Nowadays, the floating floor for exteriors called OPEN SYSTEM can be used in lots of different residential, business and industrial building situations for balconies, terraces, pathways, roofs fit for pedestrian traffic, etc.
The surface remains raised in this type of flooring system also, thus creating a hollow "technical space" of variable height, which can be easily inspected when either the roofing or the plant installations need to be assembled, serviced or cleaned. Moreover, the system also allows the rain water to regularly flow away, thus preventing water from stagnating, rising damp and problems caused by freezing temperatures and infiltrating water.
Since the floor is designed for installation outdoors, its main function is to guarantee safe conditions for pedestrian traffic when it comes to both its ability to withstand loads and to provide a non-slip surface: Casalgrande Padana offers a wide range of modular solutions that allow designers to give vent to all their creative flair, obtain customized projects and above all, achieve surfaces with different non-slip values. This means that the flooring can be "tailor-made" to suit the effective purpose for which it is required. And this is not all. Frost resistance, the ability to withstand sudden temperature changes, lightfastness, the non-absorbance of the surfaces and resistance to chemical aggression continue to be fundamental characteristics that ensure the floor remains long-lasting and retains its good looks.
Used for floors subjected to exclusively pedestrian traffic of modest entity, the system consists of two elements:
1_porcelain stoneware tiles from the Granitogrès Line in the 40x40 cm format and 14/15 mm extra-thick version with Matt and Roccia surface finishes. Besides the necessary frost resistance and the ability to withstand adverse weather conditions, the Granitogrès tiles also provide an adequate safety performance (they are non-slip) and possess high ultimate load resistance (approx. 350 kg);
2_the black polypropylene bearing supports are used to obtain a hollow gap about 14 cm in height. The base of the supports has a hole in the middle to allow it to adapt to the bearing surface in the best possible way.
The supports are equipped with levelling 2.5 mm thick that compensate for any differences in level in the bearing surface (e.g. in areas where the waterproofing sheaths overlap) and ensure that each individual tile remains completely stable.
Both the supports and the levelling are constructed so as to be easily cut along the indents made at 90°, 180° e 270°, thus plugging all the gaps at the end parts, in the
corners and edges around the perimeter of the floor area that needs paving.
The floor components are easy to lay as no cement or adhesive is required. Moreover, the bearing surface can be easily inspected. The joints are correctly aligned thanks
to four fins (spacers) in the upper part of the support which allows a homogeneous joint width of about 4 mm to be obtained. Supports and levelling can be installed in
temperatures ranging from 0°C to 40°C. They are able to withstand sudden temperature changes, acid and basic solutions, as well as adverse weather conditions.
