U.S. patent application number 10/235128 was filed with the patent office on 2004-03-11 for mold and mildew resistant openwork building material.
Invention is credited to Lake, Charles W..
Application Number | 20040045242 10/235128 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 31990475 |
Filed Date | 2004-03-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20040045242 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lake, Charles W. |
March 11, 2004 |
Mold and mildew resistant openwork building material
Abstract
A roll-form building material spacer product providing air space
and drainage passageways within a building structure. The building
material spacer has an openwork structure and carries an antifungal
agent which prevents the growth of mold and mildew within a
building structure in which the spacer is installed. Preferably,
the antifungal agent is dispersed evenly throughout the openwork
material either within the material or coated on the material. A
building structure assembly having the openwork spacer and methods
of making an openwork spacer and making a building structure with
the spacer are also provided.
Inventors: |
Lake, Charles W.;
(Norristown, PA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
HOWSON AND HOWSON
ONE SPRING HOUSE CORPORATION CENTER
BOX 457
321 NORRISTOWN ROAD
SPRING HOUSE
PA
19477
US
|
Family ID: |
31990475 |
Appl. No.: |
10/235128 |
Filed: |
September 5, 2002 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/396.02 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B32B 21/10 20130101;
B32B 5/02 20130101; E04D 12/002 20130101; B32B 3/30 20130101; E04B
1/70 20130101; E04F 13/007 20130101; B32B 5/26 20130101; B32B
2419/00 20130101; B32B 13/12 20130101; E04D 13/17 20130101; E04B
1/7069 20130101; B32B 27/18 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
052/396.02 |
International
Class: |
E04B 001/682; E04F
015/14 |
Claims
1. A building material spacer for use in constructing a building
structure, comprising: a continuous, indeterminate-length web of
material storable as a spiral roll rolled lengthwise about an
imaginary central axis and unrollable lengthwise during
installation; said material having an openwork structure which,
when installed within a building structure, provides an airspace
and ventilation and drainage pathways therein for preventing
moisture from being trapped within the building structure and for
thereby preventing deterioration of the building structure; and
said material carrying an antifungal agent to prevent growth of
mold and mildew within a building structure when installed
therein.
2. A spacer according to claim 1, wherein said antifungal agent is
substantially evenly dispersed throughout the length of the web of
material.
3. A spacer according to claim 2, wherein said antifungal agent is
carried and embedded within said material.
4. A spacer according to claim 2, wherein said antifungal agent is
carried as a coating on said material.
5. A spacer according to claim 1, wherein said web of material is
elastically compressible and has a compression strength sufficient
to withstand at least about 200 pounds per square foot (psf) of
pressure.
6. A spacer according to claim 1, wherein said openwork structure
is made of a mat of randomly convoluted polymeric filaments.
7. A spacer according to claim 1, wherein said material is
corrugated.
8. A spacer according to claim 1, wherein said material has a front
and rear face and a plurality of hollow projections extending
outwardly from at least one of said faces.
9. A spacer according to claim 1, wherein a fabric material is
secured to one of said faces of said web of material to reinforce
said web of material.
10. A spacer according to claim 1, wherein said material is made of
a web of a thermoformable plastic sheet material.
11. A spacer according to claim 10, wherein said thermoformable
plastic sheet material has a series of apertures providing
transverse passageways.
12. A spacer according to claim 1, wherein said web of material is
made of a house wrap material having a plurality of dimple spacing
elements projecting transversely from at least one face
thereof.
13. A method of manufacturing a spacer building material,
comprising the steps of: producing a continuous,
indeterminate-length openwork web of material; dispersing an
antifungal agent throughout said openwork web of material; and
rolling said web of material lengthwise into a spiral roll about an
imaginary central axis; whereby, in use, said spacer building
material is unrolled and installed within a building structure to
prevent growth of mold and mildew and to provide an airspace and
ventilation and drainage pathways for preventing moisture from
being trapped within the building structure and from deteriorating
the building structure.
14. A method according to claim 13, wherein said antifungal agent
is dispersed substantially evenly throughout said openwork web of
material.
15. A method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of
adding said antifungal agent to a material utilized to make said
openwork web of material before said step of producing said
openwork web of material.
16. A method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of
applying said antifungal agent onto said openwork web of material
after said step of producing said openwork web of material.
17. A method according to claim 16, wherein said step of applying
said antifungal agent is accomplished before said step of rolling
said web of material.
18. A method of-assembling a building structure, comprising the
steps of: providing a spiral roll of an elongate web of an openwork
material adjacent an inner sheathing of a building structure;
unrolling and placing said web along said inner sheathing; and
installing an outer building material relative to said inner
sheathing such that said openwork material is sandwiched between
said inner sheathing and said outer building material; said
openwork material providing an airspace and ventilation and
drainage pathways within the building structure to prevent moisture
from being trapped within the building structure and to thereby
prevent deterioration of the building structure; and said openwork
material carrying an antifungal agent to prevent growth of mold and
mildew within the building structure.
19. A method according to claim 18, wherein said antifungal agent
is applied to and carried by said openwork material before said
step of unrolling said spiral roll of said web of openwork material
such that said step of placing said web of openwork material along
said inner sheathing also accomplishes a step of applying an
antifungal agent within the building structure.
20. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of
applying said antifungal agent to said openwork material after said
unrolling step.
21. A method according to claim 18, further comprising the step of
securing a membrane to said inner sheathing before placing said web
along said inner sheathing, wherein said membrane is selected from
the group consisting of a housewrap material, an asphalt
impregnated felt, a building paper, a roofing felt, and a vapor
permeable membrane that permits moisture to exit through the
building structure and blocks moisture from entering through the
building structure.
22. A method according to claim 36, wherein said outer building
material is selected from the group consisting of wood, brick,
metal, fiber cement, vinyl siding material, stucco, shingles,
cladding materials and exterior insulation finish systems
(EIFS).
23. A building structure having drainage passageways and air spaces
therein to prevent moisture from being trapped within the building
structure and to retard deterioration of the building structure,
comprising: an inner sheathing member; an outer building material;
and an elongate web of openwork material located between said inner
sheathing member and said outer building material for providing
drainage passageways and air spaces therein to prevent moisture
from being trapped between said inner sheathing member and said
outer building material; said openwork material carrying an
antifungal agent to prevent growth of mold and mildew within the
building structure.
24. A spacer according to claim 23, wherein said antifungal agent
is substantially evenly dispersed throughout the length of said web
of openwork material.
25. A spacer according to claim 23, wherein said antifungal agent
is dispersed within said web of openwork material.
26. A spacer according to claim 23, wherein said antifungal agent
is coated on said web of openwork material.
27. A building structure according to claim 23, wherein the
building structure forms a wall of a building.
28. A building structure according to claim 23, wherein the
building structure forms a roof of a building.
29. A building structure according to claim 23, further comprising
a membrane located between said inner sheathing member and said web
of openwork material, and wherein said membrane is selected from
the group consisting of a housewrap material, an asphalt
impregnated felt, a building paper, a roofing felt, and a vapor
permeable membrane that permits moisture to exit through the
building structure and blocks moisture from entering through the
building structure.
30. A building structure according to claim 23, wherein said outer
building material is selected from the group consisting of wood,
brick, metal, fiber cement, vinyl siding material, stucco,
shingles, cladding materials and exterior insulation finish systems
(EIFS).
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a building material, such
as an openwork spacer, for forming drainage and ventilation
passageways within a wall, roof or like structure of a building to
prevent the accumulation of moisture and the growth of mold,
mildew, bacteria and other fungi therein. The present invention
also relates to a building structure system, or assembly, having
the spacer, to a method of assembling a building structure, and to
a method of manufacturing an openwork building material.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Moisture and other substances can accumulate and become
trapped within a structure, such as a wall or roof of a building,
and cause premature deterioration of the structure. For instance,
wind driven rain may penetrate within a wall/roof, or condensation
may form within a wall/roof as a result of moisture vapor escaping
outwardly of a building through a house-wrap product. Other
problems can result from moisture contained in the lumber utilized
to construct the wall/roof or from other substances, such as
corrosive surfactants, which may leak from certain types of outer
siding and roofing materials.
[0003] Wall and roof structures of buildings have been assembled
with building materials, such as openwork spacers, to combat the
problem of moisture accumulation and the like. To this end, the
openwork spacer is assembled within the wall or roof structure and
provides a network of ventilation and drainage passageways
therethrough. Thus, the spacer permits liquids to drain from the
structure and ambient air to flow within the structure to evaporate
and remove any moisture therein.
[0004] An example of a building material for use in providing a
path of ventilation in a roof or wall of a building structure is
disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,627 issued to Coulton et al. and
assigned to Benjamin Obdyke, Inc., the assignee of the present
application. According to the Coulton patent, an openwork member
located between an inner sheathing member and an outer building
material provides vapor flow paths therethrough to prevent moisture
from becoming entrapped between the inner sheathing member and
outer building material. Also see Benjamin Obdyke, Inc.'s
commercially available CEDAR BREATHER underlayment spacer product
for use with wooden shingle installations.
[0005] Benjamin Obdyke, Inc.'s co-pending U.S. patent application
Ser. No. 09/934,240 filed on Aug. 21, 2001 discloses another
example of an openwork spacer that provides ventilation and
drainage passageways between an inner sheathing member and an outer
building material of a wall or roof building structure. Still
further examples are disclosed by Benjamin Obdyke, Inc.'s
commercially available HOME SLICKER ventilation and drainage spacer
product, co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/875,074
filed on Jun. 6, 2001 and published as U.S. Patent Application
Publication No. 2001/0054263 on Dec. 27, 2001, and co-pending U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 10/079,020 filed on Feb. 19, 2002.
[0006] Other examples of building materials that provide
ventilation and/or drainage functions within a building structure
are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,826,390 issued to Sacks;
6,131,353 issued to Egan; 6,233,890 issued to Tonyan; 5,598,673
issued to Atkins; 5,860,259 issued to Laska; 4,538,388 issued to
Friesen; 4,805,367 issued to Kleckner; 4,315,392 issued to Sylvest;
5,489,462 issued to Sieber; and 5,383,314 issued to Rothberg. The
Sacks patent discloses a vapor permeable membrane having spacers
thereon for the purpose of providing drainage passageways within a
wall of a building, and the Tonyan patent discloses a weather
resistive membrane having an attached mesh material which provides
open spaces for the flow of moisture downwardly within a wall
structure. The Egan patent discloses a drainage mat including a
vapor permeable membrane and an openwork mat of filaments having a
waffle-like structure. The Laska and Atkins patents disclose
products for providing open drainage paths behind masonry walls.
The Kleckner, Friesen and Sylvest patents disclose products for
providing ventilation within roof structures, and the Sieber and
Rothberg patents disclose plastic sheet drainage mats.
[0007] The presence of moisture within a wall or roof of a building
can lead to the development and growth of mold, mildew and like
fungi within wall/roof spaces. The presence of mold spores and the
like can create health concerns. For example, in an article titled
"Dupont TYVEK Helps Solve Moisture Problems in California Schools"
which was recently published on the Internet, it is reported that
the presence and discovery of toxic spores within rotting walls
have forced school closings. The article suggests the interior wood
wall framing, which is made of non-kiln dry lumber, be sprayed with
a non-carcinogenic fungicide to pre-empt the growth of any mold or
mildew.
[0008] Various other patents disclose the use of fungicides in
relation to buildings and construction materials. For example, U.S.
Pat. Nos. 4,852,316 issued to Webb, 5,224,315 issued to Winter, IV,
and 5,729,936 issued to Maxwell disclose prefabricated building
panels containing a fungicide. U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,358 issued to
Mead discloses a convex siding material provided with an aperture
for spraying a fungicide behind the siding material after
installation, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,380 issued to Rudd discloses
a method of treating an existing building structure with an
antifungal agent. U.S. Pat. No. 5,698,052 issued to Russo discloses
a wallpaper adhesive containing a fungicide and U.S. Pat. No.
5,208,016 issued to Ohmae et al. discloses a method of making a
resin composition containing an antimicrobial agent. In addition,
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2001/0045066 of Nickell et
al. discloses blending plastic materials with insect controlling
chemical agents and manufacturing building materials therefrom.
[0009] Although the drainage and/or ventilation spacer products and
other building materials disclosed in the above referenced patents,
published patent applications and published article may function
satisfactorily for their intended purposes, there remains a need
for an improved openwork spacer building material which can be used
to form drainage and ventilation passageways within a wall, roof or
like structure of a building and which can prevent the accumulation
of moisture and the growth of mold, mildew, bacteria and other
fungi within the wall/roof structure. Preferably, the spacer should
permit ready installation requiring only a minimum of skill, should
provide drainage and/or ventilation paths along the inner sheathing
member and the outer building material, and should also provide
ventilation paths transversely through the spacer. In addition,
preferably the spacer should be lightweight and inexpensive to
manufacture and should be provided in a form permitting efficient
storage and transportation.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0010] With the foregoing in mind, a primary object of the present
invention is to provide a building material which is capable of
being readily installed in a wall or roof structure between an
inner sheathing member and an outer building material and which
prevents the accumulation of moisture and the growth of mold,
mildew, bacteria and other fungi within the structure.
[0011] Another object of the present invention is to provide an
openwork spacer material, and a method of making same, that
provides a plurality of ventilation and drainage passageways and
that provides for the presence of a fungicide or like agent.
[0012] A further object of the present invention is to provide a
building structure and a method for assembling a building structure
having an openwork spacer material therein which prevents moisture
from becoming entrapped within the structure and which prevents the
growth of mold, mildew, bacteria and other fungi within the
structure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] More specifically, the present invention is a spacer-type
building material used in the construction of building structures,
such as walls and roofs. The spacer is a continuous,
indeterminate-length web of material that has an openwork structure
and carries an antifungal agent. Thus, when installed within a wall
or roof, the openwork spacer prevents growth of mold and mildew and
provides an airspace and ventilation and drainage pathways to
prevent moisture from being trapped within the building structure
thereby preventing deterioration of the building structure.
Preferably, the openwork spacer is stored and shipped in a spiral
roll and is unrolled during installation.
[0014] According to another aspect of the present invention, a
method of manufacturing a spacer-type building material is
provided. The method includes producing a continuous,
indeterminate-length openwork web of material, dispersing an
antifungal agent throughout the openwork web of material, and
rolling the web of material lengthwise into a spiral roll about an
imaginary central axis. In use, the spacer-type building material
is unrolled and installed within a building structure, prevents the
growth of mold and mildew, and provides an airspace and ventilation
and drainage pathways for preventing moisture from being trapped
within the building structure and from deteriorating the building
structure.
[0015] According to still another aspect of the present invention,
a method of assembling a building structure is provided. A spiral
roll of an elongate web of an openwork material is provided
adjacent the inner sheathing of a building structure. The web of
openwork material is unrolled and placed along the inner sheathing,
and an outer building material is installed relative to the inner
sheathing such that a layer of openwork material is sandwiched
between the inner sheathing and the outer building material. The
openwork material provides an airspace and ventilation and drainage
pathways within the building structure to prevent moisture from
becoming trapped within the building structure thereby preventing
premature deterioration of the building structure, and the openwork
material carries an antifungal agent to prevent growth of mold and
mildew within the building structure.
[0016] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, a
building structure is provided having drainage passageways and air
spaces therein to prevent moisture from being trapped and to retard
deterioration. To this end, the building structure includes an
inner sheathing member, an outer building material, and an elongate
web of openwork material located between the inner sheathing member
and the outer building material. In addition to providing
ventilation and drainage passageways and air spaces within the
building structure, the openwork material also carries an
antifungal agent to prevent growth of mold and mildew within the
building structure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of
the present invention should become apparent from the following
description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, in which:
[0018] FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a first embodiment of a
portion of an openwork spacer according to the present
invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a wall constructed with the
spacer of FIG. 1 according to the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the sidewall illustrated
in FIG. 2 taken along a plane parallel to the horizontal;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a spiral roll of the spacer
illustrated in FIG. 1;
[0022] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a roof constructed with
the spacer of FIG. 1 according to the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a wall constructed with a
second embodiment of a spacer according to the present
invention;
[0024] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a spiral roll of the spacer
illustrated in FIG. 6;
[0025] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a portion of the openwork
spacer illustrated in FIG. 6;
[0026] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the openwork spacer
illustrated in FIG. 6;
[0027] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of third embodiment of an
openwork spacer having a fabric material attached thereto; and
[0028] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of fourth embodiment of an
openwork spacer constructed of sheet of house wrap material having
a plurality of beads adhered thereto at spaced-apart locations.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0029] Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 2 illustrates a wall 10
of a building assembled with a spacer 12, FIG. 5 illustrates a roof
14 of a building assembled with the spacer 12, and FIG. 6
illustrates another wall 16 of a building assembled with an
alternate spacer 18. The installed spacers, 12 and 18, provide
ventilation and drainage passageways which enables the free flow of
air, vapor and liquids within the wall/roof to ensure that moisture
is prevented from accumulating in spaces within the wall/roof. In
addition, the spacers, 12 and 18, carry an antifungal agent,
fungicide or the like which provides an additional preventive means
for retarding, and/or substantially eliminating, the growth of
mold, mildew, bacteria and/or other fungi within the wall/roof.
[0030] The structure of the openwork spacer according to the
present invention provides a plurality of ventilation and drainage
paths so that liquid moisture is permitted to descend within the
wall/roof under the force of gravity to an exit provided at the
base of the wall/roof and so that a ventilation air flow can pass
within the wall/roof to evaporate condensation and other moisture
and remove moisture vapor. The specific structure of the openwork
spacer can vary as illustrated in the drawings and as discussed
below with respect to specific examples. Preferably, the openwork
spacer is lightweight, made of minimum of material, and yet is
capable of providing an elastically compressible building material
that has a suitable compression strength to operate in about a 100
to about a 200 pounds per square foot (psf) environment. For
instance, the spacer preferably should compress no more than about
30% of its original manufactured thickness when it is subjected to
100 to 200 psf of pressure. In addition, preferably the openwork
spacer is provided in a roll-form as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 7
to enable efficient storage and transportation.
[0031] An important aspect of the present invention is that the
spacer carries an antifungal agent, fungicide or the like which
prevents the growth of mold, mildew, bacteria and/or other fungi
within the wall/roof. Several advantages are provided by such a
building material and its use as a carrier of a fungicide.
Preferably, the spacer is supplied to the construction site already
carrying the fungicide, and the step of installing the spacer
simultaneously also accomplishes the step of applying a fungicide
within a wall/roof. This eliminates the need to handle fungicide
chemicals at the construction site and to apply the fungicide, such
as by spraying a liquid fungicide, during construction of the
wall/roof. In addition, the spacer can be manufactured such that
the fungicide is uniformly dispersed throughout the spacer to
ensure that the fungicide is uniformly present throughout a
constructed wall/roof including adjacent both an inner sheathing
member and an outer building material. Further, if a fungicide is
sprayed onto the openwork spacer post-installation, the plurality
of drainage/ventilation openings provide the fungicide with
numerous locations to adhere so that the fungicide does not merely
runoff the sprayed structure.
[0032] The antifungal agent, or fungicide, can be applied to the
spacer in various manners. For example, the fungicide can be mixed
with a raw material utilized to form the spacer. To this end, a
fungicide can be added to a molten plastic resin material such
that, in the final product, the fungicide exists throughout the
material utilized to manufacture the spacer. Alternatively, the
fungicide can be coated on fibers or the like utilized to the make
the spacer product. Still further, the fungicide can be applied as
a coating by spraying or dipping the spacer during or after
manufacture of the spacer. The fungicide can also be applied to the
spacer at a building site either shortly before or after
installation of the spacer within the wall/roof.
[0033] By way of example, and not be way of limitation, FIGS. 1-5
disclose an openwork building material, or spacer, 12 provided as
an elongate, corrugated openwork mat of randomly convoluted
polymeric filaments. To this end, the spacer 12 is made of a thin
layer of randomly convoluted polymeric filaments that is shaped
into a corrugated form during manufacture to provide a corrugated
openwork mat having a relatively significant thickness "T" despite
containing very little material, ie., polymeric filaments. A
fungicide is evenly dispersed and provided within the filaments or
on the filaments, or alternatively is applied as a coating on the
finished spacer 12. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the spacer 12 is
conveniently and efficiently stored and transported in roll-form in
which the spacer 12 is rolled in a spiral about an imaginary
central axis "A".
[0034] The wall 10 illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 includes an upright
planar inner sheathing member 20 which is affixed to support posts
22. The inner sheathing member 20 is typically formed of panels of
plywood, panels of oriented strand board, panels of particle board,
an insulated concrete wall, or other materials permitted by local
building codes. In some instances, the inner sheathing member 20 is
lined with a membrane (not shown), such as a one-way vapor
permeable house-wrap. Examples of other membranes include asphalt
impregnated felt and building paper.
[0035] During construction, the spacer 12 is unrolled laterally on
the inner sheathing member 20 and/or membrane, and thereafter, an
outer building material 24 is secured a spaced distance from the
inner sheathing member 20 such that it overlies the spacer 12 and
sandwiches the spacer 12 between the inner sheathing member 20 and
the outer building material 24. The outer building material 24 can
be, for instance, a siding material such as a wood or fiber-cement
siding product. Of course, other outer building materials can also
be utilized, such as, brick, vinyl materials, stucco, exterior
insulation finish systems (EIFS), shingles, or any other siding
and/or cladding material.
[0036] Any moisture which collects on the surface of either the
inner sheathing member 20 or membrane, and the outer building
material 24 adjacent the spacer 12 is provided with a free
unobstructed path to drain downwardly and out of the wall 10. The
multitude of passageways formed in the openwork mat of spacer 12
enable the free circulation of air between the inner sheathing
member 20 and outer building material 24 and aid in the drying, or
evaporation, of any moisture which is present within the wall 10.
Further, since a fungicide is evenly distributed on and carried by
the spacer 12, and since a layer of the spacer 12 extends
throughout the entire wall space, mold and mildew are prevented
from growing anywhere within the wall 10.
[0037] As illustrated in FIG. 5, the spacer 12 according to the
present invention can also be utilized in roof constructions to
provide the same functions as that disclosed above for wall 10. The
inclined roof 14 includes an inner sheathing member, in this case a
deck member, 26 which is affixed to rafters 28. The deck member 26
is typically made of plywood, particle board or other materials
permitted by local building codes and is typically lined with a
membrane, in this case a layer of roofing felt (not shown). During
assembly of the roof 14, the spacer product 12 is unrolled
lengthwise over the roofing felt and is secured to the deck member
26 with nails, staples, adhesives or the like. Thereafter, an outer
building material 30 is affixed to the deck member 26 such that it
overlies the spacer 12. As illustrated, the outer building material
30 is wooden shingles, such as cedar shakes. Of course, other
building materials can also be utilized, such as, metal, asphalt,
tile, rubber or slate roofing materials.
[0038] Another example of an openwork building material is
disclosed in FIGS. 6-9 which disclose a spacer 18 constructed from
a solid sheet of thermoplastic material. The thermoplastic material
can be, for instance, high impact polystyrene (HIPS), ABS,
high-density polyethylene (HDPE), high-density polypropylene
(HDPP), PVC, or a blend of any of these suitable polymers and can
be shaped by thermoforming, vacuum stamping, or any other suitable
technique. Preferably, the material is provided with hollow spacer
elements 32 formed in opposite faces, 34 and 36, of the spacer 18
to provide a plurality of ventilation/drainage passageways adjacent
the elements 32 and both faces, 34 and 36. The thermoplastic
material contains a fungicide therein or is applied with a coating
of the fungicide. If desired, the thermoplastic material can be
perforated to provide a series of ventilation apertures 38 at
predetermined spaced distances to permit a transverse path of
ventilation through the otherwise solid sheet spacer 18.
[0039] The wall 16 illustrated in FIG. 6 includes an upright planar
inner sheathing member 40 which is affixed to support posts 42. The
inner sheathing member 40 can be lined with a membrane (not shown),
such as a one-way vapor permeable house-wrap. During construction,
the spacer 18 is unrolled laterally on the inner sheathing member
40 and/or membrane, and thereafter, an outer building material 44
is secured a spaced distance from the inner sheathing member 40
such that it overlies the spacer 18 and sandwiches the spacer 18
between the inner sheathing member 40 and the outer building
material 44.
[0040] Any moisture which collects on the surface of either the
inner sheathing member 40 or membrane, and the outer building
material 44 adjacent the spacer 18 is provided with a free
unobstructed path to drain downwardly and out of the wall 16. The
multitude of passageways formed in the spacer 18 enable the free
circulation of air between the inner sheathing member 40 and outer
building material 44 and aid in the drying, or evaporation, of any
moisture which is present within the wall 16. Further, since a
fungicide is evenly distributed on and carried by the spacer 18,
and since a layer of the spacer 18 extends throughout the entire
wall space, mold and mildew are prevented from growing anywhere
within the wall 16.
[0041] Another example of an openwork building material according
to the present invention is illustrated in FIG. 10 and includes a
mat 46 made of randomly convoluted filaments formed with
projections, or hollow spacing elements, 48 which provide the mat
46 with a waffle-like appearance. If desired, a fabric material 50
can be adhered to at least one side of the mat 46 for strengthening
and reinforcing the mat 46 and for preventing undesired collapse of
the elements 48. Alternatively, a planar mat (not shown) of
randomly convoluted filaments of a given thickness can be utilized
such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,099,627 issued to Coulton
et al. and assigned to Benjamin Obdyke, Inc. Yet another
alternative includes a corrugated thermoplastic sheet spacer (not
shown).
[0042] FIG. 11 illustrates an additional example of a spacer
according to the present invention. It is constructed as a membrane
52 having a plurality of spacer beads 54 adhered thereto at spaced
intervals. The membrane 52 can be a one-way vapor permeable
house-wrap, a roofing felt, an asphalt impregnated felt, a building
paper or the like. The fungicide can be carried by the membrane 52,
beads 54, or both.
[0043] According to another aspect of the present invention, a
method of making an openwork building material is provided. To this
end, a continuous, indeterminate-length openwork web of material
which has a plurality of ventilation and drainage passageways is
manufactured. For example, a matting of polymeric filaments can be
made by extruding semi-molten plastic filaments onto a profile of
the desired spacer and then by permitting the plastic filaments to
harden. Alternatively, a sheet of thermoplastic material can be
thermoformed, or vacuum thermoformed, into a desired openwork
configuration. Alternatively, a membrane material can be extruded
and applied with spacer beads.
[0044] A fungicide is evenly dispersed throughout the openwork web
of material so that the openwork web of material functions as a
carrier of the fungicide. In the preferred embodiments, the
openwork web of material is pre-loaded with the fungicide so that
it carries the fungicide before it is shipped to a building site.
For example, a fungicide can be added to a raw material utilized to
make the openwork web of material before the openwork web of
material is manufactured. Alternatively, the material can be coated
with a fungicide at any time before, during, or after the
manufacture of the openwork web of material. Yet another
alternative includes applying the fungicide to the openwork
material at the building site before, or after, installation of the
openwork material in a building structure.
[0045] After the web of openwork material is manufactured, and
before or after the fungicide has been applied, the web of material
is preferably rolled lengthwise into a spiral roll about an
imaginary central axis. This facilitates handling, storing and
shipping of the material. In use, the openwork web of material is
unrolled and installed within a building structure to provide an
airspace and ventilation and drainage pathways for preventing
moisture from being trapped within the building structure. The
openwork web of material also functions as a carrier for the
fungicide thereby preventing mold and mildew growth in the building
structure.
[0046] Thus, the above-described spacer, building structure, and
method of assembling a building structure according to the present
invention provides a cost effective and efficient means for
preventing premature deterioration of building structures and for
preventing the growth of mold and mildew therein.
[0047] While a preferred spacer and method of making same, building
structure, and method of assembly have been described in detail,
various modifications, alterations, and changes may be made without
departing from the spirit and scope of the spacer, building
structure, and method of assembly according to the present
invention as defined in the appended claims.
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