Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CA 02488025 2004-11-22
CLAPBOARD SIDING PANEL WITH BUILT IN FASTENER SUPPORT
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to siding products and methods of
installing siding products, and more particularly to clapboard siding products
and
methods of installing the same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Typically, clapboard siding panels, such as fiber cement clapboard
siding panels, are installed on a wall of a structure, generally on a
sheathing product,
in one of two ways - either in a so called "blind nail" method or a so called
"face
nail" method. In the blind nail method, illustrated by siding panel assembly
20 of
FIG. 2, a first siding panel 16a is aligned on the face of a wall 12 and a
series of
horizontally spaced nails (not shown) is driven through the panel 16a,
generally
through an upper region of the exterior face of the panel 16a, into the wall
12. A
second panel 16b is then secured to the wall 12 in the same manner using a
series of
nails 18. The second panel 16b overlaps a portion of the exterior face of the
first
panel 16a and covers the nails or fasteners driven through the first panel
16a. Another
panel (not shown) is then installed overlapping panel 16b and covering nails
18.
[0003] In the face nailing method shown by panel assembly 10 of FIG. 1, the
first siding panel 14a is properly aligned on the wall 12. A second siding
panel 14b is
then aligned overlapping the first siding panel 14a, as described above, and
nails 18a
are driven through both siding panels 14a, 14b, exposing the head of the nail
18a at
the exterior surface of the second siding panel 14b. This process is repeated
with
subsequent siding courses, such as panels 14c and 14d shown in FIG. 1, using
nails
18b and 18c.
[0004] FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the panel assembly 20 of FIG.
2. As can be seen from the cross-sectional view, the panels 16a and 16b of
this
assembly do not sit flush with the wall 12, i.e., a gap, illustrated generally
by
reference 22, exists between the siding panels and the wall 20 proximate to
where
nails 18 are driven through the panels. As explained above, fasteners 18
secure the
panels to the wall 20. Because of the gap between the wall 20 and the siding
panels,
the fasteners apply a bending force to the panel, both when being driven
through the
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CA 02488025 2004-11-22
panels and after being secured to wall 20. This bending force stresses the
panels and
can lead to cracking. Further, the nails tend to fracture the rear surface of
the panels
as they puncture the rear surface and enter the gap area 22 between the rear
surface of
the panels and the wall, like a bullet exiting an object into free space. The
stress
cracks and fractures, in turn, can expose the panels to water, weaken the
holding
strength of the fasteners and generally reduce the product life of the panels.
Similar
problems are encountered with the assembly 10 of FIG. 1.
[0005] In light of the above, there is a need for a new siding panel system
and
panel configuration that reduce or eliminate stresses and fractures placed on
the siding
panel both during and after installation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] A generally rectangular siding panel is provided having a front and
rear faces. The rear face has a first area proximate to a top end of the rear
face and
shaped such that at least a portion of the area sits substantially flush with
a portion of
a vertical wall when the siding panel is secured to the vertical wall and
angled to
overlap at least a portion of a second siding panel secured to the vertical
wall.
(0007] Because at least a portion of the rear face, i.e., a first or
protruding
portion of the rear face, sits flush with the vertical wall, a gap proximate
to the nail
puncture and between the rear face and the wall is substantially eliminated
and the
wall provides support for the rear face during the nailing step. This support
helps to
reduce the fracturing or splintering of the rear face local to the nail
puncture and helps
to minimize bending of the siding panel as the nail is driven into the wall,
thereby
further reducing stresses that can lead to fractures in the siding panel. The
reduction
of fractures in the siding panel can reduce exposure of the siding panel to
water
damage and improve the strength of the connection between the siding panel and
the
wall, thereby improving the panel's wind load resistance.
(0008] In one embodiment, a generally rectangular shaped clapboard siding
panel is provided having a front and rear faces, the rear face having a first
area
proximate to a top end of the rear face shaped such that at least a portion of
the area
sits substantially flush with a portion of a vertical wall when the siding
panel is
secured to the vertical wall and angled to overlap at least a portion of a
second siding
panel secured to the vertical wall, such that the vertical wall provides
support for the
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CA 02488025 2004-11-22
rear face when fasteners are driven through the clapboard siding panel and
into the
vertical wall through the first area. The first area can be reinforced, such
as by
thickening, fibrous, particle or resin reinforcement or by the addition of a
reinforcing
member, such as a metal mesh, scrim, fabric, or panel, for example, made of
glass,
graphite, plastic or metal, such as galvanized steel mesh or sheet metal.
These
reinforcements are preferably embedded or laminated to the panel at least on
or in the
first area.
[0009] A siding panel assembly is also provided including a first and a second
siding panels attached to a vertical wall of a structure. Each of the siding
panels has a
generally rectangular shaped panel having a front and rear faces. The first
siding
panel is angled to overlap at least a portion of the second siding panel. The
rear face
of at least the first siding panel has a first area proximate to a top end of
the rear face
shaped such that at least a portion of the area sits substantially flush with
a portion of
the vertical wall.
[0010] A method of installing a siding panel assembly on a structure is also
provided. A first and second siding panels are provided. Each of the siding
panels
has a generally rectangular shaped panel having a front and rear faces. The
rear face
of at least the first siding panel has a protruding area proximate to a top
end of the
rear face shaped such that at least a portion of the area sits substantially
flush with a
portion of the vertical wall when the first siding panel is secured to the
wall and
angled to overlap at least a portion of the second siding panel.
[0011] The above and other features of the present invention will be better
understood from the following detailed description of the preferred
embodiments of
the invention that is provided in connection with the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] The accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the
invention, as well as other information pertinent to the disclosure, in which:
FIG.1 is a partial perspective view of a prior art face nail clapboard panel
assembly;
FIG. 2 is a partial perspective view of a prior art blind nail clapboard panel
assembly;
FIG. 3 is a side cross-sectional view of the assembly of FIG. 2;
3
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CA 02488025 2004-11-22
FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a clapboard siding panel according to the
present invention;
FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of a clapboard siding panel assembly
utilizing the clapboard siding panel of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of an alternative embodiment of a clapboard
siding panel according to the present invention;
FIG. 6A is an enlarged view of a portion of the panel of FIG. 6; and
FIG. 7 is a side cross-sectional view of a clapboard siding panel assembly
utilizing the clapboard siding panel of FIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] Referring first to FIG. 4, a side elevational view of a siding panel
100
is shown. Siding panel 100 has a generally rectangular shape, like the siding
panels
shown in the perspective views of FIGS. 1 and 2, and, in an exemplary
embodiment,
is a clapboard siding panel, preferably a fiber cement clapboard siding panel.
"Fiber
Cement" refers to a cementitious composition including Portland cement,
cellulose
fibers and aggregate (typically, sand). Siding panel 100 has front and rear
faces 102
and 104, respectively. In one embodiment, the siding panel may be between
about
12'-16' in length, as is conventional, with faces between about 5" to 16" in
height.
The siding panel has a thickness typically between about 1/8 to 1/2", and
preferably
around 3/16".
[0014] The panel 100 includes a first area 106 located proximate to the top
edge 108 of the panel and preferably extending along the length of the rear
face 104.
The first area 106 is shaped such that a face of the area sits flush against a
vertical
wall 110 when a first siding panel 100a is secured to a wall 110 and angled to
at least
partially overlap a second siding panel 100b, as shown in the assembly 200 of
FIG. 5.
In one embodiment, the first area has a first planar face 106a that contacts
the wall
110 during and after installation and a second face 106b that connects the
first face to
the remainder of the rear face 104. The first planar face 106a extends from
the top
edge 108 and forms an angle "a" with the major portion of the rear face 104 of
the
siding panel. Angle a is selected such that the sum of angle a and angle "[i"
are
preferably between about 170-190°, and more preferably about
180°, at installation
where angle [3 is the angle between the major surface of rear face 104 and the
wall
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CA 02488025 2004-11-22
110 created when the panel is installed (as described below in connection with
FIG. 5)
to overlap another siding panel. Angle ~3 is typically between about 1-
10°, so angle a
is preferably between about 170-179° so that the face 106a is
substantially flush with
the wall 110.
[0015] During installation of a panel 100, nails are driven through a siding
panel to secure the panel to the wall after the panel is correctly positioned
on a wall.
In a conventional assembly, each nail is typically positioned within about an
inch
from the top edge 108. With respect to siding panel 100, it is preferred that
the nails
are driven through the first area 106 of the siding panel 100, and preferably
through
face 106a that sits flush with the vertical wall after the panel 100 is
correctly
positioned. For this reason, face 106a should have a height along rear face
104 of at
least one inch.
[0016] During installation, a siding panel 100 is positioned on a wall 110 so
that at least a portion of the first area 106 is flush with a portion of the
wall 110, as
shown in FIG. 5. A series of horizontally spaced nails 112 are then driven
through
the siding panel 100 and through the first portion 106 (specifically, through
the face
106a that lies flush with the wall 110), and into the wall 110. Because the
face 106a
sits flush with the wall 110, the gap 22 proximate to the nail puncture is
eliminated
and the wall 110 provides support for the face 106a during the nailing step.
This
support prevents the fracturing or splintering of the rear face 104 local to
the nail
puncture and prevents bending of the siding panel as the nail 112 is driven
into the
wall 110. The reduction of fractures and other stresses in the siding panel
can reduce
exposure of the siding panel to water damage and improve the strength of the
connection between the siding panel and the wall, thereby improving the
panel's wind
load resistance and product life.
[0017] Although FIG. 5 illustrates a siding panel assembly 200 having only
two overlapping siding panels 100a, 100b, it should be understood that this is
for
purposes of illustration only. Also, although siding panel assembly 200 is
shown
assembled via the so called "blind nail" method, an assembly may also be
formed
using panels 100 via the "face nail" assembly method described above in the
"Background of the Invention" section. Similar panels are preferably, but not
necessarily, used to form the assembly, i.e., each panel preferably has a
respective
first area 106 located on the rear face 104.
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CA 02488025 2004-11-22
[0018] Although the siding panels illustrated herein are described as
clapboard
fiber cement siding panels, this is by no means a requirement. One of ordinary
skill
will realize that siding panels may be fabricated from a variety of materials
other than
fiber cement, such as wood or plastic, such as PVC, or composites thereof. It
should
also be apparent that, although not illustrated, the siding panel assembly
described
herein may include other products typically included in panel assemblies, such
as
sheathing, air and water barriers and insulation.
[0019] Fabrication of the panels 100 having first portion 106 described above
may be accomplished using known fabrication techniques for manufacturing fiber
cement or other clapboard siding panels. For example, first area shapes can
simply be
incorporated into the press or mold contour used to fabricate fiber cement
clapboard
siding panels. This manufacturing process is often referred to as "Post
Press."
Alternatively, an accumulator roll process, for example, may be utilized.
[0020] A method of installing a siding panel assembly on a structure is also
provided herein. A first and second siding panels are provided. At least a
first one of
the siding panels is configured like a siding panel 100 described above, i.e.,
it has a
first area 106 on a rear face thereof. First and second siding panels are
attached to the
structure such that the first area of the first siding panel sits
substantially flush with
the vertical wall of the structure when the first siding panel is angled to
overlap at
least a portion of the second siding panel. Nails are driven through the
panels to
secure the panels to the wall as described above in either the face or blind
nail
manner. Preferably, this process is repeated until the structure is covered
with siding
panels. As noted, the nails are preferably positioned so that they are driven
through
the portion of the first area that is flush with the wall of the structure,
thereby
providing a secure nailing surface and reducing or eliminating stress induced
fracturing of the rear face of the siding panel.
[0021] FIG. 6 illustrates a siding panel 308 having first area 306 without a
protruding area described in connection with the panel 100 of FIG. 4, but
angled to
provide the flush seating with wall 110, as shown in the assembly 300 of FIG.
7.
Panels 308a and 308b are installed in the manner described above for panels
100 in
the assembly 200. Like panel 100, siding panel 308 has front and rear faces
302, 304
respectively and a longitudinal length. The rear surface 304 has a first
portion of the
rear face 304 forming an oblique angle (3 with respect to the exterior surface
of
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CA 02488025 2004-11-22
vertical wall 110 to which the siding panels 308 are affixed. The rear surface
304 of
the siding panels 308 also include a second portion in area 306 that is
disposed in
substantially flush contact with the vertical wall 110 when the siding panel
308 is
affixed to the vertical wall 110. The portion of rear face that sits flush
with wall 110
forms an angle a with the first portion of rear surface 304. The sum of angles
a and [3
preferably total 180°, but may be in the range of about 170-190°
so that the second
portion is substantially flush with the wall 110. The second portion of the
rear face
in contact with the wall 110 preferably has a height of at least 1" so that
nails or other
fasteners may be driven through the same and into wall 110, thereby providing
a
secure nailing surface and reducing or eliminating stress induced fracturing
of the rear
face of the siding panel.
[0022] In one embodiment, the first area 306 (FIG. 6) (or 106 for panel 100)
can be reinforced, such as by thickening, fibrous, particle or resin
reinforcement or by
the addition of a reinforcing member, such as a metal mesh, scrim, fabric, or
panel,
for example, made of glass, graphite, plastic or metal, such as galvanized
steel mesh
or sheet metal. These reinforcements are preferably embedded or laminated to
the
panel on or in the first area as taught in, for example, U.S. Patent
Application Serial
No. 10/288,189 to William P. Bezubic Jr., filed November 5, 2002, entitled
"Cementitious External Sheathing Member with Rigid Support Member" commonly
assigned to the assignee of the present application, the entirety of which is
hereby
incorporated by reference herein.
(0023] Bezubic Jr. teaches that a rigid support member 400 may be bonded
with a fiber cement material, as shown in the enlarged partial side view of
the panel
308 (FIG. 6A). The enlarged view of FIG. 6A illustrates fiber cement panel 308
as
including plurality of laminated layers with a support member 400 bonded to
the rear
surface 304 at last along a portion of rear surface 304 at the first area 306.
Bezubic Jr.
provides that the support member 400 may includes a rigid polymer resin, such
as,
rigid polyvinyl chloride ("PVC"), fiberglass-reinforced epoxy or polyester, or
a metal
plate, sheet or lath. Suitable metallic materials include anodized or polymer-
coated
aluminum or copper, brass, bronze, stainless steel, or galvanized steel, in
plate, sheet
or lath form. If aluminum is selected, it should be coated wherever it comes
in
contact with the cementitious material, since it is prone to attack by alkali
compositions. Similarly, carbon steel selections should be coated or
galvanized in
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CA 02488025 2004-11-22
order to prevent rusting. The metal plate or lath can be roll formed and
punched in
order to provide through-holes for fasteners. If a lath, scrim, or mesh
construction is
used, separate holes may not be necessary since the open construction of a
lath, scrim,
or mesh is ideal for mechanically locking with the cementitious layer of the
panel 308
and is easily penetrated by fasteners such as nails and screws. With lath or
scrim
constructions, embedding the support member within the cementitious layer of
the
panel 308 is an option, in which case, the rigid support member may contain
corrugations, grooves perforations or ridges to assist in mechanically locking
with the
cementitious layer of the panel.
[0024] As noted, Bezubic Jr. also teaches the use of reinforcing additives
within the fiber cement structure. These additives are shown as fibers 402 in
FIG.
6A. These fibers may be added to the cementitious layers of the panel 308 in
order to
increase the interlaminar bond strength, compressive, tensile, flexural, and
cohesive
strengths of the unhardened wet material as well as the hardened panels made
therefrom. Fibers should preferably have high tear and burst strengths (i.e.,
high
tensile strength), examples of which include waste paper pulp, abaca, southern
pine,
hardwood, flax, bagasse (sugar cane fiber), cotton, and hemp. Fibers with a
high
aspect ratio of about 10 or greater work best in imparting strength and
toughness to
the moldable material.
[0025] In U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 10/342,529 to William P.
Bezubic Jr. and Claude Brown Jr., filed January 15, 2003, entitled
"Cementitious
External Sheathing Member Having Improved Interlaminar Board Strength"
(Bezubic
II), commonly assigned to the assignee of the present application, the
entirety of
which is hereby incorporated by reference herein, the Applicants teach the
introduction of a resinous bond promoter, such as acrylic, starch, polyvinyl
alcohol, or
polyvinyl acetate, a rheological agent, or the use of mechanical means
described
below to improve the strength between individual layers of cementitious
material.
Sufficient resinous additions, manipulation of the fiber, or both, can result
in
improvements to ILB (inter-laminate board) strength. In addition to resinous
bond
promoters and rheological agents, Bezubic II proposes the use of mechanical
manipulation of the wood fiber so that the individual fibers can be oriented
in a "z"
direction between layers to improve ILB strength. In addition to using the
suggested
additives, or apart therefrom, Bezubic II proposes the use of a series of
pins, partially
8
CA 02488025 2004-11-22
or fully disposed within the layer or layers of the fiber cement product to
pierce the
sheet and displace the fibers perpendicular to the direction of the forming
machine,
thus allowing the fibers to join the sheets together. Bezubic II also teaches
employing
further, or alternatively, a piercing wheel, punching die, vibration table,
needling
equipment, or a smoother surface such as a roll or plate that can be used to
upset the
fiber location on each, or selective ones, of the layers of the fiber cement
product.
[0026] Although the invention has been described in terms of exemplary
embodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the appended claims should be
construed broadly to include other variants and embodiments of the invention
that
may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and
range of
equivalents of the invention.
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