U.S. patent application number 11/753218 was filed with the patent office on 2008-11-27 for sheathing/weather resistive barrier method and system.
This patent application is currently assigned to TIN, INC.. Invention is credited to James Hannan, Richard Kenley.
Application Number | 20080289279 11/753218 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 40071107 |
Filed Date | 2008-11-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080289279 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hannan; James ; et
al. |
November 27, 2008 |
Sheathing/Weather Resistive Barrier Method and System
Abstract
A sheathing product having a structural substrate with two or
more edges. The sheathing product also having a weather resistive
barrier attached to the structural substrate prior to securing the
structural substrate to a frame of a building. A part of the
weather resistive barrier extends beyond an edge of the structural
substrate to create a flap that allows the weather resistive
barrier to be attached to an abutting sheathing product.
Inventors: |
Hannan; James; (Lufkin,
TX) ; Kenley; Richard; (Diboll, TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
CONLEY ROSE, P.C.
5601 GRANITE PARKWAY, SUITE 750
PLANO
TX
75024
US
|
Assignee: |
TIN, INC.
Diboll
TX
|
Family ID: |
40071107 |
Appl. No.: |
11/753218 |
Filed: |
May 24, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
52/506.05 ;
52/506.01; 52/745.19 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E04B 1/625 20130101;
E04B 1/7069 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
52/506.05 ;
52/506.01; 52/745.19 |
International
Class: |
E04B 2/02 20060101
E04B002/02; E04B 1/62 20060101 E04B001/62; E04G 21/14 20060101
E04G021/14 |
Claims
1. A sheathing product, comprising: a structural substrate having
two sides and two or more edges; and a weather resistive barrier,
the weather resistive barrier covering and attached to one side of
the structural substrate prior to securing the structural substrate
to a frame of a building; wherein a part of the weather resistive
barrier extends beyond an edge of the structural substrate to form
a flap that allows the weather resistive barrier to be attached to
an abutting sheathing product.
2. The sheathing product of claim 1, wherein the weather resistive
barrier extends beyond at least two adjacent edges of the
structural substrate creating flaps along each of the at least two
adjacent edges.
3. The sheathing product of claim 1, wherein the flap is from two
inches to six inches wide.
4. The sheathing product of claim 1, further comprising an adhesive
layer carried on a surface of the flap.
5. The sheathing product of claim 4, further comprising a
releasable protective cover carried on the adhesive layer.
6. The sheathing product of claim 1, further comprising a bonding
agent attaching the weather resistive barrier to the structural
substrate.
7. The sheathing product of claim 6, wherein the bonding agent
comprises a continuous layer.
8. The sheathing product of claim 7, wherein the weather resistive
barrier and the layer of bonding agent are perforated to provide a
desired level of vapor permeability for the sheathing product.
9. The sheathing product of claim 6, wherein the bonding agent
comprises a discontinuous layer.
10. The sheathing product of claim 6, wherein the weather resistive
barrier and bonding agent provide increased strength to the
structural substrate.
11. A method of insulating a joint between two sheathing products,
comprising: providing a first sheathing product having a weather
resistive barrier attached to a structural substrate such that the
weather resistive barrier of the first sheathing product overlaps
the structural substrate at an edge and forms a flap along the
overlapped edge; providing a second sheathing product having a
weather resistive barrier attached to a structural substrate;
securing the first sheathing product to a frame of a building;
securing the second sheathing product to the frame of the building
with the flap of the first sheathing product overlapping the second
sheathing product; and adhering the flap of the first sheathing
product to the weather resistive barrier of the second sheathing
product; wherein a joint formed between the first and second
sheathing products is insulated by the flap extending from the
first sheathing product to the second sheathing product.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein the flap of the first sheathing
product is adhered to the weather resistive barrier of the second
sheathing product by using an adhesive layer that is pre-applied on
the flap of the first sheathing product.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein the flap of the first sheathing
product is adhered to the weather resistive barrier of the second
sheathing product by applying an adhesive layer to the flap of the
first sheathing product at a job site.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the adhesive layer is applied
to the flap of the first sheathing product using a caulking gun, a
paint roller, or a roll of double-sided tape.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein the adhesive layer acts as a
vapor barrier to decrease the amount of air and moisture which
could pass through the second sheathing product.
16. The method of claim 13, wherein the adhesive layer acts as a
vapor barrier to decrease the amount of air and moisture which
could pass through the second sheathing product.
17. The method of claim 11, wherein the flap of the first sheathing
product is adhered to the weather resistive barrier of the second
sheathing product by use of mechanical fasteners.
18. A method of fabricating a sheathing product, comprising:
providing a structural substrate having two or more edges; and
attaching a weather resistive barrier to the structural substrate
such that a part of the weather resistive barrier extends beyond
the structural substrate along at least one edge; wherein the
weather resistive barrier is attached to the structural substrate
prior to securing the structural substrate to a frame of a
building.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the weather resistive barrier
extends beyond the structural substrate along two adjacent
edges.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein the weather resistive barrier
extends beyond the edge of the structural substrate a minimum of
two inches.
21. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing the part
of the weather resistive barrier which extends beyond the
structural substrate with an adhesive layer.
22. The method of claim 21, further comprising providing the
adhesive layer with a protective cover.
23. The method of claim 18, further comprising increasing the vapor
permeability of the sheathing product by applying a non-continuous
layer of bonding agent between the weather resistive barrier and
the structural substrate.
24. The method of claim 23, further comprising perforating the
weather resistive barrier and the layer of bonding agent to provide
a desired level of vapor permeability for the sheathing
product.
25. The method of claim 18, wherein the weather resistive barrier
is attached to the structural substrate at a job site.
26. The method of claim 18, wherein the weather resistive barrier
is attached to the structural substrate in a factory.
27. The method of claim 18, further comprising attaching a weather
resistive barrier to the structural substrate with vapor permeable
glue.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] None.
STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT
[0002] Not applicable.
REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX
[0003] Not applicable.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0004] The present disclosure relates to sheathing products and,
more particularly, to a sheathing product with an overlay of a
weather resistive barrier.
BACKGROUND
[0005] External insulation systems are used to insulate buildings.
The installation of an external insulation system typically
involves securing a sheathing product to the frame of a building.
After the sheathing product is secured to the frame, a weather
resistive barrier is then applied over the sheathing product in a
separate step.
[0006] The weather resistive barrier is typically a film wrap that
comes in the form of a roll. Application of the weather resistive
barrier requires at least two people. One person unrolls the
weather resistive barrier horizontally across the building while
another person nails or staples it to the sheathing product. The
weather resistive barrier is typically attached to the sheathing
product beginning at the bottom of the building and working up such
that an upper roll of film wrap overlaps the bottom roll of film
wrap. Any tears, breaks, or holes created during the application
are then repaired by taping or patching. In windy conditions, more
than one person may be required to handle the roll of weather
resistive barrier.
[0007] Once applied, the weather resistive barrier is then covered
with an exterior finishing material, such as brick, wood siding,
cement stucco, and others.
SUMMARY
[0008] In one embodiment, a sheathing product is provided, the
sheathing product having a structural substrate with two or more
edges. The sheathing product also having a weather resistive
barrier attached to the structural substrate prior to securing the
structural substrate to a frame of a building. A part of the
weather resistive barrier extends beyond an edge of the structural
substrate to create a flap that allows the weather resistive
barrier to be attached to an abutting sheathing product.
[0009] In another embodiment, a method of fabricating a sheathing
product is provided. The method includes providing a structural
substrate having two or more edges and attaching a weather
resistive barrier to the structural substrate such that a part of
the weather resistive barrier extends beyond the structural
substrate along one or more edges. The weather resistive barrier is
attached to the structural substrate prior to securing the
structural substrate to a frame of a building.
[0010] In yet another embodiment, a method of insulating a joint
between two sheathing products is provided. The method includes
providing a first sheathing product having a weather resistive
barrier attached to a structural substrate such that the weather
resistive barrier of the first sheathing product overlaps the
structural substrate at an edge and forms a flap along the
overlapped edge. The method also includes providing a second
sheathing product having a weather resistive barrier attached to a
structural substrate. The method further includes securing the
first sheathing product to a frame of a building and securing the
second sheathing product to the frame of the building with the flap
of the first sheathing product overlapping the second sheathing
product. The method also includes adhering the flap of the first
sheathing product to the weather resistive barrier of the second
sheathing product such that a joint formed between the first and
second sheathing products is insulated by the flap extending from
the first sheathing product to the second sheathing product.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an embodiment
of a sheathing product with a weather resistive barrier
overlay.
[0012] FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of two sheathing products as
described in FIG. 1 attached to the frame of a building.
[0013] FIG. 3 illustrates a bottom view of the embodiment depicted
in FIG. 2.
[0014] FIGS. 4a and 4b illustrate front views of sheathing products
with the overlay forming an overlapping region along a single edge
of the substrate.
[0015] FIG. 5 illustrates a front view of a sheathing product with
the overlay forming an overlapping region along two edges of the
substrate.
[0016] FIGS. 6a and 6b illustrate front views of sheathing products
with the overlay forming an overlapping region along three edges of
the substrate.
[0017] FIG. 7 illustrates a front view of a sheathing product with
the overlay forming an overlapping region along all four edges of
the substrate.
[0018] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an embodiment of installing a
sheathing product of the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
[0019] In describing embodiments of the present disclosure, various
terms used in the construction of external insulation systems are
used.
[0020] As used herein, a substrate is any sheathing product that
provides structural support. This may include, for example, gypsum
board, fiberboard, oriented strand board (OSB), plywood, cement
board, wood planks, foam boards--(ISO, EPS), and coated paperboard
(wax or other--e.g. THERMO-PLY.RTM. brand products). The substrate
may be of any dimension used in conjunction with conventional frame
sections. For example, the substrate may be 4'.times.8' or
4'.times.10'. The substrate of the present disclosure provides
structural support as distinguished from interior insulation with a
paper backing, which does not provide structural support.
[0021] A weather resistive barrier is any film wrap or felt
designed to resist liquid moisture while allowing vapor
transmission. The weather resistive barrier conforms to the ASTM
E-96 water vapor transmission test and complies with the standards
of the IRC 2003, Section R318 regarding vapor retarders. The
weather resistive barrier can be, for example, TYVEK.RTM.,
TYPAR.RTM., DELTA-DRY.RTM., polypropylenes, polyesters, or
fiberglass filled with inorganic and/or organic compounds to
provide a Class A burn surface.
[0022] As discussed above, prior art technology requires that
application of the sheathing product to the frame of a building
occurs as a separate step from the application of the weather
resistive barrier. Accordingly, once the sheathing product is
secured to the frame, construction of the building must stop until
insulation tradesmen install the weather resistive barrier. Until
the weather resistive barrier is completely installed, the interior
of the building cannot be "dried in" and damage to other materials
inside the building due to blowing rain at the job site can occur.
Thus, applying the weather resistive barrier as a separate step
results in additional time, labor, and materials. Also, because
application techniques are often inconsistent within the trade, the
quality of the application will depend on the application technique
and skill of those installing the weather resistive barrier.
[0023] Another problem of the prior art is damage caused by wind on
the weather resistive barrier during the construction process.
Prior art technology uses individual staple or nail fasteners and
with sufficient wind at the job site, the weather resistive barrier
may tear away from the fasteners. The disclosed embodiments provide
more extensive and consistent fastening of the weather resistive
barrier to the sheathing and should provide better resistance to
wind loads on the job site.
[0024] Accordingly, the present application discloses a system and
method for applying the weather resistive barrier at the same time
that the sheathing product is secured to the frame of a building.
This is accomplished by having the weather resistive barrier
applied to the sheathing board before it is secured to the frame.
Thus, the additional time, labor, and materials involved in
applying the weather resistive barrier as a separate step is
eliminated, and a greater consistency in the application of the
weather resistive barrier is provided.
[0025] FIG. 1 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an embodiment
of a sheathing product with a weather resistive barrier overlay. In
FIG. 1, a substrate 101 is provided with a weather resistive
barrier overlay 103. Overlay 103 overlaps substrate 101 with the
overlapping region of overlay 103 forming a flexible flap 105 that
extends beyond an edge of substrate 101. The overlay 103 is adhered
to the substrate 101 by a layer of glue or bonding agent 102. Flap
105 is provided with an adhesive layer 107 on its underside. In
some embodiments, the glue 102 and adhesive 107 may be the same
material. In other embodiments, the glue 102 and adhesive 107 are
different materials to provide different desirable functions as
discussed below. Adhesive layer 107 may be provided with a
protective cover 109. Protective cover 109 can be, for example, a
release strip.
[0026] In this disclosure, the bonding agent 102 which attaches the
weather resistive layer 103 to the substrate 101 is referred to as
glue, while the bonding agent 107 applied to the flap 105 is
referred to as adhesive. This terminology is intended to
distinguish the locations and desired functions of the bonding
agents, not to indicate that they should necessarily be different
materials. In some embodiments, they may be the same material. The
term bonding agent is used to describe either or both of the glue
102 and adhesive 107.
[0027] It is noted that the figures in this disclosure are not
drawn to scale and that certain aspects of the figures have been
exaggerated for ease of illustration. For example, substrate 101
may be from one-eighth inch to 4 inches thick while overlay 103 may
be from 0.004 inch (0.1 mm) to 0.030 inch (0.76 mm) thick, as
measured in accordance with ASTM D1777.
[0028] In the above embodiment, overlay 103 is adhered to substrate
101 by applying a glue or bonding agent 102 between overlay 103 and
substrate 101 in such a way as to allow permeability in overlay 103
and substrate 101. One of the advantages of gluing is that the
combination of the overlay used and the gluing system 102 employed
can be chosen to achieve a desired vapor transmission rate.
Although gluing is disclosed in this embodiment, any method of
attaching overlay 103 to substrate 101 until substrate 101 is
secured to the frame of a building can be utilized as long as it
allows for the desired permeability in overlay 103 and substrate
101. The method of attaching overlay 103 to substrate 101 may be
temporary because the means for securing substrate 101 to the frame
of a building, such as by nails or screws, will also secure overlay
103 to substrate 101. Overlay 103 and the system, e.g. glue 102,
for adhering it to the substrate 101 may also provide increased
strength to substrate 101. Overlay 103 and the system, e.g. glue
102, for adhering it to the substrate 101 may also provide
increased insulation to the wall.
[0029] Flap 105 is wide enough to allow it to extend across a joint
between the sheathing products and adhere to the adjacent sheathing
product. In some embodiments, flap 105 may be from two to six
inches wide. Also, the adhesive used in adhesive layer 107 may be
any adhesive that complies with the standards of ASTM D 903
regarding peel or stripping strength of adhesive bonds. For
example, the adhesive may be a polyethylene-to-polyethylene
adhesive that complies with the standards of ASTM D 903. Other
adhesives may also be suitable. Adhesive layer 107 may be applied
over the entire area of flap 105 and may act as an additional
liquid moisture barrier.
[0030] Although the above embodiments show flap 105 as having
pre-applied adhesive layer 107 for adhering to an adjacent
sheathing board, flap 105 may also be adhered by an adhesive layer
that is applied to flap 105 at the job site. Such an adhesive layer
may be applied, for example, using a caulking gun, a paint roller,
or double-sided tape.
[0031] FIG. 2 illustrates a front view of two sheathing products as
described in FIG. 1 attached to the frame of a building. In this
embodiment, a first sheathing product 207 and a second sheathing
product 209 are attached to the frame of a building comprising a
first stud 201, a second stud 203, and a third stud 205. Typical
house framing includes top and bottom framing, or plates, which are
not shown to simplify the figures, and it is understood that the
top and/or bottom edges of sheathing products 207, 209 may overlap
and be secured to top and bottom plates also. Sheathing product 207
may be secured to studs 201 and 203 by fasteners 208, e.g. nails,
screws, or staples, with the flap 206 of sheathing product 207
overlapping the abutting sheathing product 209, which may be
secured to studs 203 and 205 by fasteners 210. The fasteners 210
may pass through the flap 206 or may be covered by the flap 206.
The flap 206 of sheathing product 207 may be adhered to the overlay
of the sheathing product 209 by removing the release strip 109 from
the flap 105 (as shown in FIG. 1) and pressing the adhesive layer
107 to the overlay of sheathing product 209. The fasteners 210 may
also hold the flap 206 to the sheathing product 209. A joint 211 is
formed between the underlying substrates of sheathing products 207
and 209, and is indicated by a dotted line. Joint 211 is covered by
an overlapping region 213 formed by the flap of sheathing product
207. This allows the flap 206 of sheathing product 207 to securely
cover the joint 211 between the adjacent sheathing products and,
thus, provides for a continuous coverage of the building without
having to apply the weather resistive barrier as a separate
step.
[0032] FIG. 3 illustrates a bottom view of the embodiment depicted
in FIG. 2. In this embodiment, sheathing product 207 is shown with
a substrate 301 and an overlay 303, and sheathing product 209 is
shown with a substrate 305 and an overlay 307. As shown in this
figure, overlay 303 of sheathing product 207 overlaps sheathing
product 209 to form overlapping region 213, which covers joint 211
formed between substrates 301 and 305. Again, it is noted that the
figures in this disclosure are not drawn to scale and that certain
aspects of the figures have been exaggerated for ease of
illustration.
[0033] FIGS. 4a and 4b illustrate front views of sheathing products
with the overlay forming an overlapping region along a single edge
of the substrate. In FIG. 4a, the overlay is shown overlapping a
single edge of the underlying substrate to form flap 105 along a
horizontal edge. FIG. 4b shows the overlay overlapping the
underlying substrate to form flap 105 along a vertical edge. The
edge of the underlying substrate along flap 105 is indicated by the
dotted line. The gluing pattern used to attach the overlay to the
substrate is indicated by stripes 401 across the substrate. The
pattern 401 is primarily for illustration purposes, and in various
embodiments many patterns and bonding methods may be used,
including those shown in other figures and discussed below.
[0034] FIG. 5 illustrates a front view of a sheathing product with
the overlay forming an overlapping region along two edges of the
substrate. In this figure, the overlay is shown overlapping two
edges of the underlying substrate to form flap 105 along a
horizontal edge and a vertical edge. The edges of the substrate
along flap 105 are indicated by the dotted line. The gluing pattern
used to attach the overlay to the substrate is indicated by stripes
501 across the substrate.
[0035] FIGS. 6a and 6b illustrate front views of sheathing products
with the overlay forming an overlapping region along three edges of
the substrate. In FIG. 6a, the overlay is shown overlapping two
horizontal edges and a vertical edge of the underlying substrate to
form flap 105. FIG. 6b shows the overlay overlapping the underlying
substrate to form flap 105 along two vertical edges and a
horizontal edge. The edges of the substrate along flap 105 are
indicated by the dotted line. The gluing pattern used to attach the
overlay to the substrate is indicated by dots 601 across the
substrate.
[0036] FIG. 7 illustrates a front view of a sheathing product with
the overlay forming an overlapping region along all four edges of
the substrate. In this figure, the overlay is shown overlapping
four edges of the underlying substrate to form flap 105 along both
the horizontal edges and the vertical edges. The edges of the
substrate along flap 105 are indicated by the dotted line. The
gluing pattern used to attach the overlay to the substrate is
indicated by dots 701 and stripes 703 across the substrate.
[0037] As stated earlier, one of the advantages of gluing is that
the combination of the selected overlay, bonding agent, and gluing
pattern can be chosen to achieve a desired vapor transmission rate.
Although the glue may only serve to temporarily attach the overlay
to the substrate until the substrate is secured to the frame of a
building, the glue may still block vapor transmission. Therefore,
the gluing patterns in the above embodiments do not cover the
entire underlying substrate to avoid blocking vapor transmission.
The overlay and the gluing pattern may also be perforated to
achieve a desired vapor transmission rate. In embodiments in which
a substrate is covered with a fill coat of glue, glue which does
not restrict permeability itself may be selected, or it may be pin
pricked or perforated to achieve a desired permeability. Thus vapor
permeability of the sheathing product may be controlled by
selecting a vapor permeable overlay 103 or pin pricking or
otherwise perforating the overlay 103, and by selecting a vapor
permeable glue 102 or covering less than the entire surface of the
substrate 101 with the glue 102 or pin pricking or otherwise
perforating the glue 102, which pin pricking or perforating of the
glue 102 may occur in the same process as pin pricking or
perforating the overlay 103.
[0038] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an embodiment of installing a
sheathing product of the present disclosure. This embodiment begins
at block 801 with a first sheathing product having a weather
resistive barrier overlay overlapping two adjacent edges of the
underlying substrate to form a flap along a vertical edge and a
horizontal edge as depicted in FIG. 5. The first sheathing product
is secured to the frame of a building at block 803 with the weather
resistive barrier overlay facing away from the frame of the
building. The sheathing product may be secured to the frame of the
building using, for example, nails or screws. A second sheathing
product also having a flap along a horizontal and a vertical edge
is provided at block 805. At block 807, the second sheathing
product is oriented in the same direction as the first sheathing
product with respect to their flaps. At block 809, the second
sheathing product is secured to the frame of the building with the
second sheathing product abutting the vertical edge of the first
sheathing product that has the flap. Because the second sheathing
product is oriented in the same direction as the first sheathing
product with respect to their flaps, the vertical edge of the
second sheathing product that abuts the first sheathing product
will not have a flap. A third sheathing product also having a flap
along a horizontal and a vertical edge is provided at block 811.
The third sheathing product is oriented in the same direction as
the first sheathing product with respect to their flaps at block
813. At block 815, the third sheathing product is secured to the
frame of the building with the third sheathing product abutting the
horizontal edge of the first sheathing product that has the flap.
Again, because the third sheathing product is oriented in the same
direction as the first sheathing product with respect to their
flaps, the horizontal edge of the third sheathing product that
abuts the first sheathing product will not have a flap. Once all
three sheathing products are secured to the frame of the building,
the flap of the first sheathing product is adhered to the weather
resistive barrier overlay of the abutting second and third
sheathing products at block 817. The flap of the first sheathing
product may be adhered to the weather resistive barrier overlay of
the second and third sheathing products by removing a release strip
to expose a pre-applied adhesive that is provided on the flap of
the first sheathing product and manually pressing the flap of the
first sheathing product against the weather resistive barrier
overlay of the second and third sheathing products. The adhesive
may also be applied at the job site using, for example, a caulking
gun, a paint roller, or double-sided tape. The adhesive may be any
adhesive that complies with the standards of ASTM D 903 regarding
peel or stripping strength of adhesive bonds, or ASTM D1000-04
standard test methods for pressure-sensitive adhesive. Other
adhesives may also be useful, especially if mechanical fasteners
are also used to attach the flaps.
[0039] The adhesive 107 used to attach the flap of the first
sheathing product to the weather resistive barrier overlay of the
second and third sheathing products may differ from the glue 102
used to attach the overlay 103 to the underlying structural
substrate 101 in that the adhesive 107 may be permanent and
vapor-resistant. While the glue 102 only needs to hold until the
sheathing product is secured to the frame of a building, the
adhesive 107 desirably forms a permanent bond with the overlay of
an adjacent sheathing product in order to properly insulate the
joint between the two sheathing products during the life of the
building. In order to properly insulate the joint, the adhesive 107
should also be water-resistant. Because the adhesive is primarily
at the joint and does not cover the entire sheathing product, the
adhesive 107 may be impermeable to vapor and may cover the entire
flap without significantly affecting the overall vapor permeability
of the sheathing product. This is in contrast to the glue 102 whose
application over the entire substrate could significantly affect
the overall vapor permeability of the sheathing product, unless a
permeable glue is selected or it is pin pricked or perforated.
[0040] There are potential advantages of the disclosed embodiments
as compared to the prior art methods for applying a weather
resistive barrier to sheathing boards. For example, a one step
process for installing both sheathing and a weather resistive
barrier decreases labor cost and increases the speed of
installation. Labor cost is decreased in that the disclosed
embodiments decrease the number of trades that must be employed at
the job site. The time for the total construction process is
reduced because the exterior finishing material can be installed
immediately after the sheathing product is secured to the frame
without waiting for the insulation tradesmen to apply the weather
resistive barrier. Material cost is also reduced in that there will
not be any rolls of weather resistive barrier that remain unused at
the end of a job. By installing the weather resistive barrier at
the same time as the sheathing board, the interior of the building
is "dried in" quicker and damage to other materials due to blowing
rain on the job site would be reduced. The prior attachment of the
weather resistive barrier to a defined sheathing board assures that
the sheathing board will be compatible with the weather resistive
barrier. Also, the disclosed embodiments provide better sealing of
joints between sheathing boards that are not presently being
directly sealed. The disclosed embodiments also assure consistency
in coverage in that a full sheet barrier is provided everywhere a
sheathing board is secured to the frame of a building.
[0041] While the weather resistive barrier overlay may be attached
to the structural substrate at a job site, the advantages of the
disclosed embodiments are best achieved when the weather resistive
barrier overlay is attached to the structural substrate in good
indoors working conditions that are not affected by the weather.
This allows the production of the disclosed sheathing product to be
efficient and consistent.
[0042] In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a bundle of the
structural substrates is manufactured using an automated process.
Once the bundle is manufactured, it may be taken to another area
where a weather resistive barrier overlay may be manually attached
to each structural substrate in the bundle. This would require that
the structural substrates be bundled after manufacturing and
unbundled during the application of the overlay. After the overlay
is attached, the structural substrates are then bundled again for
further processing or delivery.
[0043] In another embodiment of the present disclosure, after the
bundle is manufactured, it may be taken to another area where it is
fed into another automated process that attaches a weather
resistive barrier overlay to each structural substrate in the
bundle. Again, this would require that the structural substrates be
bundled after manufacturing, unbundled during the application of
the overlay, and bundled again for further processing or
delivery.
[0044] In yet another embodiment, the automated process that
manufactures the structural substrates may feed directly into
another automated process that applies the overlay to the
structural substrates as they are being manufactured. The
structural substrates would then come off the combined assembly
line with the overlay already attached. This embodiment would
eliminate the need to bundle and unbundle the sheathing products in
order to apply the overlay.
[0045] In any of the above described assembly methods, the overlay
material may be provided in various forms. For example, the overlay
may be provided in a roll having a width equal to the width of a
substrate 101 plus the width of flap 105. The overlay may then be
fed from the rolls and glued to substrates. By cutting the unrolled
sections of overlay, flaps may be provided one or both ends of a
sheathing product as well as along a side. For bundling and
shipping purposes, the flaps may be folded back onto the sheathing
product so that a bundle of the products will have standard
dimensions, e.g. four by eight feet. The folded flaps expose the
appropriate surface of the flap 105 to facilitate application of
the adhesive 107 and release strip 109.
[0046] If desired, the overlay 103 may be provided in precut
sections having the appropriate dimensions to cover substrates 101
and provide the flaps or flaps 105. Such precut sections may have
the adhesive 107 and release strips 109 preapplied. After such
precut sections are glued to substrates 101, it may be desirable to
fold the flaps 105 back onto the substrates 101 to provide
conventional bundle sizes. A preapplied adhesive 107 and release
strip 109 may stiffen the flaps 105 and thereby facilitate folding
of the flaps 105 back onto the substrates 101.
[0047] While several embodiments have been provided in the present
disclosure, it should be understood that the disclosed systems and
methods may be embodied in many other specific forms without
departing from the spirit or scope of the present disclosure. The
present examples are to be considered as illustrative and not
restrictive, and the intention is not to be limited to the details
given herein, but may be modified within the scope of the appended
claims along with their full scope of equivalents. For example, the
various elements or components may be combined or integrated in
another system or certain features may be omitted, or not
implemented.
[0048] Also, techniques, systems, subsystems and methods described
and illustrated in the various embodiments as discrete or separate
may be combined or integrated with other systems, modules,
techniques, or methods without departing from the scope of the
present disclosure. Other items shown or discussed as directly
coupled or communicating with each other may be coupled through
some interface or device, such that the items may no longer be
considered directly coupled to each other but may still be
indirectly coupled and in communication, whether electrically,
mechanically, or otherwise with one another. Other examples of
changes, substitutions, and alterations are ascertainable by one
skilled in the art and could be made without departing from the
spirit and scope disclosed herein.
* * * * *