AU2014100509A4 - Skirting board, method of constructing part of a wall, and wall construction - Google Patents

Abstract

A wall skirting board (10) has a lower front surface (20) and a shadow-line groove (24) running along the length of the skirting board above that surface. The board includes a connection portion (32) above the groove. The connection portion has a front face (40) with parallel ribs (41), and tapers towards an upper edge (38). The invention extends to a method of constructing part of a wall using the skirting board and a plaster board panel (44), and to a wall construction including the skirting board and panel. ro 32 40r Fig. 1 28 2o Fig. 2 so I *54 Fig. 3 12 44 40 -24 4-2 A-.s L2 ~r8 Sz 32 v-lIo zo2L

Description

1 AUSTRALIA Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION (Innovation patent) Invention Title: Skirting board, method of constructing part of a wall, and wall construction The invention is described in the following statement: 2 FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a skirting board, to a method of constructing part of a wall using a skirting board, and to a wall construction including a skirting board. 5 BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION In the construction industry, in particular with a reference to the interior finishes of buildings, including homes, offices and the like, it has become fashionable to 10 include so-called shadow lines above skirting boards on walls, around door frames, and in similar locations. A shadow line is essentially a recess along the surface in question which constitutes a break in the continuity of that surface, in order to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance. 15 Plaster board walls are typically constructed with in a framework including vertical wall studs, with skirting boards attached at the lower extremities of the walls, and plaster board sheets attached above the skirting boards. Traditionally, plaster board sheets have been secured in this fashion in abutment with the upper edges of the skirting boards. 20 One known method of creating shadow lines on walls involves the use of plastic or metal extrusions. Such extrusions are long and slender and zigzagged in longitudinal cross-sectional shape. The zigzag cross-sectional shape includes an inner, downwardly extending, vertical portion which is positioned 25 immediately above the skirting board, and which constitutes the recessed surface of the shadow line. Above that vertical portion, it is a horizontal portion extending outwardly relative to the wall, and at the outer edge of the horizontal portion, is another vertical portion extending upwardly from that horizontal portion. 30 The extrusion is secured to the studs of the wall. The upper surface of the horizontal portion and inner surface of the outer vertical portion together provide a space to accommodate a lower edge of plaster board sheets used in the construction of the wall.

3 Plaster board sheets typically have so-called "feathered" edges - that is, edge portions of the plaster boards which are tapered, in a direction starting a short distance away from the edges, towards those edges. 5 Once such plaster boards are accommodated in the space provided by the horizontal and outer vertical portions of the extrusion, in order to conceal the extrusions and feathered portions of the plaster board sheets, it is necessary to plaster over those portions of the plaster boards and extrusions, and to provide 10 these surfaces with smooth finishes using tools such as trowels. One of the problems associated with this extrusion construction is that, as mentioned above, it is secured by means of being attached to the wall studs. This means that the attachment points along the length of the extrusion are 15 spaced apart from each other. Because of the slender configuration of the extrusion, it is difficult if not impossible to secure the extrusion in such a way as to avoid some downward deflection or sagging of the extrusion between the attachment points. While the upper edge of the skirting board can be manufactured so as to be substantially straight, the aesthetic appearance of the 20 shadow line formed by the extrusion and plaster board is impaired by the non straight configuration of the extrusion once it is secured to the studs as described. It is an object of the present invention to overcome or ameliorate disadvantages 25 of the prior art, or to provide a useful alternative thereto. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided an elongate skirting 30 board for securement to a wall structure so as to run along that structure in an operational orientation in which the skirting board has a front side facing away from the wall structure, the skirting board including: a first panel portion adapted to constitute a lower portion of the skirting board when in said operational orientation, the first portion defining a lower front 4 surface of the skirting board, the lower front surface defining a front extremity of the skirting board; a shadow-line groove running substantially along the length of the skirting board immediately above the first portion, the groove constituting a 5 recess relative to the lower front surface; and a connection portion above the groove, the connection portion having front face, an upper edge and a lower extremity, the lower extremity being adjacent to the groove, and being above the groove when the skirting board is in the operational orientation, the lower extremity having a front edge which is 10 substantially aligned with the front extremity, and the front face tapering away from the front extremity in a direction from the lower extremity towards the upper edge. In a preferred embodiment, the front face includes a plurality of keying 15 protuberances. Preferably the protuberances include a series of juxtaposed parallel ribs, disposed horizontally when the skirting board is in the operational orientation. 20 According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a method of constructing part of a wall, the method including: securing, to a wall frame, an elongate skirting board according to the first aspect of the invention or preferred embodiments thereof, in said operational orientation; 25 securing, to the wall frame, at least one substantially vertical wall panel, the panel having a lower edge abutting the upper edge of the skirting board at a wall joint; and applying plaster such that the plaster extends over the front face, wall joint, and a lower portion of the skirting panel. 30 According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a wall construction, the construction including: a wall frame; 5 an elongate skirting board according to the first aspect of the invention or preferred embodiments thereof, secured to the wall frame in said operational orientation; at least one substantially vertical wall panel secured to the wall frame, 5 the panel having a lower edge abutting the upper edge of the skirting board at a wall joint; and plaster extending over the front face, wall joint, and a lower portion of the skirting panel. 10 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a skirting board with integral shadow line, in 15 accordance with an embodiment of the invention; Figure 2 is an end section of a skirting board according to Figure 1, together with a plaster board sheet, and a plaster board wall stud; and Figure 3 is an enlarged detail of a demarcated portion of Figure 2. 20 DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring to the drawings, there is shown a skirting board 10. The skirting board 10 is essentially in the form of an elongate sheet, preferably of wooden material such as medium-density fibre board (MDF). 25 The skirting board 10 is adapted to extend in an operational orientation, horizontally, along a wall structure 12, in the direction of the arrows 14 in Figure 1. 30 The skirting board 10 has a front side 16, facing away from the wall structure 12 when the skirting board is attached to it.

6 The skirting board 10 includes a first panel portion 18 which constitutes a lower portion of the skirting board when it is in its operational orientation. The first portion 18 includes and defines a lower front surface 20 of the skirting board 10. 5 The lower front surface 20 constitutes a front extremity 22 of the skirting board 10, as shown in dashed lines in Figure 2. Immediately above the first panel portion 18, there is provided a shadow line 10 groove 24, running horizontally along the length of the skirting board 10. The groove 24 includes a lower face 26, an internal, forward facing face 28, and an upper face 30. The lower face 26 also constitutes an upper edge portion of the first panel 15 portion 18. Immediately above the groove 24, is a connection portion 32 of the skirting board 10. 20 The connection portion 32 has a lowermost extremity which in the preferred embodiment is constituted by the upper face 30 of the groove 18. Accordingly, the lowermost extremity of the connection portion 32 is referenced below with the same reference numeral, 30. 25 The lowermost extremity 30 has a front edge 36 which is substantially aligned with the front extremity 22 of the skirting board 10. At the top of the skirting board 10, the connection portion 32 has an upper edge 38, and further has a front face 40 extending between the lower extremity 30 30 and the upper edge 38. The connection portion 32 is tapered in shape, so that the front face 40 tapers, or diverges, away from the front extremity 22 of the skirting board 10, in a 7 direction from the lower extremity 30 of the connection portion 32, towards the upper edge 38 thereof. The front face 40 includes a series of horizontal juxtaposed ribs 41, running 5 along the length of the skirting board 10. The skirting board 10 can be used in the construction of a wall which includes the wall structure 12, where the wall structure includes vertical support studs 42. 10 The skirting board 10 can be secured to the studs 42 in a conventional manner as would be understood by those skilled in the art, for example by nailing or screwing the skirting board to the studs. 15 Then, a wall panel 44, preferably of plaster board, can be secured to the wall structure 12, for example by securing it to the studs 42, as illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, also in a conventional manner as would be understood by those skilled in the art, such as by nailing or screwing. 20 According to a preferred embodiment, the type of wall panel 44 used has so called feathered edges, that is, regions 46 which taper inwards, from a main front face 48 of the panel to a lower edge 50 of the panel. When the wall panel 44 is secured, the lower edge 50 of the wall panel abuts 25 the upper edge 38 of the skirting board 10, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, to form a wall joint 51. It will be appreciated that the feathered edge region 46 of the panel 44 and tapered front face 40 of the skirting board 10, together define a recess 52 in a 30 wall surface constituted by the skirting board and panel. This recess 52 provides a space to accommodate plaster 54 which can be applied by a workman to the wall that is being constructed, using a suitable tool (not shown) such as a trowel.

8 Also according to a preferred embodiment, while the plaster 54 is being applied, or immediately before it is applied, a length of tape 56 can be applied to the skirting board 10 and panel 44, so as to extend over the joint 51. 5 Such tape 56, if applied, can provide a surface for assisting in the retention of the applied plaster 54 and also acts as a reinforcement of the joint 51. In addition, the ribs 41 provide a keying surface that can facilitate bonding of the plaster 54. 10 The workman can then smooth the plaster 54 so as to create essentially a seamless finish which can act as a transition between the skirting board 10 and wall panel 44. 15 Once this finish is achieved, and the wall panel 44 and skirting board 10 are painted if and as required, what can remain is a smooth wall surface, which is broken only by the shadow line groove 24, to provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance. 20 Although the invention is described above in relation to preferred embodiments, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that it is not limited to those embodiments, but may be embodied in many other forms.

Claims (5)

1. An elongate skirting board for securement to a wall structure so as to run along that structure in an operational orientation in which the skirting board has 5 a front side facing away from the wall structure, the skirting board including: a first panel portion adapted to constitute a lower portion of the skirting board when in said operational orientation, the first portion defining a lower front surface of the skirting board, the lower front surface defining a front extremity of the skirting board; 10 a shadow-line groove running substantially along the length of the skirting board immediately above the first portion, the groove constituting a recess relative to the lower front surface; and a connection portion above the groove, the connection portion having front face, an upper edge and a lower extremity, the lower extremity being 15 adjacent to the groove, and being above the groove when the skirting board is in the operational orientation, the lower extremity having a front edge which is substantially aligned with the front extremity, and the front face tapering away from the front extremity in a direction from the lower extremity towards the upper edge. 20

2. A skirting board according to claim 1 wherein the front face includes a plurality of keying protuberances.

3. A skirting board according to claim 2 wherein the protuberances include 25 a series of juxtaposed parallel ribs, disposed horizontally when the skirting board is in the operational orientation.

4. A method of constructing part of a wall, the method including: securing, to a wall frame, an elongate skirting board according to any 30 one of claims 1 to 3, in said operational orientation; securing, to the wall frame, at least one substantially vertical wall panel, the panel having a lower edge abutting the upper edge of the skirting board at a wall joint; and 10 applying plaster such that the plaster extends over the front face, wall joint, and a lower portion of the skirting panel.

5. A wall construction, the construction including: 5 a wall frame; an elongate skirting board according to any one of claims 1 to 3, secured to the wall frame in said operational orientation; at least one substantially vertical wall panel secured to the wall frame, the panel having a lower edge abutting the upper edge of the skirting board at 10 a wall joint; and plaster extending over the front face, wall joint, and a lower portion of the skirting panel.