Patent Application
20190085573
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Unless otherwise indicated herein, the materials described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
The present invention generally relates to a drywall repair device and method. More specifically, the present invention relates to a drywall repair tape with a flexible mesh patch to prevent a crack in drywall from propagating.
Drywall construction has become prevalent as a speedier alternative to traditional lath and plaster. Drywall is commonly referred to as Sheetrock®, plasterboard, wallboard, gypsum panel, gypsum board, or gyp-board. Drywall is a panel made of calcium sulfate dihydrate (gypsum plaster) by sandwiching a core of wet gypsum between two sheets of heavy paper or fiberglass mats. The gypsum plaster may be mixed with paper fiber, fiberglass, plasticizer, foaming agent, and various additives that can decrease mildew, increase fire resistance, and lower water absorption. Drywall may also reduce sound transmission through walls and ceilings.
Drywall comes in four basic thicknesses: ⅝-inch is the heaviest and the most soundproof, ½-inch is less expensive and may fit better with certain window and door jambs, ⅜-inch is best to cover existing walls, and ¼-inch is best for curves and arches. Drywall is hung by securing the sheets to wall studs or ceiling joists with screws, nails, or other fasteners. When hanging drywall, it may be preferable to use the largest sheets available to reduce the number of seams between the drywall. Each seam needs to be covered and concealed with either joint tape or woven fabric mesh, and several layers of joint compound.
Joint compound is commonly referred to as mud, joint cement, drywall compound, or mastic. Joint compound is a white powder comprising primarily gypsum dust mixed with water to form a mud with the consistency of cake frosting. Joint compound is typically spread with a taping knife or putty knife. The joint tape and joint compound create a smooth seamless surface for interior walls and ceilings. After installation, the compound is allowed to air dry before being sanded smooth and painted.
Woven fabric mesh may be comprised of plastic, metal, fiberglass, glass mat, or rubber. It may be neatly woven in a crisscross or grid pattern of fiberglass thread to create a tape product. When the woven fabric mesh contains an adhesive, it may be rolled out over the seam of two pieces of drywall before applying joint compound. Since the woven fabric mesh is porous, it allows the joint compound to become part of the mesh tape for a stronger bond.
Woven fabric mesh tape is generally easier to apply than drywall repair tape, especially since woven fabric mesh tape has a layer of adhesive on one side. Thus, the adhesive allows the woven fabric mesh tape to be applied directly to the crack without the need for a bedding layer of drywall mud. Drywall repair tape requires a layer of drywall mud for it to bond to the drywall. Despite the woven fabric mesh tape being easy to apply, it is only good for areas that aren't going to crack in the future. Areas that are likely to crack include large open areas that are close to windows or doors or stressed areas.
Despite the many advantages of using drywall, cracks commonly occur. This may be due to stress caused by (1) earthquakes, (2) wood framing drying out, (3) wind loads, (4) movement of the structure due to settling or expansive soils, (5) expansion and contraction due to hot and cold weather or wet and dry seasons, and (6) poor quality workmanship in taping the drywall joints. Drywall cracks often occur in the joint between two pieces of drywall. The joint between the sheets of drywall are weaker than the center of the drywall. A crack in drywall has a high probability of reoccurring when repaired using conventional methods. This results in the contractor or homeowner spending time, energy, and money to repeat the repair process, usually for it to reappear again. Each time it is repaired, the area has to be re-textured and repainted. The process requires several steps and the result is typically only temporary.
Accordingly, there is a need for a device or method that prevents a crack from reappearing after it is repaired that is inexpensive, quick, or easy to install. The device described in this patent application fulfills at least one of these needs or creates other utility.
It is a principal object to solve at least one of the disadvantages with other attempted solutions or to create other utility by providing a device that is inexpensive, quick, or easy to install. The device described in this patent application fulfills at least one of these needs or creates other utility.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate several aspects described below.
It is to be understood that this invention is not limited to any particular embodiment described, which may vary. Also, it is to be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intended to be limiting, since the scope of this invention will be limited only by the appended claims.
In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to explain and provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it is apparent that the present invention may be practiced without all of these specific details. Thus, all illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describing versions of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
In the following section, the present invention is described fully by referencing the details in the enclosed drawings, which illustrate certain embodiments of the invention. The numbers shown in this specification refer to the corresponding numbers in the enclosed drawings. The terminology used is to describe the particular embodiment shown and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The invention may also be embodied in many other forms in addition to the embodiments shown. Thus, the embodiments shown should not be construed as limiting, but rather, to allow a thorough and complete description of the disclosure that conveys the scope of the invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art in the field of this invention. Therefore, for the terms used herein, the singular forms “the,” “a,” and “an” are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The term “and” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the terms “comprising” and “comprises” when used in this specification, identify specific steps, integers, operations, features, components, and elements, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other steps, operations, features, components, and elements. In addition, the features, components, and elements referenced may be exaggerated for clarity.
Unless otherwise defined, all scientific terms, technical terms, or other terms used herein have the same meaning as the term that is understood by one having ordinary skill in the art in the field of this invention. It is also understood that these terms, including their dictionary meaning, should be understood as having the meaning, which is consistent with their definitions in the related relevant art. In addition, the present disclosure is not to be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly stated so herein. Constructions or functions that are well known in the art may not be fully described in detail for brevity.
In describing the invention, it is understood that a number of steps and methods may be disclosed. Each of these may have individual benefit. Also, each may be used in conjunction with at least one or more of the disclosed steps and methods. Therefore, this description will refrain from stating each and every possible combination of the individual steps and methods for the sake of brevity. Regardless, the specification and related claims should be understood with the combinations that are entirely within the scope of the claims and inventions.
The disclosure in this invention are examples of how it may be implemented and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the specific embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings or the description provided herein. The present invention will now be described by example in the following paragraphs by referencing the accompanying drawings, which represent embodiments and alternative embodiments. All illustrations are for the purpose of describing selected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
The device and method shown in this invention is an improvement over the prior art in that it replaces the use of conventional repair methods that do not prevent a crack from returning. Thus, the present invention allows for fast repairs, which saves an individual time and energy that is typically wasted on repeating the repair process. A fast repair appeals to drywall contractors, remodeling contractors, homeowners, and anyone else needing to repair reoccurring cracks in drywall.
As shown in
The bottom woven fabric mesh 20 layer is adhered to the top of the drywall repair tape 10 layer using an adhesive. The adhesive may be a glue, a spray adhesive, a pressure sensitive glue, or a sticky surface. A quantity of joint compound or wet drywall mud may then be applied to a crack in the drywall. The bottom side of the drywall repair tape 10 is then applied over the top of the joint compound in the crack to embed the drywall repair tape 10 into the joint compound. The combination of the drywall repair tape 10, the woven fabric mesh 20, and the joint compound covers the crack in the drywall to prevent the crack from propagating. Joint compound may then be applied to the top side of the woven fabric mesh 20 to conceal the combination into the drywall.
Thus, a strip of drywall repair tape 10 is adhered to the bottom side of a wider strip of a woven or knitted fabric mesh 20. In this manner, the present invention provides a two-layered patching tape for repairing cracks and holes in drywall. The device shown in this invention allows for repairing cracks and holes in drywall by concealing the area where a crack has occurred in the drywall to prevent the crack from reoccurring.
The wider woven fabric mesh tape 20 provides a larger area to bind to the drywall and also holds the drywall repair tape 10 in place. Also the invention uses a woven fabric mesh tape 20 that is substantially heavier than standard fabric mesh tape, which can be torn by hand with little effort. The woven fabric mesh tape 20 used in this invention cannot be torn easily.
The device of this invention, which is a combination of the narrow drywall repair tape 10 and the wider woven fabric mesh tape 20, makes a stronger crack-resistant device than the woven fabric mesh tape 20 by itself. This is partially due to the larger surface area of the woven fabric mesh tape 20, which creates a stronger adhesion to the drywall and helps resist a crack from growing and separating. The combination of the narrower drywall repair tape 10 adhered underneath the wider woven fabric mesh tape 20 allows the drywall repair tape 10 to slide along the crack, while the wider woven fabric mesh tape 20 adheres to the wall with joint compound to keeps the device in place. Also, the drywall repair tape 10 helps hide the crack where it exists, while the wider woven fabric mesh tape 20 stops the crack from getting bigger. In addition, even though woven fabric mesh tape 20 by itself might help to control the crack, it doesn't hide it because of the spaces between the fibers in the mesh. Furthermore, even though the drywall repair tape 10 by itself keeps the crack hidden when it is underneath the drywall repair tape 10, the crack becomes visible if it travels outside the width of the drywall repair tape 10, unless the device is used which comprises a woven fabric mesh tape 20 to help hide the crack.
The present invention also discloses a method for concealing a drywall crack. The method comprises fabricating a piece of drywall repair tape 10 with top side and a bottom side from a material selected from a group consisting of paper, fiberglass, and rubber. The drywall repair tape 10 is fabricated into a material that is relatively flat, flexible, about two-inches (2″) in width, and up to virtually any length. For example, the drywall repair tape 10 may come on a roll that is either fifty-feet (50′) long, seventy-five feet (75′) long, one hundred feet (100′) long, or another length.
The method also comprises fabricating a piece of woven fabric mesh 20 with a top side and a bottom side from a material selected from a group consisting of plastic, metal, paper, fiberglass, and rubber. The woven fabric mesh 20 is fabricated into a material that is relatively flat, flexible, about eight inches (8″) to ten inches (10″) in width, and up to virtually any length. For example, the woven fabric mesh 20 may come on a roll that is either fifty-feet (50′) long, seventy-five feet (75′) long, one hundred feet (100′) long, or another length. Thus, the woven fabric mesh is about four to five times wider than the drywall repair tape.
In addition, the method involves adhering the top of the drywall repair tape 10 to the bottom side of the woven fabric mesh 20. Next, a quantity of joint compound is applied over the top of the crack in the drywall to embed the drywall repair tape 10 into the joint compound. After that, the combination of the woven fabric mesh 20, the drywall repair tape 10, and the joint compound is applied over the crack in the drywall. Joint compound may then be applied to the top side of the woven fabric mesh 20 to conceal it into the drywall.
This method allows the drywall repair tape 10 to cover the crack in the drywall. The woven fabric mesh 20 adheres to the drywall with joint compound, where its greater surface area dissipates the forces exerted by the drywall moving. Thus, the combination of the drywall repair tape 10, the woven fabric mesh 20, and the joint compound when applied over a crack in the drywall helps prevent the crack from expanding since the greater surface area of the woven mesh fabric helps dissipates the forces exerted by the drywall moving.
In at least one alternative embodiment of the present invention, the method still involves adhering the top of the drywall repair tape 10 to the bottom side of the woven fabric mesh 20. However, a quantity of joint compound is first applied to the bottom of the drywall repair tape 10 instead of over the crack in the wall. After that, the combination of the woven fabric mesh 20 and the drywall repair tape 10, which has its bottom side covered with joint compound, is applied over the crack in the drywall. Joint compound may then be applied to the top side of the woven fabric mesh 20 to conceal it into the drywall.
Since the present invention does not require an adhesive to attach either the drywall repair tape 10 or the woven fabric mesh sheet 20 to the drywall, there is no peel-off release sheet or slick tape to protect an adhesive to keep it sticky. The present invention uses an adhesive to adhere a paper drywall repair tape 10 to a woven fabric mesh sheet 20 where the combination is then attached to the wall using a joint compound.
The device of the present invention is considerably wider than typical drywall repair tape 10 alone, due to the wider woven fabric mesh sheet 20 of the device. The wider woven fabric mesh sheet 20 holds the narrower drywall repair tape 10 or rubberized tape in place so any movement is hidden behind the drywall repair tape 10. In addition, the device doesn't need to be pushed into a hole or channel and doesn't need to have an adhesive attached to the patching material. Furthermore, the device is approximately 8″ to 10″ wide due to the wider woven fabric mesh sheet 20. The drywall repair tape 10 or rubberized tape that attaches to the woven fabric mesh sheet 20 is about two-inches (2″) wide. Thus, the device's wider woven fabric mesh sheet 20 on top of the narrower drywall repair tape 10 or rubberized tape acts to secure the narrower drywall repair tape 10 over the crack, which allows the crack to move behind the combination of the wider woven fabric mesh sheet 20 and the narrower drywall repair tape 10 to hide the crack like a Band-Aid. The invention avoids using a spray adhesive, pressure sensitive glue, or a “sticky surface” to adhere to the drywall, by using either drywall mud or joint compound to install the device.
The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The exemplary embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the present invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the present invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
Although the invention has been explained in relation to several different embodiments, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
All of these embodiments and the invention disclosed herein are intended to be within the scope herein disclosed. These and other embodiments of the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description of the embodiments having reference to the attached figures, the embodiments not being limited to any particular embodiments disclosed. Also, the invention disclosed herein suitably may be practiced in the absence of any element which is not specifically disclosed herein.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/561,444, filed Sep. 21, 2017, the entire contents of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein, under 35 U.S.C. 119(e).
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62561444 | Sep 2017 | US |
