Borders and feature strips
Audio for slide 1 (mp3 |6|KB)
Borders and feature strips are designed to make a floor look more attractive.
Borders go around the field area of a floor and can vary in size and style.
Feature strips are generally narrower, and often form part of the overall floor design.
Apart from these differences, they are much the same in terms of installation techniques.
Borders go around the field area of a floor and can vary in size and style.
Feature strips are generally narrower, and often form part of the overall floor design.
Apart from these differences, they are much the same in terms of installation techniques.
Audio for slide 2 (mp3 |6|KB)
Installing a simple border
This drawing shows a yellow feature strip set in 300 mm from the wall, and a beige coloured border against the wall.
The steps involved in installing the border are as follows.
- Strike a chalk line to mark out the inside edge of the border pieces (that is, the edge furthest away from the wall).
- Cut the field material so it overlaps the chalk line by about 50 mm.
Audio for slide 7 (mp3 |6|KB)
Some installers like to weld the seams using a contrasting colour of welding cable.
A seam weld can even be used as a feature strip in its own right, set into the floor in a contrasting colour.
It's also possible to install the border first, before you lay the field. This helps with the overlapping of the two colours in the weld.
A seam weld can even be used as a feature strip in its own right, set into the floor in a contrasting colour.
It's also possible to install the border first, before you lay the field. This helps with the overlapping of the two colours in the weld.
Learning activity
Audio 8 (mp3 |6|KB)Have you worked on any installations that involved borders or feature strips?
What type of project was it? What was the design?
If you haven't done these sorts of installations before, have a look around in your travels at some examples of borders and feature strips. You're likely to find them in shopping centres, foyers in large offices, hospitals, and so on.
Also ask your supervisor or another experienced installer about the types of jobs they have worked on. What were the designs and patterns? How did they set them out on the floor?
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