A floor element for forming a floor covering, wherein the floor element comprises: a decorative layer made of a ceramic material; a support layer arranged below the decorative layer; and an intermediate layer comprising a rigid resin material that permeates a lower surface of the decorative layer, wherein the decorative layer is between 8 and 10 mm thick, wherein the support layer is made of rigid PVC, comprises more than 30 wt % of filler material and is less than 6 mm thick, and wherein the floor element comprises an intermediate reinforcing layer having a resin material that permeates a lower surface of the decorative layer, wherein the intermediate reinforcing layer is an adhesive layer that bonds together the decorative layer and the support layer.

A floor element for forming a floor covering, wherein the floor element comprises a board having edges provided with coupling elements adapted to cooperate with coupling elements of an adjacent similar floor element in the floor covering, wherein the coupling elements comprise at least one male part and at least one female part, the male part being positioned along a first edge and protruding outwardly beyond an upper edge at the first edge, the female part being positioned along a second edge and extending inwardly beyond an upper edge at said second edge to form a recess for at least partially receiving the male part, wherein the recess comprises an inlet opening having a vertical breadth, wherein the ratio between the vertical breadth and the thickness of the board is more than 0.4, and wherein the board has a thickness comprised from 3.2 mm to 6 mm.

A vertical joint system for substrates is formed with joints and which engaged by relative motion in a direction perpendicular to major surfaces and of the substrate. The joints are configured to enable relative rotation of up to 3 degrees while maintaining engagement of the joints. The joints and are further configured to form two locking planes one on each of the inner and outer most sides of the joint. Engagement about the locking planes is provided by transverse outward extending surfaces. At least one surface in each pair of engaging surfaces is smoothly curved. The joints and can be further arranged to provide a third locking plane parallel to and between the locking planes. The joints are disengaged by combination of a downward rotation of one joint relative the other then application of a downward force.

Disclosed herein is a modular flooring assembly including a flooring component adhered to a first tray substrate and a second tray substrate which are interconnected to form an assembled tray substrate. The assembled tray substrate may be interconnected with additional assembled tray substrates to form a modular floor suitable for most flooring applications. The flooring component may be tile or wood or other materials commonly used in flooring applications. Convention fill-in grout or a snap-in grout may be used with the modular flooring assemblies.

Ceramic and stone tiles are shown, which are provided with a locking system including a separate strip part connected to vertical and horizontal grooves formed in the tile edge. A set of ceramic or stone tiles including a first tile provided with a first edge and a second tile provided with a second edge wherein the tiles are provided with a locking system for locking the first edge to the second edge in a horizontal direction parallel with a tile surface and in a vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction, said locking system includes a first and a second tongue and a strip part provided with a first and a second locking element.

Ceramic and stone tiles are shown, which are provided with a locking system including a separate strip part connected to vertical and horizontal grooves formed in the tile edge. A set of ceramic or stone tiles including a first tile provided with a first edge and a second tile provided with a second edge wherein the tiles are provided with a locking system for locking the first edge to the second edge in a horizontal direction parallel with a tile surface and in a vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction, said locking system includes a first and a second tongue and a strip part provided with a first and a second locking element.

A support for installing facing materials such as ceramic tiles on a substrate, such as, floors, walls and ceilings. The support plate has a plurality of spaced apart raised portions and recesses in the plate material, and a plurality of openings extending through the top surface and bottom surface of the plate material. The openings exposing a mat layer attached to the bottom of the support plate. Support plates of the invention are used for tile installations between a substrate and tile. Thin-set mortar that is used to secure the tile to the support plate flows into the recesses and into the openings forming a continuous bond between the mortar, openings and mat layer to provide a strong bond between the support plate, mortar and the tiles.

A floor element for forming a floor covering, wherein the floor element comprises a board having edges provided with coupling elements adapted to cooperate with coupling elements of an adjacent similar floor element in the floor covering, wherein the coupling elements comprise at least one male part and at least one female part, the male part being positioned along a first edge and protruding outwardly beyond an upper edge at the first edge, the female part being positioned along a second edge and extending inwardly beyond an upper edge at the second edge to thereby form a recess for at least partially receiving the male part, wherein the recess comprises an inlet opening having a vertical breadth, with the characteristic that the ratio between the vertical breadth and the thickness of the board is more than 0.4.

A structural element for forming a ground covering, in particular in an outdoor area, including a rectangular tile. A molded-on portion which is made of a plastic material and runs around the edge of the tile like a frame is preferably injection-molded and/or foamed onto the tile.

Flooring material has an anti-slip, noise reducing pad directly self-adhered to a bottom surface. The pad is formed by applying a foamable PVC material is directly on the bottom surface of the flooring and heating the PVC material to foam the PVC material. The PVC material may then be cooled to form the pad with a definite formed shape having a resilient outer surface layer and a spongy foamy inner structure.