Flooring

Abstract

A building component is described comprising a molding adapted to be secured to the top surface of flooring joists either along the length thereof or transversely thereacross, having a rebate along its length to provide a ledge on which a floorboard edge can rest. The depth of the rebate accommodates at least the thickness of the floorboard, and the thickness of the molding below the ledge creates a services void between the floorboard and the upper surface of the joists. The molding may also include a second parallel rebate leaving a ridge therebetween. The two floorboards are spaced apart by the ridge. A further rebate can be provided to accommodate at least part of another member. Where a floor covering is laid over the floorboards the rebate(s) is/are sufficient to accommodate both boards and covering. A floor panel including such moldings comprises a plurality of spaced apart joists secured at their ends to rim boards, elongate moldings secured to the joists, flooring boards located on the rebates and secured to the moldings, to create a void between the floorboards and the tops of the joists. A services supporting platform is formed by flat panels between and supported on the lower flanges of parallel I-beam joists.

1 . A building component comprising a moulding adapted to be secured to the top surface of flooring joists either along the length thereof or transversely thereacross, having a rebate along the length of the moulding to provide a ledge on which the edge of a floorboard can rest, wherein: 
 1) the depth of the rebate is such as to accommodate at least the thickness of the floorboard, and    2) the thickness of the moulding between the upper surface of the floorboard-receiving rebate and its underside is such as to create a void between the underside of the floorboard and the upper surface of the joists sufficient to accommodate services such as pipes and/or cables and/or ducting therein.    
     
     
         2 . A building component according to  claim 1  wherein the moulding includes a second rebate similar to and formed parallel to the first leaving a ridge along the length of the moulding therebetween, so that the parallel edges of two floorboards can be rested on, and be secured to, the moulding, spaced apart by the ridge between the two rebates  
     
     
         3 . A building component according to  claim 2  which includes at least one further rebate in the cross-section of the moulding to accommodate at least part of another wall or floor member  
     
     
         4 . A building component according to  claim 1  when incorporated in a floor formed by floorboards carried by the component in which the floorboards are covered by a floor covering, wherein the rebate is sufficient to accommodate the combined thickness of the boards and floor covering.  
     
     
         5 . A building component according to  claim 1  when incorporated in a floor formed by floorboards carried by the component in which the rebate equals the thickness of the floorboards, and the latter are covered by a floor covering, and a strip of material of the same thickness as the covering is planted on the exposed surface of the moulding, to provide a coplanar surface, adjacent or between floorboards carrying the said floor covering.  
     
     
         6 . A method of creating a void below floorboards and above joists over which the floorboards extend, comprising the steps of securing to the upper face of each of the joists at positions corresponding to the edges of the boards, lengths of building component moulding each of which is rebated to receive an edge of a floorboard, and positioning floorboards so that their edges rest on the rebates, wherein the depth of the rebate is selected to be at least commensurate with the thickness of the floorboards, so that when secured in place the upper surface of the boards and the exposed faces of the building component mouldings present a substantially flat surface.  
     
     
         7 . A method according to  claim 6  further comprising a floor covering over the floorboards and the depth of the rebate is such as to accommodate the combined thickness of the boards and the floor covering thereon.  
     
     
         8 . A method according to  claim 6  further comprising a floor covering over the floorboards and a strip of material of the same thickness as the floor covering is secured to the exposed face of each of the lengths of building component moulding.  
     
     
         9 . A floor panel which includes provision for the laying of services below the floor surface thereof after the panel has been installed in a building during construction, and which is constructed off-site, comprising: 
 a) a plurality of parallel spaced apart I-beam joists,    b) transversely extending rim boards secured to the ends of the joists,    c) elongate building component mouldings secured to the upper surfaces of the joists, each building component moulding having at least one rebated edge, into which edges of flooring boards can fit, and    d) flooring boards located on the rebates and secured to the building component mouldings, whereby an elongate void exists between the undersides of the floorboards and the tops of the joists within which cables or pipes or ducting can be run to form a services run, without the need for notching the upper surfaces of the joists along a run which extends transversely to the joists.    
     
     
         10 . A floor panel according to  claim 9  wherein the depth of the rebate is such that the upper surface of the floorboards is flush with the exposed faces of the mouldings.  
     
     
         11 . A floor panel according to  claim 9  wherein at least some of the floorboards are secured to the building component mouldings by removable securing means, whereby the boards can be removed after the panel is in situ, to enable pipes and cables and ducting to be laid located below the boards, before the boards are secured in place, and to allow subsequent access to the pipes, cables and ducting.  
     
     
         12 . A floor panel according to  claim 11  wherein one or more service runs are provided in the overall panel by floorboard panels or traps, running parallel to the edges of the overall panel, each floorboard panel or trap having a reduced width and being supported by, and removably secured to, parallel and appropriately spaced apart building component mouldings, at least one of which is adapted by means of a second rebate to accommodate the edges of adjoining floorboards, the latter being secured to the building component mouldings during manufacture of the overall panel, and the reduced width panels or traps are supplied with the main floor panel.  
     
     
         13 . A floor panel according to  claim 9  wherein a floor covering is laid over the boards and the depth of the rebate is such as to accommodate the thickness of the floorboards together with the thickness of the covering.  
     
     
         14 . A floor panel according to  claim 13  wherein at least some of the floorboards are secured to the building component mouldings by removable securing means, whereby the boards can be removed after the panel is in situ, to enable pipes and cables and ducting to be laid located below the boards, before the boards are secured in place, and to allow subsequent access to the pipes, cables and ducting.  
     
     
         15 . A floor panel according to  claim 14  wherein one or more service runs are provided in the overall panel by floorboard panels or traps, running parallel to the edges of the overall panel, each floorboard panel or trap having a reduced width and being supported by, and removably secured to, parallel and appropriately spaced apart building component mouldings, at least one of which is adapted by means of a second rebate to accommodate the edges of adjoining floorboards, the latter being secured to the building component mouldings during manufacture of the overall panel, and the reduced width panels or traps are supplied with the main floor panel.  
     
     
         16 . A rectilinear prefabricated floor panel bounded by rim boards and spanned by a parallel array of timber I-beams, to form floorboard supporting joists to which floorboards are attached, with building component mouldings according to  claim 1  located between the joists and the undersides of the floorboards to provide a services void above the joists, wherein a plurality of parallel spaced apart shorter timber I-beams are secured transversely between two of the rim boards and the first and last of the parallel array of main I-beams, the main joists and shorter joists providing transversely extending joists within the prefabricated structure for bearing on load supporting walls therebelow, adjacent each of the four edges of the panel.  
     
     
         17  A floor panel according to  claim 9  wherein a services run is parallel to and extends between an adjoining pair of I-beam joists and a cable and pipe supporting platform is provided at the bottom of the services run, formed by locating one or more flat panels so as to rest on the lower rails of the two adjoining parallel timber I-beam joists.  
     
     
         18 . A floor panel according to  claim 17  wherein ducting is carried by the panels to contain the services.  
     
     
         19 . A floor panel according to  claim 9  wherein holes are formed in the web of the I-beam joists, through which services can be threaded, to enable services runs to extend transversely to parallel spaced apart timber I-beam joists.  
     
     
         20 . A floor panel according to  claim 19  wherein all said holes are located at similar positions along the length of the web of each I-beam, so that when assembled, the holes are in substantial alignment transverse to the rims of the beams when the I-beams are arranged in the parallel spaced array within the panel.  
     
     
         21 . A building having load bearing walls on which prefabricated floor panels constructed according to  claim 9  having an accessible services void below floorboards secured to and forming an integral part of the panels, are located on the load bearing walls.  
     
     
         22 . A timber framed building in which prefabricated timber wall panels comprise load bearing walls thereof and a flooring panel constructed according to  claim 9  having an accessible services void below floorboards secured to and forming an integral part of the panel, is sandwiched along at least one edge region thereof, between timber framed wall panels above and below the floor panel.