CEILING AND WALL DECORATION

Abstract: A tile for decorating a ceiling or wall is cast from hydrated pllaster and is of a shape such that a plurality of identical tiles can be applied to the ceiling or wall without space between adjacent tiles, the front face of the tile having a set of grooves generally parallel to an edge thereof. The tiles form a repeating pattern and the joins are indistinguishable from the adjacent grooves.

Description: Ceiling and Wall Decoration This invention relates to the decoration of ceiling and walls and more particularly to a ceiling or wall tile, to a method of decorating a ceiling or wall and to a kit for use in carrying out the method. A conventional method of decorating a ceiling comprises spreading a layer of plaster by hand over the ceiling and then forming a pattern in the surface of the plaster before it dries. Typically a repetitive scrolled or swirling pattern is formed using a grooved tool. However, it is impossible, even for a skilled decorator, to form a pattern which is perfectly repetitive; the shapes created and the depths of the grooves inevitably vary. It is an object of this invention to enable a ceiling or wall to be decorated with a pattern which is regular in appearance, yet the ceiling or wall can be decorated without requiring special skills. In accordance with this invention, there is provided a decoration unit, particularly a tile, for decorating a ceiling or wall, the unit having a plain rear face for adhering to the ceiling or wall and a grooved front face generally parallel to the rear face, the unit having an edge shape enabling a plurality of identical such units to be applied to the ceiling or wall without space between adjacent units, the front face of the unit having grooves which lie generally parallel to an edge of the unit, and the unit being cast from hydrated plaster. Such decoration units or tiles can be fixed easily to the ceiling or wall using adhesive, adjacent units being abutted together without spaces and forming a repeating pattern of regular form. The join between each adjacent pair of units or tiles is indistinguishable from the grooves of at least one of those tiles. Further, because the tile is cast from plaster, it is light in weight and non-flammable, and can be cut easily. The units or tiles can be formed in symmetrically perfect moulds so that they can be closely abutted. The preferred plaster is calcium sulphate hemihydrate plaster. Preferably the units are cast- from a mixture having a relatively high proportion of plaster to water so that the cast unit will have a high strength and high surface hardness: also such a mixture minimises the possibility of air bubbles, which would spoil the appearance of the cast product. Preferably the mixture includes fillers, e.g. glass fibres, to improve the strength of the cast product. Preferably the decoration unit or tile has its grooves arranged so that, when identical tiles are abutted together on a ceiling or wall, then at every join line between a pair of adjacent tiles, the grooves of at least one tile of the pair lie parallel to that line. Also in accordance with this invention, there is provided a method of decorating a ceiling or wall by adhering a plurality of decoration units or tiles, each cast from hydrated plaster to the ceiling or wall in a repeating arrangement without spaces between adjacent units or tiles, the units or tiles being of identical shape or of two or more different shapes, the front face of each unit or tile having grooves which lie generally parallel to an edge thereof. A preferred adhesive comprises a plaster mix, preferably a relatively "stiff" mix. Further in accordance with this invention, there is provided a decoration kit for a ceiling or wall, the kit comprising a set of decoration units or tiles each cast from hydrated plaster, and a quantity of adhesive material for use in adhering the units or tiles to the ceiling or wall, the units or tiles being of identical shape or of two or more different shapes but such that they can be applied to the ceiling or wall in a repeating arrangement and without spaces between adjacent units or tiles, the front face of each unit or tile having grooves which lie generally parallel to an edge thereof. Preferably each tile has only one axis of symmetry. It will be appreciated that no special skills are needed in order to decorate a ceiling or wall with the tiles of this invention. The decorated ceiling or wall has. an attractive appearance, but also the tiles give ' a degree of heat and sound insulation and fire protection to the ceiling or wall. Embodiments of this invention will now be described by way of examples only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures IA to ID show four examples of decoration tiles in accordance with this invention; Figures 2A and 2B show how identical shapes can be fitted together to form a repeating pattern. Figure 3 shows an example using tiles of two different shapes for a ceiling or wall. Referring to the drawings, Figures IA to ID each show a decoration tile which is cast from hydrated plaster (calcium sulphate) , preferably of the hemihydrate form. Preferably also the mixture from which the tile is cast includes fillers, e.g. glass fibres, to improve its strength. Each tile has a plain rear surface for adhering to a ceiling or wall to be decorated, and a front surface which is formed with grooves. Each tile has an edge shape enabling identical tiles to be applied to the ceiling or wall in a regular, repeating arrangement without spaces between adjacent tiles. The tile of Figure IA is generally of a fan shape, having a convex arcuate edge 1, and two concave arcuate edges 2,3 of the same curvature but each half the length of the edge 1: the edges 2,3 join each other at a point 4 and extend between the opposite ends of the edge 1. The grooves 5 in the front surface of the tile are all generally parallel to the arcuate edge 1. The tile of Figure 1C is of the same general shape, except that the edge l is scalloped and the edges 2,3 are scalloped in complementary manner. Figure 2A shows how a plurality of the tiles of Figure IA can be arranged in a regular, repeating manner without spaces between them. The tiles all have the same orientation, and the arcuate edge 1 of each tile e.g. 10 abuts the edges 3,2 of two other tiles e.g. 11,12 which are positioned side-by-side with each other. It will be noted that the grooves of the tile 10 lie parallel to the join between this tile and tiles 11,12, so that the join is not readily distinguishable in the decorated ceiling or wall (even though the grooves of tiles 11,12 are inclined to the join). The tiles shown in Figure 1C join together in a similar fashion, the grooves of each tile lying generally parallel to the scalloped edge 1. The tile of Figure IB is of a different shape, consisting of a large triangle 20 having grooves parallel to its edge 21, and two smaller triangles 22,23 extending from the other two edges of triangle 20 adjacent its edge 21. Each of the smaller triangles is of the same shape as triangle 20, but inverted relative to triangle 20 and half the height. In the example shown, the triangles are equilateral. Each triangle 22,23 has its grooves parallel to its laterally outer edge. Figure 2B shows how a plurality of the tiles of Figure IB can be arranged in a regular, repeating manner without spaces between them, the tiles all being in the same orientation. Each tile e.g. 30 has the base edge 21 of its large triangle abutting the base edges of respective ones of the small triangles of two further tiles e.g. 31,32 which are side-by-side with each other. It will be noted that at every straight-line join between adjacent tiles, the adjacent grooves of one tile are parallel to the join and the grooves of the other tile are inclined to the join. Figure ID shows another possible tile shape, consisting of a hexagon, with its six triangular portions formed with grooves parallel to their respective base edges (coincident with the outer edges of the hexagon) . It will be appreciated that a plurality of these tiles can be applied to a ceiling or wall in a regular, repeating arrangement, without spaces between them: at every join line, the grooves on both sides of the join are parallel to that line. In tiling a ceiling or wall, use may be made of plaster tiles of two or more different shapes, which can be arranged in a repeating pattern without spaces between adjacent tiles: preferably along every line of join between a pair of tiles, the grooves of one tile are generally parallel to that line. An example is shown in Figure 3, using tiles of two different shapes: in this example, both shapes are generally fan-shaped, but one is scalloped along its long edge only and the other is scalloped along its short edges only. It will be appreciated that the tiles can be applied to a ceiling or wall quite easily by unskilled persons to give an attractive, repeating pattern. Preferably the adhesive comprises a plaster mix. The tiles may be packaged and sold in a kit comprising a set of tiles and a quantity of adhesive material, typically requiring mixing with water, for use in adhering the tiles to a ceiling or wall: in this kit, the tiles may all be of identical shape (e.g. as shown in Figures IA to ID) or of two or more different shapes (e.g. as shown in Figure 3).

Claims: Claims 1) A decoration unit, particularly a tile, for decorating a ceiling or wall, the unit having a plain rear face for adhering to the ceiling or wall and a grooved front face generally parallel to the rear face, the unit having an edge shape enabling a plurality of identical such units to be applied to the ceiling or wall without space between adjacent units, the front face of the unit having " grooves which lie generally parallel to an edge of the unit, and the unit being cast from hydrated plaster. 2) A decoration unit as claimed in claim 1, shaped so that when a plurality of identical such units are applied to a ceiling or wall without space between adjacent units, then along every join line between a pair of adjacent units, said grooves of at least one unit of the pair lie generally parallel to that line. 3) A decoration unit as claimed in claim 1 or 2, generally in the shape of a fan having a first convex arcuate edge and second and third concave arcuate edges of the same curvature as but half the length of the first arcuate edge. 4) A decoration unit as claimed in claim 3, in which said grooves lie generally parallel to the first arcuate edge. 5) A decoration unit claimed in claim 3 or 4, in which said arcuate edges are scalloped. 6) A decoration unit as claimed in claim 2, in the shape of a large triangle with two smaller triangles of the same shape as the large triangle but inverted and of half the height, the smaller triangles adjoining respective sides of the large triangle adjacent a base edge thereof. 7) A decoration unit as claimed in claim 6, in which the large triangle is formed with a set of grooves parallel to its base edge and the smaller triangles are formed with grooves parallel to their outer lateral edges. 8) A decoration unit as claimed in claim 2, in the shape of a hexagon, having six identical triangular portions with respective sets of grooves parallel to the free edges of the hexagon. 9) A method of decorating a ceiling or wall by adhering a plurality of decoration units or tiles, each cast from hydrated plaster to the ceiling or wall in a repeating arrangement without spaces between adjacent units or tiles, the units or tiles being of identical shape or of two or more different shapes, the front face of each unit or tile having grooves which lie generally parallel to an edge thereof. 10) A decoration kit for a ceiling or wall, the kit comprising a set of decoration units or tiles each cast from hydrated plaster, and a quantity of adhesive material for use in adhering the units or tiles to the ceiling or wall, the units or tiles being of identical shape or of two or more different shapes but such that they can be applied to the ceiling or wall in a repeating arrangement and without spaces between adjacent units or tiles, the front face of each unit or tile having grooves which lie generally parallel to an edge thereof.

Inventors: ROBINSON MALCOLM GEORGE, ROBINSON, MALCOLM, GEORGE
Applicants: ROBINSON MALCOLM GEORGE, ROBINSON, MALCOLM, GEORGE
Application year: 1993
Main classification: E04F13
IPC codes: B44C3, E04B9, E04F13