U.S. patent application number 12/032413 was filed with the patent office on 2008-08-21 for temporarily adhered mechanically attached weather barrier material.
Invention is credited to Jyoti Seth.
Application Number | 20080196351 12/032413 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39689031 |
Filed Date | 2008-08-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080196351 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Seth; Jyoti |
August 21, 2008 |
Temporarily Adhered Mechanically Attached Weather Barrier
Material
Abstract
Disclosed is a method of installing a flashing tape onto a
building surface proximate to an opening in a building structure.
The method includes: providing a roll of flexible flashing tape,
wherein the flexible flashing tape comprises a flexible substrate
with an adhesive layer on one surface of the flexible substrate,
wherein the adhesive layer has sufficiently low adhesion such that
the flashing tape may be easily unrolled without the need for a
release liner and may be removably adhered to the building surface;
unrolling a portion of the flexible flashing tape and positioning
it onto the building surface such that the adhesive layer contacts
the building surface and removably adheres the flashing tape to the
building surface until the flashing tape can be permanently
fastened thereto; and permanently fastening the flashing tape to
the building surface with mechanical fasteners.
Inventors: |
Seth; Jyoti; (Andover,
MA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
W. R. GRACE & CO.-CONN;ATTENTION: PATENT DEPARTMENT
62 WHITTMORE AVENUE
CAMBRIDGE
MA
02140
US
|
Family ID: |
39689031 |
Appl. No.: |
12/032413 |
Filed: |
February 15, 2008 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60890298 |
Feb 16, 2007 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
52/741.4 ;
52/745.21 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E06B 1/62 20130101; E04D
12/002 20130101; E06B 2001/628 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/741.4 ;
52/745.21 |
International
Class: |
E04B 1/66 20060101
E04B001/66; E04G 21/14 20060101 E04G021/14 |
Claims
1. A method of installing a weather barrier sheet onto a building
surface of a building structure comprising: providing a roll of
flexible weather barrier sheet, wherein the flexible weather
barrier sheet comprises a flexible substrate with an adhesive layer
on one surface of the flexible substrate, wherein the adhesive
layer has sufficiently low adhesion such that the weather barrier
sheet may be easily unrolled without the need for a removable
release liner and may be removably adhered to the building surface;
unrolling a portion of the flexible weather barrier sheet and
positioning it onto the building surface such that the adhesive
layer contacts the building surface and removably adheres the
weather barrier sheet to the building surface until the weather
barrier sheet can be permanently fastened thereto; and permanently
fastening the weather barrier sheet to the building surface with
mechanical fasteners.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the adhesive layer is a continuous
layer over the entire surface of the flexible substrate.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the adhesive layer is a
discontinuous layer.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein the adhesive layer is in a pattern
selected from stripes, dots, blocks, triangles, diamonds,
rectangles, ovals, circles, or a combination thereof.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the flexible weather barrier sheet
is repositioned onto the building surface as necessary prior to
permanently fastening it.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the mechanical fasteners are
selected from staples, tacks and nails.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the flexible weather barrier sheet
is cut to an appropriate length either before or after positioning
it onto the building surface.
8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the weather barrier
sheet is a flashing tape and the building surface is proximate to
an opening in a building structure.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein the flashing tape has a width of
about 4 in. to about 12 in.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein the adhesive layer has
sufficiently low adhesion such that it will adhere to the building
surface with a force of less than 0.25 pli (pounds per linear
inch).
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to weather barrier materials,
particularly flashing tapes, having pressure-sensitive adhesive
surfaces for aiding in their installation. In particular, the
present invention relates to a method of installing a flashing tape
onto a building surface proximate to an opening in a building
structure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] It is known in the construction industry to use weather
barrier materials to provide protection from water intrusion. The
commonly known materials are felt and roofing underlayments for
roof, weather resistive barriers, also known as house wraps for the
sheathing and door and window flashings in the rough openings in
the building structures. These materials are available either/or
both as self-adhered comprising a thick adhesive for permanent
adhesion or mechanically affixed with aid of mechanical fasteners
like staples and nails.
[0003] In certain applications or environments, mechanically
fastened materials are preferred over self-adhered due to cost or
compatibility issues. These mechanically attached materials are
attached to the substrate by the use of fasteners such as nails or
staples. This requires holding one end of the material with one
hand while fastening it with a fastening tool with the other hand.
Such an installation method requires a number of steps, is tedious
and slow, and can be difficult to obtain a high quality
installation, particularly when long lengths of material are being
installed. To obtain a high quality installation, a skilled
experienced installer is generally required.
[0004] Therefore, there is a need in the industry to have a
simplified installation method that requires relatively little
skill to produce a high quality installation. Moreover, there is a
need to improve the speed of installation as well.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The present invention is directed to a method of installing
a weather barrier sheet, such as a flashing tape, onto a building
surface (typically an exterior surface) of a building structure.
Where the weather barrier sheet is a flashing tape, the building
surface will typically be proximate to an opening (e.g., a door or
window opening) in a building structure. The method includes:
providing a roll of flexible weather barrier sheet (e.g., flashing
tape), wherein the flexible weather barrier sheet (e.g., flashing
tape) comprises a flexible substrate with an adhesive layer on one
surface of the flexible substrate, wherein the adhesive layer has
sufficiently low adhesion such that the weather barrier sheet
(e.g., flashing tape) may be easily unrolled without the need for a
removable release liner and may be removably adhered to the
building surface; unrolling a portion of the flexible weather
barrier sheet (e.g., flashing tape) and positioning it onto the
building surface such that the adhesive layer contacts the building
surface and removably adheres the weather barrier sheet (e.g.,
flashing tape) to the building surface until it can be permanently
fastened thereto; and permanently fastening the weather barrier
sheet (e.g., flashing tape) to the building surface with mechanical
fasteners.
[0006] Since the adhesive layer is removably adherent to the
building surface, the flexible weather barrier sheet advantageously
may be repositioned, as necessary, onto the building surface prior
to permanently fastening it. Generally, the flexible weather
barrier sheet may be cut to an appropriate length either before or
after positioning it onto the building surface.
[0007] In contrast to prior art use of adhesives for permanent
adhesion to the building surface as well as aid in the performance
of the building material, the adhesive used on the weather barrier
sheets of the present invention is present only to provide an aid
in the installation, thus permitting the product to be installed by
a less skilled installer and increase the speed of
installation.
[0008] Further advantages and benefits of the invention are
disclosed hereinafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a flashing tape in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
[0010] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a flashing tape in
accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, a flashing tape 10 of the present
invention comprises an adhesive layer 14 coated onto a flexible
carrier substrate 12. A third layer of non-removable release
coating 16 is optional if one desires to further reduce the
adhesion of the tape to itself, thus reducing the force necessary
to unroll the tape. The term "coated" or "coating" with respect to
the adhesive layer is intended to cover all types of coating
applications in which a layer of one material is applied or
attached to a layer of another material, including brushing,
rolling, roller coating, spraying, dipping, laminating, extruding,
coextruding, etc. This term is not intended to exclude one or more
optional intermediate layers between the adhesive layer and the
substrate layer since it is only critical that the adhesive layer
is at the outermost external surface of the flashing tape so that,
upon application, the adhesive layer contacts the building surface.
Flashing tapes typically have a width of about 4 in. to about 12
in. and are generally sold in rolls of various lengths (e.g., 25 to
300 feet).
[0012] The flexible substrate 12 may optionally be coated with a
non-removable release coating, which differs from conventional
removable release liners, to aid in the release of the carrier
sheet from itself. The flexible substrate 12 may be any material
suitable for use as a weather barrier sheet, preferably a flashing
tape. Typically such a material will be substantially impervious to
moisture. For example, the material may be woven or non-woven
cloth, mesh or paper made from natural or synthetic fibers and can
be coated with a material to improve its ability to be impervious
to water such as a polyvinyl chloride polymer or an elastomer like
EPDM rubber. The woven or non-woven cloth can also be uncoated and
substantially impervious to water like Gore-Tex.RTM. or non-woven
polyethylene. The material can also be polymeric film including,
for example, polyolefins, polyamides and other polymers. The
polymeric films may also be metallized or non-metallized. Also,
foils may be used. The substrate 12 advantageously may also be
vapor impermeable and generally stable in the presence of
ultra-violet light (UV). Furthermore, the material may optionally
be creped, wrinkled or stretchable before adhesive is applied so
that the material is elongatable.
[0013] Generally, the substrate 12 is provided in a thickness that
is sufficient to prevent moisture from penetrating the flashing
tape to the underlying building surface that one is trying to
protect. Typically, the determination of sufficient substrate
thickness is dependent, at least in part, on the application, the
environment, and materials in which the substrate is to be used.
Preferably, the thickness of the substrate layer is about 0.03 to 5
mm and more preferably between about 0.1 to 1 mm.
[0014] The adhesive layer 14 can comprise one or more adhesive
materials suitable for adhesion to the surface of building
materials (e.g., wood, composite wood panels, OSB, masonry,
aluminum, vinyl, steel, drywall, and vapor barrier). The adhesive
layer 14 can be formed from any type or combination of adhesives.
Exemplary adhesive materials may comprise rubber modified bitumen
or synthetic adhesives, as known in the art, having a thickness of
0.25-5 mils (0.006-0.13 mm), and more preferably 0.5-2.0 mils
(0.013-0.05 mm). In addition to rubber modified bitumen, exemplary
adhesives include butyl rubber, polyisobutylene, acrylic, vinyl
ether, styrene-isoprene-styrene (SIS), styrene-butadiene-styrene
(SBS), styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS),
ethylene-propylene-diene monomer, and combinations thereof. No
particular adhesive is preferred as long as the adhesive
properties, or the amount and topography employed, make it a
temporary repositionable adhesive, that is the flashing tape must
be easily removed and reapplied as necessary to achieve the proper
placement. Preferably, the adhesive layer has sufficiently low
adhesion such that the flashing tape may be easily unrolled without
the need for a removable release liner and may be removably adhered
to the building surface. The ultimate attachment of the adhesively
coated article is still performed by mechanical fasteners.
[0015] A preferred configuration of the flashing tape 20 is shown
in FIG. 2. The flexible substrate 22 comprises a woven mesh coated
with continuous polyolefin based coating 26 with release
characteristics. The bottom side of the woven mesh is optionally
coated with polyolefin coating 28. The polyolefin coating is
further coated with adhesive layer 24, preferably at a thickness of
about 1 mil (0.025 mm). The preferred adhesive will adhere to the
building surface with a force of less than 0.25 pli (pounds per
linear inch), preferably 0.05 to 0.20 pli, most preferably less
than 0.10 pli, and will permit the flashing tape to be
repositionable. Repositionable adhesive requirements are well
documented in the literature (e.g., Handbook of Pressure Sensitive
Adhesive Technology, D. Satas, 1999, pp. 182-192). Typical
repositionable adhesives are formulated to have a high storage
modulus G', typically in the range of about 10.sup.5
dynes/cm.sup.2. The back side release from the backing material is
less than 100 grams/inch at all application temperatures, making
sure the membrane unrolls from the core easily for application
purposes.
[0016] The adhesive layer 14 or 24 may be a continuous layer over
the entire surface of the flexible substrate, or it may be a
discontinuous layer. If a discontinuous layer, the adhesive layer
may be employed in any suitable topography and may form a pattern,
for example a pattern selected from stripes, dots, blocks,
triangles, diamonds, rectangles, ovals, circles, or a combination
thereof. A discontinuous pattern is advantageous because it permits
use of a stronger adhesive material, but wherein such adhesive
material is deployed in a topographical pattern that provides
relatively weak overall adhesion, thus allowing the weather barrier
sheet to be repositionable.
[0017] In its broadest form, the concept of the present invention
can be used for any mechanically attached weatherproofing sheet
material like roofing underlayment, housewrap, flashing etc, but
the preferred application is window and door flashing. Compared to
the multistep, tedious and slow installation of a conventional
mechanically attached flashing, which requires the installer to
repeatedly position, hold and staple the flashing simultaneously,
the present method, which utilizes a flashing with a slight
adhesive for placement, allows the installer to first position the
tape, then fasten it while it self-adheres to the structure. This
greatly simplifies and speeds up the installation, thus allowing
the installer to complete more door and window openings in a
shorter period of time. The temporary adhesive works like a "third
hand," aiding in the installation process and providing a smooth
wrinkle free installation.
[0018] The present invention differs from the conventional
self-adhered flashing or other commercially available window tapes
by the fact that all other adhesive based tapes use the adhesive
layer for permanent adhesion to the substrate. With the present
invention, the adhesive is designed to have very limited adhesion
to assist installation, while the flashing is permanently affixed
to the structure by mechanical fasteners. Any suitable type of
mechanical fastener may be used to permanently affix the flashing
to the building surface. Typical mechanical fasteners include
staples, tacks and nails.
[0019] Table 1 illustrates some key differences between the
flashing tapes of the present invention and those previously
known.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Adhesion Properties of Flashings Flashing of
Mechanically Self-Adhered Present Attached Flashing Property
Invention Flashing (AAMA 711) Peel Adhesion to <0.25 lbs/inch 0
lbs/inch >1.5 lbs/inch substrate Installation Temporary
Mechanical Permanent Method Adhesive and Fastener Adhesive
Mechanical Fastener
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