Flooring

Abstract

A strut for supporting services between parallel spaced apart I-beam flooring joists is described. The strut has a main section adapted to fit transversely between the two joists and has two end regions which extend beyond and above the main section for resting on the joists, so that the main section is supported so as to extend between the two beams below or in line with the upper faces of the joists. This enables services such as cables, ducting or pipes to be supported below the floorboarding carried by the joists. A number of such struts are located at intervals along the length of the joists in the form of the rungs of a ladder to enable lengths of cables, ducting or pipes to be supported below the floorboarding. A building component comprising a moulding is preferably secured to the top surface of each joist along the length thereof between the struts. The moulding has a rebate along its length to provide a ledge on which a floorboard edge can rest. The depth of the rebate accommodates at least the thickness of the floorboard, and the thickness of the moulding below the ledge creates a void between the floorboard and the upper surface of the joists to accommodate the services supported by the struts. The moulding may also include a second parallel rebate leaving a ridge therebetween. The two floorboards are spaced apart by the ridge. A further rebate can be provided to accommodate at least part of another member. Where a floor covering is laid over the floorboards the rebate(s) is/are sufficient to accommodate both boards and covering.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.