GB2421035A

GB2421035A - Services installation through joists

Info

Publication number: GB2421035A
Application number: GB0426691A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Ken Alderson
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-12-04
Filing date: 2004-12-04
Publication date: 2006-06-14
Also published as: GB0426691D0

Abstract

A services installation comprises a plurality of joists 7 each having a portion 8 of material removed therefrom to form a substantially U- shaped opening extending laterally across the joist, a service such as a gas or water pipe 5 laid in the U-shaped opening, and a cover 1 substantially U-shaped in cross-section overlying the pipe within the opening 8 across the width of the joist 7 and whose upper surface is flush with the top surface of the joist.

Description

SERVICES INSTALLATION AND METHOD

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to services installations and a method of installing services, and in particular to an installation and method of mstalhng services which protects a service from being damaged by subsequent building work.

Background of the Invention

In the constructr)n of houses and other buildings there is a necessity to accommodate services such as piping for the movement of gas or water. Particularly in houses and old buildings there is no provision of service ducts in which pipes can be laid. The aesthetic requirements of houses are generally greater than those of buildings for no-residential use, and there is a requirement to hide services from view. It is therefore common practice to lay services within floors.

It has been common practice to set pipes into notches cut in floor joists, and then to cover the floor joists and pipes with floor boards. In the United Kingdom there are building regulations that set out the maximum the width and how depth a notch in a floor Joist can be, and the distance from a wall in which such pipes may be laid. These regulations have two purposes, first to prevent floor joists being cut away to an extent that might damage their structural integrity, and second so that other workmen can work safely in parts of the building in the knowledge that pipes are only located in a strip of a known width adjacent a wall.

One problem associated with the location of services such as pipes under floor boards is that they cannot be seen. The current fashion for home improvement, and in particular "do-it-yourself" home improvement is that "do-it-yourselfers" do not necessarily know the detail of building regulations, and therefore do not know that services should be located within a certain distance from walls. The result is that floor boards are often drilled through in areas where pipes might be located, resulting in burst pipes. Another problem is that of the un-qualified tradesmen who carries out building works without adhering to building regulations, i.e. locating pipes in positions outwith the positions set down in building regulations. Such actions cause problems for anyone subsequently carrying out work because the location of pipes is unknown.

Another problem with the location of pipes under floor boards is the necessity to make notches in floor joists. Notching weakens the joist and there are limits on the depth of notch that can be made in a joist, the depth of notch being in relation to the depth of the joist.

Certain proposals have been made to assist in the housing of services. United Kingdom patent no 108,273 describes an inverted trough with side flanges. This inverted trough sits on top of the floor joists, with floor boards being butted up against the sides of the trough. The problem with this construction is that the diameter of pipe that can be housed in the inverted trough is governed by the depth of the adjacent floor boards (the top of the inverted trough must be flush with the upper surface of the floor boards).

US 6,241,199 describes a protective insulating sleeve for plumbing installations. This sleeve is designed to sit in a bore in a joist. One function of this sleeve is to protect against penetration of a pipe by nails, screws or the like. The problem with this arrangement is that a bore must be drilled in the joist, the protective sleeve inserted and pipes or wires threaded through the bore. This series of tasks is more time consuming than simply taking a notch out of a joist and laying a pipe or wire therein.

US 3,979,093 describes cutting a notch in a joist, fitting a reinforcing element onto a pipe, locating the pipe with the reinforcing element in the notch, and fastening a protective plate over the notch in the joist. [he function of the protective plate is to protect the pipe against penetration by nails, screws or the like. The problem with this arrangement is that the reinforcing element has to be fitted to the pipe, the pipe complete with reinforcing element must then be laid in the notches in the joists, and then a protective plate fastened over the notch in thc joist. Aligning the reinforcing clcments with the notches and then fastening protective plates over the notches would be a time consuming task.

There is a reijuirenient for an improved services installation and method.

Summary of the Invention

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a services installation as specified in Claim 1.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of installing a service as specified in Claim 11.

The invention provides an effective way of protecting services from inadvertent damage.

Not only does this prevent damage to property resulting from pierced gas or water pipes, but also protects individuals from danger associated with gas leaks. The invention also serves to maintain the structural integrity of the joist. This because the notch is filled by the cover.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, and are by way of

example:

Figure 1 is a cross-section of a protective element; Figure 2 is a schematic representation of the protective element illustrated in Figure 1; and Figure 3 is a schematic representation of a construction including the protective element illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown a pipe protector 1 which is substantially U- shapcd in cross-section. The pipe protector I is preferably formed of pressed steel, and comprises a top plate 2 and sides 3, the free ends 4 of the sides 3 being curved to facilitate insertion of the pipe protector into a notch in a joist. Preferably, the length of the pipe protector I corresponds to the width of a joist, and the height of the sides 3 and the width of the top plate 2 correspond are selected to allow the inside walls of the pass between the sides of a notch and the outside of a pipe.

Referring now to Figure 3, the construction 6 comprises a joist 7 in which a notch 8 has been cut. The pipe 5 is laid in the notch 8 and the pipe protector is inserted into the notch with its side walls either side of the pipe 5. Tn a typical building, such as a residential dwelling, a ceiling would indude a plurality of spaced apart joists 7. Where a pipe is to be installed, each joist would included a notch 8 and where the pipe 5 lies in a notch it is covered with a pipe protector 1.

The cover may extend across the width of a joist, and between adjacent joists.

Typically, pipes to be laid in notches 8 would have diameters of 8mm, 10mm, 15mm, 22mm or 28mm. In the preferred embodiments, the internal dimensions of the pipe protector I would allow for a gap between a protected pipe and the inner face of the top plate 2 and sides 3 of the pipe protector 1. The purpose of the gap is to allow for expansion of the pipe. Typically, the gap would be about 2mm The invention also encompasses a method of construction comprising the steps of cutting a notch in an element of the fabric of a building, laying a service, such as a pipe, in the notch, and inserting a protector into the notch covering the service.

The pipe 5 may be a water pipe for drinking water, hot water, or water for heating appliances, or a gas supply pipe.

Claims

Claims A services installation compris1ng 1. a plurality of joists each

having a portion of material removed therefrom to form a substantially U-shaped opening extending laterally across the joist; ii. a service laid in the substantially U-shaped opening; and i.u. a cover substantially U-shaped in cross-section, wherein the internal width and height dimension of the substantially U- shaped opening correspond substantially to a multiple of external width and height dimensions of the cover, and wherein, in use, the substantially U-shaped cover is mverted and sits in the substantially U- shaped opening, the cover protecting the service laid in the said opening at least across the width of the joist, and wherein the substantially U- shaped cover is so dimensioned that the external surface of the cross- member thereof is substantially flush with the surface of the joist.
2. A services installation as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the substantially U-shaped cover is so dimensioned as to be a push-fit into the substantially U-shaped opening.
3. A services installation as claimed in Claim2, wherein the external surfaces or the parallel uprights of the substantially U-shaped cover are provided with protrusions for engagement with the side walls of the substantially U-shaped opening.
4. A services installation as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the cover is formed from a cast alloy or pressed steel.
5. A services installation as claimed in Claim 4 when dependent on Claim2, wherein the cover is resilient and, in usc, the parallel uprights press against the internal side walls of the substantially U-shaped opening.
(I. A services installation as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the width of the substantially U-shaped opening is substantially equal to a multiple of the external width of the cover, and the number of services laid in the opening and the number of covers correspond to the multiple.
7. A services installation as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the services installation is includes a pipe.
8. A services installation as claimed in Claim 7, wherein the pipe is a gas or water supply pipe.
9. A services installation as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the depth of the notch is fractionally greater than the diameter of a pipe to be laid in the notch and covered.
10. A services installation as claimed In any preceding claim, wherein the width of the notch is fractionally greater than the width of a pipe to be laid in the notch and covered.
11. A method of installing services in a building having joists, comprising the steps of: i. removing a portion of material from a joist to form a U-shaped opening extending laterally across the joist; 11. laying a service in the substantially U-shaped opening; and in. covering the service with a cover having a substantially U-shaped cross- section, wherein the internal width and height dimension of the substantially U-shaped opening correspond substantially to a multiple of external width and height dimensions of the cover, and wherein, in use, the substantially U-shaped cover is inverted and sits in the substantially U-shaped opening, the cover protecting the service laid in the said opening at least across the width of the joist, and wherein the substantially U-shaped cover is so dimensioned that the external surface of the cross-member thereof is substantially flush with the surface of the Joist.
12. A method according to Claim 11, wherein the substantially U-shaped cover is so dimensioned as to be a push-fit into the substantially Ushaped opening and is pushed into the said substantially U-shaped opening.
13. A method as claimed in Claiml2, wherein the external surfaces or the parallel uprights of the substantially U-shaped cover are provided with protrusions for engagement with the side walls of the substantially Ushaped opening, and when pushed into the said substantially U-shaped opening the protrusions engage with the said side walls.
14. A services installation substantially as shown in, and described with reference to, the drawings.