DE20109205U1 - Slab covering from covering slabs picked up on a laying base - Google Patents

Description

Attorney file: 20014590
Applicant: Hartmut Zimmermann

Hohenwettersbacher Strasse 1

76228 Karlsruhe

10 15

Slab covering made of slabs laid on a base

The invention relates to a slab covering made of covering slabs laid at a distance from one another to form filled joints on a laying base in a substantially shift-proof manner, wherein the joints are delimited by opposite surfaces of adjacent covering slabs and, if applicable, adjacent components.

20 25

In the case of floor coverings made of ceramic tiles, for example, it is known that the tiles are either laid in a mortar bed on a suitable base, such as a structural ceiling or a concrete slab, or that they are glued to an appropriately prepared base. After laying, the joints between adjacent tiles are filled with comparatively brittle jointing compounds based on silicate aggregates and hydraulic binders.

30

For outdoor floor coverings, such as on balconies, roofs, etc., it is usually under a:.d?.e _# .Be;^gp.;et;i:.en..au;ihe^pjen.4en: Moriie^bett a

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liquid-tight insulation is present. In the case of interior floor coverings, however, such covering panels are often laid on a floating screed as the base for installation and glued to the latter. 5

Particularly in the sanitary sector, it is known to cover at least two, preferably four adjacent walls with tiles and thus create wall-related partial areas,

* whereby the joints within the partial areas formed by covering panels are filled with the silicate aggregates described above, while the joints between the adjacent partial areas, in particular the vertical joints, are filled with permanently elastic jointing compounds, for example made of silicone.

However, in the area of the cement joints that is directly exposed to water, these can be washed out over time and become largely leaky, meaning that water can penetrate these areas and even get behind the tiles. The damage that occurs, for example due to rotten mortar beds and/or rusting of water pipes, can sometimes be considerable. For example, water can collect behind showers and bathtubs, which cannot evaporate quickly enough due to the relatively large amounts of water that are added with each bath or washing process and can become rotten. The walls and ceilings of the rooms next to or below these sanitary rooms can become wet.

The division of larger areas into sub-areas and the filling of the joints between these sub-areas with permanently elastic jointing compounds has also been started, particularly in floor coverings, where the permanently elastic

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see jointing compounds essentially take on the function of expansion joints. However, cracks can form in such floor coverings and in the bases on which they are laid, because the expansion joints often do not extend through the base and, as a rule, it is not possible to precisely predict the course of the cracks to be expected and, consequently, to predict the correct course of the expansion joints to be provided. However, cracks in the base usually lead to cracks in the actual floor covering, which can extend across the covering panels or in the area of the joints.

Particular problems of this kind can occur outdoors, for example when parts of such floor coverings are exposed to direct sunlight and other parts are in the shade, especially since this also encourages moisture to seep into the covering substrate and can therefore cause individual covering panels or entire sections of panels to burst loose in the event of frost.

To solve these problems, a slab covering of the type mentioned above has become known from CH 678 078 A5, in which elastic joint bands are inserted under pre-tension between the front edges of the covering that delimit the joints of adjacent slabs at a distance from the surface of the covering, and the joints are filled with permanently elastic jointing compound over the latter. In this way, the individual slabs can carry out limited relative movements against each other without cracks forming in individual slabs, the filled joints bursting or the jointing compound tearing off the joint flanks that delimit the joints. Furthermore, the slabs with the

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The expansion joints, which are provided with joint tapes covered with the permanently elastic jointing compound, are relatively tight even when adjacent tiles experience limited relative movement to one another, for example due to different thermal expansions. However, the measures described above are relatively expensive in terms of material, time and personnel. There is also the problem that if a single tile breaks, water can penetrate into the area of the damaged area, particularly a crack, and infiltrate large areas of adjacent tiles.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a coating of the type mentioned at the outset which can be produced more easily and cost-effectively while retaining favorable crack prevention properties and at the same time offers better protection against penetrating liquids.

This object is achieved according to the invention by a slab covering according to claim 1, in particular in that the joints, in particular all joints exposed to direct exposure to liquid, are filled with a permanently elastic jointing compound that adheres to the entire circumference of the respective slab and to the base in a liquid-tight manner. These measures can prevent the penetration of liquid into the area of the joints in the area directly exposed to liquid and, in the event of a slab breaking, prevent the liquid penetrating into the area of the damaged area from infiltrating neighboring slabs or adjacent components. The slab covering according to the invention can be used indoors, in particular in the sanitary area, or outdoors, for example

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on balconies or terraces, laid floor covering or even a flat roof covering that provides permanent weather protection.

The grouting compound is particularly easy to handle and adheres liquid-tight because it is fluid when filling the joints and is permanently elastic when hardened. Such joints can be created particularly quickly and inexpensively by spraying the joints with grouting compound in one operation.

A particularly permanently tight joint that prevents undesirable cracking can be achieved by filling the joint or each joint essentially completely with a single jointing compound of the same material.

The advantages mentioned can be increased even further if the covering panels are connected to the base at a distance from the latter, with the permanently elastic jointing compound preferably completely covering each covering panel. In this case, the jointing compound is filled in such a way that it adheres on both sides between the covering panel and the base. In this way, maximum sealing of the joints against liquids and a permanently elastic seal can be achieved both between the individual covering panels or adjacent components and to the respective base. It goes without saying, however, that the covering panels can also be installed directly on the base.

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It is also advantageous if the covering panels are supported on at least point supports, preferably made of permanently elastic material, as the base for laying. In this way, especially when laying the covering panels on wood, for example in the area of wooden stairs or wooden balconies, indoors, especially on pressed chipboard and outdoors, for example on weatherproof screen-printed panels on points made of elastic material, e.g. made of silicone or polyurethane, it can be achieved that each individual covering panel is movable on its own. This makes it possible to create an absolutely waterproof, crack-free surface.

It goes without saying that the tile covering according to the invention can be used to advantage both in the renovation sector and in new laying. If one of the covering tiles breaks, this one tile can be easily removed and replaced by a new tile, which can then be sprayed with permanently elastic ^O jointing compound, in particular with silicone, in the manner according to the invention.

Advantageous areas of application for the slab or tile covering according to the invention relate, for example, to the tiling of swimming pools, tiled house facades, possibly only in the area of the base in places at risk of rain splash water, on all horizontally tiled surfaces, such as terraces and balconies, as well as on waste water basins, surfaces and drains for chemicals with appropriately coordinated grouting compounds, whereby of course all joints with which the chemicals or media can come into contact are then sealed in the manner according to the invention.

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The above measures, both individually and in any combination with one another, contribute to a slab covering that is easier and more cost-effective to produce than the state of the art while maintaining favorable crack prevention properties and at the same time offers better protection against penetrating liquids.

Further advantages, features and aspects of the invention are described in more detail in the following description part using preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the figures.

Show it:

Fig. 1 is a partial plan view of a tile covering consisting of ceramic tiles, the tile shown in the centre being defective and having a crack running from the surface to the underside;

Fig. 2 shows a cross-section through the slab covering according to Fig. 1 along the section line 2-2;

Fig. 3 shows a cross-section through a panel covering formed with floor panels and wall panels;

Fig. 4 shows a cross-section through a panel covering adjacent to an adjacent component, in this case a wall.

The slab covering 20 shown in Fig. 1 and 2 consists of spaced apart fillings forming ;·*. ?··· _k ·· ·· · ·· ··

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The covering panels 25 are laid in a manner essentially secure against displacement in the joints 21 on a laying base, here designed as a floor, and are designed here as floor panels. The joints 21 are laterally delimited by opposite end faces 27 of adjacent covering panels 25. In the panel covering 20, all joints 21 exposed to direct exposure to liquid, in particular water, are filled with a permanently elastic jointing compound 35, preferably made of silicone, which adheres both to the entire circumference of the respective covering panel 25 and to the laying base 29 in a liquid-tight manner. The jointing compound 35 is filled in one operation in which the joints 21 are sprayed with the jointing compound 35, which is flowable when filling the joints 21 and which then hardens to form a permanently elastic material. The flowable joint compound 35 has sufficient stickiness to wet the wall areas that come into contact with it, i.e. the covering panels 25, on the one hand, and the laying base 29 on the other hand, and the joint compound

^O adheres to these surfaces in a liquid-tight manner even after hardening. It is understood that the grouting compound 35 is selected depending on the respective materials of the covering panels and/or the laying surface as well as depending on the respective application. For applications in sanitary areas exposed to normal tap water or washing water and for applications in outdoor areas exposed to rainwater, silicone is preferably used as the grouting compound. It is understood, however, that in the laboratory area, for example, when chemicals are used, other types of cold-curing and/or warm-curing grouting compounds, such as those made from grouting compounds applied in a molten state, e.g. based on polyolefins, can also be used.

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As can be seen in particular from Fig. 2, the covering panels 25 are arranged at a distance 36 from the laying base 29 and in the embodiment are initially connected to it via point supports 37 made of permanently elastic material as the laying base. Silicone or polyurethane or also permanently elastic adhesives are suitable as permanently elastic materials, with which the covering panels 25 can be laid on the laying base 29 while forming the joints 21 in a first step. This procedure can be carried out efficiently and in a way that protects the material. This spacing makes it possible for the permanently elastic jointing compound 35 to contact not only the opposing end faces 27 of the covering panels 25 and the area of the laying base arranged directly below the joint 21 during the filling process, i.e. here during the injection process, and also after the jointing compound has hardened, but also for the jointing compound 35 to flow along a certain flow path behind the covering panels during the injection, i.e. between their lower surface 28 and the laying base 29 on both sides of the joints 21, so that consequently in the hardened state the permanently elastic jointing compound 35 preferably completely grips behind the covering panels 25. In this way, the sealing and contact surface can be advantageously enlarged and additional permanently elastic supports for the floor panels 25 can be created in the area of their peripheral edges, so that particularly favorable sealing conditions against penetrating water and favorable crack formation prevention properties can be realized.

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If a covering slab 25 is damaged, as shown in Fig. 1 and 2, so that a crack 38 is formed extending from its surface 33 to its underside 28, the water that reaches the damaged covering slab can penetrate into the cavity 39 beneath the damaged covering slab, but because the jointing compound 35 adheres in a liquid-tight manner both to the entire circumference of the damaged covering slab 25 and to the base 29, it can no longer penetrate under neighboring covering slabs, thus preventing large-scale water damage. It goes without saying that comparatively narrow joints are chosen, particularly when the slab covering is used in the area of swimming pools, so that it is impossible for children, for example, to "pull out" the joints.

In the embodiment of a panel covering shown in Fig. 3, a corner formation of covering panels 25 designed here as floor panels and covering panels 26 designed as wall panels is shown. It is understood that correspondingly designed corner formations are also possible between two opposite wall panels or between wall panels and cornice panels.

As can be seen, both covering panels 25 and 26 are each at a distance of 36 from the laying base designed as a floor

29 on the one hand and the laying base designed as a wall

30 on the other hand, whereby in accordance with the design shown in Fig. 2, point supports 37 made of permanently elastic material are provided in the area of the edges of the covering plates 25 and 26. The covering plates 25 and 26 are arranged at an angle in the exemplary embodiment in such a way that the front surface 31 of the covering plate 26

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the surface 33 of the covering plate 25, forming a joint 22. In this embodiment, the joint formation, i.e. the filling with permanently elastic jointing compound 35, is carried out in accordance with the embodiment shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows an edge joint formation between a covering plate 25 designed as a floor plate and a wall part 40. In this embodiment, the front surface 27 of the covering plate 25 is arranged at a distance from the wall part 40 corresponding to the joint width and the covering plate 25 is connected to the laying base 29 at a distance 36, so that after the injection of the jointing compound 35, this is formed in an L-shaped formation between the covering plate 25 and the wall parts surrounding it at the ends. In contrast, the hardened jointing compound 35 in the embodiments shown in Figs. 1 to 3 has a T-shaped cross section in the hardened state.

^O It is understood that the covering panels 25, 26" can be accommodated in variously designed laying bases, in particular an adhesive bed made of permanently elastic adhesive as the laying base or a mortar bed as the laying base or on a gravel fill as the laying base or on strip-shaped supporting structures as the laying base, which extend along spaced-apart panel edges and which each support the edges of adjacent covering panels. The components adjacent to the covering panels 25, 26 can be not only a building wall, as shown in Fig. 4, but also a flat roof covering or a concrete balcony parapet and the like.

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In the embodiments described above, the joints 21, 22, 23 are each filled essentially completely and with respect to the individual joints with a single, material-identical mass, here silicone,

Geitz & Truckenmüller

Patent Attorneys Kriegsstraße 234 · D-76135 Karlsruhe

10

Attorney file: 20014590

Applicant: Hartmut Zimmermann

Hohenwettersbacher Straße 1 76228 Karlsruhe

B E REFERENCE NUMBER NL LIST

20 Tile covering

21 Fugue

22 Fugue

23 Fugue

25 Covering plate (floor plate) 26 Covering plate (wall plate)

27 Frontal area of 25

28 subsurface of 25

29 Installation base (floor)

30 Installation base (wall) 31 Front surface of 26

&igr; 32 bottom surface of 26 33 surface of 25

35 Jointing compound

36 Distance
3 7 Supports

38 crack

3 9 Cavity

4 0 Wall section

Claims (6)

1. Panel covering made of covering panels laid at a distance from one another to form filled joints on a laying base in a substantially shift-proof manner, the joints being delimited by opposite surfaces of adjacent covering panels and, if applicable, components adjoining thereto, characterized in that the joints ( 21 , 22 , 23 ) are filled with a permanently elastic jointing compound ( 35 ) which adheres both to the entire circumference of the respective covering panel ( 25 , 26 ) and to the laying base ( 29 , 30 ) in a liquid-tight manner. 2. Tile covering according to claim 1, characterized in that the jointing compound ( 35 ) is flowable when filling the joints ( 21 , 22 , 23 ) and is permanently elastic in the hardened state. 3. Tile covering according to claim 2, characterized in that the joints ( 21 , 22 , 23 ) are sprayed with jointing compound ( 35 ) in one operation. 4. Tile covering according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each of the joints ( 21 , 22 , 23 ) is essentially completely filled with a jointing compound ( 35 ) of the same material. 5. Panel covering according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the covering panels ( 25 , 26 ) are connected to the laying base ( 29 , 30 ) at a distance ( 36 ) from the latter, wherein the permanently elastic jointing compound ( 35 ) preferably engages behind each covering panel ( 25 , 26 ) over its entire circumference. 6. Panel covering according to claim 5, characterized in that the covering panels ( 25 , 26 ) are supported on at least point supports ( 37 ), preferably made of permanently elastic material, as a laying base.