EP2365146A1

EP2365146A1 - Wall structure for wet-rooms and method of producing it

Info

Publication number: EP2365146A1
Application number: EP11156910A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Henri Nieminen
Original assignee: Finnfoam Oy
Current assignee: Finnfoam Oy
Priority date: 2010-03-05
Filing date: 2011-03-04
Publication date: 2011-09-14
Anticipated expiration: 2031-03-04
Also published as: DK2365146T3; EP2365146B1; FI20105222A0; PT2365146E; ES2444117T3; FI20105222A; PL2365146T3

Abstract

The invention relates to a wall structure for humid rooms, such as bathrooms, saunas or laundry rooms. The wall structure comprises a basic structure (5), the height of which defines the height of the room in the vertical direction. The wall structure also comprises a surface structure of the room, which is formed by a first (2) and a second wall plate (2'), which are at their large surfaces attached to the basic structure, and the first long side edge of the first wall plate is in contact with the second long side edges of the second wall plate. In the invention the long side edges of the first and the second wall plate are essentially horizontal in relation to the height direction of the room, and the long side edges are fitted together so that the seam between the side edges comprises a vertical air gap (4).

Description

The invention relates to a wall structure and a method for its manufacture according to the preambles of the independent claims presented further below.
Wall structures of rooms are generally manufactured from different wall panels or plates, which are attached together and to the basic structure of the wall. When manufacturing wall structured for humid spaces, one problem is the vertical seams between the wall panels or plates. Moisture is easily condensed in the vertical seam, and runs along it, whereby the seam stays damp for long periods of time. Through the vertical seam the moisture can easily also come into contact with the basic structure of the wall, dampen it and cause serious moisture damage to the structure.
In order to prevent the spreading of moisture into the basic structure, the vertical seams of humid rooms must be insulated with a dampproof course. A sealing compound is usually first spread in the seam, on top of which a seam ribbon is arranged. Waterproofing compound is generally spread onto the seam ribbon next. It is clear that the dampproofing of vertical seams in this manner is quite laborious, generates additional costs and slows down construction. A layer of waterproofing compound is as a safety measure usually also arranged between the basic structure and the wall plate, and waiting for the waterproofing compound to dry further slows down the construction.
It is an object of the present invention to reduce or even completely eliminate the above-mentioned problems appearing in the prior art.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a wall structure, which insulates from water and moisture as well as possible, however while having as few separate dampproofing work stages as possible.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a wall structure, which is quick and easy to build and install.
The above-mentioned disadvantages can be eliminated or reduced, and the above-mentioned objects are attained with the present invention, which is characterised in what is defined in the characterising parts of the independent claims presented further below.
Some preferred embodiments according to the invention are disclosed in the dependent claims presented further below.
A typical wall structure according to the invention, which is meant for humid rooms, such as bathrooms, saunas or laundry rooms, comprises

a basic structure, the height of which defines the height of the room in the vertical direction, and
a first and a second wall plate forming a surface structure of the room, which wall plates are at their large surfaces attached to the basic structure, and a first long side edge of the first wall plate is in contact with a second long side edge of the second wall plate, whereby
the long side edges of the first and the second wall plate are essentially horizontal in relation to the height direction of the room, and the long side edges are fitted together so that the seam between the side edges comprises an essentially vertical air gap.

A typical method for manufacturing a wall structure for humid rooms, such as bathrooms or laundry rooms, comprises

manufacturing a basic structure, the height of which defines the height of the room in the vertical direction, and
attaching to the basic structure a first and a second wall plate, and at the same time attaching the first long side edge of the first wall plate into contact with the second long side edge of the second wall plate, and
arranging the long side edges of the first and second wall plate to be essentially horizontal in relation to the height direction of the room, and further fitting the long side edges together so that an essentially vertical air gap is formed in the seam between the side edges.

Now it has surprisingly been found that by arranging the wall plates so that the seams between the wall plates are essentially horizontal in relation to the height direction of the room, the trickling of moisture through the seam to the basic structure behind the wall plate can effectively be prevented. Installing the wall plates horizontally makes possible the minimising of separate dampproofing work stages, and in certain cases separate dampproof courses can be completely left out, without the moisture resistance of the structure suffering.
In the wall structure according to the invention the long side edges of the wall plates are fitted together horizontally, so that the seam between the side edges comprises a vertical part, wherein a vertical air gap remains. Such an air gap effectively prevents capillary rise of water between the long side edges of the wall plates from the room side to the basic structure of the wall structure.
The above-mentioned air gap between the long side edges can be formed when the long side edges of the wall plates are in contact with each other by means of a tongue-and-groove joint or they are bevelled to fit each other. The long side edges of the wall plates advantageously comprise a half-groove joint, which half-groove joints are fitted together, thus forming a vertical air gap in the seam.
The tongued and grooved or bevelled wall plates must be installed horizontally in relation to the height direction of the room, so that an air gap, which is essentially in a vertical direction, can be formed in the seam between the side edges.
The above-described air gap in the seam between the long side edges ensures that moisture cannot in a capillary manner rise from the seam between the side edges into the basic structure of the wall structure, even if the sealant arranged in the seam between the edges were to fail for some reason.
In this application a humid room means a bathroom, a shower room, a toilet, a sauna, a steam sauna, a laundry room, a mud room, and other corresponding spaces in buildings, where significant amounts of water are lead and handled and/or washing and/or service events using a lot of water are performed.
The first and second wall plate can be manufactured from any material suitable for the purpose, for example from plastic. In one advantageous embodiment of the invention the first and second wall plate are manufactured from a plate manufactured from extruded polystyrene, i.e. from XPS-plate. The XPS-plate is very well suited for use as a steam and moisture seal in humid rooms due to its watertightness, without having to attach separate steam sealing layers on the surface of the XPS-plate. The cellular structure of the XPS-plate is closed, so no water can pass through the plate. One advantage with the XPS-plate is also that it simultaneously functions also as a thermal insulator. Thus by using XPS-plate the thermal economy of humid rooms can simultaneously also be improved, and savings can possibly be made also in heating costs.
The thickness of the wall plate can typically be 5 to 200 mm, more typically 8 to 120 mm, even more typically 10 to 80 mm. The wall plate usually has a rectangular shape, which comprises two parallel planar large surfaces, and a first and second parallel long side edge and parallel first and second short side edges, which are perpendicular to the long side edges, delimiting the surfaces. The length of the long side edge of the wall plate is typically 700 to 4000 mm, more typically 1000 to 3000 mm, even more typically 1200 to 2600 mm. The length of the short side edge of the wall plate is typically 300 to 1500 mm, more typically 500 to 1300 mm, even more typically 600 to 1200 mm. The large surfaces of the wall plate are in one embodiment as even and ungrooved as possible.
The basic structure of the wall structure can be a conventional wood or steel frame structure or a rock material wall. If the basic structure is a wood or steel frame structure, the wall plates can be attached to the basic structure for example with mechanical attaching means, such as countersunk screws and their washers. If the basic structure is a rock material wall, the wall plates can be attached to the basic structure for example with attaching mortar.
In one embodiment of the invention the wall plates are attached to the basic structure with fasteners at the tongue and groove, whereby the fastener remains inside the tongue-and-groove joint between two wall plates in the finished wall structure. Thus the through-holes for the fasteners do not need to be separately sealed with sealing compound.
In one embodiment of the invention the basic structure of the wall structure is in immediate contact with the first and second wall plate, and there is no dampproof course between them. This embodiment is especially advantageous when using XPS-plate as the wall plate. The closed cellular structure of the XPS-plate effectively prevents the transfer of moisture through the plate material, because the individual cells of the plate are not in contact with each other. Thus a separate dampproof course layer between the wall plates and the basic structure can be left out, which makes the manufacturing of the wall structures significantly quicker and easier.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the wall plates forming the wall surface of the room extend in a horizontal direction from the first edge of the wall surface to its second edge. Thus the length of the long side edges of the wall plates is congruent with the width of the wall structure, i.e. the wall plates extend on one wall from corner to corner. The only vertical seams of the room are thus in the corners of the room, which significantly improves the waterproofing of the room. When the room comprises mainly only horizontal seams or joints between plates, not counting the corners, an advantage is also obtained, where the meters of seams between the plates in relation to the wall area unit is significantly reduced. The fewer seams there are in the wall structures, the quicker the construction is and the better the moisture protection is for the basic structure underneath the plates. In one advantageous embodiment of the invention the wall structure forming the room is thus between its edges free from seams or joints in the height direction of the room.
In one embodiment sealant has been arranged between the long side edges of the wall plates. The sealant can be any sealant suitable for waterproofing suitable for the purpose, for example butyl compound. Using sealant in the horizontal seam between the wall plates ensures that moisture cannot in demanding targets trickle through the seam into the basic structure of the wall. The use of sealant is especially advantageous in situations, where no dampproof course layer has been arranged between the wall plates and the basic structure.
The wall plates are advantageously in contact with each other by means of a tongue-and-groove joint. With the aid of the tongue-and-groove joint the easy installation of the wall plate is made possible, and at the same time as good a waterproofing ability as possible is ensured. The wall plates are advantageously half-grooved and the wall plates are set horizontally in the wall structure, so that the tongue and groove arranged in the upper edge of the first wall plate is toward the basic structure of the wall, the first wall plate being below the second wall plate in the height direction of the room. Thus the tongue and groove arranged in the bottom edge of the second wall plate is in the edge of the plate meant to be toward the room, whereby the seam between the wall plates, which seam is on the side toward the room, is lower than the seam between the plates, which is on the side toward the basic structure. Thus a vertical air gap is formed in the seam between half-grooved plates, by means of which air gap the capillary rise of water from the room side into the basic structure of the wall can be prevented.
The half-grooves of the wall plates are formed in the plates so that when fitting the long side edges of two plates against each other, so that the plate surfaces toward the basic structure and the surfaces toward the room are essentially at the same level, a desired vertical air gap is formed in the seam between the wall plates. The long side edges of the wall plate are typically half-grooved so that the height of the tongue and groove is about 10 to 30 mm. The thickness of the tongue and groove can vary between 3 and 80 mm, depending on the thickness of the plate. The half-grooves are typically formed in the long side edges of the wall plates so that when placing the half-grooves of two wall plates against each other, a vertical air gap is formed in the seam between the wall plates, the width of which when seen from the side is typically about 1 to 5 mm, more typically about 1 to 3 mm. The thicknesses of the tongue and grooves of the first and the second wall plate to be fitted together can be different. The thicknesses of the tongue and grooves should however be dimensioned so that the desired air gap is formed in the seam between the plates. The height of tongue and grooves to be against each other is the same in both wall plates, so that the wall plates settle tightly against each other both on the room side and toward the basic structure of the wall.
The wall plates can also be completely tongued and grooved. The tongue and grooves to be fitted together must be dimensioned so that an air gap can be formed in the seam between the plates in the vertical seam closest to the room. The male half of the tongue-and-groove joint is advantageously arranged in the long side edge of the first wall plate, which edge will be upwards in the wall structure, the first wall panel being underneath the second wall panel in the height direction of the room.
The long side edges of the wall plates can also be bevelled to fit each other, so that an air gap can be formed in the seam between the edges. The bevelling of the long side edges is advantageously arranged to rise toward the basic structure of the wall structure, which effectively prevents the transfer of moisture between the wall plates into the basic structure. When using a bevelled edge structure it is in one embodiment advantageous that sealant is arranged between the wall plates.
In the following, the invention will be described in more detail with reference to the appended schematic drawing, in which

Figure 1: shows as an example a wall structure according to one embodiment of the invention seen from the side,
Figure 2: shows a seam between wall plates according to one embodiment of the invention seen from the side,
Figure 3: shows a manner of attaching wall plates to the basic structure of the wall according to one embodiment of the invention,
Figure 4: shows an attaching means for attaching wall plates, and
Figure 5: shows as an example a wall structure according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 shows as an example a wall structure according to an embodiment of the invention. The wall structure 1 comprises dampproof wall plates 2, 2', which are arranged in contact with each other at their long side edges so that the seam 3 between the plates 2, 2' is essentially horizontal in relation to the height direction of the wall structure 1. The height direction of the wall structure is shown with an arrow in Figure 1. The seam 3 comprises an air gap 4, which prevents the capillary rise and the passage of water into the basic structure 5 behind the wall plates 2, 2'. The basic structure 5 can for example be wood battens or a brick or concrete basic wall structure. An attaching medium, such as attaching mortar or glue, can be arranged in the seam between the wall plates 2, 2' and the basic structure 5. An exterior coating 6, which can comprise for example slabs or tiles, can be arranged on the room side of the wall structure 1. An attaching medium 7, such as attaching mortar or glue, and when necessary also a fibre reinforcement, can be arranged between the exterior coating 6 and the wall plates 2, 2'.
Figure 2 shows the seam between wall plates according to one embodiment of the invention seen from the side, in which embodiment the horizontally placed long side edges of the wall plates are half-grooved. The half-groove of the wall plate 2', which is lower in the structure, is arranged upward in the structure, toward the basic structure 5 of the wall. The tongue and groove of the wall plate 2, which is higher in the structure, is arranged downwards, whereby the seam 3 formed between the plates on the room side is lower in the wall structure than the seam 3' on the side of the basic structure of the wall. By means of the half-groove joint shown in the figure, a vertical air gap 4 can be formed in the seam 3 between the plates. Sealant 11 can be arranged in the seam between the plates.
Figure 3 shows a manner of attaching wall plates to the basic structure of a wall according to an embodiment of the invention. The wall plate 2' is attached to the basic structure 5 of the wall by means of a fastener 12 at the tongue and groove of the wall plate. The fastener 12 is arranged in the seam 3 between the plates and attached to the basic structure of the wall with screws 13. The fastener 12 and the screw 13 are in a finished wall structure left inside the tongue-and-groove joint between two wall plates. Figure 4 shows in more detail the structure of a fastener 12 used in the wall structure according to Figure 3.
Figure 5 shows as an example wall structures according to a second embodiment of the invention. The wall structures 1, 1' comprise a number of wall plates 2, 2', which are arranged in contact with each other at their long side edges so that the seams 3, 3' between the plates 2, 2' are essentially horizontal in relation to the height direction of the wall structures 1, 1'. No separate sealant, for example waterproofing compound, has been arranged in the seams 3, 3'. A waterproofing layer 10 has been arranged in the junction 8 between the wall structures 1, 1'. A waterproofing layer 10 has also been arranged in the junction between the wall structures 1, 1' and the floor 9.
It is apparent to someone skilled in the art that the invention is not limited exclusively to the examples presented above, but that the invention may vary within the scope of the claims presented below.

Claims

A wall structure for humid rooms, such as bathrooms, saunas or laundry rooms, which wall structure comprises
- a basic structure, the height of which defines the height of the room in the vertical direction, and

- a first and a second wall plate forming a surface structure of the room, which wall plates are at their large surfaces attached to the basic structure, and a first long side edge of the first wall plate is in contact with a second long side edge of the second wall plate,
characterised in that the long side edges of the first and the second wall plate are essentially horizontal in relation to the height direction of the room and the long side edges are fitted together so that the seam between the side edges comprises an essentially vertical air gap.
The wall structure according to claim 1, characterised in that the first and second wall plate are manufactured from a plate manufactured from extruded polystyrene, i.e. from XPS-plate.
The wall structure according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the wall plates are in contact with each other by means of a tongue-and-groove joint or that their long side edges are bevelled to fit each other.
The wall structure according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the long side edges of the first and second wall plate comprise a half-groove joint, which half-groove joints are fitted together.
The wall structure according to any of the preceding claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the male half of the tongue-and-groove joint is arranged in the first long side edge of the first wall plate, the first wall plate being underneath the second wall plate in the height direction of the room, or that the bevelling of the long side edges rises towards the basic structure.
The wall structure according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the basic structure is in immediate contact with the first and second wall plate, and there is no dampproof course between them.
The wall structure according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the wall plates forming the wall surface of the room extend in a horizontal direction from the first edge of the wall surface to its second edge.
The wall structure according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that a sealant has been arranged between the long side edges of the wall plates.
The wall structure according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that between its edges it is free from seams or joints in the height direction of the room.
A method for manufacturing a wall structure for humid rooms, such as bathrooms or laundry rooms, which method comprises
- manufacturing a basic structure, the height of which defines the height of the room in the vertical direction, and

- attaching to the basic structure a first and a second wall plate, and at the same time attaching the first long side edge of the first wall plate into contact with the second long side edge of the second wall plate,
characterised in that
the long side edges of the first and second wall plate are arranged to be essentially horizontal in relation to the height direction of the room, and the long side edges are fitted together so that an essentially vertical air gap is formed in the seam between the side edges.
The method according to claim 10, characterised in that the wall plates are in contact with each other by means of a tongue-and-groove joint or that their long side edges are bevelled to fit each other.
The method according to claim 10 or 11, characterised in that the long side edges of the first and second wall plate comprise a half-groove joint.
The method according to any of the preceding claims 10 to 12, characterised in that the contact surfaces of the basic structure and the wall plates are left free from a dampproof course.
The method according to any of the preceding claims 10 to 13, characterised in that a sealant is arranged in the seam between the first and the second wall plate.
The method according to any of the preceding claims 10 to 14, characterised in that the first and second wall plate are manufactured from a plate manufactured from extruded polystyrene, i.e. from XPS-plate.