Patent Application
20100064607
Virtually every building contains exterior windows. A typical window is secured by a window sash. The sash is framed by a window frame. The window frame is installed into a window opening within the building structure. A nailing fin extends from each side of the window frame. Nails are inserted through the nailing fins in order to secure the window frame to the building structure. Each side of the window frame has a lateral perimeter surface which extends outside the window opening of the structure. Siding material is installed along the face of the building structure and abuts the window frame. A common siding material is comprised of brick and mortar. Some of the brick edges of brick siding are adjacent to the window frame.
Window frame manufacturers typically specify that a gap of approximately ⅜″ should exist between the brick edges and the window frame. This specification is often ignored by bricklayers. They brick in such a way that some of the brick edges directly contact the lateral perimeter surfaces of the window frame. This renders caulking between the brick edges and the window frame to be less effective than caulk which is inserted into a ⅜″ gap between the lateral perimeter surface of the window frame and the brick edges. In other words, without the appropriate gap, air and water leaks around the window frame are more likely. This, however, is not the primary problem caused by laying brick such that the edges of the brick contact the lateral perimeter surface of the window frame. When the brick edges contact the lateral perimeter surface of the window frame, initially there is no problem with window functioning or window aesthetics. The sash is free to move within the window frame, as designed by the window manufacturer. Unfortunately, over the course of time, the brick and mortar tends to expand. It is not unusual for that part of a brick wall contacting the lateral perimeter surface of a window frame at the time of construction to expand over the course of one or two years in such a way that the window frame crushes. As a result of the crushing, the window sash can bind and become inoperable. The crushing also has a negative impact on window aesthetics. This window frame crushing is directly attributable to bricklayers laying bricks such that edges of the brick directly contact the lateral perimeter surface of the window frame, instead of complying with the window manufacturer's specifications requiring the existence of a specified gap between the edges of the brick and the lateral perimeter surface of the window frame. General building settling over the course of time, as well as the drying of wooden structural members, can also cause the bricks to crush the window frame. What is needed is window frame spacing tape and a method for installing a window frame into a building which prevents bricklayers from laying brick such that brick edges abut against the lateral perimeter surface of a window frame.
The window frame spacing tape and the method for installing a window frame into a building described herein provide a solution to the problem of brick siding installed too close to a window frame causing the window frame to crush over time.
Window frames typically have a nailing fin extending from each side of the window frame. The plane of the nailing fin is parallel to the plane of the window within the frame. The fins are adapted to be nailed to the building structure when the frame is installed into a window opening within the structure. A portion of the frame extends exteriorly to the structure. Another portion of the frame extends into the interior aspect of the structure. That part of the window frame which is perpendicular to an adjoining nailing fin, which extends outwardly from the nailing fin to the exterior of the building and which is along the external perimeter of the window frame is denoted as the external lateral perimeter surface of the window frame. The term external lateral perimeter surface of the window frame can refer to one side of the window frame, or all sides of the window frame, depending upon the context within which that phrase is used. In the event of any ambiguity, the term external lateral perimeter surface of a window frame is intended to refer to all four sides of a rectangular window frame. Building siding material is typically installed such that the edges of some of that siding material are in close proximity to the external lateral perimeter surface of the window frame. As indicated above, window manufacturers specify that a predetermined first gap exists between the external lateral perimeter surface of the window frame and the edges of adjacent brick.
Window frame spacing tape is comprised of a piece of resilient material and an adhesive backing on the resilient material. Preferably, the resilient material is moisture resistant foam, such as closed cell foam. The term foam, as used herein, means any of various light, porous, semi rigid or spongy materials used for thermal insulation or shock absorption, as in packaging. The resilient material is shaped such that, together with the adhesive backing, it has a thickness substantially the same as the thickness of the predetermined first gap. Preferably, this thickness is ⅜″. The width of the resilient material is such that when an edge is abutted against the nailing fin extending from the window frame and adhered to the external lateral perimeter surface of the window frame it leaves a predetermined second gap between the longitudinal edge of the foam distal to the nailing fin extending from the window frame and a section of a plane parallel to the window within the frame and abutting the external frontal surface of the window frame, wherein said section of the plane extends over the longitudinal edge of the foam, thereby providing a caulk receptacle between the window frame and the siding material of the building into which the window frame is installed. The length of this predetermined second gap is preferably ½″. The longitudinal edge of the foam distal to the nailing fin should be radiused. The additional surface area provided by a radiused edge, as compared to a flat edge, will provide an enhanced caulk base. In other words, there will be increased surface area for the caulk to adhere to. A removable nonstick cover should cover the adhesive backing. This will allow the window frame spacing tape to be handled before installation without the tape adhering to other objects.
In order to use the window frame spacing tape for installing a window frame into a building, a window frame having an external lateral perimeter surface and a nailing fin extending from the frame is selected. Also, a building having a window opening for receiving the window frame is selected. The window frame is installed into the window opening in the traditional manner. An edge of the window frame spacing tape is abutted against the nailing fin extending from the window frame and adhered to the external lateral perimeter surface of the window frame. After this, brick siding is installed onto the building. The plurality of bricks which are adjacent to the external lateral perimeter surface of the window frame are abutted against the resilient material of the window frame spacing tape. When the brick siding expands it will now compress the resilient material, rather than crush the window frame.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings where:
The definitions of words and phrases stated above also apply to this section.
Window frame spacing tape 20 is intended to be applied to the external lateral perimeter surfaces 32 of a window frame 30 which has a nailing fin 36 extending from each of its sides. Window frame spacing tape 20 spaces the siding material 52, 54 of a building 44 apart from of the window frame 30 by a predetermined first gap 56.
The preferred embodiment of window frame spacing tape 20 is comprised of a piece of moisture resistant foam 22, an adhesive backing 26 on the foam 22 and a nonstick cover 28 covering the adhesive backing 26. The foam material 22 is as previously described. The material may also include light, resilient polystyrene plastic, such as that sold under the trade name STYROFOAM. The key feature required for the foam material is that when a piece of the material approximately ⅜″ thick is applied to the external lateral perimeter surface 32 of a window frame, that material may compress to less than 50% of its original thickness when an exterior force is applied to it without causing deformation of the window frame 30. It will also tend to rebound to its original shape when the force is removed. In the preferred embodiment, the foam 22 is moisture resistant. This will prevent the foam 22 from permitting water leakage into the interior aspect of a building on which it is used. Therefore, a closed cell foam 22 is preferred and recommended. The closed cells of the foam 22 each resist water intrusion. For the same reasons, the adhesive backing 26 should also be moisture resistant.
The usual window frame 30 manufacturer's specification for the gap between the external lateral perimeter surface 32 and the edge of adjacent brick siding 52 is ⅜″. This permits the bricks 54 which are adjacent to the external lateral perimeter surfaces 32 of the window frame 30 to expand without crushing the window frame 30. This gap is referred to as the predetermined first gap 56 herein. Thus, the thickness of the foam 22 and the adhesive backing 26 should be the thickness of the predetermined first gap 56. For the typical window frame 30 this is a thickness of approximately ⅜″.
When the window frame spacing tape 20 is applied to the window frame 30 and edge is abutted against an extending nailing fin 36 of the window frame 30 and adhered to the external lateral perimeter surface 32 of the window frame 30. The width of the foam 22 is less than the width of the external lateral perimeter surface 32 of the window frame 30, as shown in
Window frame spacing tape 20 is used as follows. A window frame 30 having an external lateral perimeter surface 32 and a nailing fin 36 extending from the frame 30 (there are four such surfaces 32 and nailing fins 36 on a rectangular window frame 30) is selected. A length of window frame spacing tape 20 is selected which is sufficient to cover all of the external lateral perimeter surfaces 32 of the window frame 30. A building 44 having a window opening 46 for receiving a window frame 30 is selected. See
Although the invention has been shown and described with reference to certain preferred embodiments and methods, those skilled in the art undoubtedly will find alternative embodiments and methods obvious after reading this disclosure. With this in mind, the following claims are intended to define the scope of protection to be afforded the inventor, and those claims shall be deemed to include equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
