Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02532832 2006-01-13
Sealing Method and Apparatus
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for sealing the joints
between
wood members used in the construction of a building.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the construction of buildings there are numerous joints formed by abutting
pieces of
wood. Due to imperfections in the wood itself or in the underlying surface
that is supporting the
wood, it is frequently very difficult to get the faces of both pieces of wood
forming the joint to be
exactly true to each other. If the adjoining faces of two wood members are not
true to each
other, such joints will be compromised and gaps and cracks will result. If the
joint is on the
perimeter of a building, this leads to the loss of heat to the exterior of the
building. The loss of
heat through imperfect exterior joints can result in damage to the exterior
cladding such as stucco
or siding.
There are a number of prior art sealing methods that have been used to try and
create an
airtight seal between two pieces of wood to try and overcome the
aforementioned problems of
imperfect joints. One such method comprises placing a flexible seal between
the two pieces of
wood forming the joint. The problem with such a method is that it can alter
the dimensions of
the finished joint. Further, once lateral airflow is blocked by the seal there
can be moisture build
up against the seal resulting in damage to the wooden joint.
What is needed is a method and an apparatus for sealing the joint between two
adjoining
pieces of wood which does not alter the dimensions of the joint, and which
mitigates the problem
of moisture build up at the seal.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a method and an apparatus for creating a
sealed joint
between two pieces of wood such that the dimensions of the joint are unaltered
and that allows
longitudinal airflow along the length of the seal while preventing lateral
airflow through the seal.
Accordingly, in one aspect of the invention, the invention comprises a method
of sealing a joint
between a face of a first piece of wood and a face of a second piece of wood
comprising the steps
of:
(a) making a longitudinal groove along the face of the first piece of wood,
the groove
having a lower groove portion and an upper groove portion, the upper groove
portion being wider than the lower groove portion;
(b) inserting elongate compressible seal means into the length of the groove
such that
the compressible seal means protrudes out beyond the face of the first piece
of
wood when in its uncompressed state; and
(c) placing the face of the second piece of wood against the face of the first
piece of
wood having the longitudinal groove thereby compressing the compressible seal
means and forming a seal between the face of the first piece of wood and the
face
of the second piece of wood;
whereby the compressed compressible seal means distends filling the lower
groove portion while only partially filling the upper groove portion such that
a
longitudinal channel of space is created in the upper groove portion on at
least one
side of the compressible seal means.
In one embodiment of the method of the present invention the lower groove
portion is
substantially semicircular and the upper groove portion has beveled walls
sloping out and away
from the lower groove portion. In a further embodiment, the beveled walls of
the upper groove
portion are sloped at about a 45 angle relative to the face of the first
piece of wood. In one
embodiment, the compressible seal means may comprise a foam rod or a rubber
gasket.
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The upper and the lower groove portions may be formed from a single oversized
groove.
In another aspect of the invention, the invention comprises a method of
sealing a joint between a
face of a first piece of wood and a face of a second piece of wood comprising
the steps of:
(a) making a two substantially parallel longitudinal grooves along the face of
the first
piece of wood, each groove having a lower groove portion and an upper groove
portion, the upper groove portion being wider than the lower groove portion;
(b) inserting elongate compressible seal means into the length of each groove
such
that the compressible seal means protrudes out beyond the face of the first
piece
of wood when in its uncompressed state; and
(c) placing the face of the second piece of wood against the face of the first
piece of
wood having the longitudinal grooves thereby compressing the compressible
sealing means and forming a seal between the face of the first piece of wood
and
the face of the second piece of wood;
whereby the compressed compressible seal means distends filling the lower
groove portion while only partially filling the upper groove such that a
longitudinal channel of space is created in the upper groove portion on at
least one
side of the compressible seal means.
In another aspect of the invention, the invention comprises a method of
sealing the joint between
a face of a foundation ladder and a face of a rim joist of a building
comprising:
(a) making a longitudinal groove along the face of the rim joist, the groove
having a
lower groove portion and an upper groove portion, the upper groove portion
being
wider than the lower groove portion;
(b) inserting elongate compressible seal means into the length of the groove
such that
the compressible seal means protrudes out beyond the face of the rim joist
when
in its uncompressed state; and
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(c) placing the face of the foundation ladder against the face of the rim
joist thereby
compressing the compressible seal means and forming an seal between the face
of
the rim joist and the face of the foundation ladder.
In a further aspect of the present invention, the invention comprises a method
of sealing the joint
between a face of a bottom plate of an exterior wall frame and a subfloor of a
building
comprising:
(a) making a longitudinal groove along the face of the bottom plate, the
groove
having a lower groove portion and an upper groove portion, the upper groove
portion being wider than the lower groove portion;
(b) inserting elongate compressible seal means into the length of the groove
such that
the compressible seal means protrudes out beyond the face of the bottom plate
when in its uncompressed state; and
(c) placing the subfloor against the face of the bottom plate thereby
compressing the
compressible seal means and forming a seal between the face of the bottom
plate
and the subfloor.
In another aspect of the present invention, the invention comprises a method
of framing a
building having a rim joist and a foundation ladder comprising:
(a) making a longitudinal groove along a face of the rim joist, the groove
having a
lower groove portion and an upper groove portion, the upper groove portion
being
wider than the lower groove portion;
(b) inserting elongate compressible seal means into the length of the groove
such that
the compressible seal means protrudes out beyond the face of the rim joist
when
in its uncompressed state; and
(c) placing a face of the foundation ladder of against the face of the rim
joist thereby
compressing the compressible seal means and forming an a seal between the face
of the rim joist and the face of the foundation ladder.
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In one aspect of the present invention, the invention comprises a rim joist
sealing apparatus
comprising:
(a) a rim joist having a first end face and a second end face;
(b) a longitudinal groove along the first end face, the groove having a lower
groove
portion and an upper groove portion, the upper groove portion being wider than
the lower groove portion; and
(c) elongate compressible seal means contained in the groove, the compressible
seal
means extending the length of the groove and the compressible seal means
protruding out beyond the first end face of the rim joist when in its
uncompressed
state;
In one embodiment, the rim joist further comprises a longitudinal groove and
compressible seal
means on its second end face.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The invention will now be described by way of an exemplary embodiment with
reference
to the accompanying simplified, diagrammatic, not-to-scale drawings. In the
drawings:
Figure I is a cross sectional view of the longitudinal groove in the face of
the first piece
of wood of one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 2 is a cross sectional view of the uncompressed compressible seal means
inserted
into the longitudinal groove in the face of a first piece of wood of one
embodiment of the present
invention.
Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the face of a second piece of wood
compressing the
compressible seal means of one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of dual longitudinal grooves in the face of
a first piece
of wood of one embodiment of the present invention.
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Figure 5 is a cross sectional view of the longitudinal groove in the face of a
first piece of
wood of one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 6 is a cross sectional view of a rim joist having the seal means of the
present
invention at each end in one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 7 is a cross sectional view of a pony wall having the seal means of the
present
invention at each end in one embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 8 is a cross sectional view of a building foundation and flooring
joists having the
seal means of the present invention in one embodiment of the present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides for a sealing method and apparatus. When
describing the
present invention, all terms not defined herein have their common art-
recognized meanings. To
the extent that the following description is of a specific embodiment or a
particular use of the
invention, it is intended to be illustrative only, and not limiting of the
claimed invention. The
following description is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications and
equivalents that are
included in the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appended
claims.
The present invention comprises a method of sealing the joint between a first
piece of
wood (22) and a second piece of wood (24). It should be understood having
reference to the
accompanying figures that the method of the present invention may be used to
seal the joint
between the faces of any two adjoining pieces of wood. The method of the
present invention
may be used with pieces of wood that are adjoined in an end-to-end
configuration, or that are
adjoined in a perpendicular orientation, or with any other joint configuration
provided that two
relatively flat faces will be placed against each other to form the joint.
As shown in Figure 1, the first step of the method of the present invention
comprises
making a longitudinal groove (12) in the face (20) of one of the pieces of
wood (22) that will
form the joint. The groove (12) comprises a lower groove portion (16) and an
upper groove
portion (14). The upper groove portion (14) is wider than the lower groove
portion (16). As can
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be seen in Figure 1, the walls (18) of the upper groove portion (14) can be
beveled sloping out
and away from the center of the groove (12) however, as is shown in Figure 5,
the walls (18) of
the upper groove portion may be constructed in other orientations. The lower
groove portion
(16) can be semicircular as also shown in the Figures. The upper and lower
groove portions may
be formed by a single oversized groove.
An elongate compressible seal means (30) is inserted into the length of the
groove (12) so
that it protrudes beyond the face of the first piece of wood (20) as shown in
Figure 2. The
compressible seal means (30) may be a foam rod as shown in the Figures, or can
be a rubber
gasket or such other suitable material as would be selected by one skilled in
the art. The
compressible seal means must be able to form a substantially airtight seal and
must be able to
compact sufficiently so as not to alter the dimensions of the joint when it is
compressed by the
second piece of wood.
When the joint is created by bringing the face of the second piece of wood
(26) together
with the face of the first piece of wood (20) having the longitudinal groove
(12), the face of the
second piece of wood (26) compresses the seal means (30). The compressed seal
means (30)
distends and expands within the groove (12) filling the lower groove portion
(16) and partially
filling the upper groove portion (14) as shown in Figure 3. The compressed
seal means (30)
forms a substantially airtight seal between the face of the first piece of
wood (20) and the face of
the second piece of wood (26) and thus prevents any lateral movement of air
through the joint.
The remaining unfilled part of the upper groove portion (14) comprises a
longitudinal channel
(32) on each side of the compressed seal means (30). The longitudinal channels
(32) permit
longitudinal airflow along at least one side of the seal means (30) and
preferably both sides. This
airflow prevents the build of moisture within joint adjacent to the sealing
means (30).
As can be seen in Figure 3, notwithstanding the presence of the seal means
(30), the face
of the first piece of wood (20) and the face of the second piece of wood (26)
still make physical
contact and as such the dimensions of the joint are not altered.
As shown in Figure 4, dual grooves (12) can be used to increase the integrity
of the
airtight seal. Figures 6 and 7 depict a rim joist (50) and a pony wall (52)
respectively, utilizing
the sealing method of the present invention. The rim joist (50) can have the
longitudinal groove
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(12) and associated seal means (30) located at its first end face (31) and on
its second end face
(33) as seen in Figure 6. As shown in Figure 8, the method of the present
invention is
particularly well suited to use in sealing the joints between the foundation
ladder or sill plate (60)
and a rim joist (50) of a building, and for sealing the joints between the sub
floor (64) and the
wall frame (68). When a concrete foundation (61) is constructed, a ladder (60)
is placed
horizontally at the top of the foundation. A rim joist (50) is placed around
the perimeter of the
building to abut the floor joists (62). Due to the imprecise nature of
building construction, the
concrete foundation (61) and the attached ladder (60) are rarely true
resulting in gaps between
the joint between the rim joist (50) and the ladder (60). These gaps result in
heat loss and
moisture penetration into the foundation of the building.
The wall frame (68) includes the bottom plate (66) which sits on the subfloor
(64). The
seals of the present invention may advantageously be used between the rim
joist (50) and the
subfloor (64), and between the subfloor (64) and the bottom plate (66) of the
wall frame (68). It
can be understood that the present sealing method may be used in other aspects
of building
construction.
As may be seen in Figure 8, the entire perimeter of the building is sealed
from the
foundation (61) upwards.
As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, various modifications,
adaptations and
variations of the foregoing specific disclosure can be made without departing
from the scope of
the invention claimed herein.
