Floor cooling is a system that prevents the floor construction from warming up during hot periods and/or even cools it a little so the room temperature stays comfortable indoors.

Floor cooling works the other way around to underfloor heating. The piping system in the floor construction is filled with water with a minimum temperature of 18 °C or higher to always guarantee a minimum temperature difference between the room and the water in the floor cooling system. The floor can then be cooled during warm periods throughout the year. The cooler water gives the floor a cooling effect. The room will feel more comfortable because the floor is cooler than the room temperature. It is important to remember that the temperature of the cooling water in the floor construction does not have to be particularly cold to lower the room temperature by a few degrees; a few degrees lower than room temperature is sufficient.

Only one type of floor cooling is compatible with Balterio laminate floors: floor cooling in which relatively cold water flows through synthetic pipes contained in the floor construction. In most cases floor cooling is combined with a floor heating system.

Balterio laminate floors can be laid in combination with any type of Balterio subfloor in spaces with floor heating and/or floor cooling systems. If a Balterio laminate floor is used in combination with a non-Balterio subfloor, you must ensure that the total (laminate + subfloor) thermal resistance (R) is lower than 0.15m²K/W. For this consult your subfloor supplier and/or your installer.

R values (according to the ISO 8302 – 1991 standard)
The maximum permitted thermal resistance (R) in the floor covering amounts to 0.15 m²K/W.

Thickness	Thermal resistance R
7mm	0,046 m² K/W
8mm (Xpressions)	0,062 m² K/W
8mm	0,057 m² K/W
9mm (Grande)	0,080 m² K/W
9mm	0,066 m² K/W
12mm (Fortissomo)	0,094 m² K/W
Iso-Trans	0,085 m² K/W
Iso-Silent	0,07 m² K/W
Thermo-Trans	0,02 m² K/W
Thermo-Silent	0,01 m² K/W

1. Floor construction:
   • the cooling elements (cold water in synthetic pipes) are cast in the floor construction;
   • test the floor cooling system according to the instructions of the installer before laying the floor covering;
   • the moisture level in the screed/covering floor may nowhere be higher than 1.5 % (according to the CM method).
   
   
2. Laying:
   • Switch the floor cooling fully off before you start; the floor may not be colder than 18 °C before, during and for the first 24 hours after laying the laminate;
   • provide an expansion joint of 8 to 10 mm on all sides of the floor and at other obstacles. For larger surface areas a transition profile must be provided every 10 metres and between different rooms to ensure the same expansion joint.
   
   
3. Cooling:
   • After laying the floor wait at least 24 hours before (gradually) starting the floor cooling again;
   • avoid too great temperature differences, and always switch your cooling higher or lower in stages (max. 5 °C/day); also do this at the start and end of a cooling period, and make sure that there are no large temperature differences between the room and floor.
   
   
4. When cooling takes place with a floor cooling system or combined underfloor heating and cooling system special attention must be paid to preventing condensation. A condensation monitoring system must be installed for this. Condensation originates when the temperature falls below the dew point. The dew point is the point at which the air is saturated and can no longer take up the moisture. The dew point depends on the temperature and relative air humidity. The danger of condensation means that too cold water may not be used. The water temperature may only be a few degrees lower than the room temperature, and must be monitored by suitable protection against condensation. Choosing the correct control appliance is very important. A suitable condensation monitoring system works as follows: a high quality control appliance calculates the dew point (100 % moisture level) and switches the installation off before the dew point is reached (for example with 95 % relative air humidity; the ideal relative air humidity for laminate flooring is 55 %). This can be ensured by a system with a control appliance switching the installation off, or by shutting off the main supply of cooled water in the installation. A condensation monitoring system that only starts working with the start of condensation formation is not sufficient..
   
   
5. Always read the guarantee conditions when laying laminate on a floor cooling system or a floor heating system that can also cool.

The warranty conditions for Balterio laminate are only applicable when laying on floor cooling or combined underfloor heating and cooling systems that suffice with regard to all the following conditions:

• the cooling elements for the cold water are cast in the floor construction
• the thermal resistance of the Balterio laminate in combination with the subfloor used is lower than 0.15 m²K/W
• a high quality control appliance is used that switches the installation off or shuts off the main supply of cooled water in the installation before the dew point is reached
• condensation cannot form at any time

For more information on underfloor heating click here.