US-12624557-B2 - Subfloor system and methods of construction thereof

US12624557B2US 12624557 B2US12624557 B2US 12624557B2US-12624557-B2

Abstract

The invention describes a subfloor or a split subfloor system for use in the construction of a portable deck. The proposed subfloor system can be installed without any special skill set or tools. The subfloor comprises of several footings that are arranged on the ground, at least two pre-notched beams that are placed on the footings, at least two pre-notched joists that rest perpendicularly on the pre-notched beams, at least two frame units that rest perpendicularly on the pre-notched beams in a direction parallel to the pre-notched joists, and at least one rim joist secured to each end of the pre-notched joists and the frame units. These components of the subfloor system could also be split in two or more pieces for a split subfloor system that makes transportation easier. A kit comprising the components of the subfloor system and a method of construction is also provided.

Inventors

Hamza Iqbal
Charbel Daoud

Assignees

Laccoo Outdoors, LLC

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20250410

Claims (20)

1 . A subfloor system comprising: a plurality of footings placed on the ground; at least two pre-notched beams that rest on the plurality of footings; at least two pre-notched joists that rest perpendicularly on the pre-notched beams; at least two frame units that rest perpendicularly on the pre-notched beams in a direction parallel to the pre-notched joists; wherein the pre-notched joists and the frame units are secured to the pre-notched beams by fastening means; and at least one rim joist secured to each end of the pre-notched joists and the frame units; wherein the pre-notched joist has a male bracket affixed at each end or wherein each end of the pre-notched joist has one or more dowel pin receiving cavities, wherein the male bracket or the dowel pin receiving cavities on the pre-notched joist receives the at least one rim joist.
2 . The subfloor system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of footings are secured to the ground, wherein the plurality of footings are placed either in a square, a rectangular, a pentagon, or a hexagonal form on the ground.
3 . The subfloor system of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of footings may be concrete footings, buried post footings, screw/helical piles, deck blocks, precast cement footings, precast concrete deck footings, a combination thereof, or any other footing that provides a solid foundation for constructing the subfloor system, and/or wherein each footing of the plurality of footings has a groove or a bracket to receive the pre-notched beams.
4 . The subfloor system of claim 3 , wherein the pre-notched beams rest in the groove or the bracket of the plurality of footings.
5 . The subfloor system of claim 4 , wherein each pre-notched beam has an underside extension that fits in the groove of the footing; wherein the pre-notched beam has a flat undersurface with the underside extensions provided at each end; wherein the underside extension is equal to the length of the footing and does not run along the whole length of the pre-notched beam; or wherein each pre-notched beam has a flat underside surface that sits on the bracket of the footing and is secured to the bracket by fastening means.
6 . The subfloor system of claim 1 , wherein each pre-notched beam has a plurality of beam notches to receive the pre-notched joists, and/or wherein the number of beam notches is equal to the combined number of pre-notched joists and the number of frame units, and/or wherein each beam notch is equidistant from the other beam notch.
7 . The subfloor system of claim 1 , wherein each pre-notched beam has a half-notched end to receive the frame units.
8 . The subfloor system of claim 6 , wherein each pre-notched beam has a pair of brackets on the outside of the beam notch to hold the pre-notched joists in place.
9 . The subfloor system of claim 7 , wherein each pre-notched beam has one or more brackets on the outside of the half-notched end to hold the frame units in place.
10 . The subfloor system of claim 1 , wherein each pre-notched joist has at least two surface notches on one side of the pre-notched joist, and/or wherein the at least two surface notches are equidistant from the center of the pre-notched joist, and/or wherein each surface notch sits perpendicularly on the beam notch of each pre-notched beam, and/or wherein each end of the pre-notched joist has two identical half notches.
11 . The subfloor system of claim 10 , wherein the two identical half-notches form a rim support piece at each end of the pre-notched joist, wherein the two identical half-notches on the pre-notched joists receive a rim joist.
12 . The subfloor system of claim 1 , wherein each end of the pre-notched joist has an L-shaped notch, and/or wherein the L-shaped notch forms a rim-support protrusion on each end of the pre-notched joist, and/or wherein the L-shaped notch on the pre-notched joist receives a rim joist.
13 . The subfloor system of claim 10 , wherein the pre-notched joist has one or more central notches on a side opposite to the side which has the surface notches, and/or wherein the central notch is at the center of the pre-notched joist.
14 . The subfloor system of claim 13 , wherein the central notch of the pre-notched joist receive a deck blocking piece, wherein the deck blocking piece has a) one or more joist blocking groves, b) one or more half-frame blocking grooves, or c) a combination of both; that align with the central notch of the pre-notched joist.
15 . The subfloor system of claim 1 , wherein each frame unit receives at least two pre-notched joists and a central connecting piece that are affixed together and/or wherein each frame unit has corresponding half-notches, two L-shaped notches, rim support pieces, rim support protrusions, or central notches.
16 . The subfloor system of claim 15 , wherein the central connecting piece is affixed between the at least two pre-notched joists.
17 . The subfloor system of claim 1 , wherein each frame unit rests on the edges of the pre-notched beams.
18 . The subfloor system of claim 1 , wherein the pre-notched joist has identical half notches, an L-shaped notch, a male bracket, or a dowel pin receiving cavity, wherein the pre-notched joist receives a rim joist, wherein the rim joist sits perpendicular to the pre-notched joist.
19 . The subfloor system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one rim joist has a plurality of cavities along its surface that receive the rim support piece of the pre-notched joist, and/or wherein the rim joist has a U-shaped notch at each end to receive the rim support piece or rim support protrusion of the frame unit, and/or wherein the rim joist has a female bracket that attaches to the male bracket affixed at each end of the pre-notched joist, and/or wherein the rim joist has one or more dowel pins that fit in the dowel pin receiving cavities of the pre-notched joist.
20 . The subfloor system of claim 1 , wherein each of the pre-notched beam, the pre-notched joist, the frame unit, and the at least one rim joist of the subfloor system are divided in two or more pieces, wherein the two or more pieces connect to form a complete pre-notched beam, a complete pre-notched joist, and a complete pre-notched frame units, a complete rim joist.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a subfloor system or a split subfloor system for constructing decks, stages or raised platforms. More specifically, the invention describes a subfloor system for constructing a portable do-it-yourself (DIY) subfloor system. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Traditional methods of constructing decks often involve hiring professional contractors, which can be time-consuming and costly for homeowners. The process typically entails requesting quotes, negotiating terms, and scheduling construction, resulting in significant lead times and expenses. Moreover, these methods often require specialized skills and experience, limiting accessibility to individuals with professional training or hiring capabilities which results in premium labour cost. Homeowners seeking to build decks themselves face various challenges, including the need for extensive tools, materials, and technical knowledge. The absence of standardized, user-friendly solutions further complicates the DIY deck construction process, discouraging many from pursuing such projects independently. Other issue is longevity, which depends on the construction technique and material used for constructing the deck. A DIYer is not a professional deck builder and may not have access to all the necessary tools which may result in a substandard outcome. Often, a weak subfloor design leads to serious problems such as sagging, collapsing or other structural issues. If not waterproofed appropriately, there could be significant damage to the deck due to water accumulation. Additionally, the seasonality of deck construction contributes to increased costs, as companies must cover overhead expenses within a limited operational window. Homeowners may find themselves paying premium prices due to high demand and the need to offset these costs. Building a deck traditionally takes several hours to days depending on the size of the deck being built. A DIY deck involves comparatively a lesser time commitment, however, ignoring local building codes, or the subfloor or under structure design, or underestimating the time commitment for a robust deck are common deck-building mistakes. Manual deck squaring requires all the components to be placed accurately. First, the beam to be placed on top of posts or directly on blocks in a level way and the next step is to lay the joists on the beams. Each step requires measuring manually in between every joist to ensure that the joists are equidistant. After spacing the joists manually, the rim joist is screwed onto all of the joists. The next step is to measure the deck diagonally from corner to corner. If the measurement is off, the whole subfloor box needs to be moved left or right and requires re-measurement. So, manual deck or subfloor squaring to ensure that the diagonal measurements on both sides are identical is a long and meticulous process and beyond the skillset of most DIY'ers. Although, DIY decks with composite decking materials are becoming increasingly popular due to their durability and low maintenance, but they do require specific installation procedures to ensure proper installation. Sometimes, the installation instructions are not easy to follow which leads to confusion and frustration. More commonly, after investing in a costly decking company and all the required materials, if the homeowner decides to move to a different place, they are forced to leave behind the expensive decks with the house. Traditionally, framing and squaring a deck can take anywhere between 4-8 hours depending on size of the deck. However, this is assuming that the deck is being built by a skilled carpenter and his crew that knows his lumber dimensions, angles, and can foresee framing techniques to ensure a squared deck. This not only involves levelling the beams and the joists but also using accurate dimensions to perfectly square deck. For a DIY'er, it can take anywhere between 12-16 hours to perfectly square and frame a deck, which is just to build the subfloor of a deck. For a standard 10 feet×10 feet deck, it can take anywhere between two to three days to build a complete deck depending on the skills of the carpenter and size of the deck. If a person has no background (DIY'er) who attempts to do everything from scratch, it can take up to four to six days to build a deck with decent quality. Moreover, the DIY'er must have all the necessary tools. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1A shows a diagrammatic representation of an exemplary pre-notched beam design. FIG. 1B shows a diagrammatic representation of the exemplary pre-notched beam and brackets. FIG. 1C shows a side-perspective view of a pre-notched beam with the half-notched ends and with one beam notch and without the underside extension. FIG. 1D shows a side view of a pre-notched beam with the half-notched ends and only one beam notch but without the underside extension. FIG. 1E shows a bottom-perspective view of a pre-notched beam with the ha