Looking for finishing products that make fabricating a new floor easier?
Then the Ripstaal dovetailed sheets indispensable.
In this blog, we tell you everything you need to know about working with dovetailed sheets.
What is a dovetail sheet?
Ripstaal's dovetail sheets are sheets rolled in a special dovetail profile. These sheets are used to make very thin and thus relatively light concrete floors on a wooden substrate. The dovetailed sheets, together with a thin layer of fine gravel concrete, provide a stable lightweight concrete floor with a very high load-bearing capacity.
After the concrete has hardened, the dovetailed sheets form a load-bearing unit with the concrete. When the fine gravel concrete is finished flush, in principle no additional screed is required.
Wooden floors
Most first-floor floors in older homes are often made of wood. If it is desirable to renovate or install a bathroom on this floor, one should bear in mind that a wooden floor in a wet room can lead to problems.
These include problems due to moisture, an example being wood rot. Another example is cracking in tiling because it does not go well together on the wooden substrate.
These problems are easily and quickly remedied with the application of a dovetailed slab on which one pours a thin layer of fine gravel concrete (also known as kif concrete).
Subfloor load-bearing capacity
It is important that the wooden joist on which the new floor is installed is sufficiently load-bearing.
If there is any doubt about the spacing of the joist in relation to the span and bearing capacity required, it is strongly recommended to hire an expert and have a verification calculation done. Prevention is better than cure.
Height of the dovetailed sheet floor
The minimum height when using dovetailed sheeting in homes is 36mm. This is made up of the 16mm of the dovetailed sheet and a 20mm concrete compression layer.
There is the possibility of additional features, such as floor heating or a shower channel. Logically, this will increase the height of the floor, but this is part of the options.
Since the dovetailed sheet serves as reinforcement, no additional reinforcement is needed.
A new floor with dovetailed sheets in 2 steps
1. Zlaying wall plates
Using insulation sheets, ensure that the dovetailed sheets are 20mm away from the wall. The dovetailed sheets should always be placed at right angles to the joist (see photo).
After this, fix the dovetailed sheets to the joist using wire nails. The only exception is for sound-insulating floors.
Make sure the boards overlap on the joist and overlap between 50 to 100 mm.
TIP: use an angle grinder to cut the sheets to size
2. Application of compression layer
The compression layer should be fine gravel concrete (also known as kif concrete). Apply it to the dovetailed sheet, paying extra attention to filling the grooves properly. After curing of the compressive layer, the insulation sheet can be cut off at the wall. Assume the height of the floor.
Floor heating
The use of dovetailed sheets need not interfere with underfloor heating.
The underfloor heating pipes can be applied to the top of the dovetail in various ways. For example, by using tape or clamping saddles.
What is important here is that the pipes are fixed perpendicular to the dovetailed sheets as much as possible.
Easy and multi-purpose
With the help of Ripstaal's Dovetail sheeting, it therefore becomes a piece of cake to create a waterproof and strong floor.
In addition, dovetailed sheets are also very suitable as substrates under tiles, flagstones and natural stone. The sheets are strong, rigid, fire-resistant and even thermally and sound-insulating. The Rip steel dovetailed sheet is applicable in any renovation or new construction project where a new concrete floor needs to be installed.
