GB2361637A

GB2361637A - Non-slip flooring for shower installation

Info

Publication number: GB2361637A
Application number: GB0109218A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Robert Bruce Grave; Robert Charles Grave
Original assignee: CREATIVE HEALTHCARE Ltd
Current assignee: CREATIVE HEALTHCARE Ltd
Priority date: 2000-04-12
Filing date: 2001-04-12
Publication date: 2001-10-31
Anticipated expiration: 2021-04-12
Also published as: GB0109218D0; GB2361637B; GB0008881D0

Abstract

A method of installing a shower in a room having a floor includes using a sheet (12) of glass-fabric-reinforced plastic material which provides a supporting base on top of which non-slip flooring (16) is laid, which non-slip flooring extends over the floor of the shower and over a part at least of the remainder of the floor of the room.

Description

2361637 SHOWER INSTALLATIONS

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to shower installations and is concerned with the provision of an improved method of installing a shower for use by a person in a wheelchair such that there is no step or other upward projection over which the wheelchair has to be pushed.

Summarv of the Invention According to the present invention there is provided a method of installing a shower in a room having a floor, in which a sheet of glass- fabric-reinforced plastic material provides a supporting base on top of which non-slip flooring is laid, which non-slip flooring extends over the floor of the shower and over a part at least of the remainder of the floor of the room.

The glass-fabric-reinforced plastic material preferably comprises at least two substantially horizontal layers formed of bidirectional woven fabrics which are interconnected by vertical fibres. The plastic material may be, for example, a polyester, epoxy or vinyl ester resin.

2 The sheet of glass-fabric-reinforced plastic material is preferably profiled such that the upper surface of the non-slip flooring is inclined to the horizontal at a slope of the order of 1 in 40. Said upper surface of the non-slip flooring can slope down either to a drainage outlet or to a collection area connected to the inlet of a pump such that, in use, the pump will be switched on at the same time as the shower to remove the water failing on the non-slip flooring.

The sheet of glass-fabric-reinforced plastic material may be laid on top of any suitable flooring. For example, in the case of a floor comprising wooden floorboards laid on wooden joists, the floorboards may be cut away so that the sheet of glass-fabricreinforced plastic material rests directly on the joists. If the thickness of the sheet of glass-fabricreinforced fabric material is greater than the thickness of the floorboards, a sheet of, for example, hardboard of the appropriate thickness, will then be laid on top of the floorboards before the nonslip flooring is laid. A waste gully is fitted between adjacent joists.

Brief Description of the Drawings

Figure 1 shows a typical shower installation, Figure 2 is a plan view of a sheet of glass-fabric-reinforced plastic material for use in a shower installation having a drainage outlet, 3 Figure 3 is a plan view of a sheet of glass-fabric-reinforced plastic material for use in a shower installation fitted with a suction pump, and Figure 4 is a sectional view of the sheet of Figure 3.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment

Figure 1 of the drawings shows a stage in the installation of a shower cubicle in the corner of a room having a floor made up of wooden floorboards 10 laid on top of wooden joists 11. The floorboards 10 are cut away to provide a square or rectangular hole in the corner of the room and then a sheet 12 of glass-fabricreinforced plastic material is laid on top of the joists 11 to fill in the hole which has been formed. The dimensions of the sheet 12 will depend on the type of shower installation but, for a typical installation, the sheet 12 may be of square form with dimensions of 1200 mm. X 1200 mm. and with an increased thickness border 50 mm. wide extending around the periphery of the sheet 12. The lower surface of the sheet 12 is flat but the upper surface thereof is profiled so as to provide a fall of 1 in 40 from the sides of the sheet 12 to a drainage outlet 13 located centrally of the sheet 12.

Before the sheet 12 is installed, the appropriate plumbing connections are made. The sheet 12 will normally be supplied complete with the drainage outlet 13 and with a waste gully which 4 fits between the joists and is connected to the appropriate outlet pipe.

The sheet 12 is of a glass-fabric-reinforced polyester or other resin and consists of two horizontal layers of bi-directional woven glass fabrics which are interconnected by vertical fibres to provide a structure which has substantial load-carrying properties, but yet is light in weight.

After the sheet 12 has been placed in position, at least the area immediately around the position of the shower cubicle, but typically the whole of the room in which the shower cubicle is being installed, will be made level with the outer part of the sheet 12. This will normally be achieved by laying hardboard sheeting 14 over the floorboards 10.

Coving 15 will be installed along the edges of the sheet 12 which abut the surfaces of the wall in the corner of the room and then a continuous layer 16 of waterproof non-slip flooring will be laid over the sheet 12 and over the hardboard 14. A continuous covering over the floor will thus be provided which does not have any steps, lips or other upward projections which might interfere with the entry of a wheelchair into the shower cubicle.

The framework of the shower cubicle (not shown) is then completed on top of the non-slip flooring providing a safe, leakproof structure suitable for use by a person in a wheelchair.

As an alternative to providing a central drain outlet as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, the removal of water from the floor of the shower cubicle may be effected by means of a pump, the pump inlet being connected to a pipe having its free end located just above the lowest part of the sheet which may then be profiled so that it slopes towards a position adjacent the corner of the room. This alternative system, which includes the use of a sheet 12A of glass-fabric-reinforced polyester or other resin is shown in Figures 3 and 4. A typical size for the sheet 12A is 810 mm. X 810 mm. and there is typically a border of increased thickness and of width 50 mm. along two of the sides of the sheet 12A, i. e. along the two sides of the sheet 12A remote from the corner of the room in which the shower is being installed.

This arrangement is particularly suitable for the installation of shower cubicles in rooms having solid concrete or screeded floors. The pump can be either a top suction pump or a bottom suction pump and the controls for the pump will be interlinked with the shower controls so that the pump will be switched on when the shower is switched on and will continue to operate for a short time after the shower is switched off.

6

Claims

Claims:-

1. A method of installing a shower in a room having a floor, in which a sheet of glass-fabric-reinforced plastic material provides a supporting base on top of which non-slip flooring is laid, which nonslip flooring extends over the floor of the shower and over a part at least of the remainder of the floor of the room.

2. A method as claimed in Claim 1, in which the glass-fabricreinforced plastic material comprises at least two substantially horizontal layers formed of bi-directional woven fabrics which are interconnected by vertical fibres.

3. A method as claimed in either of the preceding claims, in which the plastic material is a polyester, epoxy or vinyl ester resin.

4. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the sheet of glass-fabric-reinforced plastic material is profiled such that the upper surface of the non-slip flooring on top of said sheet is inclined to the horizontal at a slope of the order of 1 in 40.

5. A method as claimed in Claim 4, in which the upper surface of the nonslip flooring slopes down to a drainage outlet.

6. A method as claimed in Claim 4, in which the upper surface of the nonslip flooring slopes down to a collection area connected to the inlet of a pump such that, in use, the pump will be 7 switched on at the same time as the shower to remove the water failing on the non-slip flooring.

7. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the shower is being installed in a room having a floor comprising wooden floorboards laid on wooden joists and the floorboards are cut away so that the sheet of glass-fabric-reinforced plastic material rests directly on the joists.

8. A method as claimed in Claim 7, in which the thickness of the sheet of glass-fabric-reinforced fabric material is greater than the thickness of the floorboards and a sheet of hardboard of the appropriate thickness is laid on top of the floorboards before the non-slip flooring is laid.

9. A method of installing a shower in a room having a floor, said method being carried out substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.

10. A shower installed by the method claimed in any one of the preceding claims.