WO2004085737A2

WO2004085737A2 - Releasable surface covering systems

Info

Publication number: WO2004085737A2
Application number: PCT/GB2004/001445
Authority: WO
Inventors: Steven Tasker
Original assignee: Steven Tasker
Priority date: 2003-03-28
Filing date: 2004-03-29
Publication date: 2004-10-07
Also published as: GB2399748B; WO2004085737A3; GB2399748A; GB0307194D0

Abstract

A releasable surface covering system, for example for a floor, is disclosed. The system comprises pre-glued vinyl-coated paper (2, 12) attached to a floor surface (10) or an upper surface of an underlay (6), with an underlay or a top floor covering (8) being permanently bonded to an opposing side of the paper (2).

Description

Releasable Surface Covering Systems

This invention relates to releasable surface covering systems. Particularly, but not exclusively, it relates to a releasable floor or wall covering system.

A conventional method for installing a carpet over a floor surface involves applying wet adhesive to the floor, adhering an underlay to the floor by means of the adhesive, allowing this to cure and then adhering the carpet to the underlay, again using wet adhesive. This system is known as "double-stick" and is used in situations in which there must be a guarantee that the carpet will not slip on the floor following installation, for example on board ship. Gluing the floor with a tackyfier prior to application of the underlay can take anything from 30 minutes to three hours for the adhesive to cure, depending upon weather conditions.

Once a double-stuck carpet has reached the end of its life, installation of a new carpet can prove difficult. The existing carpet and underlay are permanently bonded to one another and the underlay is permanently bonded to both the floor. Some of the carpet and underlay can be ripped from the floor. However, this inevitably results in some of the underlay being removed with the carpet whilst some remains attached to the floor. The remaining ripped underlay must normally be removed from the floor using special machinery to ensure an even surface is provided prior to application of a new underlay and carpet. This process is extremely time-consuming and labour intensive, and the nature of the process is such that it is impossible to predict how long the work will take. It also causes the destruction of the existing carpet and underlay.

Whilst the above mentioned underlay and carpet system is acceptable for covering relatively small areas of floor, there are serious cost implications for installation of new carpets over large flooring areas. For example, changing of a carpet on a cruise ship must be carried out whilst the ship is in a dry dock, which might cost as much as millions of pounds per day. Thus, the curing time of the adhesive and the time spent completely removing the ripped underlay and carpet greatly increases the cost of installing a new carpet. Furthermore, it is difficult to accurately assess the time that will be required to remove the old carpet and/or underlay and install a new one. It would be desirable to provide a system that allows for a speedier installation of a new carpet and enables a more accurate installation time to be estimated. It would also be desirable to provide a system that allows for the reuse of the old underlay, carpet, carpet tile or needle felt carpet, when they are in sufficiently good condition.

A similar situation arises in relation to wall times. Wall surfaces are often covered with > ceramic tiles to provide a decorative effect and to protect the wall from moisture. Generally, these tiles are adhered directly to a wall surface by means of a tile adhesive and joint lines between adjacent tiles are then filled with grout. Whilst this system is perfectly acceptable for the application of tiles, removal of the tiles from the wall is a time-consuming process and may often result in damage occurring to the tiles and to the wall surface.

US-A-5 116439 discloses a method and product for floor covering installation and removal wherein a two-component release web is secured between the floor covering and the floor. In typical embodiments, the membrane is incorporated into a floor covering during manufacture. The floor covering may be peeled from the floor leaving one portion of the release web secured to the floor covering and the other portion secured to the floor. However, this system calls for the membrane to be secured to a surface by an adhesive that is applied to it during installation, which is a time- consuming procedure.

It is an aim of this invention to provide a releasable surface covering system, for example for a floor or a wall, that can overcome or at least ameliorate the abovementioned drawbacks.

It is a further aim of the invention to provide an improved method for installing a surface covering that can overcome or at least ameliorate the abovementioned drawbacks.

It is a further aim of the invention to provide a replacement membrane to an existing underlay for its reuse, which would normally be damaged during the removal of the old floor covering. It is another aim of the invention to provide a suitable surface to existing installed flooring, such as carpet, needle-felt carpet or carpet tiles

Accordingly, from a first aspect the invention provides a releasable surface covering system comprising: at least one membrane having a first side upon which adhesive is coated and a second side; and a covering; during installation of the system the membrane is attached to a support by the adhesive disposed on its first side and a covering is bonded by adhesive to the second side; and upon removal of the system, the covering is peeled from the support, part of the membrane remaining attached to the covering and part of the membrane remaining attached to the support.

When it comes to the time to remove the covering, it can be peeled from the surface. This will cause the membrane to part from the surface or to rupture, so allowing the covering to be removed quickly and easily, and without destruction of the covering or of the surface. In addition to ease of removal, the system reduces use of wet adhesive, thereby saving both time and cost.

Preferably, the surface is a bare floor or wall. Alternatively, the surface may already be provided with a covering to which the membrane and surface covering is applied.

The surface covering may comprise a floor covering, such as a carpet, or a wall covering, such as a ceramic tile. The surface covering is permanently bonded to the membrane, for example using the conventional adhesive that is normally used to apply the covering directly to the floor or wall, such as an acrylic or water-based adhesive or a tile adhesive. In contrast, the membrane is attached to the surface by means of a pre- applied adhesive or paste, more preferably a pressure-sensitive adhesive, which may cure to form a permanent bond over time.

Preferably, the membrane comprises paper. More preferably, the paper is vinyl coated with the glue or paste being provided on the side of the paper that is not vinyl coated.

Vinyl paper comprises a plastic film laminated to a paper backing that is easy to remove from a surface because the plastic layer may be peeled off dry, leaving the paper backing behind. This defines a plane of rupture within the membrane, which can be used to aid subsequent removal of the covering. If the paper is pre-glued, as in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a removable sheet is preferably provided over the pre-glued side to protect the glue prior to its application and to prevent the paper from sticking to itself. More preferably, a pressure sensitive adhesive is used to provide a pre-glued paper. The pressure-sensitive adhesive may be provided on a double-sided tissue applied to the paper.

Alternatively, if pre-pasted paper is provided, the paper is wet with water prior to its application.

It is preferable for pre-glued paper to be covered by a removable sheet that comprises several, e.g., two, three or more strips, whereby a comparatively narrow (typically central) strip may be removed first to attach the central area of the paper to the relevant surface and the two strips flanking the central strip may be removed after securement of the central area. This significantly simplifies the task of positioning the membrane because it avoids a situation were the entire adhesive surface is uncovered. (In such a situation there is a great risk of the membrane becoming accidentally stuck to an object or to itself.) The central strip may typically be substantially narrower than the outer strips. For example, it may be no more than 10% of the width of the membrane - or less than 5cm. Alternatively, instead of a narrow central strip, the removable sheet may have just two sections, a first being a narrow strip that extends to cover one edge portion of the self-surface layer and the second covering the remaining part of the self- adhesive surface.

The intended upper surface of the membrane may be provided with printed matter thereon, for example in the form of a grid or a pattern to aid installation of the surface covering. The membrane may also be used as a template to allow accurate cutting of the covering prior to its installation.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention there is provided a releasable floor covering system comprising at least one membrane having one side pre-glued or pre-pasted, an underlay and a top floor covering, the at least one membrane being attached by means of its pre-glued or pre-pasted side to either a floor surface or an upper surface of the underlay and the underlay or top floor covering being permanently bonded to an opposing side of the membrane. The present invention also provides a method for instalhng a floor covering comprising the steps of applying a pre-glued or pre-pasted membrane to a floor surface or an upper surface of an underlay and permanently bonding an underlay or top floor covering to the opposing side of the membrane respectively.

The membrane may be provided between just the floor and the underlay or just between the underlay and the top floor covering. However, more preferably, the membrane is attached to the floor via its pre-glued or pre-pasted side, underlay is permanently bonded to the upper surface thereof, a further membrane is attached to the upper surface of the underlay by means of its pre-glued or pre-pasted side and then a top floor covering, such as a carpet, is adhered to the upper surface of this membrane.

The top floor covering may be any appropriate floor covering but is preferably a woven carpet. Similarly, any type of underlay may be provided, such as cloth or foamed. Preferably, the underlay is foamed.

From a a second aspect, this invention provides a release sheet for use in construction of a releasable surface covering system, the release sheet comprising a membrane having a first surface upon which adhesive is coated, a second surface to which a cover can be bonded, the release sheet being rupturable whereby the first and second surfaces can be separated from one another. Such a release sheet can be used in the construction of a system according to the first aspect of the invention.

Embodiments of the above aspects of the invention can have a broad range of application, being usable with many conventional underlay and carpets. However, each membrane still requires application of a layer of liquid adhesive. Therefore, from a third aspect, this invention provides a carpet or an underlay having a lower surface to which a membrane is adhered during manufacture, the membrane having a lower surface upon which is an adhesive layer for bonding with a supporting surface, the membrane being rupturable to facilitate subsequent removal of the carpet or underlay from the supporting surface. In this context, the supporting surface may (in the case of application to a carpet) be underlay, or (in the case of application to underlay) a floor.

It is particularly advantageous to provide embodiments of this aspect of the invention with a releasable sheet having two, three or more strips, as described above. Other features from the preceding aspects of the invention (e.g., provision of a removable cover sheet for the adhesive) are equally applicable to this aspect of the invention.

A first method aspect of the invention provides a method for instalhng a surface covering comprising the steps of applying a self-adhesive surface of a membrane to a support and permanently bonding a covering to the opposing side of the membrane.

A second method aspect of the invention provides method for instalhng a floor covering comprising the steps of applying a self-adhesive membrane to a floor surface or an upper surface of an underlay and permanently bonding an underlay or top floor covering to the opposing side of the membrane respectively.

The provision of a releasable cover in several strips has application wider that than described above. Thus, within the scope of the invention there is provided a carpet or underlay having adhesive applied to a first surface, and a releasable sheet covering the adhesive, wherein the covering sheet comprises several strips, one strip being substantially narrower than one or more others. This allows such a carpet or underlay to be fitted easily. For example, such an underlay may form part of a floor covering, with a tackifier applied to a floor and the underlay applied to the tackifier.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described in detail, by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic cross-section illustrating the components of a releasable floor covering system according to one embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic cross-section of a releasable floor covering system using the components of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a schematic cross-section illustrating the components of a releasable floor covering according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a schematic cross-section of a releasable floor covering system using the components of Figure 3; Figure 5 is a schematic drawing of the underside of one embodiment of pre- glued paper for use in a flooring system according to the present invention;

Figure 6 is a schematic drawing of the upper side of the pre-glued paper shown in Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a schematic cross-section of of a releasable floor covering system being a further embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 8 is a schematic cross-section of underlay or carpet being a further embodiment of the invention.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the accompanying drawings, a releasable floor covering system according to one embodiment is illustrated. The system comprises a layer of pre-glued vinyl-coated paper 2 having a releasable sheet 4 attached to the pre-glued side, an underlay 6 and a top covering 8, such as a carpet. The pre-glued side is provided by applying an adhesive tape to a sheet of vinyl-coated paper. The tape is a double-coated tissue tape, 130μm thick adhesive layer, on a carrier of thickness 0.13mm. The carrier is a non-woven tissue. The adhesive is covered by a release liner of brown siliconised paper. The adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive formed from a modified acrylic having an adhesion llN/25mm and a high splicing tack. The releasable sheet 4 is removed from the pre-glued side of the paper and this side is then stuck to the floor 10. A layer of adhesive is then applied to the other side of the vinyl paper and the underlay is permanently bonded thereto. A further layer of adhesive is then applied to the top side of the underlay and the carpet permanently bonded to the underlay.

This system enables the underlay and carpet to be installed far more quickly than using the systems of the prior art because the pre-glued paper can be applied directly to the floor and the underlay applied thereto without having to wait for the adhesive to cure. Furthermore, the system allows the underlay and carpet to be easily removed from the floor without ripping of the underlay. The use of a membrane that has glue already applied thereto removes the need for the floor and/or underlay to be soaked with adhesive prior to application of a covering. The use of a paper membrane that is adhered to the floor by means of an adhesive applied to the floor would be unsatisfactory since the paper would become soaked and be dimensionally unstable. In contrast, the present invention overcomes this problem by using a membrane having glue pre-applied which will prevent the paper from being ripped upon installation of the floor covering.

Figures 3 and 4 of the accompanying drawings illustrate a second embodiment of the present invention. The underlay 6 is secured to the floor 10 by means of pre-glued vinyl-coated paper 2 as described in relation to Figures 1 and 2 above. Additionally, a second layer of pre-glued vinyl-paper 12 is provided, having a release sheet 14 provided over the glued side. In this manner, the release sheet can be removed and the pre-glued paper lain over and stuck to the top surface of the underlay 6. Adhesive is then apphed to the top side of the paper 12 and the carpet 8 is permanently bonded to the paper. Again, this system dramatically reduces the time taken to install and remove the carpet. Furthermore, the provision of a paper layer between the carpet and the underlay enables the carpet and vinyl part of the paper layer to be completely removed with the underlay layer remaining intact, as shown to the right-hand-side of Figure 4. This allows the underlay to be used again beneath a new carpet.

Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings illustrates the preferred method of applying the pre-glued paper to the surface of the floor or underlay. The release sheet 4 that is apphed to the glued side of the paper is provided as three strips, a narrow central strip 4a flanked by two wider strips 4b, 4c. This enables easy application of the paper to the floor or underlay. The central strip is removed first and the central region of the paper is apphed to the surface. Each side strip can then be removed to stick the rest of the paper to the floor or underlay. The paper is therefore positioned and retained in place by the central strip before the larger part of the adhesive is exposed. This arrangement ensures that the paper remains manageable, in particular, by preventing the paper becoming stuck to itself during installation.

A further optional feature of the present invention is that patterns or a grid system may be printed on the upper surface of the paper on the side opposite the glued surface, i.e., on the vinyl layer of the vinyl-coated paper. For example, Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings illustrates a sheet of paper 2 that is pre-glued on its reverse side but is provided with a grid system on its intended upper side. This is to assist in the installation of square pieces of carpet to the paper. Alternatively patterns may be printed on to the paper to faciUtate lining up of a carpet featuring the same pattern and/or to give true and accurate picture of the finished carpet prior to its installation.

It is to be appreciated that any suitable pre-glued or pre-pasted substrate may be used for attaching the underlay to the floor and the carpet to the underlay. However, it is preferable to use a vinyl-coated paper. The vinyl layer of the paper results in the layer being waterproof which protects the underlay from any heavy spills that may occur on the carpet. Furthermore, such paper has an inherently rupturable nature. Effectively, the vinyl coating can be peeled from the paper substrate. This enables the carpet to be removed from the underlay and the underlay to be removed from the floor through rupture of the paper. The vinyl layer is removed with the carpet or underlay and the layer of paper remains stuck to the substrate. The paper is thin, so provides no obstacle to a further carpet or underlay being laid upon it.

After removal in this manner, the underlay and/or carpet may also be removed and re- installed elsewhere, because it is not subject to the damaging removal process that is required for a conventional double-stick installation. Moreover, the removal is a predictable procedure and, of great importance, it is quick.

It will also be seen that embodiments of the invention provide a fitter with several options when it comes to the task of replacing an existing carpet installation. First, the fitter may find that the existing instaUation (such as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4) is entirely unsatisfactory. In that case, both the carpet 8 and the underlay 6 can be peeled from the floor 10, either separately or together. The lower membrane 2 will rupture, leaving only a thin layer of paper adhered to the floor. A new installation, similar to that just removed, can then be installed directly upon the paper. This process can be repeated many times before multiple layers of paper stuck to the floor reach an unacceptable thickness. Alternatively, it may be found that just the carpet 8 is beyond use and the underlay 6 is still serviceable. In that case, the carpet 8 can be peeled from the underlay 6 causing the membrane 12 disposed between them to rupture, but leaving the underlay 6 in place, with a thin layer of paper adhered to it. The new carpet is then installed by applying a new membrane to the underlay and adhering the new carpet to it, thereby re-creating the arrangement shown in Figure 6.

The invention also finds application in situations in which a new carpet must be installed upon a pre-existing, conventional double-stick installation that comprises a carpet 20 adhered to underlay 22 upon a floor 24, as shown in Figure 7. It is not normally possible for one carpet to be laid on top of another. Because a carpet has a directional nap (shown diagrammatically at 26), it will tend to cause a carpet laid on top of it to creep in the direction of the nap unless it is firmly secured. However, it is not possible to use a conventional wet adhesive to achieve this because it would sink into the nap of the existing carpet. However, by way of this invention, a membrane 28 embodying the invention can be apphed to the existing carpet 20, the adhesive side of the membrane being applied to the nap. The new carpet 30 can then be adhered to the membrane. Of course, this is only possible in situations in which the additional thickness of the new carpet can be accommodated. As in other embodiments, when the carpet is to be replaced, it can be peeled from those below it, by rupture of the membrane and a replacement carpet installed on top of it.

The paper can also tolerate medium to heavy traffic immediately after installation enabling persons to walk on it paper prior to application of the underlay and/or carpet and the releasable paper may be used as a template to ensure accurate fitting of the carpet and/or underlay within an area.

There are many details presented in the above exemplary description that can be changed within the invention. For example, alternative adhesives may be employed, for example, to accommodate installation upon different types and materials upon which a wall or floor. The protective sheets used to protect the adhesive prior to use may be of many different materials. For example, it may be a woven sheet with a covering of adhesive-resistant (e.g., waxy) coating. Another alternative is that a carpet and/or an underlay 36 is provided with a membrane 32 pre-bonded to its lower surface during manufacture, as shown in Figure 8. A completed installation of a removable floor covering by way of this modification resembles closely that of Figures 2 and 4, and removal is likewise accomplished by peeling of the carpet and/or underlay 36 causing rupture of the membrane 32.

However, the membrane is adhered to the lower surface of the carpet and/or the underlay during manufacture, and covered by a releasable sheet 34, most preferably in two three or more strips, as describe above with reference to Figure 5. Thus, carpet or underlay so constructed can be apphed by removing the releasable sheet 34 and adhering it to a supporting surface. This removes or reduces the need to use wet adhesive during installation, and allows direct application to a wide range of surfaces, including floors or existing carpet or underlay. In the case of a floor covering system includes an underlay incorporating this aspect of the invention and a conventional carpet, the use of wet adhesive is reduced by 50% as compared with a system described above, albeit without the flexibility of such systems.

Typically, underlay is provided in long rolls (although all of the above embodiments can be apphed to tiles as well). Where the covering is provided in several strips, they typically run lengthways on the roll. In the case of embodiments of three strips, the narrow strip may be typically central on the roll. Where there are more narrow strips, they may be spaced evenly across the roll.

An embodiment floor covering may be constructed with a roll of underlay having one adhesive-covered surface (and no membrane), adhesive being applied during manufacture, and covered with a multi-strip releasable cover. This is apphed to a floor to which a tackifier has previously been apphed by first removing the central strip and unrolling the underlay onto the floor. Once positioned correctly, the flanking portions of the protective sheet are removed and the underlay is bonded to the floor. A carpet is then applied on top of it, either in accordance with the previous aspects of the invention or by conventional means.

In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the releasable covering system may be used in relation to the application of tiles to a surface. Pre-glued vinyl paper is apphed to a wall and then ceramic tiles are attached to the vinyl-coated side of the paper by means of conventional tile adhesive. The tiles are then grouted. The tiles are securely fixed to the wall but may be removed easily therefrom by removing the vinyl layer from the paper backing of the membrane. This greatly reduces the time taken to remove tiles from a surface and also assists in providing a smooth wall surface after removal of the tiles.

Claims

1. A releasable surface covering system comprising: at least one membrane having a first side upon which adhesive is coated and a second side; and a covering; during installation of the system the membrane is attached to a support by the adhesive disposed on its first side and a covering is bonded by adhesive to the second side; and upon removal of the system, the covering is peeled from the support, part of the membrane remaining attached to the covering and part of the membrane remaining attached to the support.

2. A releasable surface covering system according to claim 1 wherein the membrane comprises paper.

3. A releasable surface covering system according to claim 2 wherein the paper is vinyl-coated with the adhesive being provided on the side of the paper that is not vinyl coated.

4. A releasable surface covering system according to claim 2 or 3 wherein the adhesive is a pressure sensitive adhesive.

5. A releasable surface covering system according to claim 4 wherein the membrane is provided with a removable sheet over the adhesive.

6. A releasable surface covering system according to claim 5 wherein the removable sheet comprises three strips.

7. A releasable surface covering system according to claim 6 wherein the central strip is narrower than the two strips either side of the central strip.

8. A releasable surface covering system according to any preceding claim in which the adhesive is carried on a double-sided sheet.

. A releasable surface covering system according to claim 8 in which adhesive is apphed to both sides of the sheet, whereby the sheet can be secured to the membrane.

10. A releasable surface covering system according to claim 8 or claim 9 in which the sheet is formed of a non-woven material.

11. A releasable surface covering system according to any preceding claim in which the intended upper surface of the membrane is provided with printed matter thereon.

12. A releasable surface covering system according to any preceding claim in which the covering is a floor covering that provides an exposed wearing surface.

13. A releasable surface covering system according to claim 12 in which the covering is carpet.

14. A releasable surface covering system according to claim 12 in which the covering is a smooth covering such as vinyl.

15. A releasable surface covering system according to any preceding claim which includes an underlay disposed between the support and the covering.

16. A releasable surface covering system according to claim 15 further including a membrane disposed between the underlay and the covering.

17. A releasable surface covering system according to claim 15 in which the covering is bonded to the underlay by adhesive.

18. A releasable surface covering system according to any preceding claim in which the support is a bare floor.

19. A releasable surface covering system according to any one of claims 1 to 17 in which the surface to which the membrane and surface covering is applied is already provided with a covering.

20. A releasable surface covering system according to claim 19 in which the existing covering includes an underlay.

21. A releasable surface covering system according to claim 20 in which the existing covering includes a carpet.

22. A releasable surface covering system as according to any one of claims 1 to 12 in which the covering is a wall covering.

23. A releasable surface covering system according to claim 22 in which the support is a bare wall.

24. A releasable surface covering system according to claim 23 in which the surface covering includes at least one tile.

25. A release sheet for use in construction of a releasable surface covering system, the release sheet comprising a membrane having a first surface upon which adhesive is coated, a second surface to which a cover can be bonded, the release sheet being rupturable whereby the first and second surfaces can be separated from one another.

26. A release sheet according to claim 25 in which the membrane comprises a paper sheet.

27. A release sheet according to claim 26 in which the first surface is formed by a double-sided self-adhesive tissue bonded to a surface of the paper.

28. A release sheet according to claim 27 in which the self-adhesive tissue comprise a non-woven tissue coated on both sides with a pressure-sensitive adhesive.

29. A release sheet according to any one of claims 26 to 28 in which the second surface is formed by a vinyl coating applied to a surface of the paper.

30. A release sheet according to any one of claims 25 to 29 in which the self-adhesive layer is covered by a protective sheet that can be removed to expose the adhesive as required for use.

31. A release sheet according to claim 30 in which the protective sheet has first and second flanking regions disposed to opposite sides of a relatively narrow central region, each of such regions being separately removabl .

32. A carpet or an underlay having a lower surface to which a membrane is adhered during manufacture, the membrane having a lower surface upon which is an adhesive layer for bonding with a supporting surface, the membrane being rupturable to facilitate subsequent removal of the carpet or underlay from the supporting surface.

33. A carpet or an underlay according to claim 32 in which the adhesive surface is protected by a removable sheet.

34. A carpet or an underlay according to claim 33 wherein the removable sheet comprises three strips.

35. A carpet or an underlay according to claim 34 wherein the central strip is narrower than the two strips either side of the central strip.

36. A releasable surface covering system according to any one of claims 1 to 24 constructed from at least one of a carpet or an underlay according to ant one of claims 32 to 35.

37. A method for instalhng a surface covering comprising the steps of applying a self- adhesive surface of a membrane to a support and permanently bonding a covering to the opposing side of the membrane.

38. A method for installing a floor covering comprising the steps of applying a self- adhesive membrane to a floor surface or an upper surface of an underlay and permanently bonding an underlay or top floor covering to the opposing side of the membrane respectively.

39. A method according to claim 37 or claim 38 comprising the steps of attaching a membrane by its self-adhesive side to the floor, permanently bonding an underlay to the upper surface of the membrane, attaching a further membrane to the upper surface of the underlay by means of its pre-glued or pre-pasted side and permanently bonding a top floor covering to the upper surface of the further membrane.

40. A method according to any one of claims 37 to 39 comprising removing a region of a protective sheet to expose a small part of the self-adhesive surface, applying the exposed part of the self-adhesive surface to the support, ensuring that the membrane is correctly positioned, removing the remainder of the protective sheet, and applying the remaining part of the self-adhesive surface to the support.

41. A carpet or underlay having adhesive apphed to a first surface, and a releasable sheet covering the adhesive, wherein the covering sheet comprises several strips, one strip being substantially narrower than one or more others.

42. A carpet or underlay according to claim 41 in which the covering sheet comprises a narrow central strip and two narrower flanking strips.