Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02276995 1999-07-08
Patent Application
Method for Coupling Deck Floors to Foundation
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of fastening or coupling
flooring
materials to a foundation structure. More specifically, the present invention
is
drawn to a method for fastening decking materials, such as wood or plastic
planks,
to the joists that typically support such decking materials.
Background of the Invention
Using modern construction techniques, it is typical for the materials that
make up a
floor in a deck, walkway, or dock, to be attached to a foundation or sub-floor
using
mechanical fasteners such as screws or nails. In addition, it is not uncommon
for
decking material to be attached to a sub-floor or foundation using industrial
adhesives.
A major problem in the use of mechanical fasteners such as nails, screws, or
common industrial adhesives, is that theses mechanical fasteners are
substantially
rigid and not able to withstand the forces, which may be applied thereto due
to
changes in the shape or dimensions of the decking materials. Where decking
materials are made of lumber and more specifically uncured wood, the forces
applied to the mechanical fasteners would often times be due to the warpage or
shrinkage caused by the use of uncured lumber. In this instance, the uncured
wood
lumber would have the tendency to shrink, bend, twist, or warp, thereby
regularly
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applying stresses to the mechanical fasteners, which exceed the rated strength
of
those fasteners. Mechanical fasteners subjected to these forces commonly fail,
requiring time consuming and expensive repairs. Even if the mechanical
fastener
can withstand the stresses and forces applied by the shrinking and warping
wood,
the fastener openings have a tendency to enlarge or become distorted. In the
case of
nailed lumber, the nail; hole in either piece is likely to lose its ability to
retain the
lumber in the proper position. Again, costly and time-consuming repairs will
be
necessary.
Where the decking materials are of plastic lumber, the possibility of the
lumber
shrinking, warping, or twisting is negligible. However, plastic is very
susceptible to
changes in dimension due to thermal expansion and contraction. Where plastic
lumber is used in an exterior setting, such as on a deck, walkway, or dock,
the
plastic lumber will be subjected to a wide range of temperatures.
Subsequently, the
variation in the actual dimensions of each piece of plastic lumber may be
sufficient
enough to stress the mechanical fasteners used to secure the plastic lumber to
a
foundation or sub-floor past its rated strength, thereby causing failure.
Plastic lumber is a known material, which is generally fashioned from recycled
plastic such as the HDPE plastic used to make milk containers. This type of
lumber
will not rot as does wood. In addition, it can be produced in numerous colors,
sizes,
and textures. In many settings, such as for flooring purposes, plastic lumber
is
becoming increasingly popular.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a method for securely fastening' decking
materials fashioned of wood or plastic to a foundation, sub-floor, or joists,
which
would be both structurally sound and capable of accommodating for the high
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stresses that are due to changes in the dimensions, shape, or volume of the
decking
materials.
Summary of the Invention
The present invention may be generally summarized as a method of fastening or
coupling flooring materials to a foundation structure comprising the steps of
installing the foundation structure, placing a quantity of substantially
resilient
adhesive to the foundation structure, arranging the flooring materials upon
the
foundation structure such that the substantially resilient adhesive forms a
bond
between the flooring materials and the foundation structure, securing
temporarily
the flooring material to the foundation structure using a plurality of
mechanical
fasteners; and removing the mechanical fasteners from the foundation material
after a predetermined amount of time.
Additionally, the method of the present invention may generally include on or
more
of the following steps: using a substantially resilient adhesive having the
ability to
be deformed up to 400% of its original dimensions and being further capable of
resiliently returning to its original dimensions; using a flooring material
that is
comprised of HDPE plastic; applying the substantially resilient adhesive only
to
those areas of the foundation structure which will be contacted by the
flooring
materials; and applying the substantially resilient adhesive to substantially
the
entire surface of the foundation structure.
The present invention may also be summarized as a floor structure formed by
the
present process. The floor structure including a foundation structure
including a
predetermined quantity of substantially resilient adhesive material deposited
on
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the foundation structure and at least one flooring material placed upon the
foundation
structure such that the substantially resilient adhesive forms a bond between
the flooring
materials and the foundation structure.
Description of the Drawings
Figure 1 is a perspective view depicting the method of the present invention.
Detailed Description
Although the disclosure hereof is detailed and exact to enable those skilled
in the art to
practice the invention, the physical embodiments herein disclosed merely
exemplify the
invention which may be embodied in other specific structure. While the
preferred
embodiment has been described, the details may be changed without departing
from the
invention, which is defined by the claims.
A method of the present invention generally comprises the steps of fastening
portions of
flooring materials 10 to a foundation or sub-floor 15 using a substantially
resilient adhesive
25.
A typical floor structure is depicted in figure 1. The floor structure of
figure 1 is comprised of
the foundation or sub-floor 15, which is in this case a plurality of joists
16, to which is
fastened the decking material 10, in this case a plurality of planks 11 of
wood or plastic. The
plastic planks may, for example, be manufactured from HDE plastic material.
The planks 11
are fastened to the joists 16 using a -
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substantially resilient adhesive 25. The adhesive 25 is applied to the areas
of contact
between the planks 11 and the joists 16 so as to create an adhesive bond
therebetween.
Though it is not required, it is preferred to temporarily secure the planks 11
to the joists
16 using mechanical fasteners 20. The mechanical fasteners 20 may be screws,
lag
bolts, or any other suitable fastener that can be quickly driven into or along
the joists 16
so as to set the proper spacing between the respective planks 11 and to hold
the planks
11 to the joists 16 while the adhesive 25 cures. The mechanical fasteners 20
must also
be capable of being quickly removed from the joists 16 with a minimum amount
of
effort and damage to either the joists 16 or the planks 11.
The method of fastening flooring materials 10 to a foundation or sub-floor 15
using a
substantially resilient adhesive 25 begins with a step of installing the
foundation or sub-
floor 15 in a predetermined arrangement. In the preferred embodiment of figure
1, the
foundation 15 made up of joists 16 is installed such that upper surfaces 17 of
the joists
16 are coplanar. Typically, joists 16 are arranged in a side by side fashion,
with the
joists 16 being parallel and evenly spaced. However, the spacing and angular
orientation of the joists 16 with regard to each other may be altered as the
demands of
the situation require, provided that the upper surfaces 17 of the joists 16
remain
coplanar.
Once the foundation or sub-floor 15 has been installed, the adhesive 25 is
applied to the
joists 16 in those areas which will be contacted by the flooring materials 10.
In the
preferred embodiment of the present invention, the adhesive 25 is applied to
the joists
16 only in those areas, which will be contacted by the planks 11. However, it
is to be
understood that a continuous strip of the adhesive 25 may be applied to the
entire upper
surface 17 of each joist 16.
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The next step in the method of the present invention is to apply the flooring
materials
to the foundation or sub-floor 15. As illustrated in figure 1, this step
involves
arranging the planks 11 upon the upper surfaces 17 of the joists 16 so that
the planks 11
are brought into contact with the adhesive 25 that has been placed on the
upper surfaces
5 17 of the joists 16.
After the flooring materials 10 have been arranged upon the foundation or sub-
floor 15,
mechanical fasteners 20 are used to temporarily secure the flooring material
10 to the
foundation or sub-floor 15. These mechanical fasteners 20 aid the installer of
the
10 flooring materials 10 in achieving the desired spacing and also in forcing
the flooring
material 10 into the adhesive 25 so as to create a tighter bond between the
flooring
materials 10 and the foundation or sub-floor 15. In the embodiment of figure
1, the
mechanical fasteners 20, which are typically screws, are driven into the upper
surface
17 of the joists 16 such that the fastener 20 is in contact with a
longitudinal edge 12 of
the plank 11. The next plank 11 is placed upon the upper surface 17 of the
joists 16 so
that a longitudinal edge 12 of the next plank is in contact with the fasteners
20 that are
contacting the previous plank 11. Using fasteners 20 of various diameters or
other
geometry can alter the spacing between the planks 11. The fasteners 20 are
removed
after a predetermined amount of time has past. This predetermined amount of
time may
correspond to a curing time for the adhesive 25.
Where the foundation or sub-floor 15 is a continuous surface, such as with a
concrete
slab or with a particle board or plywood sub-floor, the adhesive 25 may be
applied to
the foundation or sub-floor 15 such that the adhesive 25 will create a bond
between the
flooring materials 10 and the foundation 15 along substantially the entire
length of the
flooring material 10.
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It is presently believed that the invention disclosed herein may be best
practiced by using an
adhesive 25 which comprises an adhesive tape material such as Manus-BondTM 64-
A
Polysul-GripTM Tape manufactured by Manus Products, Inc. 315 Lake Hazeltine
Drive
Chaska, MN 55318. .
The general characteristics of the adhesive 25 should include, but not be
limited to, the ability
to adhere to a wide spectrum of materials like aluminum, glass, galvanized
steel, high-density
plastic materials, wood, and other porous or non-porous materials. Further, it
is desirable but
not necessary that the adhesive be able to withstand prolonged exposure to
sunlight without
surface cracking, bond loss, and/or staining. Additionally, it may be
desirable that the
adhesive 25 used be substantially resilient and be capable of being deformed
up to 400% of
its original dimensions. Also, it may be desirable that the adhesive 25 be
capable of
resiliently returning to its original dimensions after compression.
The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the
invention.
Furthermore, since numerous equivalents, modifications, and changes will
readily occur to
those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the
exact construction and
operation shown and described. While the preferred embodiment has been
described, the
details may be changed without departing from the invention, which is defined
by the claims.
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