CA2163468A1 - Sub-flooring system - Google Patents
Sub-flooring systemInfo
- Publication number
- CA2163468A1 CA2163468A1 CA002163468A CA2163468A CA2163468A1 CA 2163468 A1 CA2163468 A1 CA 2163468A1 CA 002163468 A CA002163468 A CA 002163468A CA 2163468 A CA2163468 A CA 2163468A CA 2163468 A1 CA2163468 A1 CA 2163468A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- floor
- sub
- layer
- support according
- sheet
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24D—DOMESTIC- OR SPACE-HEATING SYSTEMS, e.g. CENTRAL HEATING SYSTEMS; DOMESTIC HOT-WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; ELEMENTS OR COMPONENTS THEREFOR
- F24D3/00—Hot-water central heating systems
- F24D3/12—Tube and panel arrangements for ceiling, wall, or underfloor heating
- F24D3/14—Tube and panel arrangements for ceiling, wall, or underfloor heating incorporated in a ceiling, wall or floor
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04F—FINISHING WORK ON BUILDINGS, e.g. STAIRS, FLOORS
- E04F15/00—Flooring
- E04F15/18—Separately-laid insulating layers; Other additional insulating measures; Floating floors
- E04F15/185—Underlayers in the form of studded or ribbed plates
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02B—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO BUILDINGS, e.g. HOUSING, HOUSE APPLIANCES OR RELATED END-USER APPLICATIONS
- Y02B30/00—Energy efficient heating, ventilation or air conditioning [HVAC]
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Architecture (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Thermal Sciences (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Civil Engineering (AREA)
- Structural Engineering (AREA)
- Floor Finish (AREA)
Abstract
The invention relates to a method of installing a raised floor and particularly to a sub-flooring system which provides a thermal barrier between, for example, a concrete pad and final floor. The invention also provides means for heating a floor.
Description
i_ The invention relates to a sub-flooring system primarily, but not exclusively to be installed directly on concrete-based floors.
The flooring industry is faced with many problems, not the least being moisture retained in the cement floor and migrating to the finished floor system, ie: tile, wood or the like. This dampness causes wood to rot and warp, and it has been common to initially attempt to seal the ; concrete slab by the application of various chemical compounds such as paint, adhesives and sealers. These systems are not generally very effective.
Furthermore, in order to prevent water vapour damage to a finished floor, it is also common to install a vapour barrier between the upper surface of the concrete slab and the wooden flooring. An example of this would be multi-layer structure where initially an asphalt adhesive would be applied to the concrete on top of which would be placed a plastic film. A second layer of adhesive would be coated to the plastic barrier and finally on top of that barrier, would be laid the wooden floor. However, due to well ; known fire hazards and the obvious toxicity of material, particularly the asphalt adhesive, these methods have been discontinued.
An effective structure was devised where low cost vinyl roll flooring material was placed on the concrete ~ 2163468 with the wooden floor on top. This, however, as will be evident, proved expensive since one was in fact laying a double floor.
Certain structures incorporating multiple layers have been described in various United States patents, for example, U.S. Patent No. 3,712,845, to Hartung, discloses a substrate surface covered with a continuous sheet of synthetic resin upon which are laid textile tiles having a synthetic resin backing. The synthetic resin backing is applied to the fabric as a hot melt. The tiles are simply laid on the synthetic resin sheet, with a backing and sheet materials being elected to have sufficient adhesion to prevent warping, shifting or the like, of the carpet tiles.
Neither assembly of the structural elements with curable adhesive, nor vapour barrier properties of the structure are disclosed in that Patent.
U.S. Patent No. 5,137,764 issued to Doyle et al discloses the incorporation of a barrier to the passage of water vapour and gasses, the structure according to Doyle comprises a rigid substrate, ie: a concrete slab, a water-based adhesive layer coated on the surface of the slab, and a synthetic resin-material foil laminate sheet in contact with the adhesive. The foil sheet being impervious to moisture. The final layer of water-based mastic is applied, and finally the main flooring.
2I 63~ 68 Reference is also made to U.S. Patent No. 4,682,459, issued to Stephenson; U.S. Patent No. 5,052,161 issued to Whitacre; U.S. Patent No. 3,969,851 issued again to Whitacre; U.S. Patent No. 5,042,569 issued to Siegmund and Canadian Patents Nos. 1,181,215. 2,000,503 and 1,246,314 issued respectively to Radtke, Siegmund and Pallhorn.
These prior systems have not resulted in an effective flooring system that meets the need for an insulating thermal barrier of air between the main floor and the underlying concrete slab, or a system that is essentially 100% moisture resistant, low in cost, fast and easy to install, and which can provide instant comfort and warmth to, for example, the basement of a building.
It is therefore, a principle object of the invention to provide a sub-flooring material that is easy to install, simply by rolling it off a master roll, and to measure and cut to size and shape without requiring expensive tools.
A further object of the invention is to provide a sub-flooring material configured so as to allow circulation of air to naturally dry moisture secreted from the concrete floor and to provide a warmth factor to the room and floor without the aid of electrical pads or flowing hot water through a series of pipes.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a sub-flooring system that is moisture resistant and 2163~6~
effectively prevents the presence of mildew, odours, carpet rotting and wicking.
The final object of the invention is to provide a sub-flooring material that effectively reduces the height of a finished floor which adds to room depth but is durable enough to withstand substantial loads.
Accordingly, the invention comprises a sub-floor support, adapted to be installed beneath a conventionally finished floor covering, the support comprising in combination a substantially thin sheet of water resistant material having upper and lower planar surfaces, the lower surface including equidistantly spaced projections extending downwardly therefrom, and a layer of resistant material contacting the distal ends of each said projection such that when in use, the upper surface of the sheets supports the floor covering and the layer of resistant material separates the sheet of resistant material from a lower foundation structure.
The invention further is directed to a complete floor system including the novel sub-floor assembly with the added feature that the sub-floor assembly can be sealed to provide a chamber through which warm air may be passed, to provide heat to the floor and to the room above.
The invention will now be described, by way of example only, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in 2I 63~ 6~
which:
Figure 1 is a perspective, partly sectional view of a portion of a floor structure according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of a portion of the intermediate sub-flooring shown in Figure 1;
Figure 2A is a vertical section of a portion of the intermediate sub-flooring shown in Figure 1 and 2;
Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the floor structure shown in Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of a second embodiment of the invention incorporating a modified form of intermediate sub-flooring; and Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of a flooring installation utilizing the sub-flooring according to Figure 4.
Referring firstly to Figures 1, 2, 2A and 3, a complete flooring system as envisaged by the inventor, is shown indicated generally at 10. The system incorporates the principle element of the invention, namely a sub-flooring sheet 11, which is water resistant and thus impermeable to moisture, but which still allows air to flow or circulate between the concrete slab 12 and the upper floor, which in this embodiment includes a particle board 13, underlay 14 (optional), and carpet 15.
The sub-flooring sheet 11 is preferably formed from a 21 63~ 68 thin sheet of plastics material. However, it could also be molded from thin sheets of polystyrene, polyethylene or vinyl, or could be provided in rubber, nylon, metal, wood or wood composite mixes, the latter utilizing a water resistant adhesive or bonding agent. As can be appreciated from Figures 1 through 3, molded plastic sheet 11 has a generally flat upper surface 16 with hollow, frusto-conical extension 17 formed so as to extend downwardly therefrom.
The apex 17A of each conical extension being externally provided with a thick coat or pad 18 of, for example, rubber.
Sheet 11 therefore, acts a spacer between the concrete pad 12 and the upper flooring, 13, 14 and 15. The formation of this sheet 11, namely the inverted, hollow, truncated cones or conical "dimples" 17 permit the material to withstand considerable loads and the gap or space 19 formed between the conical extensions provides an air passage to assist in drying, and removal any moisture that may penetrate the system, via the concrete pad 12.
This vapour barrier 19, or what may be referred to as a thermal insulating barrier of air, can be supplemented by the addition of hot or cold air from blowers to be described hereafter with reference to Figure 5. Such a warm air flow will not only effectively assist in moisture removal, but can also provide a heating system or indeed a ~ 2103~8 cooling system to the upper floor, which, if the system is utilized in a basement, increases the comfort level in the overall building.
Additionally, as will be appreciated, the coat or pads 18 are provided to cushion the floor system and substantially reduce the noise level ie: avoiding "floor creaking" when the floor is in place and in use.
Looking now at Figures 4 and 5, Figure 4 is a vertical section through a flooring system somewhat modified, but still utilizing the basic molded plastic internal sub-flooring material shown in the first embodiment according to Figures 1 through 3. This second embodiment of the system according to the invention differs in two principle areas. Instead of the apex of each inverted, truncated cone 17 being coated or provided with a small pad 18, a continuous sheet, for example, breathable fabric 18 is provided, which can either be adhesively attached to the material sheet 11 at the apex of cone 17, or simply laid down separately to initially cover the concrete pad 7 prior to the sheet 11 being laid down. A further variance is ; that a mixture of, for example, wood chips and a suitable adhesive or bonding agent is applied to the upper surface of the sheet 11 to fill the internal hollows or cavities 20 of the cones. Sufficient of this composition is build up in a layer ~1 above the top ~urface of sheet 11 to form a 2I 63q 68 flat surface on which underlay 14 and carpet 15 can be laid. The composite wood chips and plastic structure that now comprises sheet 11, provides a rigid, strong, water resistant panel with good thermal conducting properties, that can be readily cut to size and conveniently installed, essentially avoiding the requirement of the particle board 13 shown in Figures 1 and 3. If particle board is utilized, however, it may be advantageous for a thin sheet of particle board to be adhesively attached to the upper surface of sheet 11. It should be made clear at this time, however, while the preferred shape and configuration of the material 11 has been specified with regard to the two embodiments outlined above, it would still within the scope of the present invention to provide the "dimples" 17 in other shapes than the frustro-conical hollow (or filled with wood composition) configuration. For example, the entire sheet could be molded in solid rubber or plastic, or indeed molded entirely from composite wood chips. The only requirement with the latter, would be either the use of a water resistant bonding agent, or alternatively, applying a further plastic "dip" coating to the sheet to prevent ingress of moisture to the material. Furthermore, while the conical shape is preferred in view of its load bearing characteristics, the downwardly extending projections could be square or rectangular in cross section. It will be 2l63q68 appreciated, however, that if the material 11 is as shown in Figures 1 through 3, it can be supplied in roll form which makes it extremely simple to install.
As indicated above, it is common practice in the prior art to produce a sub-floor on concrete by utilizing 2 x 4 studs on 16 inch centers with a 5/8 inch surface plywood.
As previously mentioned, not only are the prior art systems labour extensive, costly and ineffecient, the resulting floor height is, or can be, unacceptable. With the arrangement according to the subject invention, the actual floor height is substantially reduced without loss of effectiveness, and is much less costly to install.
The material which conveniently can be provided in 4 foot roll widths and approximately 3/8 inch in height, can be quickly "rolled out", cut to length and shape and laid down directly on the concrete pad without the aid of mechanical or chemical fastenings.
A schematic layout of a complete installation of the flooring system according to the invention is shown in Figure 5. The basic structure described and disclosed in connection with Figure 4 is utilized in this embodiment, although the construction according to Figures 1 through 3 would be equally applicable.
To install the system, a "bead" or coating of sealer 20 is applied to the concrete floor 7 around the peripheral 2l63~68 edge of the area to be covered, adjacent internal wall 19 of a building. A pad 18 of, for example, breathable fabric is laid to cover the remaining area of the concrete, a "breathable" or suitable material being preferred so as to permit moisture to pass therethrough. The composite material 17 is then positioned over the fabric such that it abuts the wall 19 and is held in place by a sealer 20. A
further sealing compound to caulking 21 is applied where the panel 17 abuts the wall 19. This effectively seals the entire flooring system from the room above.
Finally, the underlay 14 and carpet 15 are laid in place in a conventional manner.
Obviously, any joints between sections of the area of the floor will require sealing to ensure no passage of moisture into the area of the room or into the carpet.
While the system as heretofore described will be sufficient to combat the problems resulting from dampness and effectively insulate the final floor, it is occasionally required to provide additional warmth to the room and/or a supply of fresh cool air. Since concrete is well known as a heat sink, prior floor heating systems having included heating pipes imbedded in the concrete through which hot water is circulated, or alternatively, electrical heating elements are buried in the concrete.
Additionally, heating pads have been laid beneath the final 2163~68 carpet. Such systems are expensive to install and maintain and in cold weather water pipes tend to freeze and any fracture would obviously add more water to the concrete pad and hence to the finished floor above.
The flooring system of the present invention, however, can be very easily adapted to provide a heated floor, or alternatively, form part of a system whereby cool or fresh air can flow into a room.
Looking at Figure 5, it can be seen, shown schematically, that it is possible to utilize the air space 19 as an air passage. By circulating warm air from the building heating system, ie: the furnace, through the space 19, which is sealed, and into the room above through conventional placed floor vents not only is the upper floor being heated and the warm air supplied to the confines of the room 25, but the principle object of the invention is being realized, ie: evaporation of any moisture which might be present in the cement floor. While the actual apparatus necessary to put this feature of the invention into practice is conventional, for completeness, Figure 5 shows schematically a heat source which may be, as indicated above, a furnace 22 and piping 23 passing warm air via the wall into the air space 19 from whence it can be supplied through air vents 24 to the room 25. Alternatively, during summer months it may be required to supply cool, fresh air 2163~68 or indeed refrigerated air to the room 25 via the same or similar system as described above. It is common for a : furnace to supply cool but an air supply could be provided from a conventional air conditioning system.
The invention as hereinbefore described may, as will be understood, be embodied in other specific forms and variations without departing from the scope as indicated in the appended claims. Accordingly, the embodiments described above are illustrative and not restrictive.
The flooring industry is faced with many problems, not the least being moisture retained in the cement floor and migrating to the finished floor system, ie: tile, wood or the like. This dampness causes wood to rot and warp, and it has been common to initially attempt to seal the ; concrete slab by the application of various chemical compounds such as paint, adhesives and sealers. These systems are not generally very effective.
Furthermore, in order to prevent water vapour damage to a finished floor, it is also common to install a vapour barrier between the upper surface of the concrete slab and the wooden flooring. An example of this would be multi-layer structure where initially an asphalt adhesive would be applied to the concrete on top of which would be placed a plastic film. A second layer of adhesive would be coated to the plastic barrier and finally on top of that barrier, would be laid the wooden floor. However, due to well ; known fire hazards and the obvious toxicity of material, particularly the asphalt adhesive, these methods have been discontinued.
An effective structure was devised where low cost vinyl roll flooring material was placed on the concrete ~ 2163468 with the wooden floor on top. This, however, as will be evident, proved expensive since one was in fact laying a double floor.
Certain structures incorporating multiple layers have been described in various United States patents, for example, U.S. Patent No. 3,712,845, to Hartung, discloses a substrate surface covered with a continuous sheet of synthetic resin upon which are laid textile tiles having a synthetic resin backing. The synthetic resin backing is applied to the fabric as a hot melt. The tiles are simply laid on the synthetic resin sheet, with a backing and sheet materials being elected to have sufficient adhesion to prevent warping, shifting or the like, of the carpet tiles.
Neither assembly of the structural elements with curable adhesive, nor vapour barrier properties of the structure are disclosed in that Patent.
U.S. Patent No. 5,137,764 issued to Doyle et al discloses the incorporation of a barrier to the passage of water vapour and gasses, the structure according to Doyle comprises a rigid substrate, ie: a concrete slab, a water-based adhesive layer coated on the surface of the slab, and a synthetic resin-material foil laminate sheet in contact with the adhesive. The foil sheet being impervious to moisture. The final layer of water-based mastic is applied, and finally the main flooring.
2I 63~ 68 Reference is also made to U.S. Patent No. 4,682,459, issued to Stephenson; U.S. Patent No. 5,052,161 issued to Whitacre; U.S. Patent No. 3,969,851 issued again to Whitacre; U.S. Patent No. 5,042,569 issued to Siegmund and Canadian Patents Nos. 1,181,215. 2,000,503 and 1,246,314 issued respectively to Radtke, Siegmund and Pallhorn.
These prior systems have not resulted in an effective flooring system that meets the need for an insulating thermal barrier of air between the main floor and the underlying concrete slab, or a system that is essentially 100% moisture resistant, low in cost, fast and easy to install, and which can provide instant comfort and warmth to, for example, the basement of a building.
It is therefore, a principle object of the invention to provide a sub-flooring material that is easy to install, simply by rolling it off a master roll, and to measure and cut to size and shape without requiring expensive tools.
A further object of the invention is to provide a sub-flooring material configured so as to allow circulation of air to naturally dry moisture secreted from the concrete floor and to provide a warmth factor to the room and floor without the aid of electrical pads or flowing hot water through a series of pipes.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a sub-flooring system that is moisture resistant and 2163~6~
effectively prevents the presence of mildew, odours, carpet rotting and wicking.
The final object of the invention is to provide a sub-flooring material that effectively reduces the height of a finished floor which adds to room depth but is durable enough to withstand substantial loads.
Accordingly, the invention comprises a sub-floor support, adapted to be installed beneath a conventionally finished floor covering, the support comprising in combination a substantially thin sheet of water resistant material having upper and lower planar surfaces, the lower surface including equidistantly spaced projections extending downwardly therefrom, and a layer of resistant material contacting the distal ends of each said projection such that when in use, the upper surface of the sheets supports the floor covering and the layer of resistant material separates the sheet of resistant material from a lower foundation structure.
The invention further is directed to a complete floor system including the novel sub-floor assembly with the added feature that the sub-floor assembly can be sealed to provide a chamber through which warm air may be passed, to provide heat to the floor and to the room above.
The invention will now be described, by way of example only, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in 2I 63~ 6~
which:
Figure 1 is a perspective, partly sectional view of a portion of a floor structure according to the invention;
Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of a portion of the intermediate sub-flooring shown in Figure 1;
Figure 2A is a vertical section of a portion of the intermediate sub-flooring shown in Figure 1 and 2;
Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the floor structure shown in Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of a second embodiment of the invention incorporating a modified form of intermediate sub-flooring; and Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view of a flooring installation utilizing the sub-flooring according to Figure 4.
Referring firstly to Figures 1, 2, 2A and 3, a complete flooring system as envisaged by the inventor, is shown indicated generally at 10. The system incorporates the principle element of the invention, namely a sub-flooring sheet 11, which is water resistant and thus impermeable to moisture, but which still allows air to flow or circulate between the concrete slab 12 and the upper floor, which in this embodiment includes a particle board 13, underlay 14 (optional), and carpet 15.
The sub-flooring sheet 11 is preferably formed from a 21 63~ 68 thin sheet of plastics material. However, it could also be molded from thin sheets of polystyrene, polyethylene or vinyl, or could be provided in rubber, nylon, metal, wood or wood composite mixes, the latter utilizing a water resistant adhesive or bonding agent. As can be appreciated from Figures 1 through 3, molded plastic sheet 11 has a generally flat upper surface 16 with hollow, frusto-conical extension 17 formed so as to extend downwardly therefrom.
The apex 17A of each conical extension being externally provided with a thick coat or pad 18 of, for example, rubber.
Sheet 11 therefore, acts a spacer between the concrete pad 12 and the upper flooring, 13, 14 and 15. The formation of this sheet 11, namely the inverted, hollow, truncated cones or conical "dimples" 17 permit the material to withstand considerable loads and the gap or space 19 formed between the conical extensions provides an air passage to assist in drying, and removal any moisture that may penetrate the system, via the concrete pad 12.
This vapour barrier 19, or what may be referred to as a thermal insulating barrier of air, can be supplemented by the addition of hot or cold air from blowers to be described hereafter with reference to Figure 5. Such a warm air flow will not only effectively assist in moisture removal, but can also provide a heating system or indeed a ~ 2103~8 cooling system to the upper floor, which, if the system is utilized in a basement, increases the comfort level in the overall building.
Additionally, as will be appreciated, the coat or pads 18 are provided to cushion the floor system and substantially reduce the noise level ie: avoiding "floor creaking" when the floor is in place and in use.
Looking now at Figures 4 and 5, Figure 4 is a vertical section through a flooring system somewhat modified, but still utilizing the basic molded plastic internal sub-flooring material shown in the first embodiment according to Figures 1 through 3. This second embodiment of the system according to the invention differs in two principle areas. Instead of the apex of each inverted, truncated cone 17 being coated or provided with a small pad 18, a continuous sheet, for example, breathable fabric 18 is provided, which can either be adhesively attached to the material sheet 11 at the apex of cone 17, or simply laid down separately to initially cover the concrete pad 7 prior to the sheet 11 being laid down. A further variance is ; that a mixture of, for example, wood chips and a suitable adhesive or bonding agent is applied to the upper surface of the sheet 11 to fill the internal hollows or cavities 20 of the cones. Sufficient of this composition is build up in a layer ~1 above the top ~urface of sheet 11 to form a 2I 63q 68 flat surface on which underlay 14 and carpet 15 can be laid. The composite wood chips and plastic structure that now comprises sheet 11, provides a rigid, strong, water resistant panel with good thermal conducting properties, that can be readily cut to size and conveniently installed, essentially avoiding the requirement of the particle board 13 shown in Figures 1 and 3. If particle board is utilized, however, it may be advantageous for a thin sheet of particle board to be adhesively attached to the upper surface of sheet 11. It should be made clear at this time, however, while the preferred shape and configuration of the material 11 has been specified with regard to the two embodiments outlined above, it would still within the scope of the present invention to provide the "dimples" 17 in other shapes than the frustro-conical hollow (or filled with wood composition) configuration. For example, the entire sheet could be molded in solid rubber or plastic, or indeed molded entirely from composite wood chips. The only requirement with the latter, would be either the use of a water resistant bonding agent, or alternatively, applying a further plastic "dip" coating to the sheet to prevent ingress of moisture to the material. Furthermore, while the conical shape is preferred in view of its load bearing characteristics, the downwardly extending projections could be square or rectangular in cross section. It will be 2l63q68 appreciated, however, that if the material 11 is as shown in Figures 1 through 3, it can be supplied in roll form which makes it extremely simple to install.
As indicated above, it is common practice in the prior art to produce a sub-floor on concrete by utilizing 2 x 4 studs on 16 inch centers with a 5/8 inch surface plywood.
As previously mentioned, not only are the prior art systems labour extensive, costly and ineffecient, the resulting floor height is, or can be, unacceptable. With the arrangement according to the subject invention, the actual floor height is substantially reduced without loss of effectiveness, and is much less costly to install.
The material which conveniently can be provided in 4 foot roll widths and approximately 3/8 inch in height, can be quickly "rolled out", cut to length and shape and laid down directly on the concrete pad without the aid of mechanical or chemical fastenings.
A schematic layout of a complete installation of the flooring system according to the invention is shown in Figure 5. The basic structure described and disclosed in connection with Figure 4 is utilized in this embodiment, although the construction according to Figures 1 through 3 would be equally applicable.
To install the system, a "bead" or coating of sealer 20 is applied to the concrete floor 7 around the peripheral 2l63~68 edge of the area to be covered, adjacent internal wall 19 of a building. A pad 18 of, for example, breathable fabric is laid to cover the remaining area of the concrete, a "breathable" or suitable material being preferred so as to permit moisture to pass therethrough. The composite material 17 is then positioned over the fabric such that it abuts the wall 19 and is held in place by a sealer 20. A
further sealing compound to caulking 21 is applied where the panel 17 abuts the wall 19. This effectively seals the entire flooring system from the room above.
Finally, the underlay 14 and carpet 15 are laid in place in a conventional manner.
Obviously, any joints between sections of the area of the floor will require sealing to ensure no passage of moisture into the area of the room or into the carpet.
While the system as heretofore described will be sufficient to combat the problems resulting from dampness and effectively insulate the final floor, it is occasionally required to provide additional warmth to the room and/or a supply of fresh cool air. Since concrete is well known as a heat sink, prior floor heating systems having included heating pipes imbedded in the concrete through which hot water is circulated, or alternatively, electrical heating elements are buried in the concrete.
Additionally, heating pads have been laid beneath the final 2163~68 carpet. Such systems are expensive to install and maintain and in cold weather water pipes tend to freeze and any fracture would obviously add more water to the concrete pad and hence to the finished floor above.
The flooring system of the present invention, however, can be very easily adapted to provide a heated floor, or alternatively, form part of a system whereby cool or fresh air can flow into a room.
Looking at Figure 5, it can be seen, shown schematically, that it is possible to utilize the air space 19 as an air passage. By circulating warm air from the building heating system, ie: the furnace, through the space 19, which is sealed, and into the room above through conventional placed floor vents not only is the upper floor being heated and the warm air supplied to the confines of the room 25, but the principle object of the invention is being realized, ie: evaporation of any moisture which might be present in the cement floor. While the actual apparatus necessary to put this feature of the invention into practice is conventional, for completeness, Figure 5 shows schematically a heat source which may be, as indicated above, a furnace 22 and piping 23 passing warm air via the wall into the air space 19 from whence it can be supplied through air vents 24 to the room 25. Alternatively, during summer months it may be required to supply cool, fresh air 2163~68 or indeed refrigerated air to the room 25 via the same or similar system as described above. It is common for a : furnace to supply cool but an air supply could be provided from a conventional air conditioning system.
The invention as hereinbefore described may, as will be understood, be embodied in other specific forms and variations without departing from the scope as indicated in the appended claims. Accordingly, the embodiments described above are illustrative and not restrictive.
Claims (15)
1. A sub-floor support adapted to be installed beneath a conventionally finished floor covering, said support comprising in combination a substantially thin sheet of water resistant material having upper and lower planar surfaces, said lower surface including equidistantly spaced projections extending downwardly therefrom, and a layer of resilient material contacting the distal ends of said projections, such that when in use, said upper surface of said sheet supports said floor covering and said layer of resilient material separates said sheets of resilient material from a lower foundation structure.
2. The support according to claim 1 wherein said lower formation structure is a concrete pad.
3. The support according to claim 1 wherein said layer of resilient material is a sheet of substantially thin breathable fabric.
4. The support according to claim 1 wherein said water resistant material is plastic.
5. The support according to claim 1 wherein said water resistant material is metal.
6. The support according to claim 1 wherein said water resistant material comprises a wood composite.
7. The support according to claim 4 wherein said sheet of water resistant material is a single sheet, molded such that said space projections have the configuration of inverted frustro-conical extensions having hollow interiors.
8. The support according to claim 3 wherein said layer of resistant material is adhesively attached to the distal end of said projections.
9. The support according to claim 7 wherein said layer of resilient material is adhesively attached to the distal ends of frustro-conical extensions.
10. The support according to claim 9 wherein said layer of resilient material is a pad of size sufficient only to cover the distal end of each said frustro-conical extension.
11. The support according to claim 7 wherein said hollow interiors of each said frustro-conical extension are filled with a composite comprising at least wood chips and a bonding agent, sufficient of such composite being provided to form a layer of said composite above said upper planar surface, said layer providing additional support to said final floor covering.
12. A method of installing a sub-floor assembly on a concrete foundation within a walled enclosure, said sub-floor being of a the form including in combination a molded sheet of water resistant material having upper and lower surfaces, the lower surface including equidistantly spaced projections extending downwardly from, and, a layer of breathable fabric material contacting the distal ends of said projections, the method including:
a) applying to the area of said foundation adjacent said walls, a first sealing composition;
b) applying a layer of said breathable fabric material to the surface of said foundation;
c) positioning said sub-floor assembly on top of said fabric material such that the sub-floor abuts said walls and is held in place around its lower periphery by said sealing composition;
d) applying a second sealing composition to the upper surface of said sub-floor assembly adjacent said walls and to any joint between adjacent of said sheets of said sub-floor to hermetically seal same and thus define an air space between said concrete foundation and said lower surface of said water resistant material; and e) locating on top of said sealed sub-floor assembly a finished floor covering.
a) applying to the area of said foundation adjacent said walls, a first sealing composition;
b) applying a layer of said breathable fabric material to the surface of said foundation;
c) positioning said sub-floor assembly on top of said fabric material such that the sub-floor abuts said walls and is held in place around its lower periphery by said sealing composition;
d) applying a second sealing composition to the upper surface of said sub-floor assembly adjacent said walls and to any joint between adjacent of said sheets of said sub-floor to hermetically seal same and thus define an air space between said concrete foundation and said lower surface of said water resistant material; and e) locating on top of said sealed sub-floor assembly a finished floor covering.
13. A method according to claim 12 and further including the step of providing from a source of pressurized air, an air supply directly to said air space and circulating said air within said air space.
14. The method according to claim 13 including the step of heating said air supply.
15. The method according to claim 13 including the step of venting said heated air from said air space through said finished floor into said enclosure.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002163468A CA2163468A1 (en) | 1995-11-22 | 1995-11-22 | Sub-flooring system |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002163468A CA2163468A1 (en) | 1995-11-22 | 1995-11-22 | Sub-flooring system |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2163468A1 true CA2163468A1 (en) | 1997-05-23 |
Family
ID=4157014
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002163468A Abandoned CA2163468A1 (en) | 1995-11-22 | 1995-11-22 | Sub-flooring system |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA2163468A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP2693128A1 (en) * | 2012-08-01 | 2014-02-05 | Pasi Lehtimäki | Heating and drying system for a building |
| ITTO20130319A1 (en) * | 2013-04-22 | 2014-10-23 | Roofingreen S R L | INSULATING MULTILAYER PANELS FOR THE COMPOSITION OF FLOORING AND / OR VENTILATED VERTICAL WALLS |
-
1995
- 1995-11-22 CA CA002163468A patent/CA2163468A1/en not_active Abandoned
Cited By (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP2693128A1 (en) * | 2012-08-01 | 2014-02-05 | Pasi Lehtimäki | Heating and drying system for a building |
| ITTO20130319A1 (en) * | 2013-04-22 | 2014-10-23 | Roofingreen S R L | INSULATING MULTILAYER PANELS FOR THE COMPOSITION OF FLOORING AND / OR VENTILATED VERTICAL WALLS |
| WO2014174433A1 (en) * | 2013-04-22 | 2014-10-30 | Roofingreen S.R.L. | Multilayer insulating panels for the composition of ventilated floors and/or vertical walls |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Dead |
Effective date: 19981123 |