Patent Application
20110314759
The present invention relates to drywall products and, more particularly, to drywall products that may resist mold, allow the direct nailing of trim thereto and add insulation value.
Current drywall will grow mold if any moisture exists behind the walls. The paper on the back of current drywall feeds the mold and allows it to grow, potentially making people sick. Current drywall also does not securely hold nails. This feature may be especially useful when trim is installed along a floor edge and/or a ceiling edge of a wall. Current drywall has minimal insulation value (for example, ½ inch drywall has an R-value of about 0.45) and may be broken or damaged easily.
As can be seen, there is a need for a drywall product that may inhibit the formation of mold, may hold a nail or fastener securely, may provide insulation and may be strong and durable.
In one aspect of the present invention, a drywall product comprises a drywall type mixture disposed as a sheet having a wall side and a stud side; and a nail and fastener layer attached to or incorporated into at least a portion of the stud side of the drywall type mixture.
In another aspect of the present invention, a drywall product comprises a drywall type mixture disposed as a sheet having a wall side and a stud side; a nail and fastener layer attached or incorporated into at least a portion of the stud side of the drywall type mixture; and a vapor barrier entirely covering the stud side of the sheet.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.
The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features.
Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a drywall product that may inhibit the formation of mold, may hold a nail and other fasteners securely, may provide insulation and may be strong and durable. The drywall product, according to embodiments of the present invention, may include one or more of the following features: a vapor barrier on a stud side of a sheet of the drywall product, a nailing and fastening member on at least a portion of the sheet of the drywall product, a drywall-type mixture covering a wall side of the sheet of the drywall product, and a paper face for a smooth finish. As used herein, “stud side” refers to the side of the sheet of drywall product that may be installed facing wall studs. “Wall side” of a sheet of drywall product refers to the side of the sheet of drywall product that may be installed facing an interior of a room.
Referring to
On a wall side 18 of the drywall product sheet, a smooth paper face 20 may be disposed. The smooth paper face 20 may be similar to the paper face of conventional drywall. Between the smooth paper face 20 and the vapor barrier 14 may be installed a drywall-type mixture 22. The drywall-type mixture 22 may be similar to conventional drywall mixtures. A waterproofing chemical, as may be known in the art, may be added to the drywall-type mixture 22. The drywall-type mixture 22 may be designed in a manner similar to conventional drywall. For example, the wall side of the drywall-type mixture 22 may include indentations (not shown) along one or more edges thereof for creating smooth seams when the drywall product sheets 10 abut one another. The thickness of the drywall-type mixture 22 may be from about 3/16 inch to about ½ inch, for example, and typically is between about 5/16 inch to about ½ inch, as discussed in greater detail below. A mesh may be optionally formed in the drywall-type mixture 22.
A nail and fastener layer 24 may be disposed between the drywall-type mixture 22 and the vapor barrier 14. In one embodiment of the present invention, the nail and fastener layer 24 may be disposed along an entire surface of the drywall product sheet 10. In an alternate embodiment, the nail and fastener layer 24 may be disposed around a perimeter of a drywall product sheet 10-1, as shown in
As shown in
The nail and fastener layer 24 may be made of a material that may secure a nail therewithin. For example, the nail and fastener layer 24 may be wood, plastic or a composite material. In other embodiments, the nail and fastener layer 24 may be made of post-consumer recycled material. The nail and fastener layer 24 may be from about ⅛ inch to about ¼ inch thick. In one embodiment of the present invention, the drywall type mixture 22 may be about 5/16 inch thick, while the nail and fastener layer 24 may be about 3/16 inch thick, resulting in an overall thickness 12 of about ½ inch, thereby approximating the thickness of a conventional sheet of ½ inch drywall.
When the nail and fastener layer 24 does not cover the entire surface of the drywall product sheet 10, the thickness of the drywall type mixture 22 may vary so that the combination of the nail and fastener layer 24 and the drywall type mixture 22 may result in a drywall product sheet 10 that may have a flat stud side 16, as shown in
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
