Edging Forms for Producing Self-Leveling Floors and Methods of Use

Abstract

A method for forming a self-leveling floor includes: positioning an edging form on or adjacent to a subfloor so as to at least partially bound an area on which a self-leveling floor is to be formed, the edging form including: a body having a top face, a bottom face and a first side face that extends between the top face and the bottom face; and a plurality of spaced apart channels extending entirely through the body from the top face to the bottom face, each of the plurality of channels also passing through at least a portion of the first side face. A self-leveling flooring material is dispensed into the area in which the self-leveling floor is to be formed so that the self-leveling flooring material flows against the first side face of the body and into each of the plurality of channels.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for forming a self-leveling floor comprising:
 positioning an edging form on or adjacent to a subfloor so as to at least partially bound an area on which a self-leveling floor is to be formed, the edging form comprising:
 a body having a top face, a bottom face and a first side face that extends between the top face and the bottom face; and 
 a plurality of spaced apart channels extending entirely through the body from the top face to the bottom face, each of the plurality of channels also passing through at least a portion of the first side face; and 
   dispensing a self-leveling flooring material into the area in which the self-leveling floor is to be formed so that the self-leveling flooring material flows against the first side face of the body and into each of the plurality of channels.   
     
     
         2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising allowing the self-leveling flooring material to harden into a solid floor while the self-leveling flooring material is disposed against the first side face and is disposed within each of the plurality of channels of the edging form. 
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the positioning step comprises securing the edging form to the subfloor. 
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the step of securing comprises applying an adhesive to the bottom face of the body of the edging form. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of channels comprise:
 a primary channel that extends entirely through the body from the top face to the bottom face and is spaced apart from the first side face; and   an access channel that extends from the first side face to the primary opening, wherein during the dispensing step, the self-leveling flooring material flows through each access channel and into the corresponding primary channel.   
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the access channel comprises a slot that is narrower than the primary channel. 
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , further comprising removing a portion of the body projecting above the solid floor so that a remaining portion of the body has a top face that is flush with a top face of the solid floor. 
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 7 , further comprising applying a flooring covering over at least a portion of the top face of the solid floor and over at least a portion of the top face of the remaining portion of the body. 
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the top face of the body comprises:
 a first lateral portion;   a second lateral portion spaced apart from the first lateral portion, the first lateral portion being at an elevation above the second lateral portion when the bottom face of the body is positioned on the subfloor; and   a riser portion upwardly extending from the second lateral portion to the first lateral portion when the bottom face is positioned on the subfloor.   
     
     
         10 . The method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the self-leveling flooring material is dispensed into the area in which the self-leveling floor is to be formed so that the self-leveling flooring material flows over the second lateral portion of the top face and against the riser portion of the top face. 
     
     
         11 . The method as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising:
 allowing the self-leveling flooring material to harden into a solid floor while the self-leveling flooring material is disposed against the riser portion of the body; and   removing a portion of the body projecting above the solid floor so that a remaining portion of the body has a top face that is flush with a top face of the solid floor, the removed portion of the body comprising at least a portion of the riser portion and the first lateral portion.   
     
     
         12 . The method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of spaced apart channels extend entirely through the body from the second lateral portion to the bottom face. 
     
     
         13 . The method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the body further comprises a second side face opposite the first side face that extends between the top face and the bottom face, the method further comprising securing the second side face to a structure upstanding from the subfloor. 
     
     
         14 . The method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the body further comprises a second side face opposite the first side face that extends between the top face and the bottom face, a backing being secured along the second side face, the backing being more flexible than the body and being made of a different material than the body. 
     
     
         15 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the body is comprised of a polymeric foam. 
     
     
         16 . The method as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the polymeric foam comprises a polystyrene foam. 
     
     
         17 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the edging form is positioned so that the edging form encircles the area in which the self-leveling floor is to be formed, the first side face of the body facing the area in which the self-leveling floor is to be formed. 
     
     
         18 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the positioned edging form forms a continuous loop that encircles a second area that is separated by the edging form from the area in which the self-leveling floor is to be formed, the first side face of the body facing away from the second area. 
     
     
         19 . A method for forming a self-leveling floor comprising:
 positioning an edging form on or adjacent to a subfloor so as to at least partially bound an area on which a self-leveling floor is to be formed, the edging form comprising:
 a body having a top face, a bottom face and a first side face that extends between the top face and the bottom face; and 
 a plurality of spaced apart channels extending entirely through the body from the top face to the bottom face; 
   dispensing a self-leveling flooring material so that the self-leveling flooring material flows into the area in which the self-leveling floor is to be formed and against the first side face of the body and flows into the plurality of spaced apart channels; and   allowing the self-leveling flooring material to harden into a solid floor while the self-leveling flooring material is disposed against the first side face and is disposed within each of the plurality of channels.   
     
     
         20 . The method as recited in  claim 19 , wherein each of the plurality of channels also pass through at least a portion of the first side face of the body, the self-leveling flooring flowing into the plurality of channels from the area in which the self-leveling floor is to be formed.