Means and method of tiled surface construction

A means and method of wall construction utilizes plastic diamond mesh and permanently inset float strips imbedded in the setting bed for the ceramic tile.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The invention is in the field of constructing tile walls or horizontal 
counters and the like wherein the tile is installed over an existing 
structural surface. 
Using the example of a vertical existing wall surface such as behind a bath 
tub or sink, the existing method of installing the tile is more or less as 
follows. First, tar paper or other impermeable membrane is put against the 
wall if the existing wall is not of a certain water resistant type. Then, 
a stiff awkward metal netting material called diamond mesh is placed over 
the tar paper and tacked through to the existing structural surface. 
Then a pair of vertical swaths of mortar are laid from top to bottom of the 
wall to be tiled and a "float strip" is imbedded in each of these swaths. 
The float strips are plumbed to insure that they are vertical within fairly 
close tolerances and they are adjusted in the mortar to insure this. The 
mortar in these swaths is of a thickness to permit plumbing to overcome 
any irregularities in the verticalness of the existing structure. 
According to existing practice, at this stage mortar is "floated" between 
and around the float strips and screeded off with a straight-edge against 
the float strips so that the entire wall will be as vertical as the float 
strips which have been carefully plumbed. After the entire structure has 
been covered with mortar to form a "settiing bed" for the subsequent 
installation of the tile, the float strips, which are merely wooden laths, 
are pulled out of the mortar and the rectangular channels that they left 
in the mortar are then filled with mortar and troweled flat, and the float 
strips are washed off and saved for the next floating. Now that this 
setting bed or layer of mortar is complete, the tile is applied with 
special cements to the vertical mortar surface and the wall is finished. 
The present invention is directed toward two aspects of this process which 
require improvement, the first being the use of metal diamond mesh 
referred in the trade as metal lath, and the other being the unnecessary 
effort involved in removing and cleaning the float strips and filling the 
channels they have left. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
According to the present invention the basic process outlined above remains 
the same with the exception that the diamond mesh metal lath is replaced 
by a diamond mesh plastic lath, and the float strips are no longer removed 
and washed but are left intact as an integral part of the wall. 
The advantages of utilizing a plastic diamond mesh are multi-fold. Because 
of the humid areas in which tile walls are often put, the metal lath 
begins to rust very quickly after installation and contributes to the 
rapid deterioration of the wall supporting structure. 
In addition, the diamond mesh has very sharp points and is very difficult 
to cut with tin snips and install without somehow in the process winding 
up with multiple cuts and scratches. 
The flexible nature of the plastic mesh makes it easier to transport and 
store and its shelf life is indefinite as it doesn't rust. 
The permanent float strips will be described in more detail below and 
differ from existing float strips in that they can be made of plastic and 
have large openings occupying the majority of their volume to both cut 
material costs and provide voids for the mortar to fill so that a strong 
supporting surface is supplied to the subsequently applied tile.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
FIG. 1 is an omnibus view showing two different types of wall construction 
in the various different stages of completion. In both methods the 
starting point is an existing vertical wall, one, indicated at 10 being 
drywall or wood and requiring the installation of an impermeable membrane, 
and the other being plaster, greenboard or the like, indicated at 12, 
which does not require a tarpaper or impermeable barrier. Other types of 
wall material may be used, and in fact the entire method may be applied to 
a horizontal surface, but the structural surfaces 10 and 12 will suffice 
to represent two somewhat different methods of installing the ceramic 
tile. 
Over the surface 10 a layer of tarpaper 14 or polyethyline sheeting is 
laid. Over this layer is diamond mesh 16 which in the prior art was 
metallic, but in the present invention is a flexible plastic. This diamond 
mesh, which incidentally could have other than the particular netting 
configuration shown, is stapled at 18 or otherwise fastened to the 
structural surface 10. 
Turning now briefly to the structural member 12 which does not require the 
impermeable membrane, this wall structure may also be covered without the 
use of diamond mesh, and this alternative is shown in FIG. 1. 
Regardless whether diamond mesh and tarpaper are used, the next step in the 
wall construction process involves the laying of at least two vertical 
swaths 20 of mortar. Although terminating short of the top of the wall in 
FIG. 1 to illustrate the underlying structure, these swaths would 
ordinarily run the entire height of the wall to be covered. 
Into each of these swaths of mortar, which may be on the order of an inch 
thick, is imbedded a float strip such as those illustrated at 22 and 24. 
These two different types of strips are representative of a family of 
structures which could be designed to accomplish the desired result. 
The strip 22 is provided with a series of large diameter circles 26, and as 
can be seen from FIGS. 2 and 4 this type of strip is a hollow shell which 
would require a fairly small amount of plastic. Mortar would seep in 
through the holes and into the hollow part of the plastic shell for a very 
strong level of adhesion. 
Float strip 24 on the other hand is solid in the sense that the parallel 
side members are not hollowed, and the central openings 28 are 
rectangular. The parallel side edges of either float strip may be bevelled 
or hollowed as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 to permit a better purchase of the 
mortar on these strips. 
Turning again to the method of construction, once the strip is imbedded 
into the swath 20, it is plumbed with a level to insure it is vertical 
within close tolerance. If it is not, it is pressed into the swath deeper 
in the appropriate places so that it becomes vertical. 
After this has been accomplished, the wall has a pair of spaced vertical 
float strips and the next step in the process is to "float" a setting bed 
of mortar between, and outside of the float strips. A straight edge is 
used to screed the mortar until a perfectly flat and vertical mortar bed 
is constructed, and meanwhile the openings in the center of the float 
strips are filled with mortar so that when the tile is subsequently 
applied to the setting bed over the float strips it will be secure because 
of the mortar in the center of the float strips which passes through to 
the supporting surface or the diamond mesh. The bed is then touched up 
smoothly. 
Now that the mortar support base is flat and vertical, the appropriate 
cement or bonding compound 30 can be applied and then the tile 32 laid and 
subsequently grouted. As an alternative to laying ceramic tile a plastic 
sheet is shown at 34 to indicate that in fact any wall surfacing 
composition could be used, although the process primarily is aimed toward 
the construction of ceramic tile walls and other surfaces. 
By the use of the flexible plastic diamond mesh and the permanently 
installed plastic float strips a significant reduction in the cost of 
ceramic tile installation is achieved due to reduced material and labor 
costs. Clearly by leaving the float strips installed rather than removing 
them and filling the void, a considerable amount of time is saved, and the 
use of an alternative to the wire diamond mesh, which is extremely awkward 
to work with because of its sharp points and edges and generally 
inflexible nature also saves time as well as prevents the otherwise 
inevitable scratching and irritation of the workers.