GB2327097A - Loft flooring - Google Patents

Abstract

A loft flooring mat 1 for spanning joists comprises laterally spaced slats 2 connected to one another by at least two flexible bindings 3. The flexible bindings 3 may be fixed to the upper or lower surfaces of the slats 2 in use and may be coupled to the slats by staples 10. The bindings 3, which may be made from polypropylene, may be alternately coupled to both the upper and lower surfaces. The bindings may instead pass through adjacent slats.

Description

FLOORING SYSTEM The present invention relates to techniques for providing flooring for buildings, and in particular to flooring systems for roof spaces and other places requiring a floor which spans joists.

In many buildings, the roof space or loft beneath a pitched roof provides a useful storage area. However, such roof spaces are often not provided with floor boards spanning the joists when the building is originally constructed, which makes their regular use for storage slightly hazardous and inconvenient.

The subsequent flooring of such roof spaces with wooden or composite sheets is possible, but proves to be quite expensive given an adequate thickness of board necessary and the typical area to be covered.

In addition, it is common in residential buildings for the roof space access to be via a small hatch which severely restricts the maximum size of boards which can be admitted into the roof space.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a convenient, low cost flooring system for a roof space of a building.

According to one aspect, the present invention provides a roll-up mat-type flooring unit for a loft, comprising a plurality of substantially parallel slats laterally connected so as to enable the flooring unit to be rolled up about an axis parallel to the slats.

According to another aspect, the present invention provides a loft flooring apparatus for spanning joists in a roof space, comprising a plurality of substantially parallel, laterally spaced slats laterally connected to one another by at least two flexible bindings extending along the flooring apparatus in a direction substantially orthogonal to the slats.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows a partial plan view of a roll-up flooring unit for a roof space; Figure 2 shows a partial perspective side view of the flooring unit of figure 1; Figures 3 and 4 show two alternative styles of linking of the slats of the flooring unit of figures 1 and 2; and Figures 5 shows a partial plan view of the flooring unit of figures 1 and 2 interlinked with an adjacent flooring unit mounted on the same roof joist.

With reference to figures 1 and 2, a presently preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a roll-up flooring unit 1 comprising a plurality of parallel slats 2 which are laterally spaced apart by a separation distance d approximately equal to, or slightly greater than the width w of each slat 2.

The slats 2 are preferably formed from a relatively low cost wood, such as pine or beech, with dimensions which are appropriate to the load bearing requirements to be discussed later. In a preferred embodiment, each slat has cross-sectional dimensions of approximately 1.25 inches in width w by 0.75 inches in depth (32 mm by 20 mm). In a preferred embodiment, the separation distance of adjacent slats is approximately 1.375 inches (35 mm).

The slats are mutually connected by a flexible binding which, in the preferred embodiment shown, is a pair of polypropylene straps 3, 4. The polypropylene straps 3, 4 are stapled to each slat 2 on one side of the flooring unit 1 using a standard industrial stapling method using staples 10. Preferably, the polypropylene straps 3, 4 have a width of approximately 2 cm. The straps 3, 4 may be fixed to either the top side of the flooring unit or the bottom side of the flooring unit.

It will be understood that this enables the entire flooring unit to be rolled up for convenient packaging, distribution and sale, and particularly for easy admittance to a roof space which has a restricted access hatch.

The flooring unit 1 can then be unrolled in situ in the roof space.

Preferably, the flooring unit 1 has slats 2 which are slightly greater than approximately 1.2 m in length, and each flooring unit 1 comprises sufficient connected slats 2 to make up a roll length which is between 2 and 3 m. For easy admittance through typical loft hatches, a roll length of approximately 2 metres is preferred.

The length of the slats 2 is chosen to conveniently span a standard joist spacing of 600 mm (joist centre-to-centre), and in a preferred embodiment, each slat is approximately 1.3 m in length to enable the slats to span three adjacent joists with a small (50 mm) overlap at each end, for reasons which will become clear. The cross-sectional dimensions of each slat as discussed above will depend upon the materials used, but where they are formed from pine softwood, and the joist spacing is 600 mm, the dimensions 32 mm by 20 mm have been found to be adequate in most circumstances. The slat length of 1.3 m also conveniently accommodates a typical joist spacing of 16 inches (approximately 400 mm).

In an alternative embodiment, for another common joist spacing of 18 inches (approximately 450 mm), the slat lengths are 1.0 m.

The flexible bindings may also each comprise a pair of straps as shown in figures 3 and 4. In figure 3, each strap 5, 6 is respectively stapled to the slats 2 on a top surface of the flooring unit or a bottom surface of the unit, and are also connected to one another in the spacing d between the slats 2. In figure 4, each strap 7, 8 alternates from top surface to bottom surface of the flooring unit in opposition to one another, providing a cross-over 9 in each inter-slat spacing d. Of course, in this arrangement, the straps 7, 8 are laterally offset from one another to facilitate the cross-over.

Many other flexible binding arrangement are possible. For example, an appropriate gauge rope or cord could pass through holes drilled in each slat, the rope being knotted at each side of each slat to prevent movement thereof in relation to the length of the rope. This, however, requires slightly more complex manufacturing methods.

The straps 3, 4 are preferably situated approximately 10 to 20 cm or so from the ends of the slats. This, together with the inter-slat spacing d being greater than or equal to the width w of the slats enables individual flooring units 1 to be laid adjacent one another in an interlocking or overlapping configuration attached to the same joist 12, as shown in figure 5. This also enables the flexible binding straps to be positioned on the lower surface of the flooring unit, clear of and parallel to the joists 12, so that they do not interfere with the levelling of the flooring unit and do not protrude from the top surface of the flooring unit when installed.

It will be understood that other configurations are possible. For example, where closer spacing of slats is desired, adjacent flooring units 1 can simply be laid with slats end to end, each occupying half the width of available joist 12, without using an interlocking arrangement.

Alternatively, slats could be alternately relatively short and long to form a crenellated edge into which may engage a corresponding flooring unit.

Ordinarily, the flooring units can be simply nailed to existing roof joists, but they could be provided pre-drilled for screwing down in known manner.

The spacing of the slats by the flexible bindings not only provides the benefits of a roll-up flooring, but also substantially reduces the quantity of wood or other slat material need to cover a given loft floor area when compared with solid sheets. The separation distance of the slats still, however, provides the benefits of a solid floor used as a storage area.

Claims (13)

1. A loft flooring apparatus for spanning joists in a loft space comprising a plurality of substantially parallel, laterally spaced slats laterally connected to one another by at least two flexible bindings extending along the flooring unit in a direction substantially orthogonal to the slats.

2. A loft flooring apparatus according to claim 1 in which the flexible bindings are straps affixed to an upper or lower surface of the flooring apparatus slats.

3. A loft flooring apparatus according to claim 2 in which the straps are arranged in pairs, each strap of the pair disposed on the opposite side of the slat to its corresponding strap in the pair, the straps in a pair being mutually connected between adjacent slats.

4. A loft flooring apparatus according to claim 2 in which the straps are affixed to alternating sides of the slats.

5. A loft flooring apparatus according to claim 2, claim 3 or claim 4 in which the flexible bindings are coupled to the slats by staples.

6. A loft flooring apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5 in which the flexible bindings are polypropylene straps.

7. A loft flooring apparatus according to claim 1 in which the flexible bindings pass through each adjacent slat.

8. A loft flooring apparatus according to any preceding claim in which the slats have a lateral spacing at least as great as the width of each slat.

9. A loft flooring apparatus according to any preceding claim in which the slats have a length of approximately 1.3 m or approximately 1.0 m.

10. A loft flooring apparatus according to any preceding claim in which the overall extent of the flooring apparatus when unrolled in a direction orthogonal to the slats lies between 1.5 and 3 m.

11 A loft flooring apparatus according to any preceding claim in which each slat has a cross-sectional dimension of approximately 32 mm by 20 mm.

12. A roll-up mat-type loft flooring unit, comprising a plurality of substantially parallel slats laterally connected so as to enable the flooring unit to be rolled up about an axis parallel to the slats.

13. A loft flooring apparatus substantially as described herein and with reference to the accompanying drawings.