FLOOR CONSTRUCTION

Abstract: A floor construction on a support means of timber joists (10) consists of floor boards (11, 12) laid on battens (13) each having a lower horizontal surface faced with a material (14) for attenuating transmission of sound. The battens (13) consist of plywood strips about 5 mm thick and the same width as the joists (10). The battens (13) are less stiff than the floor boards (11, 12). Thus, energy delivered to the sound attenuating material (14) is increased. The material (14) included open-cell and closed-cell layers (14B, 14A); and the upper layer (14A) has lateral flaps (15) folded down and nailed to the sides of the joists (10). The floor construction has improved sound attenuating qualities; the reduced batten thickness allows easier installation in certain circumstances; and the lateral flaps also assist installation.

Description: FLOOR CONSTRUCTION This invention relates to a floor construction, and to a method of installing a floor, and to a product for use in such construction and method. According to the present invention, there is provided on a support means a floor construction comprising floor boards laid on battens each having a lower horizontal surface faced with a material for attenuating transmission of sound, the stiffness of the battens being less than the stiffness of the floor boards. Conventionally, flooring battens are stiffer than floor boards. Such battens usually are timbers of sguare cross-section, 50 mm X 50 mm. Reducing the stiffness of the battens relative to the stiffness of the floor boards generally increases the energy delivered to the sound attenuating material upon the occurence of sound-generating impacts on the floor boards. This increase results in improved floor flexibility and improved sound attenuation. Also, the vertical dimension between the support means and the top surface of the floor boards is reduced with advantage in relation to adjustments to existing fittings such as doors, skirtings, when the floor construction is used in rehabilitation. Further, according to the present invention, there is provided on a support means of timber joists a floor construction comprising floor boards laid on battens each having a lower horizontal surface to which is secured a material for attenuating transmission of sound, said material incorporating lateral flaps which are folded to lie against and are secured to the sides of the said timber joists. The flaps facilitate the installation of the floor by being easily secured to the joists by nailing or stapling so as to position and hold the battens during subsequent laying of the floor boards. Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a method of installing a floor on a support means of timber joists, comprising the steps of: providing battens having secured thereto a material for attenuating transmission of sound, said material having lateral flaps extending beyond the battens, placing the battens on the timber joists parallel therewith and with the sound attenuating material in contact with the joists and folding the said flaps to lie against the sides of the joists, securing the flaps to the joists, and laying floor boards on the battens. Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a product for use in a floor construction, comprising a batten of thickness in the range 4 to 6 mm, and secured to one face thereof a material for attenuating transmission of sound. Further, according to the present invention there is provided a product for use in a floor construction, comprising a batten, a material for attenuating sound secured to one face of the batten, and lateral flaps of said material extending beyond the batten. Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:- Fig. 1 is sectional elevation of part of a floor construction in accordance with the present invention; and Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an end portion of a product for use in the floor construction of Fig. 1. In Fig. 1, the floor construction is supported on support means in the form of timber joists one of which is indicated by reference numeral 10. The timber joists are generally of standard cross-section, 50 mm X 225 mm. The floor construction consists of floor boards 11, 12 laid on relatively thin battens 13 to the under side of which is secured material, indicated generally by reference numeral 14, for attenuating transmission of sound into the joist 10 or within the floor cavity. More particularly, the floor boards 11, 12 are 19 mm GYPROC planks 11 which are secured to the battens 13 by means of an adhesive (not shown) ; and mutually interengaging 19 mm chipboard panels 12. The battens 13 are of 4.5 mm plywood approximately the same width as the joists 10. The sound attenuating material 14 consists of an upper layer 14A which is secured to the underside of the batten 13 by adhesive, and a lower layer 14B which is secured to the upper layer also by means of adhesive. Both the upper layer and the lower layer are of resiliently pliant cellular materials, and the upper layer 14A is of closed-cell structure and the lower layer 14B is of open-cell structure. Such structures are well-known in the industry concerned with the production of cellular polymer materials. The upper layer 14A is approximately of 10 mm thickness, and the lower layer 14B is approximately of 12 mm thickness. Under normal floor loadings, the lower layer 14B will compress to about 3 to 4 mm thickness. The upper layer of closed-cell material 14A incorporates lateral flaps 15 which extend beyond the batten 13. In the course of installing the floor construction, the battens are placed on the joists parallel therewith and with the sound attenuating material in contact with the joists, and the flaps 15 are folded downwards to lie against the sides of the joists and are secured thereto by means of nailing or stapling as can be seen in Fig. 1. Thus, the battens 13 complete with the sound attenuating material are easily and readily positioned and held during subsequent installation of the floor boards 11, 12. In Fig. 2, parts corresponding with those seen in Fig. 1 are given the same reference numerals. In Fig. 2, the product is shown with the flaps 15 not folded down. Thus, the product is more easily and more economically packed. To facilitate folding of the flaps 15, the upper layer 14A has mutually parallel cuts 16 to a depth of about 7 to 8 mm, one adjacent each side of the batten 13. In one modification of the product, the flaps 15 are dispensed with in the case where the supports means is in the form of a concrete sub-floor. In another modification of the product, a conventional timber batten is used. In a modification of the flooring construction described above, the planks 11 are dispensed with.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A floor construction on a support means, the floor construction comprising floorboards laid on battens each having a lower horizontal surface faced with a material for attenuating transmission of sound, the stiffness of the battens being less than the stiffness of the floorboards. 2. A floor construction according to Claim 1, wherein the battens are plywood strips of thickness less than the thickness of the floorboards. 3. A floor construction according to Claim 2, wherein the plywood strips are of thickness in the range 4mm-6mm. 4. A floor construction according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the floorboards are secured to the battens. 5. A floor construction according to Claim 4 , wherein the floorboards are secured to the battens by means of an adhesive. 6. A floor construction according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the floorboards comprise mutually inter-engaged panels of chipboard approximately 9mm thick. 7. A floor construction according to Claim 6, wherein the floorboards comprise planks approximately 19mm thick and disposed between the chipboard panels and the battens. 8. A floor construction according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the sound attenuating material comprises an upper layer and a lower layer of resiliently pliant cellular materials of which the cells in one layer are open and the cells in the other layer are closed. 9. A floor construction according to Claim 8, wherein the closed-cell layer is the upper layer and is secured to its respective batten by means of an adhesive. 10. A floor construction according to Claim 8 or 9, wherein in the case where the support means consists of timber joists the upper layer incorporates lateral flaps which are folded to lie against and are secured to the sides of the joists. 11. A floor construction on a support means of timber joists, the floor construction comprising floorboards laid on battens each having a lower horizontal surface to which is secured a material for attenuating transmission of sound, said material incorporating lateral flaps which are folded to lie against and secured to the sides of the said timber joists. 12. A floor construction according to Claim 11, wherein the sound attenuating material comprises an upper layer and a lower layer of resiliently pliant cellular materials of which the upper layer is closed-cell and incorporates said flaps, and the lower layer is open-cell. 13. A floor construction according to Claim 11 or 12, wherein the stiffness of the battens is less than the stiffness of the floorboards. 14. A method of installing a floor on a support means of timber joists, comprising the steps of: providing battens having secured thereto a material for attenuating transmission of sound, said material having lateral flaps extending beyond the battens, placing the battens on the timber joists parallel therewith and with the sound attenuating material in contact with the joists and folding the said flaps to lie against the sides of the joists, * securing the flaps to the joists, and laying floorboards on the battens. 15. A product for use in a floor construction, comprising a batten of thickness in the range 4mm-6mm, and secured to one face thereof a material for attenuating transmission of sound. 16. A product for use in a floor construction, comprising a batten, a material for attenuating sound secured to one face of the batten, and lateral flaps of said material extending beyond the batten. 17. A product according to Claim 16, wherein the batten width is approximately 50mm.

Inventors: MACKENZIE ROBIN KENNETH, MACKENZIE, ROBIN, KENNETH
Applicants: EDINBURGH ACOUSTICAL CO LTD, EDINBURGH ACOUSTICAL COMPANY LIMITED
Application year: 1991
Main classification: E04F15
IPC codes: E04B1, E04B2, E04B5, E04F15