FLOORING ELEMENTS
Structures made of gypsum fibreboards
COMPLETE SOLUTIONS FOR EVERY AREA OF USE
Gypsum fibre flooring elements are a particularly cost-effective solution for maximum convenience
when fitting solid and wooden beam ceilings in old and new buildings. The use of gypsum fibre
flooring elements is particularly popular in the modernisation of houses and apartment buildings,
and attic conversions. Gypsum fibre flooring elements are even suitable for highly stressed areas of
use with high single and area loads such as offices, administrative buildings, hospitals and hotels.
Rigips offers proven structures and systems from a single source which ensure sound and heat insulation, as well as fire protection for various areas of use.
PROPERTIES WHICH SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES:
Gypsum fibre flooring elements
1. can be dry laid quickly and cleanly. This ensures no damage can result from dirt and moisture during installation.
2. need no drying time. By contrast with wet screeds, floor covering
can be laid on top as soon as the adhesive has set (after approx. 24
h). As no additional moisture penetrates the structure, construction
times can be significantly shortened.
3. have the lowest height in comparison with other types of screed,
with thicknesses starting at just 18 mm. This makes it easier to
maintain joints to existing doors and stairs, as well as required room
heights when realizing modernization measures.
4. have a low weight per unit area starting at approx. 22 kg/m². This
makes them extremely well-suited for installation on ceilings with
low load-bearing capacities. Wet screeds weigh at least three times
as much.
5. can be prepared and laid by just one person using simple tools. Interruptions during installation, even within a room, are no problem.
6. are available with different insulating material coverings (composite elements) which improve both heat and sound insulation. This
means that flooring elements and insulation can be installed quickly
in a single working step.
7. are not susceptible to normal changes in humidity. This allows installation with minimal joints, which in turn opens up a wide design
scope in terms of the floor covering. Other materials such as wooden
panels or cement floors require the additional planning of expansion
joints to e.g. prevent surfaces from bulging.
8. comprise mineral-bound, non-combustible components. They offer reliable protection against fire for the supporting structure of ceilings (e.g. wooden beam ceilings) while, in the event of a fire, they
prevent its spread by releasing water of crystallisation. This acts like
a built-in fire service.
9. can be teamed with suitable under-floor heating systems and
combine the advantages of low height and a short warm-up period.
10. can also be used in rooms with high moisture levels (domestic
kitchens and bathrooms, bathrooms in hotel rooms, etc.) with appropriate sealing, as well as in cellars.
11. can be fitted with all common floor coverings. Even the installation of large flags, tiles or solid parquet flooring is possible with tailored floor structures.
12. Rigips is certified and recommended by the Institute for Building
Biology in Rosenheim.
SAMPLE APPLICATIONS
Under current German Energy Saving Ordinance (EnEV) requirements, floors where the floor panels come into contact with the subsoil or ceilings which border unheated areas require thicker insulating layers. The thinness of the flooring elements saves height which
can then be used for the heat insulation layer, facilitating compliance with required room heights.
Fig. 1:
Flooring elements in a heated cellar room
· Sealing
· Base floor levelling layer with dry fill
· Heat insulation in accordance with the German Energy Saving
Ordinance (EnEV)
· Gypsum fibre element
· Floor covering
Flooring elements pre-laminated with rigid foam are particularly
well-suited for situations where only reduced insulation material
thicknesses are possible or necessary. Insulation and flooring are laid
in a single working step.
Fig. 2:
Composite element on a dry solid ceiling
· Base floor levelling layer with dry fill
· Gypsum fibre element with insulating layer
· Floor covering
Non-laminated gypsum fibre flooring elements can also be combined with various under-floor heating systems.
Fig. 3:
Flooring elements on under-floor heating
· Sealing
· Base floor levelling layer with dry fill
· Heat insulation
· Under-floor heating system with heat-conducting plate
· Gypsum fibre element
To improve the sound insulation of existing solid ceilings, e.g. in multi-storey buildings, the use of highly effective sound-insulating composite elements laminated with wooden fibres or mineral wool is
highly recommended.
Fig. 4:
Composite element on a new solid ceiling
· Moisture protection
· Base floor levelling layer with dry fill
· Gypsum fibre element with sound-insulating layer
· Floor covering
Composite elements can also be installed directly on existing, level
substrates, possibly even with covering (e.g. tiles).
Fig. 5:
Composite element on an existing, level floor covering
· Existing floor covering
· Gypsum fibre element with sound-insulating layer
When converting or renovating attics with wooden beam ceilings,
gypsum fibre flooring elements offer both protection from the
spread of fire and effective sound insulation at a minimal height.
Fig. 6:
Composite element on a wooden beam ceiling
· Load-bearing, level boards
· Gypsum fibre element with sound-insulating layer
Fig. 7:
Flooring elements on an uneven wooden beam ceiling
· Load-bearing boards
· Trickle protection
· Base floor levelling layer with dry fill
· Gypsum fibre element
In domestic and hotel bathrooms, gypsum fibre flooring elements
can be fitted as normal with an appropriate sealing system. Grouts
or liquid films with corresponding sealing strips and cuffs are used.
Fig. 8:
Flooring elements on under-floor heating in a domestic
bathroom
· Levelling filler
· Under-floor heating system with heat-conducting plate
· Gypsum fibre element
- Sealing system
- Floor covering
Fig. 9:
Composite element on a wooden beam ceiling in a domestic
bathroom
· Load-bearing boards
· Trickle protection
· Base floor levelling layer with dry fill
· Gypsum fibre element with sound-insulating layer
· Sealing system
· Floor covering
COMPLETE RANGE OF ACCESSORIES FOR ALL REQUIREMENTS
Rigips offers tailored dry fills which ideally supplement the properties of the flooring elements to
even out floor surfaces and improve footstep sound/heat insulation.
The accessories required for professional laying such as screws, adhesives and fillers are also commercially available and specially tailored to the gypsum fibre flooring elements. All required tools are
standard items.
OPTIMUM BASE FOR ALL FLOOR COVERINGS
The dry/clean laying, surface hardness, chair caster resistance and properties of gypsum fibre
flooring elements make them suitable for all standard types of floor covering. Thanks to their low
tendency to shrink and expand, they can easily be tiled - unlike wooden panels. The majority of parquet types can be installed as both floating and bonded floors. Laminate, carpet, PVC and linoleum
are of course also options.
Detailed information on the structures, their properties and finishes can be obtained from the
manufacturer Rigips listed on the rear cover of this brochure.
© Saint-Gobain Rigips GmbH.
1. Edition, September 2012.
‘Rigipsplatte’ in Germany has become synonymous with the dry lining of interior walls using gypsum plasterboard. Rigips as a construction material has its origins in the USA where its inventor,
Augustine Sackett, took out a patent for ‚Inside Wall Covering‘ in 1894. However, it was not until 1933 that the first European plasterboard factory was established in Riga, Latvia. The location also
influenced the brand name ‚Rigips‘, a combination of Riga and Gips (plaster). After the war, the production was relocated and the ‘Vereinigte Baustoffwerke Bodenwerder GmbH’ was founded in
Bodenwerder. It was in 1961 that it was decided to rename it to ‚Rigips GmbH‘ and thus laying the foundation stone for a remarkable brand success. Today, the company forms part of the French
industrial group Saint-Gobain. Over recent decades the product range has been gradually expanded. Plasterboard is now available in a wide variety of formats. In addition to these versatile boards,
Rigips now provides solutions from a single source which include all the necessary components that satisfy the highest standards, e.g. ‘Rigips Climafit Protekto‘. This dry construction solution allows
for an electromagnetic screening of up to 99.999% of electric smog from living and work spaces.
Take advantage of the knowledge and experience of the Construction Professional!
How may we help you?
All rights reserved.
All information is subject to change.
Saint-Gobain Rigips GmbH
Saint-Gobain Rigips GmbH
Head Office
Schanzenstraße 84
D-40549 Düsseldorf
Tel.: +49 (0)211 5503-0
Fax: +49 (0)211 5503-208
[email protected]
www.rigips.de
Enquiries
Erkan Türkan
[email protected]
Technical Enquiries
Mahmut Gündüzalp
[email protected]