Floor covering and laying methods

A system for forming a flooring, the system comprising rectangular floorboards which are formed to provide mechanical joining of neighbouring joint edges of floorboards forming part of the system;

• whereby the floorboards are adapted to allow said mechanical joining in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the respective joint edges and parallel to the principal plane of the floorboards between two neighbouring short sides, between one of the short sides and a neighbouring long side, and between two neighbouring long sides;
• wherein said mechanical joining in said horizontal direction is provided by a first locking device provided at a first one of said neighbouring joint edges and comprising a locking groove, and second locking device provided at a second one of said neighbouring joint edges and comprising a portion protruding outside a vertical plane that is defined by an upper joint edge and that is perpendicular to said main plane of the floorboard, and supporting a locking element designed to interact with said locking groove;
• wherein the system comprises first and second types of floorboards, on which said first and second locking devices are arranged in pairs on opposing short edges and long edges, respectively;
• wherein the locking devices of the first type of floorboard along one pair of opposing joint edges is mirror inverted relative to the corresponding locking means along the same pair of opposing joint edges of the second type of floorboard;
• the system comprises a third type of floorboard, which is adapted so that a first one of its two short edges presents said first locking device and both its long edges and its other short edge presents said second device.

A method for providing a herringbone patterned flooring by a system of rectangular, mechanically joined floorboards,

• wherein neighbouring floorboards are adapted for being mechanically joined in a horizontal direction perpendicular to respective joint edges of the floorboards and parallel with a main plane of the floorboards;
• wherein the floorboards are adapted so that said joining is possible between two neighbouring short sides, between one of the short sides and a neighbouring long side, and between two neighbouring long sides;
• wherein said mechanical joining in said horizontal direction is provided by a first locking device provided at a first one of said neighbouring joint edges and comprising a locking groove, and a second locking device provided at a second one of said neighbouring joint edges and comprising portion protruding outside a vertical plane that is defined by an upper joint edge and that is perpendicular to said main plane of the floorboard, and supporting a locking element designed to interact with said locking groove;
• wherein the system comprises first and second types of floorboards, on which said first and second locking devices are arranged in pairs on opposing short edges and long edges, respectively,
• wherein the locking device of the first type of floorboard along one pair of opposing joint edges is mirror inverted relative to the corresponding locking device along the same pair of opposing joint edges of the second type of floorboard,
• wherein the method comprises joining the floorboards in different directions in the main plane of the floorboards by inwards angling, wherein a first row is formed by joining, long side against short side, floorboards of a third type, which is so designed that a first one of its two short edges presents said first locking device and both its long edges and its other short edge presents said second locking device,
• wherein at least one second row is formed by joining, long side against short side, floorboards of said first type of floorboards and said second type of floorboards, said second row being joined to said first row, in a first installation direction relative to the first row, and
• wherein at least one third row is formed by joining, long side against short side, floorboards of said first type of floorboards and said second type of floorboards, said third row being joined to said first row in a second installation direction, opposite said first installation direction,
• such that each one of said floorboards forming part of said third row is rotated 180° relative to a respective corresponding floorboard forming part of said second row.