GB2442467A

GB2442467A - Wall and floor tile panel support system.

Info

Publication number: GB2442467A
Application number: GB0620703A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael Francis Harper
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-10-02
Filing date: 2006-10-02
Publication date: 2008-04-09
Anticipated expiration: 2026-10-02
Also published as: GB2442547B; GB2442467B; GB2442467A9; GB2442547A; GB0620703D0; GB0714860D0

Abstract

The invention relates to a wall and floor tile panel support system and comprises an application paneling device for the leveling of uneven walls and floors prior to the fixing of tiles. The panels may have lateral wedge shaped cut outs 6 on both sides of the panel providing a solid grip for adhesive. The panels may be waterproof and jointed and fixed together thereby providing a waterproof seal between the wall/floor and the fixed tile. The top surfaces of the panels may have markings (4 figure 2) for lateral/vertical positioning and placement of tiles. Tile bases will be fixed to the wall and floor tile panel support system by means of tile adhesive or adhesive or adhesive strips/pads. The panels may be joined by the use of joiner pins (5 figure 2) which provide a strengthening strut to the joining of each panel to its panel ends.

Description

Wall and Floor Tile Panel Support System.

This invention has been designed to provide lateral and vertical alignment to damaged wall/floor surfaces prior to tiling or re-tiling. The system of flush fitting panels provides a water bamer between the wall/floor and the new tile fixing surface.

Fitting new tiles to a wall where old tiles have been removed requires extensive repairing to the damaged wall surfaces. The original wall is often out of line laterally and vertically with uneven render/plaster deviations. The original wall To Make Good' prior to new tile fixing will either require new render work, plaster patching or boarding. Very often the standard of new wall render will not provide a flat/even lateral and vertical surface suitable for fast application of wall tiling. Large amounts of tile adhesive are often used to overcome these lateral and vertical wall surface problems; including the newly rendered wall. Repairing old wall tile surfaces is time consuming and often unrewarding as new materials fail to bond with existing substances. Boarding of damaged walls either by plaster or wooden boards can again have problems with fit.ment to the old plaster and/or water damage to the buildings inner leaf. Tiles are fitted to water borne areas within buildings and are resilient to water retention however tiles that are subjected to water penetration either through their grouting seams or their adhesive rear fixings will lose grip and fail. Old floor screed covering solid concrete floors over time become cracked and uneven making the laying of new level floor tiles difficult The application of whether a new screed is prepared to offset this problem is quite often based on its cost effectiveness relative to labour expenditure. With solid floors in older properties it will not be known where the exact level of damp proving was originally installed and therefore amateurish investigations can be time wasting and expensive. The Floor Tile Panel System is designed primarily for use on solid floors.

However traditionally when floor tiling is adhered to wooden floor boarding this requires strict attention to the vibration, distortion and impact shock characteristics of the suspended floor To address this tile damaging problem marine ply is secured with screws over the entire wooden floor before the laying of floor tiles. The Floor Tile Panel Support System when fixed to the marine ply will afford further security against the possibility of water penetration and damage to floor tiles caused by the lifting screw heads Labour time reduction, ease of application and the professional fiflSh are the main themes for this invention.

To overcome the foregoing problems this invention The Wall and Floor Tile Panel Support System' provides an application panelling device for the levelling of uneven walls and floors prior to the fixing of tiles. The Panels are fixed to the walls or floors by means of waterproof adhesive or tile adhesive, each panel or series of panels being levelled laterally and vertically to form a flatleven surface and providing a true foundation prior to the fixing of tiles. The waterproof panels are jointed and fixed together by means of a waterproof adhesive, thereby providing a waterproof seal between the walL/floor and the fixed tile The top surface of the panel is graphically marked, in florescent colour, with varying graded vertical and lateral guiding tile lines. With the panels correctly positioned on the wall or floor the skill function of placing the tiles will be reduced, requiring a tile placement along predetermined graphic lines. The graphic design on the top tiling surface of the panel will afford a simplified judgement process when determining tile cutting and overall final tile/material presentation. The fitting and securing of wall and floor tiles to the Wall and Floor Tile Panel might be made by using the following fixing methods of tile adhesive, adhesive or adhesive strips and or pads. The Wall and Floor Tile Panel Support System although primarily designed with the use of wall and floor tiles can provide a wall or base for other material attachments. This tile panel system incorporates a continuous water barrier within its panels thereby negating water penetration problems. The tile panel system will provide waterproof wall and floor protection to various accommodations but especially to accommodation wet areas within building constructions.

The Wall and Floor Tile Panel has continuous lateral wedge cut out' segments to its top and bottom surface faces. The shape of the cut out provides a solid grip onto the wall or floor surface, similarly the same grip is afforded to the top surface for tile fixing.

The design of the Wall and Floor Tile Panel requires only thin vertical layers of tile adhesive in order for the tile to be secured to the panel.

The Wall and Floor Tile Panel will be constructed of such a material that numerous adhesive products will be suitable for use on either of its top or bottom surfaces.

A new stick on adhesive Tile Aligner' provides controlled alignment both laterally and vertically throughout the wall/floor tile panel system. This Tile Aligner is shaped so that with minimum finger dexterity and in conjunction with its adhesive base can be manoeuvred to provide instant lateral/vertical tile support. 3.

The ancillary supportive invention of a Temporary Tile Base Bar' will overcome the traditional requirement for heavy fixing wall support for the first line of un-supported tiles. This Temporary Tile Base Bar can be removed by hand without the use of tools when the unsupported base line of tiles has been secured by the applied tile adhesive.

The Wall and Floor Tile Panels can be manufactured to any size or dimension and the water bamer feature will be eliminated from the design with the introduction of any sized shaped hole cut through the surfaces of the panel. However the top and bottom surface wedge cut outs require to be set as opposing forces thereby creating when dry, a strengthened tile support.

The invention will now be described solely by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings as follows:-Figure 1. The Front Elevation shows the narrow Wall and Floor Tile Panel incorporating a joint along its bottom edge.

Figure 2. The Plan View shows the top tile surface of the Wall and Floor Tile Panel.

Figure 3 This End Elevation view shows the symmetrical series of Top and Bottom surface wedge cut outs.

Figure 4. This second End Elevation shows the end section of the additional wall and floor tile panel which provides a female end joint Figure 5. Panel to panel surface joiner pin.

Figure 6 Top or bottom panel end joiner strip for fixing a top or bottom wall Tile Moulded Strip (Figure 9) Figure 7. The panel top and bottom joint panel end joiner strip A' provides a male end joint.

Figure 8 Wall panel end moulded strip 4.

Figure 9. Panel top or bottom wall tile moulded strip.

Figure 10. Example kitchen area with wall and base kitchen carcass units Wall and Floor Tile Panel Supporting System shown in fixed wall and floor positions prior to tiling.

Figure 1 I. The flexible corner floor panel for floor panel fixings Figure 12. End Elevation view of a flexible corner floor panel Figure 13. A flexible skirting floor panel for floor panel fixings Figure 14 The adhesive based tile aligner for securing tile positioning on wall or floor panels.

Figure 15. A temporary holding wall tile base bar.

The Front Elevation on Figure 1 defines the narrowness and length of the Wall and Floor Tile Panel invention No 1 indicates the bottom panel joint for fixing a Panel top or bottom tile moulded strip Figure 9. The thicknesses of the wall and floor tile panels are different to alleviate impact damage and stress caused to the top surface of the floor tile panel shown between the No. 2 indicated numbers.

In Figure 2 the Plan View of the Wall and Floor Tile Pane! shows the top surface view with the lateral cut out lines No.3 and the vertical florescent coloured surface markings No 4 used for tile alignment guides and grading. The vertical florescent coloured surface markings afford the possibility of any graphical design. The use of florescent marking does not have to be applied. No.5 shows an example placement of the panel surface joiner pin, Figure 5 located in the wedge cut out No 6 on Figure 3 There would be a requirement for several No 5. panel surface joJner pins to be located along the Wall and Floor Tile Panel end in order to provide a suitable waterproof adhesive bond to the next adjoining panel.

The referred to Wedge Cut Outs' are drawn on the End Elevation Figure 3 and identifies the tiling top surface wedges with example No 6 shown and the opposite wall surface wedges with example No 7 shown. Both opposing wedge surfaces are cut out laterally throughout the length of the Wall and Floor Tile Panel. The Panel can be cut both laterally and vertically to fit within any wall space, an imaginary

S

example cut is made at No 8 to illustrate the use of joining with the top and bottom panel end joiner strip A' as drawn in figure 7. The top and bottom ends of the Wall and Floor Tile Panel are recessed on the lower wall side surface as shown at No 9 to accommodate jointing to the additional wall and floor tile panel, Figure 4 and alternatively to provide a jointing receptacle for the top or bottom wall tile moulded strip as drawn in Figure 9 Figure 4 the Additional Wall and Floor Tile Panel provides a female connecting panel to the End Elevation panel drawn in Figure 3. The two panels fixed together perform the male and female jointing system requirement for continued fitment. No 10. the female joint will join with the male end joint shown atNo 9 on Figure 3. The female Joint will also accommodate the top or bottom panel end joiner strip as shown in Figure 6.

The panel surface joiner pin drawn in figure 5 provides a strengthening strut to the jointing of each panel to its panel ends. This pin will be an additional support to the waterproof adhesive applied to the panel end surface of both panels to be fixed together Fifty percent of each pin will be divided between each panel and secured in the respective panel wedge cut outs with waterproof adhesive.

Figure 6 shows the top or bottom panel end joiner strip which is located at the female end joint of the Additional Wall and Floor Tile Panel as shown at No 10. The surface Joint end of the top or bottom panel end joiner strip at No. 11 provides a recess for the fixing of either Figure 9 the top or bottom wall tile moulded stnp or the jointing of another Additional Wall and Floor Tile Panel as shown at Figure 4.

The Wall and Floor Tile Panel can be cut to fit any interior building wall space, Figure 7 showing the top and bottom panel end joiner strip A' provides a male joint end. The Joint will fix to the top or bottom of both panel types Figure 3 and Figure 4.

providing a male or female receiving joint. No 12 shows a thin flap which is slotted over the cut illustrated at No 8 which will fit the edge of any Wall and Floor Tile Panel. This joiner is secured with waterproof adhesive Figure. 8 the wall panel end moulded strip affords the application of a rounded edge finish to the last fixed surface end wall tile The jointing strut No 13 is spaced evenly along the moulded strip and will correspond with the cut out wedges located along the top surface of the Wall and Floor Tile Panel. The body of the fixing strut no 13 is of the same design as the panel surface joiner pn illustrated in Figure 5 The curved convex moulding No 14 could be finished in many materials and coloured to compliment any of the fixed tile designs.

Figure. 9 the top or bottom wall tile moulded strip provides a concave curve finish No. 15 to the top or bottom finished tile edges additionally this moulding would have an alternative rounded convex finished curve as shown on No 16. The stnp is located into the male joint ends of the Wall and Floor Tile Panel or the recess provided by the joiners described in Figure 6 and Figure 7.

The imaginary illustrated example kitchen shown in Figure 10 is designed to provide an overall sample view of the Wall and Floor Tile Panel Supporting System when fixed together prior to the application of floor and wall tiles. The kitchen wall and base carcass units are drawn for pictorial purposes only. The Plan View of the Wall and Floor Tile Panel in Figure 2 is identified in several positions within the illustration and provides a shape for the panel with four right angles however as previously stated the panel design size could be of any combination of matching sizes.

The Figure 2 illustrated positions show the availability of producing differing sizes of panels, which can be used in any design pattern to fit the requirements of any building accommodation The flexible skirting floor panel is shown on Figure 13. No. 14 shows the finished curved edge of the wall panel end moulded strip. The alternative top or bottom wall tile moulded strip is shown fixed in place providing a convex curve No.16 to compliment the curve strip of No 14 The flexible corner floor panel in Figure Ii contains four separate sections of the Wall and Floor Tile Floor panel design which are connected by a strong thin waterproof collapsible strip No. 17. The ends of the collapsible strip are moulded into the respective ends of the Wall and Floor Tile Panel sections thereby forming a waterproof corner flexible floor panel. The corner panel will overcome wall to floor building inaccuracies present in most building constructions. The strong thin waterproof collapsible strip requires being of such a length that it can be folded without becoming unnecessarily bulky so as to prevent the fixing of floor tiles The End Elevation of the flexible corner floor panel shown in Figure 12 provides the previously explained male and female jointing end fixings as detailed on Figure 3 and Figure 4, so that other panels are able to be fixed. No 17 shows the strong thin waterproof collapsible strip positioned between the narrower wall tile panel and the thicker floor tile panel. No 18 highlights this important feature on the floor tile panel section. The wedge shape cut outs are also larger in the floor tile panel section providing the required strength and performance enabling secure fixing of floor tiles Figure. 13 show the wall to floor straight section of the flexible skirting floor panel, the construction of which is identical to the flexible corner floor panel. The End Elevation panel design incorporating the wedge cut outs' No 6 and No. 7 are an integral feature of all the Wall and Floor Tile Panel Support System, including the flexible skirting floor panel. 7.

Figure 14 shows the adhesive based tile aligner where the adhesive base over a short period will form a fix onto the top surface of the Wall and Floor Tile Panel. The adhesive based tile aligner would be one of many aligners adhered to a one sided adhesive paper retainer. The aligner when required would be removed from the sticky paper and positioned between tile edges to maintain lateral and vertical line. The size of the aligner would be determined by the measured distance between the pinched together ends of the thumb, first and second fingers The large size of the aligner together with the finger curved profiles No 19 would ensure a positive grip on the aligner which in turn would assist finger dexterity when positioning wall and floor tiles The ends of the aligner will be narrower as at No 20 in order to facilitate a realistic finger curve at No. 19.

A temporary holding wall tile base bar shown in figure 15 would be shaped to hold a row of base line tiles anywhere within a fixed Wall Tile Panel System. No 21 shows a hard sharp pin which has two functions, the first as a marking punch and the second as a temporary holding pin slotted into the Wall Tile Panel. The sharp pin would be angled downwards. The pins located on the tile base bar face No 22 will form a temporary fixing to the Wall Tile Panel. The tile base bar would be sturdy and capable of containing the weight of a row of fixed tiles during their initial drying time.

The bar would be removed when the line of base tiles were securely fixed to the Wall Tile Panel. When removing the temporary wall tile base bar the protruding strip No 23 would provide a pronounced finger grip enabling the removal of the wall tile base bar. 8.

Claims

Claims 1 The Wall and Floor Tile Panel Support System provides a

panelling application device for the levelling of uneven walls and floors pnor to the fixing of tiles
2 The waterproof panels are jointed and fixed together by means of a waterproof adhesive, thereby providing a waterproof seal between the wall/floor and the base of a fixed tile
3 The Wall and Floor Tile Panel has continuous lateral wedge cut out' segments to its top and bottom surface faces, the shape of the cut out provides a solid gnp onto the wall or floor surface, similarly the same grip is applied to the top surface of the panel affording secure tile/material fixing.
4. The design of the Wall and Floor Tile Panel requires thin vertical layers of tile adhesive, adhesive or adhesive strips/pads in order for the tile to be secured to a Wall and Floor Tile Panel.
The Wall and Floor Tile Panel will be constructed of such a material that numerous adhesive products will be suitable for use on either of its top or bottom surfaces.
6. The graphically coloured design on the top tiling surface of the Wall and Floor Tile Panel will afford a simplified judgement process during the practical application of cutting and fixing the tile installation thereby enhancing the overall tiled final presentation.
7. The ancillary supportive invention of a Temporary Holding Wall Tile Base Bar' with the Wall and Floor Tile Panel Support System will overcome the traditional requirement for heavy fixing batten wall support for the first line of unsupported tiles