GB2440204A

GB2440204A - Acoustic flooring for underfloor heating

Info

Publication number: GB2440204A
Application number: GB0614109A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Iain Mcgregor Fairnington
Original assignee: A Proctor Group Ltd
Current assignee: A Proctor Group Ltd
Priority date: 2006-07-15
Filing date: 2006-07-15
Publication date: 2008-01-23
Also published as: GB0614109D0

Abstract

The invention relates to a flooring construction comprising flooring panels 4, heating means 6 disposed beneath the flooring panels 4 and a discontinuous layer 10 of acoustic insulating material disposed between the flooring panels 4 and the heating means 6. The insulation is preferably a closed cell foam material in strip form bonded to the underside of the flooring panels. Alternatively the insulation material may be a sheet having a series of spaces such as a lattice or grid. Later embodiments relate to a method of constructing the heated flooring construction, a kit of parts for assembly into the flooring construction, flooring panels with a discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material bonded to the underside, a discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material for use in the heated flooring construction and a sheet of interconnected portions of acoustic insulating material having spaces between.

Description

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IMPROVED ACOUSTIC FLOORING

The present invention relates to a heated flooring construction that includes sound (acoustic) insulation.

Underfloor heating, where heat is supplied under a floor surface to warm a room or other enclosed space, provides numerous advantages. A comfortable air temperature with warm floors can be provided and the heat source or heating means can be distributed under all the floor surface if desired. This gives an even distribution of heat throughout the space being heated, unlike other heating methods such as gas fires or central heating radiators which provide localised or point sources of heat.

Known underfloor heating systems work well in providing the desired heat. However, floors may be required to have other characteristics. For example acoustic (sound) insulation, to reduce the noise transmitted between rooms and between floors in a building, is often desired.

Reduction in impact sound, caused by the impact of walking or moving objects on a floor surface is a particular problem especially in multi-occupancy buildings. Acoustic insulation systems and materials have been developed to combat this problem and provide sound insulation generally.

Devising a flooring construction that combines efficient and effective underfloor heating, together with adequate sound insulation, especially from impact sound, presents particular problems.

Combining the known underfloor heated flooring constructions with known sound insulation (acoustic flooring') constructions presents some problems. Host acoustic insulation systems utilise foams or fibres that have an inherent thermal resistance, therefore installing these systems on top of underfloor heating reduces the efficiency of the underfloor heating system as the heat cannot get to the floor readily.

If acoustic insulation is laid under the heating means of a heating flooring construction then impact sound may not be dealt with adequately by the insulation as it can be transmitted through the heating means, which may be pipes, electrical elements or a layer of material containing such pipes or elements.

It is an object of the present invention to avoid or minimise at least one of the foregoing disadvantages.

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a heated flooring construction comprising flooring panels supported, in use, on a support structure, heating means disposed beneath said flooring panels, and a discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material disposed between said flooring panels and said heating means.

Preferably in a flooring construction of the invention the flooring panels and the heating means and separated by the discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material which faces onto the underside of the flooring panels.

Preferably the acoustic insulating material is a resilient material.

By providing a discontinuous layer of resilient acoustic insulating material between the heating means and the flooring panels the desired combination of good sound insulation and efficient and effective heating is provided.

As the layer of acoustic material is discontinuous, at least a portion of the heat from the heating means can pass through the discontinuities (spaces) of the discontinuous layer, to heat the flooring panels without passing through the acoustic material. Moreover, where the layer of acoustic insulation is a resilient layer facing onto the underside of the flooring panels, impact sound is dealt with very effectively by deflection of the acoustic insulation layer, when an impact strikes the flooring panel.

The discontinuous layer may, for example, consist of discrete portions of acoustic insulating material laid at spaced apart intervals during the installation of a flooring construction of the invention. The portions may take the form of elongate strips, for example. However, portions laid in this fashion may become dislodged when the flooring panels are installed on top, leading to uneven or even inadequate support of the flooring panels.

Accordingly, where the discontinuous layer comprises discrete portions of acoustic insulating material it is preferred that said discrete portions are bonded to the flooring panels, or to the heating means beneath, when installed. Flooring panels with a discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material bonded to the underside thereof therefore constitute a second aspect of the invention.

Alternatively the discontinuous layer is provided by a sheet of acoustic insulating material which has open channels in the top of the sheet for the location of the heating means. The open channels preferably have sufficient depth so that the heating means, when located in the channels, do not contact a flooring panel placed on top of the sheet. The open channels provide the discontinuities in the layer of acoustic material.

Preferably the discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material comprises a sheet of interconnected portions of acoustic insulating material having spaces therebetween i.e. the sheet takes the form of a network of acoustic insulating material with spaces or holes in it.

Thus according to a third aspect the present invention provides a discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material for use in a heated flooring construction comprising a sheet of interconnected portions of acoustic insulating material having spaces therebetween.

The discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material according to the invention can be used in other applications. For example, laminate and hardwood flooring panels are often laid on top of existing floor constructions, to provide a durable and decorative finish, but this can result in noise problems. Advantageously the discontinuous layer of the invention can be used under the laminate or wood to reduce noise, providing comparable or even superior sound insulation to that of the 3-5mm continuous layer of closed cell foam that is typically used.

Preferably the material of the sheet is of a resilient acoustic insulating material.

Providing the discontinuous layer in sheet form has the advantage that the layer can be easily and accurately laid during installation of the floor construction of the invention. Relatively large sheets may be provided to quickly cover the area required. Advantageously the sheet of acoustic insulating material is provided in the form of a roll, allowing long lengths to be unrolled to cover a large area easily. Furthermore, as the discontinuities or spaces between the portions of material are formed when the sheet is made the spacing of the portions of material is pre-determined, before the floor construction is installed, ensuring compliance with the desired load bearing and acoustic insulating properties of the layer.

More preferably the discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material is a sheet of interconnected portions of said material disposed in a regularly distributed array such as, for example, a grid. By providing a sheet that has a regular array of pàrtions of insulating material for example a lattice or grid like structure with an even distribution of discontinuities or spaces, the flooring panels are evenly supported and the heat from the heating means efficiently distributed. For example the acoustic insulating material may be in the form of a sheet with a regular array of holes formed in it. Advantageously the holes may constitute the majority of the area of the sheet, leaving relatively narrow portions of interconnected S material to provide the support for the flooring panels.

Where the discontinuous layer is in sheet form it may be bonded to the flooring panels prior to, or during installation.

Advantageously a flooring construction of the invention may further comprise additional acoustic insulating material, distributed in spaces of the discontinuous layer. The additional acoustic insulating material does not need to have the strength to support the flooring panels and any additional load placed on them. For example it could be of a mineral fibre or a cellular foam that does not have sufficient strength to support loaded flooring panels.

The heating means may be of any form suitable for use in heated flooring. For example the heating means may be electrical resistance elements or may be pipes which carry heated water or another fluid. In some cases the heating means provides a layer of the flooring construction. For example, the heating means may comprise a layer of concrete screed which contains within it electrical heating elements or pipes for carrying hot water.

Alternatively the heating means may comprise a layer of another rigid material such as for example polystyrene foam, containing heating elements or pipes in the same fashion as for a screed layer. Conveniently the heating elements or pipes may be laid in channels cut in an upper surface of the rigid material. This is readily achieved where an easy-to-cut rigid material such as polystyrene foam is employed.

In use the flooring construction of the invention is supported on a support structure. For example, a concrete sub floor or a conventional wooden floor which is itself supported on joists. In making a flooring construction of the invention the heating means may be laid directly on the support structure. Desirably the flooring construction further comprises a layer of thermal insulation beneath the heating means which, in use, insulates the flooring construction from the support structure. Alternatively, the heating means may be installed directly into the support structure. For example, hot water pipes laid in a concrete sub-floor, either in channels cut in the sub-floor or put in place during the laying of the sub-floor.

The acoustic insulating material in the flooring construction of the invention may be of any suitable material having the desired acoustic properties and sufficient strength to support flooring panels in use. Both open and closed cell foams and even reconstituted foam materials can give satisfactory results. Preferably the acoustic insulating material is a closed cell foam material. Closed cell foams provide good reduction in impact sound because of their resilience, together with good strength. More preferably the acoustic insulating material is a closed cell polyethylene foam. Such foams can provide the desired properties and are durable in use.

A closed cell polyethylene foam of from 33 to 45 kgxr(3 is particularly preferred. Using such a foam a square holed lattice composed of portions of such a foam of about 1cm width and depth where the holes or discontinuities are of the order of up to 20cm square can provide both adequate support and sound attenuation for a floor. Holes of 10- 15cm square are preferred to ensure good support for the flooring panels.

The flooring panels may be of any material suitable for use in a heated floor. Examples include, but are not limited to particleboard, oriented strand board, plywood, mdf, hardboard, cement particle board, and gypsum based board (gypsum fibreboard or platerboard).

According to a fourth aspect, the invention provides a method for the construction of a heated floor comprising installing a heated flooring construction according to the first aspect of the invention on a support structure.

According to a fifth aspect the invention provides a kit of parts for assembling into a flooring construction, the kit comprising flooring panels, heating means for disposal beneath the flooring panels, and a discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material for disposal between the flooring panels and the heating means.

Further preferred features and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following detailed description of some embodiments illustrated with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figs. 1 (a) and (b) show in schematic cross section two embodiments of a floor construction of the invention; Figs. 2 (a) and (b) show in cross section and perspective view an alternative embodiment of a floor construction of the invention; Fig. 3 shows in cross section a yet further alternative embodiment of a floor construction of the invention; Figs. 4 (a) and (b) show in plan view discontinuous layers of resilient acoustic insulating material according to the invention; Fig. 5 shows an alternative flooring construction of the invention using the layer of resilient acoustic insulating material of Fig. 4(a); and Fig. 6 shows acoustic test results.

In Fig. 1 (a) a flooring construction 1 of the invention is shown. It is supported on a sub structure 2 which in this case is a concrete sub-floor. The flooring construction 1 has chipboard flooring panels 4 located above hot water heating pipes 6. The flooring panels 4 and heating pipes 6 are separated by blocks 7 of closed cell foam material 8 which constitute a discontinuous layer 10 of resilient acoustic insulation. The spaces 12 between the blocks of foam 8 allow heat from the pipes 6 which are the heating means in this embodiment to pass to the flooring panels 4 without going through the foam material 8. At the same time the layer 10 of resilient acoustic insulation acts to attenuate impact sound when the flooring panel is struck, for example by a person walking across the floor.

Fig. 1 (b) shows a similar embodiment to that of Fig. 1 (a) except that the heating pipes 6 are laid in the concrete sub-floor 2.

Fig. 2 (a) shows an embodiment of a flooring construction 1 wherein the discontinuous layer 10 of insulation is a block of closed cell polystyrene foam 8 which has heating pipes 6 located in it. The layer 10 sits on a layer of thermal insulation 16 which rests on the sub-floor 2.

Fig. 2 (b) shows in perspective view the block of closed cell foam 8 which has channels 18 cut into it to accommodate the heating pipes 6. The channels 18 constitute discontinuities in the layer 10 allowing heat to pass easily to the flooring panel 4 (see Fig. la). In use the thermal insulation 16 acts to prevent heat from the heating pipes being lost to the sub-floor 2.

Fig. 3 shows a flooring construction 1 wherein the heating means is a layer of concrete screed 22 with hot water pipes 6 passing through it. The screed layer 22 rests on a thermal insulation layer 16 on the sub-floor 2. The screed layer 22 is separated from the flooring panels 4 by a lattice 20 of closed cell foam 8 (see Fig. 4 (a)), which is the discontinuous layer of resilient acoustic insulation 10.

Fig. 4 (a) shows the lattice 20 used in the embodiment of Fig. 3. The spaces 12 are square holes 22 cut into the closed cell foam material 8. Fig. 4 (b) shows an alternative lattice 20 where the spaces 12 are square holes 22 which alternate with square portions 24 of the foam 8.

Fig. 5 shows an embodiment of a flooring construction 1 of the invention where a lattice 20 of closed cell foam 8 is used as acoustic insulation. In this case the heating means is a block of rigid polystyrene foam material 26 with heating pipes 6 disposed in grooves 18. The polystyrene foam acts as a support for the heating pipes and at the same time insulates them, thermally, from the sub-floor 2.

Test Results The graph shown below illustrates the reduction in impact sound (in dB) over a wide range of frequencies (50 to 5000 Hz) that can be provided with a flooring construction of the invention.

Acoustic Testing Results 70 --s Aoor --PLS stI 1E S -moi. i50 _

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1 %p',%'b%%b'# .#4'4 # The graph shows the acoustic testing results for three different test floor constructions of the invention compared with the results for a base floor. The "base floor" had a structure of 18mm chipboard panels fixed to timber joists with glass fibre insulation between the joists. Two layers of plasterboard were fitted underneath the joists as in a typical floor and ceiling arrangement.

One of the test floorings used a polystyrene foam arrangement ("polystyrene foam module") similar to that shown in figure 2. The other two floorings used foam lattices, a closed cell foam lattice ("PLS foam lattice") and a reconstituted foam lattice ("Recon foam lattice") All three of the test floorings show improved acoustic performance results over the base floor results, with noise reductions generally of from about 5 to 25dB depending on the frequency of the sound employed.

Claims

CLAIMS

1. A heated flooring construction comprising flooring panels supported, in use, on a support structure, heating means disposed beneath said flooring panels, and a discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material disposed between said flooring panels and said heating means.

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2. A flooring construction according to claim 1 wherein the flooring panels and the heating means are separated by :. the discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material * which faces onto the underside of the flooring panels. * .. * S *

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3. A floor construction according to claim 1 or claims 2 wherein the acoustic insulating material is a resilient material.
4. A flooring construction according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the discontinuous layer consists of discrete portions of acoustic insulating material laid at spaced apart intervals during the installation of a said flooring Construction.
5. A flooring construction according to claim 4 wherein said discrete portions of acoustic insulating material are bonded to the flooring panels, or to the heating means beneath, when installed.
6. A flooring construction according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the discontinuous layer is provided by a sheet of acoustic insulating material which has open channels in the top of the sheet for the location of the heating means.
7. A flooring construction according to claim 6 wherein the said open channels have sufficient depth so that the heating means, when located in the channels, do not contact a flooring panel placed on top of the sheet. * ** * * * *
S.

:: 8. A flooring construction according to any one of claims 1 to 3 wherein the discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material comprises a sheet of interconnected portions of acoustic insulating material having spaces therebetween.
9. A flooring construction according to any one of claims 1 to 8 further comprising additional acoustic insulating material, distributed in spaces of the discontinuous layer.
10. A flooring construction according to claim 9 wherein the said additional acoustic insulating material is of a mineral fibre or a cellular foam that does not have sufficient strength to support loaded flooring panels.
11. A flooring construction according to any preceding claim wherein the said heating means are electrical resistance elements or pipes which carry heated water or another heated fluid. * S * S.. ***.

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12. A flooring construction according to any preceding claim wherein the heating means provides a layer of the flooring construction. * .* * S * * .5
13. A flooring construction according to claim 12 wherein the heating means comprises a concrete screed or a layer of another rigid material, which contains within it electrical heating elements or pipes for carrying hot water.
14. A flooring construction according to claim 13 wherein the heating elements or pipes are laid in channels cut in an upper surface of the rigid material.
15. A flooring construction according to any preceding claim further comprising a layer of thermal insulation beneath the heating means which, in use, insulates the flooring construction from the support structure.
16. A flooring construction according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein the heating means is installed directly into the support structure.

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17. A flooring construction according to any preceding claim * S.. S...

wherein the acoustic insulating material is of a closed cell foam material. * .5*

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18. A flooring construction according to claim 17 wherein the acoustic insulating material is a closed cell polyethylene foam.
19. A flooring construction according to claim 18 wherein the closed cell polyethylene foam of from 33 to 453in density.
20. A flooring construction according to claim 19 wherein the acoustic insulating material is in the form of a square holed lattice composed of portions of said closed cell --20- * polyethylene foam, of about 1cm width and depth, and wherein the holes are of up to 20cm square.
21. A flooring construction according to claim 20 wherein the said holes are from 10 to 15cm square.
22. A flooring construction according to any preceding claim wherein the flooring panels are made of a material selected from the group consisting of particleboard, oriented strand board (osb), plywood, medium density **S.

firbreboard (mdf), hardboard, cement particle board, and gypsum based board.

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23. A discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material for * *.

use in a heated flooring construction comprising a sheet of interconnected portions of acoustic insulating material having spaces therebetween.
24. A discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material according to claim 23 wherein the material of the sheet is of a resilient acoustic insulating material.
25. A discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material according to claim 23 or claim 24 wherein the sheet of acoustic insulating material is provided in the form of a roll.
26. A discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material according to any one of claims 23 and 25 wherein the said sheet of interconnected portions of said material is disposed in a regularly distributed array.
27. A discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material :. according to any one of claims 23 to 26 wherein the * .1* *I..

acoustic insulating material is of a closed cell foam material. * S..

S S..

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28. A discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material according to claim 27 wherein said foam material is a closed cell polyethylene foam.
29. A discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material according to claim 28 wherein the closed cell polyethylene foam is of from 33 to 45kgm3 in density.
30. A discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material according to claim 29 wherein the acoustic insulating material is portions of said closed cell polyethylene foam, of about 1cm width and depth, and wherein the holes are up to 20cm square.
31. A discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material according to claim 30 wherein the said holes are from 10 to 15cm square.
32. A flooring panel with a discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material bonded to the underside thereof. S. S. * *.* *II.

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33. A method for the construction of a heated floor :. comprising the step of installing a flooring construction * I..

according to any one of claims 1 to 22 on a support structure. * *

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34. A kit of parts for assembling into a flooring Construction, the kit comprising flooring panels, heating means for disposal beneath the flooring panels, and a discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material for disposal between the flooring panels and the heating means.
35. A floor construction substantially as described hereinbefore and with reference to Figure 1(a) of the drawings.
36. A floor construction substantially as described hereinbefore and with reference to Figure 1(b) of the drawings *
37. A floor construction substantially as described hereinbefore and with reference to Figures 2(a), and 2(b) of the drawings.

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38. A floor construction substantially as described hereinbefore and with reference to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings. S..

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39. A floor construction substantially as described hereinbefore and with reference to Figure 5 of the drawings.

40. A discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material substantially as hereinbefore described and with reference to Figures 3, 4(a) and 5 of the drawings.

41. A discontinues layer of acoustic insulating material substantially as described hereinbefore and with reference to Figure 4(b) of the drawings.

42. A discontinuous layer of acoustic insulating material substantially as described hereinbefore and with reference to Figures 2(a) and 2(b) of the drawings. S. * * * 5.5 S... * * *.** ** * * * *5* Se.

S * 5. * * . * *.

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