Abstract: A modular floor includes a plurality of interconnected, uniform and elongated floor sections. Each floor section includes a wear layer, an upper subfloor panel, a lower subfloor panel and a plurality of parallel spacers sandwiched between the upper and lower subfloor panels. The spacers extend horizontally outwardly from three sides of the sections, including both longitudinal sides and one transverse side, but are recessed on the remaining transverse side. The parallel spacers extend into the recesses of adjacently located floor sections, alongside the corresponding spacers of those floor sections, along the longitudinal sides. At the transverse sides, each section has a spacer that extends into an adjacently located section in the same row and also receives a spacer from an adjacently located section in the same row. The sections have hardware connections that are concealed from view, and connecting each subsequent section requires two fasteners.

Abstract: An athletic floor uses a panel-type subfloor to secure directly to a concrete base. The panel-type sections include upper and lower rigid layers which sandwich a resilient layer. The rigidity of the lower layer spans most uneven spots in the floor, while the resilient layer provides some degree of a compressibility and/or conformability, as needed, to provide a flat horizontal surface for supporting a layer of floorboards thereabove. The panel sections can be secured directly to the base, via anchors which secure the lower rigid layers to the base, the anchors residing in access openings formed along the perimeter of the upper rigid layer and in the resilient layer. This anchoring arrangement enables each anchor to hold at least two adjacently located panel sections, and it also eliminates precompression of the resilient layer. The subfloor panel sections are prefabricated, at the factory, and then shipped to the installation site.

Abstract: A method for preventing edge bonding between adjacently situated floorboards of a floor system involves the application of a release agent along at least one longitudinal side surface of the floorboards. The release agent counteracts, or neutralizes, the adhesive effects between adjacently situated floorboards which is commonly caused by urethane or water bourne finish coatings, when the finish coating seeps downwardly between the side surfaces of the floorboards. By eliminating surface bonding between adjacently situated floorboards, this invention eliminates panelization of the floor system. The release agent may be a liquid or a solid and may be applied by any one of a number of methods, either at the factory or at the job site. The release agent may be applied to both longitudinal side surfaces of the floorboards, and also to the ends and the bottoms of the floorboards.

Abstract: A panel-type subfloor assembly for an anchored/resilient floor includes a plurality of elongated panels laid end-to-end in parallel rows along a first direction, the panels having elongated slots formed therein that are oriented at an oblique angle relative to the first direction. For the entire floor, this results in a plurality of aligned rows of elongated slots oriented at an oblique angle relative to the first direction. Each slot cooperates with an elongated fastener, namely an elongated dual flanged channel held by at least one pin. The fastener is positioned within the respective slot and adapted to hold the respective panel to the base along two longitudinal edges of the slots, in a manner that limits upward movement of the panel while permitting downward deflection. The slots are longitudinally and transversely oversized relative to the flanges of the fastener, and preferably each fastener is secured to the base via only a single pin.

Abstract: A modular floor system includes a plurality of interconnected, uniform and elongated floor sections. Each floor section includes a wear layer, an upper subfloor panel, a lower subfloor panel and a plurality of parallel spacers sandwiched between the upper and lower subfloor panels. The spacers extend horizontally outwardly from three sides of the sections, including both longitudinal sides and one transverse side, but are recessed on the remaining transverse side. The parallel spacers extend into the recesses of adjacently located floor sections, alongside the corresponding spacers of those floor sections, along the longitudinal sides. At the transverse sides, each section has a spacer that extends into an adjacently located section in the same row and also receives a spacer from an adjacently located section in the same row. The sections have hardware connections at only two corners.

Abstract: A wood floor system comprises a plurality of parallel rows of floorboards laid end-to-end, and each of the floorboards includes a compression nub extending along a side surface thereof, adjacent the top surface. These compression nubs affirmatively engage an opposing side surface of an adjacent floorboard row, thereby sealing, or isolating, the top surface of the floor from the side surfaces of the floorboard rows. This uniformly distributes expansion and contraction forces throughout the floor, due to uniform spacing between the floorboard rows. The isolation of the upper floorboard surface from the side surface also prevents undesired downward migration or flow of liquid finishing solution, which can have serious adverse affects for a wood floor. The invention reduces the total volume of finishing solution necessary for finishing the floor, and it also reduces “overwood” during floor installation.

Abstract: A wood floor system comprises a plurality of parallel rows of floorboards laid end-to-end, and each of the floorboards includes a compression nub extending along a side surface thereof, adjacent the top surface. These compression nubs affirmatively engage an opposing side surface of an adjacent floorboard row, thereby sealing, or isolating, the top surface of the floor from the side surfaces of the floorboard rows. This uniformly distributes expansion and contraction forces throughout the floor, due to uniform spacing between the floorboard rows. The isolation of the upper floorboard surface from the side surface also prevents undesired downward migration or flow of liquid finishing solution, which can have serious adverse affects for a wood floor. The invention reduces the total volume of finishing solution necessary for finishing the floor, and it also reduces “overwood” during floor installation.

Abstract: A wood floor system comprises a plurality of parallel rows (10a, 10b . . . 10z) of floorboards (10) laid end-to-end, and each of the floorboards (10) includes a compression nub (20) extending along a side surface (13) thereof, adjacent the top surface ( ). These compression nubs (20) affirmatively engage an opposing side surface (14) of an adjacent floorboard row (10a), thereby sealing, or isolating, the top surface of the floor from the side surfaces (13, 14) of the floorboard rows (10a, 10b . . . 10z). This uniformly distributes expansion and contraction forces throughout the floor, due to uniform spacing between the floorboard rows (10a, 10b . . . 10z). The isolation of the floorboard upper surface from the side surfaces (13, 14) also prevents undesired downward migration or flow of liquid finishing solution (28), which can have serious adverse affects for a wood floor. The invention reduces the total volume of finishing solution necessary for finishing the floor.

Abstract: A free floating hard wood floor system has upper and lower subfloors sandwiched to provide a monolithic panel system which supports the floorboards above with optimum rigidity and integrity at a reduced cost. Flat nail clinching strips are located between the sandwiched upper and lower subfloors. The floorboards disposed above the upper subfloor are secured thereto by a plurality of clinching nails extending through the floorboards, the upper subfloor and into the upper subfloor after deflecting on the flat clinching strips.