ᐅ Screed with gold sand

Created on: 27 Feb 2016 19:16
J
jaeger
jaeger27 Feb 2016 19:16
Today, I heard for the first time about gold sand used in screed. A small amount of gold dust is mixed into regular sand, which is said to significantly improve heat distribution in the screed. The additional cost is quite reasonable; for around 160 m² (1,722 sq ft), the extra expense is about 400 euros.

I’m rather skeptical about this and wanted to ask if any of you have heard of it before or have more information. Specifically, I’m interested in whether there is a noticeable difference compared to regular screed when using underfloor heating.
S
Saruss
27 Feb 2016 19:35
I’m not familiar with this, but for 400 euros for 160 sqm (1,722 sqft), the gold layer must be extremely thin. I can’t imagine that it would significantly improve thermal conductivity (since there is hardly any chemical reaction happening). If it did work, you could just use a cheaper, well-conductive material.

Apart from that, a standard screed is completely sufficient to maintain a fairly constant room temperature. What else is there to improve? What noticeable effect should this have?
Nofret27 Feb 2016 19:58
.. well, some people definitely let money get stolen from their wallet like that..
tomtom7927 Feb 2016 21:43
And I was thinking of real sand from Bulgaria... they have the best sand at the Golden Sands, warmed over thousands of years and, due to its special properties, it continues to glow for years afterward.

🙂
Q
QlriPower
27 Feb 2016 21:48
Anyone who believes that 2g of gold in 500kg of material would make a difference should probably avoid dealing with numbers. Otherwise, that’s a case for a psychological assessment. Gold is also not the best thermal conductor. One could work with aluminum powder, which is inexpensive. Using that instead of sand would truly bring the promised significant improvement. Plus, you would have a visually appealing floor covering.
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Bieber0815
29 Feb 2016 22:49
jaeger schrieb:
Gold sand [...] A small amount of gold dust is then mixed into the regular sand,
Is there a reliable source for this? I don’t think so.