10055907858* ;56 8 7 8 0 ;NEW ZEALAND PATENTS ACT, 1953 ;No: ;Date: ;COMPLETE SPECIFICATION ;FLOORING ;We, CARTER HOLT HARVEY WOOD PRODUCTS AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED, an Australian company of Ailsa Street, Box Hill, Victoria 3128, Australia, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: ;- 1 - ;INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE OF N.2. ;i - JUN 2008 ;RECEIVED ;Flooring ;This invention relates to flooring and, in particular, particleboard, chipboard or wood flooring. ;In an energy conscious age, the insulation of buildings is viewed as a significant challenge for the designer and builders of such dwellings. Considerable attention has been given to the insulation of the walls and ceilings. However, until recently little attention has been given to the insulation qualities of the floor. Attention now extends to flooring in particular suspended timber sub-floors due to recent changes to energy efficiency requirements of the Building Code of Australia (BCA) and state planning requirements (such as FirstRate /Five Star and Basix) which attempt to reduce occupational energy requirements (and arguably C02 emissions) for dwelling by introducing more stringent requirements to the building fabric/envelope. However, the use of conventional and commercially available insulation materials for insulating floors present their own issues and challenges. ;During the build of a dwelling with a wooden floor, it is common to delay the laying of the floor until the roof is on the building and the building is watertight. The use of composite flooring made out of particleboard does allow the floor to co-exist in a moist environment for a limited period so that the floor can actually be placed in a building prior to application of the roof. However, when this type of flooring is subjected to a moist environment for a lengthy period, there is still a danger of swelling and warping which can seriously damage the floor. ;At the underside of the surface of a floor transfer is generally governed by convection and radiation. ;Convection allows heat to flow into or out of the sub-floor areas whilst radiation causes heat transfer between ;- 3 - ;the underside of the floor and the other surfaces the floor can "see" across the air space, usually the ground. The ability of a material surface to give off radiant heat is described by its emittance. It is known that low emittance, high reflective surfaces significantly reduce the radiative heat transfer across an air space. ;It is these issues that has brought about the present invention. ;10 ;According to a first aspect of the present invention, ;there is provided flooring comprising a panel of timber, laminated timber or particle board_having an upper, ;traffic accommodating surface and a lower, no traffic is surface, wherein the lower surface has a reflective finish, and the upper surface has a moisture protective finish. ;According to ja. second aspect of the present invention, 20 there is provided flooring comprising a panel of timber, ;laminated timber or particleboard having an upper, traffic accommodating, surface and a lower, no traffic surface with, perforated foil adhesively secured to the lower surface and a thin removable layer of protective plastics being 25 applied to the upper surface. ;Preferably, the perforated foil is a laminated foil and polyethylene. The perforated foil can be applied during manufacture of the particleboard or as a separate process 30 after manufacture of the board. ;The protective plastics film is preferably polyethylene tape that is UV and moisture stable. The tape is secured to the board through the use of solvent based acrylic 35 adhesive that allows the tape to be peeled off the board. ;/w V ;- 4 - ;In a preferred embodiment, the flooring is provided in sheet measuring 3 600mm by 900mm with the thickness varying between 19mm and 25mm. The upper plastics film is preferably between 30 and 60 microns and the perforated 5 foil film is preferably between 7 and 10 microns in thickness. ;An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the 10 accompanying drawings in which: ;Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sheet of flooring in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, and ;15 Figure 2 is a plan view of a sheet of foil illustrating a perforated section. ;The flooring illustrated in the accompanying drawings is particularly for use in suspended timber floors and 20 preferably comprises a substrate of timber, laminated timber or particle board having a moisture protective finish on the upper surface and a thermally reflective finish on the under surface. ;25 The flooring 10 is preferably particleboard made to ;Australian Standard 18 60.1 and this would be installed as per the method referred to in Australian Standard 1860.2. The particle board flooring may be treated with additives such as termicide or mouldicides in order to satisfy 30 market requirements. It is also understood that the particle board would have edge sealants such as wax or acrylic sealants that are used conventionally to prevent or reduce moisture ingress by the edge of the boards. ;35 As shown in Figure 1, the flooring 10 comprises a sheet 11 of particle board preferably measuring 3600mm by 900mm having an upper surface 12 and undersurface 13. A joining ;/w w ;1 6 DEC 2008 ;5 ;edge 14 carries a centrally located outwardly projecting connection tongue 15 that facilitates tongue and groove edge to edge joining of the flooring. The sheet 11 may also have a square edge without the tongue and groove S arrangement. The underside 13 of the board is covered with a foil backing film 2 0 and the upper side 12 is covered with a thin sheet 3 0 of plastics. The thickness of the flooring varies between 19mm and 25mm. ;10 The foil backing film 20 is preferably NA88ALSOF9UM foil laminate. This is a laminate of foil and polyethylene and is highly flexible and very strong with excellent barrier properties. The technical features of the product are produced hereunder from the manufacturer's technical is brochure. ;Structure ;9um Aluminium Foil Polyethylene extrusion 20 NA88 SOF Cross laminated polyethylene fabric. ;Polyethylene extrusion ;Moisture Permeability ;Better than 0.8 gms/m2/24 hrs at 96% RH-380C. ;25 ;Tensile Strength ;MD - 263 N/50mm. ;CD - 270 N/50mm. ;30 Emissivity ;0.05 (nominal) ;Reflectivity ;0 . 95 ;35 ;Other Features: ;- 6 - ;• This ultra strong laminate has excellent resistance to tearing and will not run when cut. ;• Unlike other similar laminates that are bonded together using adhesive glues, this foil SOF extrusion laminated ;5 product will not suffer "degradation of the bond layers with time". ;• The foil facing has excellent thermal reflective properties. ;• The laminate is designed for applications requiring long 10 term durability. ;• The laminate provides an excellent barrier for both light and heat. ;• Available with Matt or Gloss foil finish. ;is The foil film 20 is applied to the particle board by use of a suitable adhesive and the quality of the adhesive is such to ensure that the product lasts the life of the building without delamination and that the product is robust enough to withstand handling during transportation 20 and construction without deterioration of the low emittant surface. ;The foil layer 20 is installed with its reflective side down and, in the preferred embodiment, is then perforated. 25 It is also understood that the foil could be supplied in a perforated state and then secured to the boards. ;The perforation of the foil is illustrated in Figure 2. In the preferred embodiment, with a sheet that is 3600mm 30 by 900mm, the perforations 21 are 10mm from the longitudinal edge with 10mm centres between perforations for the entire sheet length. The diameter of the perforations is between 0.5mm to 0.7mm and, in the exampled referred to above, there are 88 perforations 35 across the sheet by 358 along the sheet providing a total of 31,504 perforations 21 per sheet. ;# ;1 6 DEC 2088 ;_ 7 - ;The foil layer 20 constitutes the reflective finish on the underside of the flooring. It is however understood that the reflective finish would also include other materials having insulating properties. Instead of adhesively 5 securing perforated foil, a paint applied type of metallised reflective finish, typically aluminium, could be applied to the lower surface. In a situation where the substrate is low pressure laminated (LPM) an aluminium reflective foil backing, typically 9|im aluminium coating 10 plus a PE binder to craft paper, typically 80gsm or 120gsm, with urea formaldehyde (UF) or melamine formaldehyde (MF) resins. When this coating is used with the LPM substrate, the reflective surface on the underside does not have to be perforated. ;15 ;The polyethylene protective sheet 30 that is applied to the upper side 12 of the flooring is, in the preferred embodiment, VH8BL-UV P.E. protection tape/adhesive film. This is a transparent blue polyethylene film coated with a 20 high tack moisture stable, solvent-based acrylic adhesive. The tape is UV and moisture stable, ensuring it is suitable for exterior applications involving humidity. The film and adhesive has UV absorbers. Technical information regarding this tape is listed hereunder. ;35 The protective adhesive film or tape 30 remains on the sheet during installation of the flooring and then can be peeled off at the appropriate time to finish the flooring. ;25 ;TECHNICAL INFORMATION Tape Thickness Tensile Strength Elongation ;50 Micron 4.9Kg / 2 5mm 200% ;Solvent-based Acrylic 450g / 25mm ;- 10 to + 7 0 degrees Celsius Transparent Blue ;30 Adhesive ;Adhesion Strength Temperature Performance: Colours: ;- 8 - ;One of the problems with the removable polyurethane film described above is that it is susceptible to being scratched, scored, dented, pierced, ruptured or torn 5 during the construction phase. It also has to withstand traffic during the building phase which can also substantially damage the material. Once the material becomes damaged, it proves difficult to remove due to the film breaking into small pieces. It is thus proposed to 10 reinforce the material by providing a woven fabric which is made of polyethylene or similar material. The use of a woven fabric can dramatically increase its robustness and resilience to damage and it has been found that, notwithstanding damage to the woven fabric, the nature of 15 the interlocking weave reduces the tendency for a scratch to propagate into a tear during lifting/removal. This allows the film to be lifted with greater success. It is thus proposed to use woven or reinforced polyethylene, co-extruded polyethylene or polypropylene film. ;20 ;Although in one embodiment the protective film is removable, it is also understood that the invention has envisaged the use of a permanent surface protection film that can be in the form of protective membranes that are 25 permanently secured to the upper surface of the substrate. One example, is to provide a substrate of low pressurised laminated of LPM (low pressure laminated) and the application of a clear or coloured surface overlay film, typically 30gsm paper fibre with UF (urea formaldehyde) or 30 MF (melamine formaldehyde) resins with or without corundum A12 03 for reduced slip and superior wear. The surface film provides a decorative finish and can also provide a protective layer for the particle substrate. The surface film or layer can be produced during the particle board 35 pressing process or it can be applied in a subsequent step at the factory. ;1 6 DEC 2008 ;- 9 - ;Another option is to provide a resin enriched particle board or chipboard substrate that is un-sanded to retain a resin film that acts as a moisture retardant and provides a working surface during installation. This product is s currently available from the applicant under the trade mark STRUCTAFLOR. ;A further option is to apply a protective membrane which can be painted or otherwise applied to the substrate and 10 provides a short-term transparent protective membrane that is ideal for protecting products such as timber flooring. One suitable product is the product known as TC-87 manufactured by Applied Australia proprietary Limited. ;is The use of a surface film that is UV stable enables the moisture content of the board itself to remain relatively constant and thus dry. This important because: ;a) Foil backed boards used in horizontal flooring ;20 applications tend to warp and bow due to a differential in moisture grade between the surface and back of the board that is likely to result from exposure to moisture/water effectively making the board unfit for flooring. ;25 b) Foil (reflective backing) further acts as a barrier, retarding escape of moisture through the back of the board and at the same time trapping moisture and elevating moisture content of the board to fibre saturation point and consequently prolonging the drying 30 times to restore the equilibrium of the moisture content. ;c) The elevated moisture of board may be detrimental to material properties, effectively higher moisture content will result in a board with a lower 3 5 modulus of elasticity and modulus of rupture, consequently higher deflection and lower strength respectively. ;- 10 - ;The prolonged drying of boards exposed to wetting can delay the installation of surface finishes such as timber strip flooring, carpets, tiles or painted finishes. In the case of timber strip flooring, moisture content 5 compatibility, i.e. acclimatisation, is a prerequisite between timber surfacing material and particle board flooring otherwise strip flooring will take on excessive moisture resulting in the strip flooring cupping, bowing, twisting or warping. This moisture problem can largely be 10 avoided by the use of a removable protective moistures impervious film. The protective surface film also protects the reflective foil underneath the board from excessive moisture and risk of delamination due to softening and deterioration of the adhesive caused by 15 excessive moisture. ;The perforations in the foil are specifically provided to assist in the management of moisture content in the event that moisture/water is able enter the board by some other 20 means. The board is specifically designed to be used for a brief period in a wet environment and has the advantage that the flooring can be installed before a roof is installed on a building. ;25 The insulation characteristics of the flooring described above is illustrated in the attached table. The R value is calculated by dividing the thickness of the flooring by its thermal conductivity. In the attached table, the flooring of the subject application is called R-Flor 30 YELLOW TONGUE ® and this is compared with a conventional YELLOW TONGUE ® flooring that does not include the films on the upper and lower surfaces. The table shows calculations of the R value showing the characteristics of the floor in an unblocked cavity floor, both with a bare 35 floor and a carpeted floor, and a blocked cavity floor, both bare and carpeted. The table also lists climate zones taken across areas of Australia with either an ;- 11 - ;enclosed perimeter or an unenclosed perimeter. It can be seen from this table that the R value for the R-Flor is considerably higher than the R value for the YELLOW TONGUE ® floor which shows that the thermal resistance, or 5 insulation qualities, of the flooring of the subject application is superior to the conventional YELLOW TONGUE ® flooring. ;The flooring described above thus provides an effective 10 means of improving the insulation of flooring. The product is designed to be easy to lay, to be able to withstand exposure to a degree of moisture during the building process and yet provide, once installed, flooring with substantially improved insulation characteristics is than conventional flooring. ;Although the preferred embodiment relates to sheets of particle board or chipboard, it is understood that the invention can be applied to all timber flooring including 20 timber strips, veneered strips, plywood and all other forms of composite wood based flooring products including oriented strand board (OSB), or other panel flooring material (such as fibre cement, aerated concrete, precast concrete, sandwich panels etc). ;t i dec m ;BCA Requirements ;Typical Insulation Options for Typical Suspended Floor Construction ;(for floors without floor heating system) ;Climate Zone ;4 ;6 ;7 ;8 ;4 ;6 ;7 ;8 ;Perimeter Treatment ;Enclosed ;Unenclosed ;Minimum Required Total R-Value ;1.0 ;1.0 ;1.5 ;2 . 0 ;2 . 0 ;2.0 ;2.5 ;3.0 ;YELLOW TONGUE YELLOW TONGUE ;Unblocked Cavity ;Bare Floor Carpeted Floor ;0.71 0.71 0.71 0.71 1-19 1.19 1.19 1.19 ;0.51 0.51 0.51 0.51 0.99 0.99 0.99 0.99 ;YELLOW TONGUE YELLOW TONGUE ;Blocked Cavity ;Bare Floor Carpeted Floor ;1.10 1.10 1.10 1.10 1.58 1.58 1.58 1.58 ;0.51 0.51 0.51 0.51 0.99 0.99 0.99 0.99 ;R-Flor YELLOW TONGUE ;R-Plor YELLOW TONGUE ;Unblocked Cavity ;Bare Floor Carpeted Floor ;1.32 1.32 1.32 1.32 1.80 1.80 1.80 1.80 ;1.12 1.12 1.12 1.12 1.59 1.59 1-59 1.59 ;R-Flor YELLOW TONGUE ;R-Flor YELLOW TONGUE ;Blocked Cavity ;Bare Floor Carpeted Floor ;1.71 1.71 1.71 1.71 2.19 2.19 2.19 2.19 ;1.10 1.10 1.10 1.10 1.60 1.60 1.60 1.60 *