater than a carpet weave.
...

Nit...

It's really not the surface contact area difference (after all, your
feet are touching something on all the surface and in fact in the softer
carpet may have more actual area in contact than on a bare floor
assuming you do have _some_ arch vbg) but the difference in heat
transfer coefficient--the hardwood or tile is much more effective as a
heat sink so the skin surface cools much faster (and thereby actually is
cooler) than against the carpet...

Hi,
We always wear slippers inside house. As soon as coming inside we take
off socks, put on slippers throughout seasons.

Hmmm,
No wonder above garage is a bad place to locate any bedroom. I had 5
houses built during the course of my family life, never had a bedroom
above garage. Open deck or 3 season sun room are what I had. I don't
like noise when car moves in and out of garage. At present our garage
door is Steel Craft with foam core R12 walls, R20 ceiling above is 3
season sunroom and dry sauna. I am in Calgry


You've mentioned car noise a couple of times in this thread but honestly
how many times are you gonna move your car in and out of a garage in a coarse
of a day. I bet the majority of people are like me, garage is for storage
and work. The train tracks near me cause more noise in the bedrooms and
after a week we got used to that and never noticed it now.

The previous owners of my house were the exception, they used the garage
for thier little Yaris.

As for decks? There is more noise the neighbours, engine braking from
trucks coming down the steep hills, sirens, helicopters etc

Is the hardwood you are interested in floating type or solid planks you nail.
* if it's a floating type like engineered hardwood it may be a bit warmer.

So you're saying solid planks will keep the room cooler than floating
type in summer? I'll go with solid planks then.

Thanks to everybody's response. I use Google Groups to post and read.
For some reason, the messages are delayed for a few days.

Also, I'm going to ask the contractor to add insulation between
joists, as Jim advised, if there's no insulation yet. Thanks again.