What is a raised floor?

Are a raised floor and a floating floor the same thing?

What are the components of a Technical Raised Floor?

What is meant by "top finish"?

What is meant by "core or panel"?

What is meant by "bottom finish"?

What is meant by "perimetral border"?

What is meant by "column"?

What is the FFH?

What are the stringers for?

What requisites must a room have for installation of a raised floor?

 

What is a raised floor?

It’s an extremely versatile, flexible floor with an excellent appearance which can be customised as required. The floor is defined as raised since it does not rest on the foundation but is raised by means of a metallic structure. A raised floor is one which is composed of modular elements (panels) resting on, but not fixed to, a support structure at a certain height compared to the exterior surface of the foundation, so as to create a cavity (technical compartment) below the impact surface which services and systems can run along. A raised floor makes it possible to lay all the cables and pipes directly on the foundation without any building works. In the case of malfunction or in case of need to access the elements below the floor one has only to raise the panel using the suction pad for the purpose: without any invasive or destructive action one has immediate and easy access to below the floor. A raised floor makes it possible to expand the available space providing new services in a very short time: when the need arises to extend a pipe to another room to add an air-conditioner or to link up to the electricity supply for a new work station nothing could be easier or faster: just raise the panels, lay the cables or pipes and replace the panels.
Teknofloor® raised floor systems also offer further, incomparable benefits: our raised floors can, in fact, be made to measure and produced in non-standard sizes. Our floors are the only ones in Italy to be certified for their inter-floor noise transmission coefficient: only with our floors will the beautiful secretary on the floor above stop torturing us with her high heels.

Are a raised floor and a floating floor the same thing?

Yes, a raised floor and floating floor are synonyms, in fact the floor is defined as floating because it does not rest on the foundation but  is suspended on a frame.

 

What are the components of a Technical Raised Floor?

A Raised Floor is an out-and-out system composed of  the following elements:

1. top finish
2. core or panel
3. bottom finish
4. perimetral border:
5. weight-bearing structure (which may in turn be composed of columns with or without stringers)

What is meant by "top finish"?

The top or surface finish is the aesthetic component of the panel. The finish gives the same visual effect as the equivalent traditional floor, to which, however, all the advantages of a raised floor are added.
Finishes are available in the most varied surfaces: laminate, PVC, rubber, linoleum, carpet, parquet, porcelain stoneware, marble and natural granites.

What is meant by "core or panel"?

The core or panel is the set of materials generally placed under the surface covering used to take the load of the panel.

What is meant by "bottom finish"?

The bottom finish is the hidden face of the panel: it is used to improve the physical properties (such as mechanical resistance) and chemical properties (such as protection from infiltration of damp) of the panel itself. It can be made from plastic laminate, aluminium sheeting 0.05 mm, melamine paper sheeting, galvanised sheeting 0.5 mm or a galvanised steel tray 0,5 mm.

What is meant by "perimetral border"?

The perimetral border is a profile applied using glue to the lateral border of the panel. It acts as a finish, to keep the system watertight and to protect the surface finish of the panel.

What is meant by "column"?

The column is the weight-bearing element of the raised floor. It is adjusted in height when the panel is being laid and makes it possible to achieve the desired FFH.

What is the FFH?

The abbreviation FFH stands for “finished floor height". The figure given for such height is measured between the foundation and the impact height. In practice the height we walk at on the raised floor compared to the foundation and this is the height at which all the thresholds of the door are placed, for example.

What are the stringers for?

The stringers are installed so as to improve the stability and rigidity of the structure, the bearing capacity and the resistance of the system.
The stringers have a solely connective purpose: in fact they keep the frame still even in the event of removal of a number of panels. The stringers also have a secondary support function in the event of accidental collapse of a panel: only in the case of the CTTR frame do the stringers have a weight-bearing function since the foot and the stringer are on the same plane.

What requisites must a room have for installation of a raised floor?

A raised floor can be installed anywhere. A smooth, level floor makes laying easier but rough, uneven surfaces can also be adapted with the use of self-levelling materials.