FLOORING STRUCTURE

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a floor covering structure with a floor covering layer and a base layer lying directly or indirectly on the subfloor.

[0002] Such a floor covering structure is disclosed, for example, in EP 2 615 222 A2, wherein floor panels rest on a sound-insulating underlay laid on the subfloor. In the solution described, this underlay consists of a heavy-duty foil and a so-called spring layer of foam underneath. The disadvantage of this solution is the effort required to install the two layers (underlay and floor panels). Particularly if the two layers are not flush with one another, thus preventing contact between the floor panels and the heavy-duty foil, the positive effects of the heavy-duty foil are significantly reduced.

[0003] Often, the floor covering is permanently bonded to the subfloor using a suitable notched trowel or similar method. The floor covering is then laid into the adhesive bed using this conventional installation method. Depending on the adhesive application and type, the movement of the floor is limited. Furthermore, this full-surface bonding is relatively effective in reducing room noise. However, the disadvantage is that impact sound insulation is impaired due to the direct acoustic connection of the floor covering to the subfloor, such as screed.

[0004] To improve impact sound insulation, intermediate layers are inserted between the subfloor and the floor panel / floor covering layer. These are usually first glued to the subfloor. In a subsequent step, this insulation underlay is then glued to the floor panel. This process is complex and expensive.

[0005] This type of installation method allows the use of impact sound insulation mats, which consist of a PE foam mat and feature a multitude of symmetrically arranged cutouts to accommodate the adhesive used to bond the floor covering layer. A disadvantage of this solution is that, due to the relatively large volume of the cutouts, adhesive consumption is significantly increased compared to the conventional method. Another disadvantage of glued floors is the complex removal process. This is usually only possible with heavy equipment and often requires renovation of the subfloor covering surface, especially the screed surface. The well-known insulation mats with cutouts also significantly complicate removal, as the size of the cutouts makes it difficult to remove the bond to the subfloor, so that - as explained above - renovation of the subfloor is often necessary.Such solutions are also unsuitable for use with underfloor heating systems. Furthermore, while these insulation mats reduce impact sound compared to conventional solutions, this advantage comes at the cost of worsening room sound insulation compared to conventional solutions.

[0006] The publication DE 10 2005 024 437 A1 shows a floor covering structure with a floor covering layer with an adhesive layer and a base layer resting on the subfloor. To facilitate removal, a gap layer is provided, resulting from the use of different adhesives. The adhesive between the floor covering layer and the base layer has a greater bond strength than the adhesive to the substrate. This ensures that when the previously installed floor covering layer is removed, only minimal adhesive residue from the adhesive layer remains on the floor.

[0007] Other solutions involve inserting a separating fabric between the subfloor and the flooring structure. This type of separating fabric facilitates removal by applying a force to the fabric that causes it to tear, thus separating the subfloor and flooring structure. However, such separating fabrics are very complex to install, comparatively expensive, and significantly impair the acoustics of the floor compared to the previously described solutions. Furthermore, these separating fabrics do not adequately restrict the movement of the parquet.

[0008] In contrast, the invention is based on the object of creating a floor covering structure that allows for easy installation and removal / disassembly while providing good sound insulation. The structure according to the invention combines the advantages of a full-surface bonding system described above, particularly with regard to sound insulation, swelling, and shrinkage, with a high degree of ease of renovation.

[0009] This object is achieved by a floor covering structure having the features of patent claim 1.

[0010] Advantageous further developments of the invention are the subject of the subclaims.

[0011] The floor covering structure according to the invention has a floor covering layer, preferably consisting of a wood or wood substitute material, tiles, textile materials (carpet), linoleum and / or plastic, or a combination of such materials. This floor covering layer can be, for example, a parquet floor covering, a designer floor, a tiled floor, or a laminate floor covering. The floor covering structure further comprises an adhesive layer and a base layer, which rests directly or indirectly on the subfloor, for example, screed, and which has a recess pattern. In contrast to the insulating mat described above, the adhesive layer is applied flatly to the base layer or subfloor, so that the adhesive also substantially fills the recess pattern and comes into adhesive contact with the subfloor or the floor covering layer.

[0012] Preferably, the floor covering layer is bonded to the base layer over its entire surface, with the connection to the subfloor being established solely via the adhesive incorporated in the recess pattern, thus providing only a partial bond that is very easy to remove during removal. To do this, the adhesive layer is applied to the surface of the base layer facing the covering layer. A smooth or notched trowel is preferably used.

[0013] In a preferred embodiment, the recess pattern is designed as a hole pattern whose clear width is significantly smaller than in the prior art.

[0014] This clear width of the recess pattern can be varied depending on the thickness of the base layer, the flow behavior of the adhesive, the shear behavior of the floor covering layer (parquet, laminate, design flooring, ...) and / or the adhesive application technique used. In principle, the clear width is, in particular, designed so that deinstallation can be carried out comparatively easily and movement of the floor covering layer is reliably avoided or minimized. In other words, the clear width is designed according to the invention depending on the thickness of the base layer, the flow behavior of the adhesive, the shear behavior of the floor covering layer and / or the adhesive application technique used, or the clear width is designed according to the invention depending on the thickness of the base layer, the flow behavior of the adhesive, the shear behavior of the floor covering layer and / or the adhesive application technique used.

[0015] Preferred intervals of the clear width of the recess pattern, in particular the clear width of the individual recesses of the recess pattern, the thickness of the base layer and the viscosity of the adhesive are to be mentioned. A cross-section or a clear width of the individual recesses of the recess pattern is in one development greater than or equal to 0.1 cm 2 and less than or equal to 100 cm 2 , in particular greater than or equal to 0.12 cm 2 and less than or equal to 28 cm 2 . The thickness of the base layer is in one development greater than or equal to 0.1 mm and less than or equal to 10 mm, in particular greater than or equal to 0.2 mm and less than or equal to 4 mm. In one development, at least one rheological or flow property of the adhesive, in particular its viscosity, is designed or selected such that the adhesive can easily fill the recesses of the recess pattern. For this purpose, the viscosity is greater than or equal to 800 mPas and less than or equal to 50,000 mPas, according to Brookfield at 25°C, in particular greater than or equal to 1.500 mPas and less than or equal to 10,000 mPas, according to Brookfield at 25°C.

[0016] In a further development, the flow of the adhesive, in particular into and / or through the recesses, is promoted and / or ensured. This is promoted and / or ensured, in particular, by the material of the base layer.

[0017] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the base layer is designed as a heavy foil, as an insulating layer, foil and / or as a textile layer or from a combination of two or more of these materials.

[0018] When using a film or a thin base layer, it primarily acts as a separating layer for easier disassembly. When using a slightly thicker, elastic base layer, it also acts as a sound-insulating layer and can compensate for any unevenness in the subfloor.

[0019] In principle, the base layer can be constructed in multiple layers made of different materials. The base layer can either be laid loosely or attached to the underside of the flooring prior to installation.

[0020] In one embodiment, the subfloor is preferably primed screed.

[0021] Removal is particularly easy if the film is made of a material or is coated on one or both sides with a material that does not bond with the adhesive. The flooring is then essentially bonded to the subfloor using the adhesive embedded in the recess pattern. However, it should be noted that slightly better room sound insulation is achieved with full-surface bonding of the floor covering layer to the base layer.

[0022] A particularly high-quality floor covering structure is achieved if the base layer is designed as a reinforcement layer or with a reinforcement layer.

[0023] In an alternative embodiment, the floor covering layer can be laminated to the base layer. In this case, the adhesive would be applied to the subfloor.

[0024] In one embodiment of the invention, the material of the base layer and the adhesive are matched to each other in such a way that this layered structure forms a vapor barrier with an sd value ("water vapor diffusion equivalent air layer thickness") of ≥ 1 m. Accordingly, the layered structure then acts as a kind of climate membrane.

[0025] Preferred embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to schematic drawings. They show: Figure 1 a cross-section through a floor covering structure according to the invention; Figure 2a principle illustration of a basic structure of the floor covering construction according to Figure 1 and Figure 3 another exemplary embodiment of a floor covering construction according to the invention.

[0026] The invention will be described below with reference to a floor covering construction. In principle, this covering construction is designed such that it can also be used for wall / ceiling claddings or the like. Accordingly, the term "floor covering construction" should generally subsume a wall / ceiling or floor covering.

[0027] According to Figure 1The floor covering structure 1 according to the invention has a floor covering layer 2, which can consist, for example, of a two-layer parquet with a high-quality wooden top layer and a carrier layer (middle layer) 6, for example made of spruce or HDF. Of course, other floor coverings, such as solid parquet, laminate flooring, designer flooring, or tiles, can also be used. Tongue and groove profiles are usually formed on the carrier layer 6, which ensure the relative positioning of the floor panels to one another. These tongue and groove profiles can also be designed with a click profile, which enables the panels to lock together. However, such locking is not absolutely necessary for the glued floor covering structures described.

[0028] This floor covering layer 2 is laid on a base layer 8, which is shown as an example in Figure 2is shown. In this embodiment, the base layer 8 is formed by a heavy foil, which can act both as a load distribution layer and reliably reduces room sound and impact sound. In addition, the heavy foil ensures that sound transmission to rooms possibly located below is reduced. Depending on the application, the heavy foil can comprise a base material from the group of polyolefins and a filler or an additive for adjusting the density of the heavy foil. The density is preferably approximately 3 to 6 kg / m 2< . The filler or additive can be a mineral or barite, which, for example, makes up 80% of the weight of the heavy foil.

[0029] Such heavy foils are known in the flooring sector, so further explanations are unnecessary. In the inventive concept, this base layer 8, consisting of a heavy foil, is provided with a recess pattern, which in the illustrated embodiment is formed by circular recesses 10. The base layer 8 can be constructed in one or more layers.

[0030] In the illustrated embodiment, the base layer 8 is bonded to the floor covering layer 2 via an adhesive 12, which is applied over the entire surface of the base layer 8 on the covering layer side. This application can be carried out, for example, using a notched trowel or the like. The application is carried out in such a way that the recesses 10 are also filled with the adhesive 12, so that adhesive columns 16 extend from a continuous adhesive layer 18 to the subfloor, which in the illustrated embodiment consists of screed 14. The connection of the floor covering structure 1 to the screed 14 is then accordingly achieved via the adhesive columns 16, the cross-section of which can be varied depending on the thickness of the floor covering layer 2 or the flow behavior of the adhesive 12, the shear behavior of the floor covering layer 2 and / or the adhesive application technique used.The clear width of these recesses 10 is also selected such that the uninstallation of the floor covering structure 1 can be carried out comparatively easily. The material of the base layer 8 is preferably selected such that the adhesive 12 can flow freely and thus promotes optimal bonding. This adhesive selection also applies to the floor covering structure 10, which will be described later. Figure 3 described embodiment.

[0031] Instead of a heavy-duty foil, another suitable mat or textile material can be used, each with a recess pattern. The invention is by no means limited to a circular design of the recesses 10; rather, the geometry of the recess can also be varied depending on the application, even within the base layer, in order to optimize the shear behavior of the floor covering and, on the other hand, to enable easy removal.

[0032] The particular advantage of this solution is that the adhesive 12 does not come into contact with the screed 14 over its entire surface, but only at specific points. However, a flat layer of adhesive 18 can then be applied to the base layer 8 in the conventional manner.

[0033] In one embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the base layer 8 consists of a material or is coated on one or both sides with a material that does not adhere to the adhesive, so that the positional fixing of the floor covering layer 2 takes place solely via the previously described adhesive columns 16 and the surface contact of the adhesive layer 18 with the floor covering layer 6.

[0034] Another possibility is to cover the floor covering layer 2 with the film. In this case, however, the adhesive 12 would have to be applied directly to the subfloor, for example, the screed 14. Such an embodiment is shown in Figure 3In this variant, the floor covering layer 2 with the covering layer 4 and the carrier layer / middle layer 6 is already factory-bonded to the base layer 8 according to Figure 2 - in other words, the base layer 8 is laminated to the floor covering layer 2 (carrier layer / middle layer 6 and covering layer 4). The adhesive 12 is then applied accordingly Figure 3During installation, the screed 14 is applied to the subfloor, in this case the screed, although this can of course also be made of a different material or be provided with a subfloor construction. The floor covering with the floor covering layer 2 and the base layer 8 is then laid in the usual way, with the adhesive 12 being displaced into the recesses 10 of the base layer 8 by the installation pressure and coming into adhesive contact with the floor covering layer 2, in this case the carrier layer / middle layer 6. This ensures reliable, partial bonding of the floor covering structure 1 to the subfloor.

[0035] The inventive concept enables optimized impact sound and room sound insulation compared to conventionally glued floors. Furthermore, adhesive consumption is reduced due to the column-like connections, eliminating the need for a double application of adhesive on the base layer. Due to the partial connection of the floor covering layer, the floor covering can be removed without significant damage to the subfloor.

[0036] As explained at the beginning, the base layer 8 and the material of the adhesive 12 can be matched with regard to the choice of material in such a way that this layer structure acts as a vapor barrier, preferably forming an sd value of ≥ 1 m.

[0037] Depending on the finish of the base layer, this can also have vapor-retardant properties. Another significant advantage is that the inventive concept can be implemented more cost-effectively than the solutions described above. Compared to the conventional bonding of floor coverings, the embodiment according to Figure 1 Only the perforated heavy foil (base layer 8) needs to be rolled out before applying the adhesive, making installation much easier.

[0038] Disclosed is a floor covering structure comprising a top layer made of a wood or wood substitute material, of tiles or textile material and a base layer which, during installation, is glued flat on one side only either to the subfloor or to the floor covering and which is designed with a recess pattern, wherein the recess pattern is filled with adhesive during installation and the floor covering comes into adhesive contact with the subfloor through the recesses. List of reference symbols:

[0039] 1Floor covering structure 2Floor covering layer 4Top layer 6Carrier layer / Middle layer 8Base layer 10Recess 12Adhesive 14Screed 16Adhesive column 18Adhesive layer

Claims

1. A flooring construction with a flooring top layer (2) made of wood, a wood material or wood substitute material, of tiles, textile materials or of a plastic material or of a combination of such materials, an adhesive layer (18), and a base layer (8) which rests directly or indirectly on a subfloor and has a recess pattern, wherein the adhesive layer (18) is applied over the surface in such a way that the adhesive (12) substantially fills the recess pattern and comes into adhesive contact with the subfloor on the one hand and the flooring top layer on the other hand via the recesses, characterized in that the base layer (8) consists of a material or is coated on one or both sides with a material that does not form a bond with the adhesive (12).

2. The flooring construction according to claim 1, wherein the recess pattern is a hole pattern with approximately round recesses (10).

3. The flooring construction according to one of the preceding claims, wherein a configuration of a clear width of the recess pattern was carried out with greater than or equal to 0.12 cm2 and less than or equal to 28 cm2, depending on the thickness of the base layer (8) of greater than or equal to 0.2 mm and less than or equal to 4 mm, and a flow behavior of the adhesive (12) with a viscosity of the adhesive of greater than or equal to 1,500 mPas and less than or equal to 10,000 mPas according to Brookfield at 25°C.

4. The flooring construction according to one of the preceding patent claims, wherein the base layer (8) is a heavy film, an insulating layer and / or a textile layer.

5. The flooring construction according to one of the preceding patent claims, wherein the subfloor is a, preferably primed, screed (14).

6. The flooring construction according to one of the preceding patent claims, wherein the base layer (8) is configured as or with a reinforcing layer.

7. The flooring construction according to one of the preceding patent claims, wherein the flooring top layer is laminated with the base layer (8).