U.S. patent application number 10/892339 was filed with the patent office on 2005-01-20 for cove elements and floor coatings and methods for installing.
Invention is credited to Standal, Douglas J., Zacher, Daniel G..
Application Number | 20050011159 10/892339 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34068322 |
Filed Date | 2005-01-20 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050011159 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Standal, Douglas J. ; et
al. |
January 20, 2005 |
Cove elements and floor coatings and methods for installing
Abstract
Described herein is a monolithic flooring system that includes
cove elements that are shaped to provide a transition between floor
and wall such that a floor coating may be installed over the cove
elements and sub-flooring to create a unitary floor-cove covering
making for a surface that is more sanitary and easier to clean.
Also described are various shaped cove elements that enable
creation of a good transition between wall and floor. The cove
elements are preferably made of material similar to the sub-floor,
for instance a cementitious material. The floor coating is
preferably a resinous material.
Inventors: |
Standal, Douglas J.;
(Placerville, CA) ; Zacher, Daniel G.;
(Placerville, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Douglas J. Standal
2540 Cold Springs Road
Placerville
CA
95667
US
|
Family ID: |
34068322 |
Appl. No.: |
10/892339 |
Filed: |
July 14, 2004 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60487517 |
Jul 14, 2003 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/716.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04F 19/045 20130101;
E04F 2019/0418 20130101; B28B 7/0085 20130101; B28B 5/027 20130101;
E04F 19/0477 20130101; E04F 19/0495 20130101; B28B 1/14
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
052/716.1 |
International
Class: |
E04B 002/00 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A flooring system comprising: at least one cove element having a
predetermined contoured shape, said cove element for attachment to
at least one of the following: a floor adjacent to a wall, and a
wall adjacent to the floor; said contoured shape of said cove
element providing a non-perpendicular transition between the floor
and the wall; a floor coating extending along the surface of the
floor and further extending over an exposed surface of said cove
element thereby forming a monolithic floor surface.
2. A flooring system as set forth in claim 1, wherein with the cove
element installed, said contoured surface defines an angled surface
that is approximately 35 degrees inclined from the wall and floor
surfaces.
3. A flooring system as set forth in claim 1, wherein with the cove
element installed, a portion of said contoured surface defines a
curved transition between the wall and floor surfaces.
4. A flooring system as set forth in claim 3 wherein said portion
of said contoured surface has a radius of between 1/4 inch and 24
inches.
5. A flooring system as set forth in claim 4 wherein said portion
of said contoured surface has a radius of between 3/8 inches and 12
inches.
6. A flooring system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cove
element is formed from a cementitious material.
7. A flooring system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cove
element is formed from any one of the following: gypsum, cement,
concrete, ceramic, plaster based compounds, urethane, polymer,
latex, vinyl, epoxy and quartz sand mixtures with fiberglass
reinforcement, epoxy and quartz sand mixtures without fiberglass
reinforcement, high-density epoxy, high-density foam, polyurethane,
cellular PVC, polyurea and resins.
8. A flooring system as set forth in claim 1 further comprising a
plurality of differing cove elements.
9. A flooring system as set forth in claim 8 wherein each of said
cove elements is formed with means for alignment during
installation.
10. A flooring system as set forth in claim 9 wherein said means
for alignment includes one of the following: a tongue and groove,
at least one pin, and, peel and stick, and adhered alignment.
11. A flooring system as set forth in claim 1, wherein said floor
coating is comprised of one of the following: epoxy, resinous
material, a polyurethane based composition, a methyl methacrylate
based composition, apolycyclic polyamine based composition, a
polysiloxane composition, a hydroxyl functional non-vinyl group
composition and an acrylic urethane composition.
12. A method of forming a monolithic flooring system comprising the
steps of: installing cove elements at the transition between a
floor and walls abutting the floor; coating the cove elements and
the floor uniformly to form a seamless surface.
13. A method as set forth in claim 12 further comprising: forming
the cove elements of a cementitious material before said installing
step.
14. A method as set forth in claim 12 further comprising: forming
the cove elements before said installing step using any one of the
following: gypsum, cement, concrete, ceramic, plaster based
compounds, urethane, polymer, latex, vinyl, epoxy and quartz sand
mixtures with fiberglass reinforcement, epoxy and quartz sand
mixtures without fiberglass reinforcement, high-density epoxy,
high-density foam, polyurethane, cellular PVC, polyurea and
resins.
15. A method as set forth in claim 12 wherein said installing step
includes installing a plurality of interlocking cove elements.
16. A method as set forth in claim 12 wherein said installing step
includes installing a plurality of interlocking cove elements
formed of a cementitious material
17. A method as set forth in claim 12 wherein said installing step
includes installing a plurality of interlocking cove elements
formed of a polyurea material
18. A method as set forth in claim 12 wherein said coating step
includes coating with a floor coating comprising one of the
following: epoxy, resinous material, a polyurethane based
composition, a methyl methacrylate based composition, apolycyclic
polyamine based composition, a polysiloxane composition, a hydroxyl
functional non-vinyl group composition and an acrylic urethane
composition.
19. A method for forming cove elements comprising the steps of:
providing an endless belt supported by a plurality of rollers
thereby forming an endless belt mold having a flat portion, a
concave portion and a convex portion; pouring a mixture onto the
endless belt; and curing the mixture to form the cementitious cove
element.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APLICATIONS
[0001] The instant application claims priority to U.S. Ser. No.
60/487,517 filed Jul. 14, 2003
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A. Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates to coving materials for use with
resinous floor systems, and further relates to methods of
installing such coving materials and formation of resinous floor
systems coating cementitious floors and cove elements to form a
monolithic flooring structure. The invention further relates to
monolithic floor systems that include wall cove elements coated
along with the floor with resinous flooring compositions to form a
monolithic floor system.
[0004] B. Description of the Related Art
[0005] Resin based floors are becoming increasingly more popular
because of their high performance in impact, abrasion, and chemical
resistance. In commercial applications, such floors are rapidly
becoming an industry standard, and many building codes now require
such floor coatings. An advantage to resin based floor coatings is
that they provide a complete seal making it easier to clean floor
surfaces and keep sanitary.
[0006] A problem with such floors, in particular in commercial and
industrial applications, is the difficulty associated with keeping
corners clean and keeping the area where walls meet the flooring
clean. Corners and the areas where floors and walls meet form 90
degree angles which provide ideal breeding grounds for bacteria and
other microbial matter.
[0007] In order to make cleaning easier, the resinous flooring
industry has developed a standard that includes a seamless
floor-to-cove base transition in order to produce a more sanitary
and easily maintained floor. Specifically, a concave transition or
cove is built up along the floor along the base of the wall to form
a transition therebetween.
[0008] In many municipalities, health departments have implemented
regulations requiring such floor-to-cove base transitions in order
to achieve sanitary standards for floors in applications such as
restaurant kitchens and hospitals.
[0009] Such floor-to-cove base transitions have other applications,
for instance, in industrial applications a seamless floor-to-cove
system is used as a containment system in which the contents of a
chemical storage tank would be contained within a predetermined
area if the tank were to rupture.
[0010] Resinous floors are typically applied to a cementitious base
or sub-flooring. However, the requirements regarding covings along
the lower portions of a cementitious floor present problems for
contractors and builders. Ideally, a monolithic floor is one where
a cementitious floor includes a cementitious or cement-like cove
base that will exhibit the same response to temperature, stress,
expansion, and contraction as the cementitious floor in order to
maintain it's seamless integrity. Another requirement is that the
cove base has a PSI (pounds per square inch) strength that is equal
to or greater than the cementitious floor and the coating. Finally,
it is imperative that the cove base not warp, twist, shrink, swell,
or decay. It should be strong enough resist damage by impacts with
heavy objects in order to prevent denting or cracking of the
coating.
[0011] Currently, formation of cementitious cove extending up walls
must be done manually by hand by a skilled craftsman. It is a
laborious and time consuming job, and is therefore an extremely
expensive component of monolithic cementitious floor systems.
[0012] As a result of the expense associated with the installation
of monolithic cementitious floors, a need has been created by the
industry for more rapid ways of forming coves.
[0013] Many manufacturers have been producing various types of base
board-like moldings for years. There are distinct dis-advantages to
such moldings when used with a cementitious sub-floor system, in
that they do not have the same expansion and contraction features
as the cementitious sub-flooring, if wood they may rot; if vinyl
they are too flexible; and further may not have the same PSI
strength. For cementitious sub-flooring, expansion and contraction
rates are a particular problem, making impractical to use these
commercially produced moldings. Further, the shapes of such
moldings do not include a radius or curved contour that is desired
for ease of cleaning and in many jurisdictions, as required by
recently implemented building codes and regulations.
[0014] Manufacturers have also produced pre-made molding corners in
wood, MDF, plastics, foams, ceramics, and resins. However, insofar
as the inventors are aware, none are made with radius or cant cove
at their base or corners that would meet the resinous flooring
industry standards. Finally, manufactures have been producing
ceramic radius cove base tiles and corner tiles for years. However,
such ceramic tiles, once installed, have grout seams; they are
typically glazed making them unsuitable for coating with a resinous
flooring material; and cannot provide the seamless floor required
by most building codes where monolithic flooring is required.
[0015] Currently, as indicated above, the flooring industry employs
trowel technicians to fabricate a rolled radius and cant cove base
where the walls of a room meet the floor. First they attach a thin
metal strip or just mask a determined distance up the wall from the
floor level. Then an resin/sand mixture is smeared on the wall
below the metal strip with a modified concrete trowel moving inch
by inch. In some applications, this mixture of resin and colored
quartz sand is the same material that makes up the final floor
coating. This entire process has several problems: these
technicians are very expensive; their process use a very slow and
disruptive to the entire jobsite; such technicians are very hard to
find and typically will not do small jobs such as bathrooms and
small commercial kitchens; and their troweling techniques do not
work well for cove bases higher than 4" because the mixture will
not stay on the wall long enough to set up and harden. In so far as
the inventors are aware, there are no other feasible methods to
create this base coving being used by this quickly evolving sector
of the industry.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0016] The goal of this invention is to provide a cove base and
stem wall cap molding system for every application of the
cementitious floor coating (both solvent and water based) industry.
These systems will be faster, easier, less expensive to install,
suitable for mass production, and that form or result in a
monolithic floor-to-base cove system as much as is possible.
[0017] In another aspect of the invention, a flooring system
include cementitious coving members fixed to either a floor or wall
to form a transition therebetween and the floor and coving members
are coated uniformly with a resinous coating forming a
monolithic/seamless floor system.
[0018] Accordingly, there are several objects and advantages of the
invention. For example, the invention may reduce or eliminate the
slow and burdensome troweled base cove method; significantly
reduces base cove installation time, which should lower the cost
and help the general contractor to expedite the entire job.
[0019] The present invention significantly reduce base cove
installation labor costs by enabling any reasonably skilled laborer
to install it using the following common tools: a pencil; speed
square; sheetrock rasp; carbide or diamond bladed circular
saw--corded or cordless; tile saw; miter saw; caulking gun; and
corded or cordless drill.
[0020] The invention also enables flooring contractors to use their
own employees for base cove installation and avoid the delays and
expense of having to hire additional subcontractors.
[0021] The present invention also enhances the finished appearance
of all cementitious floor coatings with a more straight,
streamlined and uniform base cove shape.
[0022] The present invention more closely meets the industry's
requirement for a monolithic installation over the existing trowel
method because the systems can have a stronger bond to the floor
than to the wall by using different adhesives. This enables the
base cove molding to move with the floor as a unit, thus further
guaranteeing the seamless integrity of the finish coating during
expansion and contraction of wall and/or floor.
[0023] The cove elements of the present invention relate to
pre-cast gypsum moldings, pre-made resin corner moldings, ceramic
base cove tiles, and resinous hand troweled base coving.
[0024] The invention also relates to methods of installing cove
elements and covering the cove elements and cementitious flooring
to produce a monolithic flooring system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0025] FIG. 1 is a perspective front side view of a 4" base cove
molding system fabricated in accordance with the present invention,
showing an elongated cove element installed between inside and
outside 90-degree corners, and further showing three alternative
methods of joint alignments 14, 15 & 16 used between cove
elements.
[0026] FIG. 2 is a perspective front side view of a 1" cove molding
system fabricated in accordance with the present invention, showing
an inside 3-way 90-degree corner cove element installed between
three elongated cove elements.
[0027] FIG. 3 is a perspective front side view of an adjustable
5".times.81/2" stem wall cap system fabricated in accordance with
the present invention, showing a straight piece mounted over a wood
ledger and covering a stem wall, and further showing an optional
1".times.1" cove system.
[0028] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional side view of two pieces of 4"
base cove molding placed face to face showing interlocking shapes
for shipping and handling, in accordance with the present
invention.
[0029] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of a 4" base cove
molding with an optional 45 degree cant cove, in accordance with
the present invention.
[0030] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of a 1".times.1" cove
element in optional 45 degree cant cove in accordance with the
present invention.
[0031] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a cove element after
molding, in accordance with the present invention.
[0032] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a mold used for forming a
cove element, in accordance with the present invention.
[0033] FIG. 9 is a sectional view of an endless belt system for
forming a cove element, in accordance with the present
invention.
REFERENCE NUMBERS
[0034] stem wall cap 1
[0035] concrete stem wall 2
[0036] concrete floor 3
[0037] concrete or CMU wall 4
[0038] adhesive on back & bottom 5
[0039] pressure treated wood ledger 6
[0040] drywall 7
[0041] wood framing 8
[0042] sand-like texture 9
[0043] convex radius edge 10
[0044] 1".times.1" cove 11
[0045] angled relief 12
[0046] 4" base cove 13
[0047] alternative pin alignment 14
[0048] alternative tongue & groove alignment 15
[0049] alternative adhesive peel-&-stick alignment 16
[0050] convex radius arc 17a, 17b, 17c
[0051] concave radius cove 18a, 18b, 18c
[0052] 90 degree inside corner 19
[0053] 90 degree outside corner 20
[0054] adhesive on abutted joints 21
[0055] slightly rounded edges 22
[0056] 3-way 90-degree inside corner 23
[0057] fixed mold 28
[0058] endless belt molds 30 and 31
[0059] rollers 32, 34 and 40
[0060] shaft 38
[0061] bearings 36
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONS
[0062] Definition of Terms
[0063] The term monolithic flooring system used herein refers to a
flooring system that includes an under-layment or substrate of
material that is rigid and generally uniform, such as cement,
concrete or other cementitious or cement-like material (but is not
limited to such materials), where the under-layment or substrate is
coated with a resinous floor coating. Monolithic flooring systems
may include manually formed floor-to-cove transitions along a wall
at the floor, or may include the coving members of the present
invention installed at the floor and wall junction, attached to
either the floor or the walls, with the floor-to-cove transitions
or coving members of the present invention are also coated along
with the under-layment with the resinous floor coating.
[0064] The term resinous floor coating or coatings refers to any of
a variety of materials for coating floors, and in particular,
cementitious floors. Resinous floor coatings include epoxies,
polyurethane based products, methyl methacrylate products, and
other similar compositions made for coating and protecting high
traffic surfaces. Examples of such materials are disclosed in, for
instance, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,296,004, 6,593,417, 6,635,341, 6,743,879
and U.S. Pat. No. 6,759,478, all of which are incorporated herein
by reference in their entirety. The above listed patents disclose
or describe coatings that include: epoxies, resinous materials,
polyurethane based compositions, methyl methacrylate based
compositions, apolycyclic polyamine based compositions,
polysiloxane compositions, hydroxyl functional non-vinyl group
compositions and acrylic urethane compositions.
[0065] The present invention includes one or more cove elements
described herein below, that are installed as transition members
between a substrate and walls abutting the substrate floor
material. The substrate floor material is typically cementitious,
but may alternatively be constructed of other rigid flooring and/or
sub-flooring material. The cove elements of the present invention
are preferably made of a cementitious material, as described herein
below, but may alternatively be made of resinous materials or
polyurea.
[0066] In accordance with a first embodiment of the present
invention, as shown in FIG. 1, pre-cast gypsum base cove molding
elements 13 with fiberglass reinforcement are installed between a
floor 3 and a wall 7. The floor 3 is preferably a cementitious
floor and the wall 7 may be wallboard, cementitious material, metal
or other rigid material.
[0067] The cove elements of the present invention shown in FIG. 1
include a system of corner pieces 19 & 20 that are adhered to
other cove elements such that edges 21 abut one another. The corner
pieces 19 and 20 are adhered to the wall 7 and floor 3 using
adhering material 5. Adhering material 5 may be standard
construction adhesive or other similar material, applied along the
base of the wall 7 and/or the floor 3. The corner piece 19 includes
two perpendicular portions having a concave radius arc portion 18a
formed there between. Similarly, corner piece 20 includes two
perpendicular portions having a convex radius arc portion 17b
formed there between. The coving system of the present invention
further includes straight cove portions 13 that may be cut to
length to fit the job site.
[0068] The various cove elements are formed at their upper end with
a convex radius arc 17a to form transitions between the cove
elements and the wall. The lower end of each cove element is formed
with a concave radius cove portion 18b.
[0069] Several embodiments of the cove elements 13, 19 and 20 are
depicted in FIG. 1. Specifically, the cove elements may be formed
with a variety of joining means. The above mentioned surfaces 21
may be flat and abut one another to join two cove elements, or
tongue and grooves 15 may be formed in the cove elements.
Alternatively, the cove elements may be formed with pins 14 and
corresponding apertures to align the cove elements together.
Further, peel and stick or adhered alignment members 16 may
alternatively be used to align the cove elements together.
[0070] After the cove elements are installed, the floor 3 and cove
elements are coated with a flooring coating material, such as
resinous flooring material producing a seamless monolithic
floor-to-base cove system where the cove elements and floor 3 are
unitarily coated.
[0071] The height of the cove elements 13, 19 and 20 shown in FIG.
1 is approximately 4 inches (or just under 4 inches to allow for
the thickness of the resinous floor coating to bring the height up
to 4 inches). However, in should be understood that the overall
dimensions of the cove elements is variable and may be altered to
suit the needs of the usage thereof.
[0072] In accordance with another embodiment, a smaller coving
system having a different profile, as shown in FIG. 2, may be used
where the floor coating material is applied across the entire
cementitious floor 3, continue over the coving 11 & 19, and,
for instance, all the way up a cementitious wall 4, thereby forming
a monolithic floor/wall system. A cove element 23 having a 3-way
90-degree inside corner 18c can be added to connect to a cove
element 11 that is installed vertically up wall corners. Similarly,
other cove elements 11 are installed horizontally at the junction
of the wall and floor.
[0073] In a preferred embodiment, the cove elements have a
sand-like grit texture 9 in order provide the resinous floor
coating plenty of surface area to adhere to. Also, in a preferred
embodiment, all of the leading edges of the cove elements are
formed with a small slightly rounded edge 22.
[0074] In another embodiment of the present invention, another set
of cove elements is provided for applications such as garage floors
as shown in FIG. 3. The cove elements in FIG. 3 include an "L"
shaped cap system 1 may be used to cover unsightly stem walls 2,
and the concave radius base cove 11 is installed against the floor
3 and cap 1 for easier cleaning. The cove element 11, and cap 1 may
include an angled relieve 12 which may be between 25 and 60
degrees, as shown in FIG. 3 (and FIG. 2 with respect to cove
element 11), but is preferably about 35 degrees.
[0075] In preferred embodiments of the present invention, the cove
elements are approximately 4" tall.times.3/8" thick and have an
elongated length of between 24" to 48", with a concave radius cove
on bottom 18b, and a similar convex radius arc on top 17a.
Typically, the cove elements of the present invention have a 1/2"
to 1" rolled radius cove, unless the industry or a specific design
demands something different. Therefore, it should be understood
that the dimensions provided above are not fixed, but may vary with
the needs of the construction site. For example, the cove elements
may vary in height from 1 inch to 8 inches, and may be thicker than
1/4". However, it should be understood that in a design
specification where an overall height of the flooring system is
chosen to be 4 inches, the actual height of the 4" cove elements is
approximately 37/8", and the floor coating material approximately
1/8 inch thick, therefore installers need not trim the cove
elements of the present invention.
[0076] The product dimensions are preferably anywhere from 1/8"-2"
thick, 1/4"-16" tall w/a 1/8"-2" radius cove at the bottom. All
dimensions will depend on industry needs and application, material
composition and manufacturing process. The top shape contour is
preferably streamlined with a convex 1" radius arc 17a so as not to
hold dust. Optionally the top may be tapered to a flat 1/4 inch
width specifically where tile and/or FRP applications are to be
installed on the wall above. A concave 1/2" to 1" rolled radius
cove at the bottom 18 meets important code requirements to make
corner cleaning easier. When one piece 13 is turned upside down and
placed against another piece 13 that is right side up (FIG. 4),
their top and bottom shapes 17 & 18 fit tightly together for
more efficient shipping and handling. This tight fit enables more
product to be condensed into a pallet/crate. Handling is improved
because this tight fit allows pieces to support each other and
protect thinner tapered sections from chipping or breaking.
[0077] At least 5 different size cove element systems are planned
for production by the inventors for the following applications:
[0078] 1".times.1" concave radius only (FIG. 2) for resinous floor
systems that get applied across the entire floor and up the entire
wall or stem wall cap (FIG. 3).
[0079] 4" tall.times.1/4" thick w/1/2" to 1" concave radius cove
for most commercial applications (FIG. 1).
[0080] 6" tall.times.1/4" thick w/1/2" to 1" concave radius cove
for restaurant applications that need to meet health department
requirements.
[0081] 8" tall.times.1/4" thick w/1/2" to 1" concave radius cove
for various other health dept. requirements.
[0082] 81/2" tall.times.5" wide.times.1/2" thick "L" shaped cap to
cover stem walls (FIG. 3). This system can be made with or without
a convex radius cove bottom, and cut to fit any size stem wall. The
1".times.1" cove only system 11 can be added if needed. The stem
wall cap 1 has a convex radius edge 10 where the horizontal top and
vertical face meet. This system's dimensional range can be expanded
or reduced to fit any size stem wall.
[0083] The following is a list of specific features and qualities
common to all systems:
[0084] All systems with the radius cove and arc shapes can be
replaced with angled cants (FIGS. 5 & 6) to meet special
requirements. Any angle can be produced; however, the preferred
angle is approximately 35-degrees.
[0085] All systems will have pre-cast inside and outside corners 45
and 90-degrees 19 & 20 that are a minimum of 1" wide.times.1"
wide on both sides where adhered to adjacent walls. All inside
corner pieces preferably have a minimum 1/2" concave radius cove
running vertically to match horizontal cove shape, and meet code
requirements for easy-clean corners. All outside corners are
preferably slightly rounded.
[0086] All systems and their pieces preferably have an
approximately 35-degree relief cut 12 out of the lower back portion
to allow for a tighter fit into the corner where the wall meets the
floor.
[0087] All systems and their pieces preferably have a slightly
roughened texture on the face 9 for better adhesion of
coatings.
[0088] All systems and their pieces preferably have slightly
rounded edges 22 at their sharpest points to prevent chipping and
improve the casting process.
[0089] All systems preferably have 4' lengths for easier shipping
and handling; some may be offered in 2's, 6's, 8's, 10's, 12's, or
16's depending on material composition, shipping and handling
requirements, and industry demands. The length of 48" was
determined by the lower tensile strength of a 1/4" piece of
cementitious material. Longer lengths can be achieved by using
additives such as polymers, but they are also cost prohibitive.
[0090] All systems may or may not be offered pre-tinted depending
on industry demands. The preferred neutral color is a light
brownish gray, because it matches most existing concrete floors,
and will be the most universal. Pre-tinted product may be needed to
achieve true finish color if the industry seeks to use thinner
coatings that are equally as durable as their thicker
predecessors.
[0091] In accordance with the present invention, one method of
manufacturing the invention uses the following steps:
[0092] Fabricate mock molding pieces with wood or MDF.
[0093] Add texture by adhering #30-50 mesh sand to face of
pieces.
[0094] Seal sand and wood with paint so casting rubber will not
adhere to it.
[0095] Mount back of mock molding piece on flat, sturdy
plywood.
[0096] Build approx. 2" high dam on the flat plywood around entire
mounted piece.
[0097] Pour rubber-molding material into entire area surrounding
mock molding and level to top of dam.
[0098] When mold is dry, turn over and remove original bottom
plywood along with mounted molding leaving an upside down
impression of the original mock molding piece.
[0099] Place the mold on a level table and moisten surface with
water.
[0100] Mix dry gypsum with water to proper consistency and blend in
chopped fiberglass.
[0101] Pour mixture into mold and vibrate until all air bubbles
come to surface and material is level with top of mold, then screed
off excess if necessary.
[0102] Pieces can be taken out of mold as soon as material sets,
bundled into groups of 10, and shrink-wrapped together to support
each other during shipping process.
[0103] These bundles are placed directly in boxes and pallets. Each
layer should be staggered in direction, and separated by a 1/8"
sheet of packing foam or cardboard to reduce the chance of chipping
the thinner edges.
[0104] Casting the corner pieces is the same basic process except
the mock piece is mounted upright in its installed position for the
rubber mold casting, and the mold is split open each time a set
piece is released. Corner pieces should be wrapped in 1/8" packing
foam and shipped in boxes.
[0105] The cast cove element 13 is depicted in FIG. 7. An example
of a rigid mold 28 for making a cast cove element 13 is depicted in
FIG. 8.
[0106] In an alternative embodiment, it is possible to form
elongated cove element using an endless belt molding system using
the elements depicted in FIG. 9. For example, a first endless belt
30 is supported by rollers 32 and 34 providing a moving mold to
form elongated cove elements, in concert with second endless belt
31 supported by roller 40. The rollers 32 and 34 are supported by a
shaft 36 having bearings 38. The bottom surface of the elongated
cove element is formed by the second endless belt 31 that moves
with and is interlocked with the endless belt 30.
[0107] In an automated plant, a method for forming cementitious
cove elements includes the steps of providing the endless belt 30
supported by the plurality of rollers 32 and 34, the endless belt
having a flat portion, a concave portion and a convex portion to
form the surfaces of the cove element. A cementitious mixture is
poured onto the endless belt, and as the belt continues to move,
the cementitious mixture is allowed to cure. It should be
understood that curing time is dependent upon the cementitious
mixture and ambient conditions. Therefore it is possible to form
the cove elements on an endless belt system, and have cured product
cut or taken off the endless belt as a near finished product.
[0108] Operation
[0109] The pre-cast gypsum base coving, in general, provides an
extremely durable, uniform, and more attractive border for any
coated concrete floor. The rolled radius cove bottom allows the
finished coating to achieve a seamless base-to-floor transition.
This shape is the easiest to clean and keep sanitary because it
leaves no sharp corner in which debris or unsanitary matter may
lodge. The streamlined shaped top radius leaves little or no flat
area to collect dust, debris, or any unsanitary matter. The
specific shape of this molding in general provides the end user
with the most sanitary and easy to clean floor parameter
available.
[0110] In accordance with the present invention, one installs the
base cove molding systems (cove elements) using the following
steps:
[0111] Prepare the floor by scraping and/or grinding any
irregularities so the base cove molding can sit snugly on floor and
against wall. Surfaces should be vacuumed free of all debris and
dust. If floor is uneven enough to cause excessive gapping or
bridging, those areas should be raised or ground down for molding
to fit correctly and to achieve a smoother finished floor.
[0112] Prepare the base cove by wiping and/or scraping off any dust
or foreign matter.
[0113] Apply a generous amount of base cove adhesive to the back
and bottom of the first inside or outside corner. Press it into the
corner of wall and floor until it is entirely supported from behind
and below with adhesive and stays in place. Wipe off excess
adhesive from all joints.
[0114] Working in one direction from the first corner piece,
install straight 48" pieces end-to-end in the same manner as
described in the third step, adding a small amount of adhesive to
each abutted joint. Press them tightly together before installing
the next piece. All system pieces should be aligned, prior to the
adhesive setting, in a way that the abutted joints are visibly
uniform, and smooth to the touch. Plastic tile shims can be used to
help align pieces vertically and horizontally, and pulled out as
adhesive sets. Should any piece not stay in place using adhesive
only, pre-drill and countersink a hole in the base cove where
needed. Position molding to wall with a zinc or ceramic drywall
screw until adhesive sets up. Where concrete walls exist, one can
use concrete screws or lay weights against molding until adhesive
sets. If floor and/or walls are crooked so that molding will not
flex to fit correctly, one can either cut and form extra abutted
joints at each needed transition; or, press molding into wall until
it fractures enough to conform to the wall and stay in place.
[0115] Patch holes and chips with adhesive or caulking. Once
adhesive sets up, masking and priming for floor coating can
begin.
[0116] In accordance with another embodiment of the present
invention, the stem wall cap system installs much like the base
cove, but with these additions:
[0117] One would first install a scribed pressure treated wood
ledger to the wall studs with wood screws. This provides a mounting
for the top portion of the stem wall cap molding.
[0118] Follow steps 1-4 for base cove installation, adding adhesive
also to the top and front of the wooden mounting ledger. If any
system pieces need patching, a mixture of adhesive and sand can be
applied to smooth transitions and maintain the roughened
texture.
[0119] The product composition of the cove elements, in accordance
with one embodiment of the present invention, includes gypsum
cement (plaster of paris) with or without Portland cement, and
blended with chopped fiberglass. This is a preferred composition
because gypsum is inexpensive, easy to work with, casts very
accurately, has high PSI strength of up to 15,000, is non-toxic,
and environmentally friendly. Chopped fiberglass is preferable
because it mixes quickly, and easily disperses throughout the
casting to add tensile strength inexpensively. USG's Enduracast or
Architectural Hydrocal formulas are ideal materials for use in high
production casting equipment, but alternative materials may also be
used. Equipment that can be used is the RimCraft Technologies
Gypsum Casting System. This system blends the material with the
precise amount of chopped fiberglass, and dispenses the mixture at
calibrated amounts for faster and more efficient manufacturing.
[0120] Insofar as we are aware, the composition of USG's Enduracast
with chopped fiberglass is a preferred material, because it
produces the best product with the least expense. However, the
following compositions have been considered as alternatives:
[0121] Both FGR-95 and Architectural Hydrocal (by USG) gypsum
cement w/fiberglass reinforcement and Forton.TM. polymer were used
separately for test pieces, because they are the least expensive of
the gypsum casting formulas. Arch. Hyd. is an alternative choice
because it has a PSI strength of 7000. FGR-95 composite only has a
PSI strength under 2000.
[0122] The cove elements of the present invention may alternatively
be made of any gypsum, cement, concrete, ceramic, or plaster based
compounds including or not including urethane, polymer, latex,
vinyl, or any additives (w/or without fiberglass reinforcement) to
give more flexibility without breaking. These additives provide the
cove elements with improved water, mold and mildew resistance.
[0123] Epoxy and quartz sand mixtures w/or without fiberglass
reinforcement--like currently used for "troweling" technique. This
is a desirable mixture for the industry in which to pre-cast base
cove moldings for quartz sand/epoxy floor coatings because it is
the exact same material (the most monolithic as possible), and the
finish color could be matched.
[0124] In alternative embodiments, the cove elements may be made of
high-density epoxies, high-density foams, polyurethane, cellular
PVC, polyurea, resins, urethanes, or polymers w/or without
fiberglass reinforcement and may be extruded, made by injection
molding, or used in a continuous pour process. It should be
understood that the cove elements of the present invention may be
made in an extrusion process using many of the materials disclosed
herein.
[0125] The cove elements may alternatively be formed from fiber
cement compounds (i.e. USG's Aquatuff Fiberock, or James Hardie
Fiber Cement Siding & Trim). Such material compositions are
desirable because: it is lighter, more flexible, more suitable for
mass production, and the machinery used in the extruding process is
faster than hand pouring gypsum.
[0126] Plaster or ceramic-based compounds w/or without fiberglass
reinforcement may also be used to form the cove elements, although
only for limited applications since such materials have a low PSI
strength.
[0127] Lime based cement or concrete-based compounds w/or without
fiberglass reinforcement having a high PSI may also alternatively
be used in some applications, but is less flexible and more caustic
to work with.
[0128] Lightweight cement or concrete-based compounds w/or without
fiberglass reinforcement would have a high PSI, but be less
flexible and more hazardous to work with.
[0129] Because of its permanent flexibility, silicone adhesive
placed on the back between the wall and the molding, is a preferred
adhesive because it allows the base cove to move more with the
floor than with the wall. This would better achieve the monolithic
system of the present invention.
[0130] The resinous flooring industry in California is moving to
water-based resins vs. solvent-based to meet new EPA restrictions.
Further testing will show if this change affects the composition of
this invention.
[0131] One could conceivably create a machine that would produce a
continuously seamless troweled base cove along the wall. However,
that machine would be cost prohibitive, complicated to run and
maintain, and probably unable to produce the desired shape on a 90
or 45 degree turn.
[0132] Some applications specify a 45-degree cant coving rather
than the more common rolled radius coving at the bottom of the base
cove. The rolled radius cove shape is the preferred because it
looks better, offers a smoother transition for easier cleaning, and
is actually a lower profile so furniture and equipment can fit
tighter against the wall. The cant cove base moldings is produced
as needed.
[0133] The moldings will be produce with different colors of gypsum
as needed, but the preferred color will still be a light taupe.
[0134] In an alternative embodiment, the cove elements may be
formed with inlaying strips of fiberglass into the moldings instead
of adding chopped fiberglass thereby adding more tensile strength
and flexibility.
[0135] The "L" shaped stem wall cap system may require being cast
using the hand laid fiberglass method where sheets of fiberglass
are added in layers along with the gypsum resulting in higher
tensile and impact strength. An optional method of installation
would be to scribe and cut both top and face of "L" cap material to
fit directly on top of stem wall without using the wood ledger.
[0136] Another application for the cove elements of the present
invention is use for outdoor eating or swimming areas. Such
applications may require the cove elements and/or coating material
to include special waterproofing additives.
[0137] Another possible application is for special Acid and
Chemical Resistant Flooring Systems that are the most resistant
available.
[0138] The inventors also contemplate various connecting systems to
help align the pieces more quickly since they would assist in the
manufacturing and installation process. However, basic finish
carpentry or tile setting methods are preferred for installing the
molding pieces to keep the installation process as simple and
inexpensive as possible. The following are alternatives for
aligning joints:
[0139] Thin adhesive strips made of plastic, vinyl, resin, or metal
could be adhered to the back of abutted joints.
[0140] Small rods made of metal; fiberglass, plastic, vinyl, or
resin could be inserted and/or glued into pre-drilled alignment
holes on the sides of abutted joints.
[0141] Interlocking male and female shapes such as tongue and
groove, or shiplap could be pre-cast into the ends of each molding
piece. This would be the preferred method because it is the most
common, and the least expensive.
[0142] In another embodiment of the invention, the floor may be
coated with a coating material, such as a resinous coating material
as described above. After the coating material has cured or dried,
the cove elements may be installed at the wall/floor junction as
described above. In some municipalities, formation or installation
of a cove structure after floor surfacing is referred to as top
setting. In the practice of the present invention when top setting,
the cove elements are then covered with another coat of the coating
material to join the cove elements with the floor to obtain the
desired monolithic floor system of the present invention. However,
if local codes permit, it may not necessary to integrate the cove
elements with the floor coating, but instead merely coat the cove
elements separately, or have them coated prior to installation.
However in the preferred embodiment, the cove elements and flooring
are unitarily coated to form a continuous monolithic floor
system.
[0143] Various details of the present invention may be changed
without departing from its spirit or its scope. Furthermore, the
foregoing description of the embodiments according to the present
invention are provided for illustration only, and not for the
purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims
and their equivalents.
* * * * *