The following is directed in general to building construction and renovation, and more particularly to a subfloor component and a method of manufacturing a subfloor component.
A subfloor component is a panel or other component meant to be placed on top of a concrete floor or other foundation before a finished floor of, for example, hardwood or tile is installed. The subfloor component may have projections for permitting the flow of moisture underneath the component so as to prevent moisture from standing underneath the subfloor component and causing problems with mold. While subfloor components of varying types are known, improvements are desirable.
According to an aspect, there is provided a subfloor component comprising an insulating foam panel having first and second opposing faces and a plurality of intersecting grooves to define, in cross-section, a plurality of pedestals having walls that extend into the panel from the first face toward the second face; a moisture-resistant film attached to the first face of the panel and that conforms to the pedestals; and a hardboard layer on the second face of the panel.
Advantageously, the subfloor component has a moisture-resistant film that conforms to the pedestals of the panel, such the when the pedestals are facing downwards against, for example, a concrete floor, moisture can travel along the concrete floor between the pedestals (ie. along channels formed by the grooves of the panel and the concrete floor) without seeping into the foam of the panel itself
Enabling the moisture to travel along the channels enables drainage of the moisture that is on the concrete floor below the panel towards the edges of the panels, rather than form standing-water puddles on the concrete floor.
The attaching of the moisture-resistant film to the pedestals of the panel provides structural integrity to particularly the foam pedestals of the panel. Thus, while a subfloor component is being transported, or while the subfloor component is being compressed against, for example, a concrete floor during normal use, pieces of foam do not tend to break loose of the panel. In other words, the moisture-resistant film, in addition to preventing ingress of moisture into the panel, tends to keep the foam pedestals intact.
In one embodiment, the moisture-resistant film is fused to the panel, providing an even more integral structure.
The hardboard layer on the second surface of the panel provides a flat, integrated surface upon which to overlay further flooring made of wood, linoleum, ceramic, stone, cork, bamboo, eucalyptus or other material. The hardboard layer against the foam panel provides the combination of flatness, impact-absorption, sound absorption, insulation and resiliency suited well for floors in dwellings.
Multiple subfloor components may be installed on a concrete floor simply by setting them down on a concrete floor adjacent to each other, or even somewhat spaced from each other. However, in one embodiment, each subfloor component is shaped to connect to another subfloor component by way of tongues and grooves on respective edges of the hardboard layer. The subfloor components that are so interconnected can provide an overall more uniform surface flatness across subfloor components and discourage shifting of the subfloor components. This can be useful for overlaying further flooring. Other structures for interconnecting subfloor components may be employed. For example, pieces of dowel may be inserted into holes in the edges of the hardboard layers that are being installed adjacent to each other, with the dowel spanning between the adjacent subfloor components.
According to another aspect, there is provided a method of manufacturing a subfloor component, comprising providing a mold configured to form an insulating foam panel, the mold including pedestal-forming structures for forming a panel having, in cross-section, a plurality of pedestals with walls that extend into the panel from a first face of the panel toward a second opposing face of the panel; placing a moisture-resistant film into the mold against the pedestal-forming structures; placing heat-expandable beads into the mold against the moisture-resistant film opposite the pedestal-forming structures; applying heat to the mold to expand the heat-expandable beads to form the panel, wherein the expansion of the heat-expandable beads causes both the film and the expanding beads to enter into conform to the pedestal-forming structures thereby to form the pedestals of the panel with the moisture-resistant film fused thereto; removing the panel with the fused moisture-resistant film from the mold; and attaching a hardboard layer to the second face of the panel.
As will be appreciated, having the beads and the film in the mold at the same time provides the opportunity for the film to fuse to the panel while the panel itself is being formed, and also causes the film to tightly conform to the pedestals at the same time. Providing fusing and conforming at the same time as panel formation is advantageous for expediting and simplifying the manufacturing of the subfloor component.
The heat-expandable beads may be expandable polystyrene (EPS) beads. The moisture-resistant film may comprise a material selected from the group consisting of high-impact polystyrene, polyethylene, and ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene).
Attaching the hardboard layer may comprise applying adhesive to one or both of the hardboard layer and the second face of the panel.
The hardboard layer may comprise material selected from the group consisting of OSB (oriented strand board), plywood, fiber cement board, cement board, metal sheeting, and magnesium oxide board.
The method may further comprise shaping the hardboard layer with a tongue/groove configuration for connecting to another hardboard layer of another subfloor component.
The method may further comprise forming grooves on at least two sides of the hardboard layer, each groove for connecting to at least one connector. Each connector may be a connector strip comprising opposing tongues, the connector strip being configured for connecting adjacent subfloor components. The forming may comprise forming grooves on four sides of the hardboard layer.
According to another aspect, there is provided a method of manufacturing a subfloor component, comprising: providing a mold configured to form an insulating foam panel, the mold including pedestal-forming structures for forming the panel to have, in cross-section, a plurality of pedestals with walls that extend into the panel from a first face of the panel toward a second opposing face of the panel; placing heat-expandable beads into the mold against the pedestal-forming structures; applying heat to the mold to expand the heat-expandable beads to form the panel, wherein the expansion of the heat-expandable beads causes the expanding beads to enter into and conform to the pedestal-forming structures thereby to form the pedestals of the panel; placing a moisture-resistant film into the mold adjacent to the pedestal-forming structures; applying heat to the mold to fuse the film to the panel, the heat causing the film to enter into and conform to the pedestals and fuse thereto; removing the panel with the fused moisture-resistant film from the mold; and attaching a hardboard layer to the second face of the panel.
The heat-expandable beads may be expandable polystyrene (EPS) beads. The moisture-resistant film may comprise a material selected from the group consisting of high-impact polystyrene, polyethylene, and ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene).
Attaching the hardboard layer may comprise applying adhesive to one or both of the hardboard layer and the second face of the panel.
The hardboard layer may comprise material selected from the group consisting of OSB (oriented strand board), plywood, fiber cement board, cement board, metal sheeting, and magnesium oxide board.
The method may further comprise shaping the hardboard layer with a tongue/groove configuration for connecting to another hardboard layer of another subfloor component.
The method may further comprise forming grooves on at least two sides of the hardboard layer, each groove for connecting to at least one connector. Each connector may be a connector strip comprising opposing tongues, the connector strip being configured for connecting adjacent subfloor components. The forming may comprise forming grooves on four sides of the hardboard layer.
According to another aspect, there is provided a method of manufacturing a subfloor component, comprising: providing a mold configured to form an insulating foam panel, the mold including pedestal-forming structures for forming the panel to have, in cross-section, a plurality of pedestals with walls that extend into the panel from a first face of the panel toward a second opposing face of the panel; placing heat-expandable beads into the mold against the pedestal-forming structures; applying heat to the mold to expand the heat-expandable beads to form the panel, wherein the expansion of the heat-expandable beads causes the expanding beads to enter into and conform to the pedestal-forming structures thereby to form the pedestals of the panel; removing the panel from the mold; placing a moisture-resistant film adjacent the first face of the panel; applying heat to one or both of the moisture-resistant film and the panel, the heat causing the film to enter into and conform to the pedestals and fuse thereto; and attaching a hardboard layer to the second face of the panel.
The placing may comprise placing the moisture-resistant film in contact with and/or in non-contact proximity with the first face of the panel.
The heat-expandable beads may be expandable polystyrene (EPS) beads. The moisture-resistant film may comprise a material selected from the group consisting of: high-impact polystyrene, polyethylene, and ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene).
Attaching the hardboard layer may comprise applying adhesive to one or both of the hardboard layer and the second face of the panel.
The hardboard layer may comprise material selected from the group consisting of OSB (oriented strand board), plywood, fiber cement board, cement board, metal sheeting, and magnesium oxide board.
The method may further comprise shaping the hardboard layer with a tongue/groove configuration for connecting to another hardboard layer of another subfloor component.
The method may further comprise forming grooves on at least two sides of the hardboard layer, each groove for connecting to at least one connector. Each connector may be a connector strip comprising opposing tongues, the connector strip being configured for connecting adjacent subfloor components. The forming may comprise forming grooves on four sides of the hardboard layer.
A detailed description of the preferred embodiment is set forth in detail below, with reference to the following drawings, in which:
In
In this embodiment, the hardboard panel 12 is oriented strand board (OSB), a material well-known to be employed in building construction. Also in this embodiment, the insulating foam panel 14 is formed of expanded polystyrene (EPS), and the hardboard panel 12 is glued to the insulating foam panel 14. Furthermore, in this embodiment the moisture-resistant film 16 is a thin layer of high-impact polystyrene.
In this embodiment, the moisture-resistant film 16 is fused to the insulating foam panel 14 such that the moisture-resistant film 16 is affixed to the top and wall of the pedestals 17 as well as to the bottom of the grooves. The subfloor component 10 is to be placed on a foundation floor or other such structure with the pedestals 17 downwards and with the moisture-resistant film 16 between the insulating foam layer 14 and the foundation floor. Moisture on the foundation floor is able to pass between the pedestals 17 and can contact the moisture-resistant film 16 in order to drain away from underneath the subfloor component 10. The moisture-resistant film layer 16 effectively resists the passage of moisture into the insulating foam panel 14 from the foundation floor thereby keeping the insulating foam panel 14 suitably dry.
The fusing of the moisture-resistant film 16 and the insulating foam panel 14 enables the pedestals 17 to which the moisture-resistant film is conforming to have increased resistance to breakage. As would be understood, as useful as expanded EPS is for insulation, it can be brittle. In this embodiment, the pedestals 17, which are shaped as squares, each have four (4) walls meeting at four (4) edges and four (4) top corners. Particularly the top corners and also the edges are most prone to being broken away during transportation, installation, or usage. The present inventor has discovered that, particularly for a subfloor component 10 that will be experiencing various physical pressures from above, advantages are gained by employing a moisture-resistant film 16 that not only resists moisture reaching the insulating foam panel 16 but conforms to the pedestals in order to provide drainage and also increase the structural integrity of the pedestals 17. In this way, physical pressures both during construction (workers, wheel barrows, other machinery) and when construction is complete (home owners, employees, couches, filing cabinets etc.) can be better withstood by the pedestals 17.
In this embodiment, the walls of the intersecting grooves have a height of about 15 millimetres, giving the pedestals 17 a corresponding height. However, other heights are possible. For example, other embodiments may provide heights of between about 15 millimetres to about 20 millimetres. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the intersecting grooves have a width of about 15 millimetres, giving the pedestals 17 a corresponding spacing. However, other widths are possible. For example, other embodiments may provide widths of between about 15 millimetres to about 20 millimetres. It will be understood that having all grooves have the same width is not required.
While the above-described subfloor component 10 can be useful for many purposes, the present inventor has also developed additional embodiments. For example,
It will be understood that a subfloor component with pedestals of different shapes, including others not disclosed above, or mixtures of differently-shaped pedestals such as those described above, may be provided.
The various subfloor components described herein may generally be used alongside each other in a particular installation, provided that the overall thicknesses of two different panels are similar, and provided that using differently-shaped pedestals in two different subfloor components does not unduly impede the flow of moisture beneath the subfloor components. In one embodiment, subfloor components have tongue and groove configurations along the edges which abut against each other, such that the tongue of one panel can be received within the groove of the adjacent panel. The tongues/grooves may have square, rectangular configurations with or without rounded distal corners. The tongue and groove configuration may be formed prior to, or after, attaching the hardboard panel to the insulating foam panel.
First, a generally-flat piece of moisture-resistant film 16 is placed within the bottom portion 52 of the mold structure on top of and therefore adjacent to pedestal-forming structures 54 (step 100), as shown in
With the insulating foam panel 14 having been formed with pedestals 17 and having been fused to moisture-resistant film 16, as shown in
Other methods may be used to manufacture a subfloor component, such as the subfloor component 10 described above. For example,
First, heat-expandable beads 56 are placed into the mold structure within the bottom portion 52 of the mold structure on top of and therefore adjacent to pedestal-forming structures 54 (step 610), as shown in
With the insulating foam panel 14 having been formed with pedestals 17, the mold structure is then opened and a generally-flat piece of moisture-resistant film 16 is placed within the bottom portion 52 of the mold structure on top of and therefore adjacent to pedestal-forming structures 54 (step 630), and under the pedestals 17 of the insulating foam panel 14, as shown in
With the insulating foam panel 14 having been fused to moisture-resistant film 16, the combination is then removed from the mold structure (step 650). The hardboard layer 12 is then adhered to the combination that was removed from the mold structure (step 660), thereby to form the subfloor component 10.
Still other methods may be used to manufacture a subfloor component, such as the subfloor component 10 described above. For example,
First, heat-expandable beads 56 are placed into the mold structure within the bottom portion 52 of the mold structure on top of and therefore adjacent to pedestal-forming structures 54 (step 710), as described above and with reference to
With the insulating foam panel 14 having been formed with pedestals 17, the mold is then opened and the insulating foam panel 14 is then removed from the mold structure (step 730). A generally-flat piece of moisture-resistant film 16 is placed adjacent the tops of the pedestals 17 of the insulating foam panel 14 (step 740). It will be understood that the moisture-resistant film 16 may be placed in contact with and/or in non-contact proximity with tops of the pedestals 17 of the insulating foam panel 14. Heat is then applied to one or both of the moisture-resistant film 16 and the insulating foam panel 14 (step 750), so as to cause the moisture-resistant film 16 to enter into and conform to the pedestals 17 of the insulating foam panel 14. The moisture-resistant film being of high-impact polystyrene fuses at its surface under the applied heat to the facing surface of the insulating foam panel 14. During this step, the heat may be applied by any suitable heat source, such as for example a hot air blower, one or more heating elements, an oven, and the like.
With the insulating foam panel 14 having been fused to moisture-resistant film 16, the hardboard layer 12 is then adhered to the combination that was removed from the mold structure (step 750), thereby to form the subfloor component 10.
Although in embodiments described above, the subfloor components have tongue and groove configurations along the edges which abut against each other, in other embodiments, other configurations may be used. For example, in other embodiments, the subfloor components may alternatively have grooves along the edges, and with each groove being configured to receive a connector for connecting adjacent subfloor components. The connector may be, for example, a longitudinal connector strip comprising opposing tongues, with each tongue being shaped to be received by a respective groove.
For example,
Although in the embodiment shown in
The many features and advantages of the invention are apparent from the detailed specification and, thus, it is intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and advantages of the invention that fall within the true purpose of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact operation illustrated and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the purpose and scope of the invention.
For example, the moisture-resistant film may be made of other materials, such as polyethylene, or ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene). Furthermore, materials for the hardboard layer may be selected from plywood, fiber cement board, cement board, metal sheeting, and magnesium oxide board. Other materials, provided that they may be adhered to the insulating foam panel and provide a suitable amount of rigidity, may be employed for a hardboard layer.
Furthermore, while in the embodiments disclosed above the pedestals are generally uniformly distributed across the insulating foam panel, alternatives may be provided having pedestals that are not so uniformly distributed.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/412,038 entitled “SUBFLOOR COMPONENT AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SAME” filed on Mar. 5, 2012, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 13412038 | Mar 2012 | US |
Child | 14028703 | US |