Cove base molding systems and methods

Abstract

The cove base molding strip includes a body including a planar portion having a front surface and a rear surface and a curved portion having a concave surface continuous with the front surface and a convex surface continuous with the rear surface. The rear surface includes at least a first channel. A cove anchor projects from the convex surface, and the intersection of the front surface and the rear surface define a rounded tip that projects from the planar portion.

Claims

1. A cove base molding strip positioned adjacent to a floor/wall junction, comprising: a body including a planar portion having a front surface and a rear surface, a curved portion having a concave surface continuous with the front surface and a convex surface continuous with the rear surface, and a planar bottom surface bridging the concave surface and convex surface at a lower end of the body; wherein the body has a body height and the planar bottom surface has a planar bottom surface width, and wherein the ratio of the body height to the planar bottom surface width is about 8; wherein the rear surface includes at least a first channel and a second channel recessed within the planar portion at opposite ends thereof; and first and second beads of adhesive applied to the first and second channels, respectively; wherein a cove anchor projects from the convex surface; and wherein an intersection of the front surface and the rear surface define a rounded tip that projects from the planar portion.

2. The base molding strip of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a polymeric material.

3. The base molding strip of claim 1, wherein the rounded tip projects rearward of the rear surface.

4. The base molding strip of claim 1, wherein the front surface and the rear surface define the rounded tip at an upper end of the body, and wherein the planar bottom surface bridges the convex surface and the concave surface at a lower end of the body.

5. The base molding strip of claim 1, wherein the first channel includes an opening in the rear surface and a volume within the body, wherein the opening has an opening width and the volume has a volume width, and wherein the first channel is partially enclosed so that the opening width is less than the volume width.

6. The base molding strip of claim 5, wherein the first channel has a dovetail shape in cross section.

7. The base molding strip of claim 1, wherein each of the first channel and the second channel has a dovetail shape in cross section.

8. The base molding strip of claim 1, wherein the cove anchor projects from the convex surface at an angle of about 45 degrees relative to the planar portion.

9. The base molding strip of claim 8, wherein the cove anchor includes a head portion including first and second planar surfaces.

10. The base molding strip of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive.

11. The base molding strip of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a material that is not flammable.

12. The cove base molding strip of claim 1, wherein the planar bottom surface width is at least about 0.5 in.

13. A method for installing a base molding strip to a junction of a wall and a floor comprising: providing a base molding strip comprising: a body including a planar portion having a front surface and a rear surface and a curved portion having a concave surface continuous with the front surface and a convex surface continuous with the rear surface; wherein the rear surface includes at least a first channel and a second channel recessed within the planar portion at opposite ends thereof; wherein a cove anchor projects from the convex surface; and wherein the intersection of the front surface and the rear surface define a rounded tip that projects from the planar portion; and applying a first adhesive bead within the first channel; applying a second adhesive bead within the second channel; applying a third adhesive bead to the wall/floor junction; positioning the base molding strip on the wall so that the rear surface of the body directly contacts the wall while the first adhesive bead within the first channel contacts the wall and the anchor contacts the second adhesive bead; and positioning the cove anchor in contact with the junction of the wall and the floor.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of applying the third adhesive bead to the wall prior to the step of positioning the base molding on the wall.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of applying pressure to the base molding strip such that the rounded tip forms a seal against the wall.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the providing step comprises providing first and second base molding strips, each strip including vertical ends, and wherein the method further comprises the step of applying a fourth adhesive bead to a vertical end of the first base molding strip and securing the vertical end of the first base molding strip to the vertical end of the second base molding strip.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) The drawing figures depict one or more implementations in accord with the present concepts, by way of example only, not by way of limitations. In the figures, like reference numerals refer to the same or similar elements.

(2) FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a cross section of a cove base molding strip in the resting position.

(3) FIG. 1A is an elevational view identical to FIG. 1 illustrating sample dimensions for the cove base molding strip.

(4) FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a cross section of the cove base molding strip of FIG. 1 in the installed position.

(5) FIG. 3 is a perspective, cross section view of the cove base molding system including the cove base molding strip of FIG. 1 in the installed position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(6) The cove base molding systems 10 and methods of the present application utilize a cove base molding strip 12 that includes a body 14 having a planar portion 16 and a curved portion 18 as shown in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 2, the planar portion 16 is secured to a lower portion 20 of a wall 22 and the curved portion 18, referred to as the cove, extends onto the floor 24 so that it covers a wall/floor junction 26 when the cove base molding system 10 is installed.

(7) Shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the planar portion 16 includes a front surface 28 and a rear surface 30 that intersect to define a rounded or radiused tip 32 at an upper end 34 of the body 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the rounded tip 32 projects rearward of the rear surface 30. The rounded tip 32 extends beyond the rear surface 30 in the resting position so that movement of the rear surface 30 into the installed position causes the rounded tip 32 to deform slightly which, when constructed from an elastic material, causes the rounded tip 32 to press firmly against the wall 22, creating a seal 36 that acts as a moisture barrier. The curved shape of the rounded tip 32 provides a smaller surface area of the upper end 34 of the cove base molding strip 12, thereby minimizing the amount of dust that can accumulate along the top of the cove base molding strip 12. The seal 36 created by the rounded tip 32 and the wall 22 also eliminates the need for caulking this junction.

(8) The rear surface 30 of the planar portion 14 includes one or more channels 38 that receive a bead of adhesive 40 during installation as shown in FIG. 2. Each channel 38 provides additional surface area to which the adhesive material 40 bonds. Further, each channel 38 may be partially enclosed (for example, with a narrowing near the opening of the channel 38 at the rear surface 30) so that an opening of the channel has a width that is less than a width of the body of the channel 38. Accordingly, once cured, the adhesive 40 is locked into the channel 38, thereby strengthening the bond between the cove base molding strip 12, the adhesive 40, and the wall 22the cove base molding strip 12 can not be released from the wall 22 because the cured adhesive 40 in the channel 38 can not be squeezed through the narrowed opening of the channel 38. In the illustrated embodiment, the cove base molding strip 12 includes two spaced channels 38 that extend along the length of the strip 12. In some embodiments, each channel 38 has a dovetail shape, although the shape and size of the channel 38 may vary depending on the molding process and materials used, the mechanical properties of the material, and other related factors.

(9) The curved portion 18 includes a concave surface 42 continuous with the front surface 28 and a convex surface 44 continuous with the rear surface 30. A planar bottom surface 46 bridges the concave surface 42 and the convex surface 44 at a lower end 48 of the body 14. When installed, movement from the resting position to the installed position results in the application of pressure to the planar bottom surface 46, creating a seal 50 that acts as a moisture barrier.

(10) The cove base molding strip 12 also includes a cove anchor 52 that extends into the wall/floor junction 26 when installed to properly position the cove base molding strip 12 on the wall 22 and to provide an additional moisture barrier. In the illustrated embodiment, the cove anchor 52 extends from the convex surface 44 of the cove base molding strip 12 at an angle of about 45 degrees relative to the rear surface 30. A head portion 54 of the cove anchor contacts the wall/floor junction 26 as seen in FIG. 2. In the illustrated embodiment, the head portion 54 includes first and second planar surfaces 56a, 56b that correspond to the wall 22 and the floor 24, respectively. The shape of the head portion 54 may include more or fewer surfaces of any size and shape as desired. In some embodiments, the cove anchor 52 may have a consistent cross section throughout the length of the cove base molding strip 12. In other embodiments, the cove base molding strip 12 may include one or more cove anchors 52 spaced apart from one another. In the resting position shown in FIG. 1, the cove anchor 52 is spaced apart from the wall/floor junction 26. During installation, the cove anchor 52 is secured to the floor/wall junction 26 by an adhesive 58 as shown in FIG. 2.

(11) The cove base molding system 10 may include a plurality of cove base molding strips 12 positioned adjacent to one another as shown in FIG. 3. In one embodiment, the length of each strip 12 is 48 inches, although the length may vary. Adjacent cove base molding strips 12 may be joined together using an adhesive (not visible) along the vertical ends 60 of each strip 12 to form a vertical joint 62. The user may install the cove base molding system 10 around a corner using cove base molding strips 12 with mitered vertical ends (not shown).

(12) In an example embodiment, the cove base molding strip 12 has the dimensions noted in the following table and as seen in FIG. 1A. It should be noted that the dimensions in the following table are exemplary only and not limiting.

(13) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Nominal Dimension (millimeters unless FIG. 1A otherwise noted) A 0.025 B 0.470 C 4.000 D 0.025 (radius of curvature) E 0.515 F 1.250 G 0.281 H 90 degrees J 0.300 K 0.200 L 0.070 M 0.207

(14) The cove base molding strip 12 may be made of any suitable material that has an expansion coefficient similar to that of epoxy in order to eliminate cracking and separation. In a preferred embodiment, the expansion coefficient is between about 28 and about 50.4 An example material is a polymer, although any other suitable material or combinations of materials may be used. The adhesive material 40, 58 used to adhere the cove base molding strip 12 to the wall 22 and the floor 24 may be a two component, fast drying adhesive, or any other suitable adhesive. The adhesive material (not visible) used to join two adjacent cove base molding strips 12 as described below may be a single component, low viscosity, cyanoacrylate adhesive, although any other suitable adhesive may be used.

(15) To install the cove base molding system 10, the user determines the number of cove base molding strips 12 needed. If more than one strip 12 is necessary, the user may join adjacent strips 12 prior to installation or during installation. For example, the user may apply an adhesive to the vertical ends 60 of adjacent first and second strips 12 to form a continuous strip, and then mount the continuous strip to the wall 22. Alternatively, the user may apply the first strip 12 to the wall 22 according to the following description, then apply an adhesive to the vertical end 60 of the first strip 12 and/or the vertical end 60 of the second strip 12, and then mount the second strip 12 to the wall immediately adjacent to the first strip 12 to form the joint 62. In either embodiment, the cove base molding system 10 may include pins or other fastening mechanisms that bridge the channels 38 of adjacent cove base molding strips 12 to join adjacent strips 12.

(16) Prior to mounting each cove base molding strip 12 (or continuous strip) to the wall 22, the user applies an adhesive bead 40 to the one or more channels 38 on the rear surface 30 of the base molding strip 12 and an adhesive bead 58 to the wall/floor junction 26. The user may optionally apply a bead of adhesive to the wall 22 as well. The user then positions the base molding strip 12 on the wall 22 so that the adhesive bead 40 on the one or more channels 38 contacts the wall 22 and the cove anchor 52 contacts the adhesive bead 58 on the wall/floor junction 26. The user applies pressure and holds the strip 12 in place as the adhesives 40, 58 dries. If any gaps are formed between the upper end 34 of the strip 12 and the wall 22, the user may insert adhesive 40, 58 into the gap and apply pressure until the adhesive 40, 58 dries in order to close the gap. The user may also apply additional adhesive 40, 58 atop vertical joints 62 to strengthen the joint 62.

(17) It should be noted that various changes and modifications to the presently preferred embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention and without diminishing its attendant advantages.