Patent Application
20190186147
The present disclosure generally relates to a device that creates a path for ventilation and drying of exterior walls of buildings and structures from the inside out. The invention can be configured for use with a variety of claddings and finishes; including but not limited to thin veneer stone, manufactured stone, thin brick or three coat stucco finish of cementitious or acrylic material. The device will also start and stop the transition of these materials alone or with other commercial and residential finishes.
For purposes of the foregoing specification and appended claims the terms “air” and “water,” “moisture” or “vapor” whether or not accompanied by any words such as “vapor,” “gas,” “liquid,” “moisture, “water” or other words describing similar matter or states of matter, refers to all forms of liquids and gases not limited to water, water vapor, and moisture as created by any means.
The juncture of dissimilar materials is and has been an ongoing problem in the science and building practices associated with the exterior walls of buildings and structures. Creating a functional and aesthetic juncture frequently inhibits the escape of vapor or water since the termination of one material above and a different material below frequently ends up creating a dam blocking the escape of such vapor or water.
Walls hold moisture and their inability to allow moisture to escape and the wall to dry can be a major factor in the premature deterioration of a structure. Building science, construction practices and evolving energy codes have changed greatly over the recent decades resulting in significantly better insulated walls. However these newer wall designs signs allow less means for water to escape and less air flow leading to increasingly premature deterioration of walls of buildings and structures.
Established wall designs and construction are intended to keep water out of walls but not necessarily to allow them to breathe. Building wraps traditionally prevent water intrusion but do not necessarily let sufficient moisture out. A better wall design must allow for moisture and vapor to move through a predetermined path depending upon when the inside and outside temperatures have the sufficient temperature difference to create and hold excess moisture.
Further, air pressure differential from inside and outside the wall due to temperature and or wind can force moisture into the wall through the wall's surface, in addition to preventing vapor and moisture from escaping. This prevents condensation from escaping and inhibits drying. Further, when cold air contacts hot air, or vice versa, condensation occurs and moisture is formed inside the walls of buildings and structures.
As a result, moisture and water accumulates without a means to escape causing the sheathing of walls to absorb moisture. Plywood, cement board, or OSB (Oriented Strand Board), which is more prone to absorb moisture, can begin to mold, deteriorate, rot and hold more water. As the sheathing fails the weight of the finish material will begin to crack. This allows more moisture accumulation in the walls. Ultimately the finish material can fall away from the building or structure. Areas receiving 20-inches or more of rain a year are the most susceptible to this type of deterioration.
The juncture of dissimilar materials always presents a problem with the movement and escape of vapor from a wall of any construction material(s) and any construction practice(s). The embodiments disclosed herein address this problem and directly relate to cladding materials terminating horizontally above manufactured stone. Preventing the damming of water at the juncture and securing a sill stone while still allowing the entire wall to ventilate, vapor to escape and the wall to dry is a problem that leads to deterioration, and ultimate failure of the cladding.
Current commercially available accessories for stucco, stone and other finishes do not address these conditions and constraints on air and vapor flow within a wall. Therefore a new wall design and trim accessories are necessary to accommodate the different forms and function of the building envelope.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a flashing device assembly is provided, the device assembly comprising: an upper flashing portion having a first flange with an upper edge and a lower edge; a second flange having an attached side and a drip edge; a flexible joint attached to the first flange and the second flange between the lower edge of the first flange and the attached side of the second flange; and a flexible moisture stop that extends from a bottom surface of the second flange and is a curved lip that curves away from the first flange. There may also be, among other things and without limitation, a lower sill ledge, primary drainage plains, insect screens and a starter strip.
In the following section, the present disclosure will be described with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the figures, in which:
In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosure. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components and layouts have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the present disclosure.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” or “according to one embodiment” (or other phrases having similar import) in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Also, depending on the context of discussion herein, a singular term may include its plural forms and a plural term may include its singular form. Similarly, a hyphenated term may be occasionally interchangeably used with its non-hyphenated version, and a capitalized entry may be interchangeably used with its non-capitalized version. Such occasional interchangeable uses shall not be considered inconsistent with each other. It is noted that various figures (including component diagrams) shown and discussed herein are for illustrative purpose only, and are not drawn to scale.
One embodiment defines a one piece device that provides an unlimited number of degrees of slope so that moisture in whatever form, will follow the surface of the device, and will be directed out and away from a building's walls and provide for moisture to escape a building's exterior wall at the juncture of dissimilar materials. Another embodiment defines a one piece device that provides a shelf for building materials to rest on and provides for moisture to escape a building's exterior wall. This device permits the escape of vapor from just below the sill stone. This second embodiment defines a base ledge or starter strip for manufactured stone. Another embodiment of the device allows a starter strip for manufactured stone finishes at the base of a wall of a building or structure.
The present invention is susceptible to many different forms. There is shown in the drawings, and herein is described in detail, several preferred embodiments with the understanding that the present descriptions are to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the invention and are not intended in any way to limit the invention to that as illustrated and described herein. Existing stucco, manufactured stone and continuous insulation installation accessories (profiles) do not allow for air movement (drying) and vapor or moisture escape from the building envelope. In addition, the flanges of the various embodiments of this device can be composed of a rust-resistant metallic substance, coupled with a flexible joint composed of a non-metallic material such as, but not limited to plastic, vinyl, acrylic or polymer manufactured as a single component at the factory.
The flanges of this device can vary in length and thickness. Flanges can be equal in length or of varying lengths to accommodate different stone dimensions and styles. The attachment holes can be in either the first or the second flange of the device, depending upon its orientation of installation and function in the wall. An embodiment of this device has a plurality of openings in the portion of the flange between the first stone course and the attachment flange. An embodiment of this device has reticulated foam covering holes (see above) allowing vapor in any form to escape as well as blocking holes from insect intrusion.
With reference to
The second flange (212) rests at an angle between 90 and 120 degrees from the first flange. This is to say that while the flexible joint flexes to accommodate a range of movement, it is at an angle of 90 and 120 degrees when not flexed. This is critical because it allows for downward direction of any water away from the building. The drip edge may be a sharp angled edge (302), a rounded rectangular edge (304) or a rectangular edge (306). The particular sharp angled edge (302) may be useful to provide a drip edge for condensed vapor. The particular edge chosen would impact the water flow and would be useful according to whether the water flowing would be more vapor or solid form water. There may also be a screen (218) on a top surface of the second flange. The screen (218) may be a rainscreen or solid or corrugated furring strips or an insect screen depending on the environment the assembly is to be used in.
The flashing device assembly may also have a sill ledge (400) (as depicted in
The insect screen (404, 406) could be reticulated foam, it could be an unwoven polymer such as cellulose, nylon or spun polypropylene fiber, or it could be even a nylon or polypropylene screen, although that would be less durable. The screen may be a “GreenScreen™”, or another rain screen or solid or corrugated furring strips. The term “GreenScreen™” refers to a polypropylene entangled mesh, but it could also be described as a polymer strand matrix with a dimple structure. The GreenScreen™ rainscreen provides a drainage path and ventilation for moisture between the exterior wall finish and sheathing. It is a polypropylene mesh or polymer strand matrix with a unique dimple design that exhibits superior compressive strength. When installed according to the present invention it allows over 99% of moisture and vapor to drain and escape from the wall.
In the assembled device, there may be a starter strip (600) having a starter strip support flange (602) and a starter strip attachment flange (604), wherein the starter strip support flange (602) is attached to the starter strip attachment flange (604) at an angle between 80 and 100 degrees. As depicted, the starter strip attachment flange is at a right angle or 90 degrees to the starter strip support flange. As shown in
There are many different ways the present invention may be installed. The first flange (1502) may be installed substantially parallel to and in communication with a vertical wall surface (1504). There may be sheathing (1506) which may be considered a vertical wall surface. Exterior wall sheathing strengthens the wall system, provides a nailing base for the siding, and gives a layer of protection against outside elements. Structural sheathing gives a home or commercial building integrity and rigidity. It provides a surface for the application of materials, like siding, and helps shield a structure from rain, snow, wind, etc. Four examples of structural exterior sheathing options include wood-based, gypsum, glass mat and cement board. There may be a water resistant barrier (1508) on top of the sheathing (1506). The first flange (1502) may be parallel to the sheathing (1506) vertical wall surface. A primary drainage plane (1510) having a bottom end (1512) that sits in the flexible joint and covers the upper edge of the first flange (1502). There may be lath (1514) that covers the primary drainage plane (1510) and manufactured stone (1516) that covers the lath (1514).
As the invention has been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the same may be varied in many ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Any and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims.
In the preceding description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, specific details are set forth (such as particular structures, components, techniques, etc.) in order to provide a thorough understanding of the disclosed wall ventilation system. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the disclosed system may be constructed in other embodiments that depart from these specific details. That is, those skilled in the art will be able to devise various arrangements which, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the disclosed system. In some instances, detailed descriptions of well-known components and construction methods are omitted so as not to obscure the description of the disclosed system with unnecessary detail. All statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the disclosed system, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future, such as, for example, any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure.
As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the innovative concepts described in the present application can be modified and varied over a wide range of applications. Accordingly, the scope of patented subject matter should not be limited to any of the specific exemplary teachings discussed above, but is instead defined by the following claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62599864 | Dec 2017 | US |
