Clapboard siding panel with built in fastener support
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.
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 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
In the face nailing method shown by panel assembly 10 of
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 INVENTIONA 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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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 DRAWINGSThe accompanying drawings illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention, as well as other information pertinent to the disclosure, in which:
Referring first to
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
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.
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
Although
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.
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.
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.
In one embodiment, the first area 306 (
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 (
As noted, Bezubic Jr. also teaches the use of reinforcing additives within the fiber cement structure. These additives are shown as fibers 402 in
In U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/342,529 to William P. Bezubic Jr. and Claude Brown Jr., filed Jan. 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 Theological 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 Theological 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 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.
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.
Claims
1. A generally rectangular siding panel having a front and rear faces, said rear face having a first area proximate to a top end of said rear face shaped such that at least a portion of said area sits substantially flush with a portion of a vertical wall when said siding panel is secured to said vertical wall and angled to overlap at least a portion of a second siding panel secured to said vertical wall.
2. The siding panel of claim 1, wherein said siding panel is a clapboard siding panel.
3. The siding panel of claim 1, wherein said siding panel is a fiber cement or wood clapboard siding panel.
4. The siding panel of claim 1, wherein said first area comprises a reinforced area
5. The siding panel of claim 4, wherein said reinforced area comprises a protruding area that extends substantially along the entire length of said rear face.
6. The siding panel of claim 4, wherein said reinforced area includes a planar first face that is disposed to contact said portion of said vertical wall, said planar first face having a height of about at least one inch.
7. The siding panel of claim 4, wherein said reinforced area includes a planar face a planar face that is disposed to sit substantially flush with said portion of said vertical wall when said rear face overlaps said second siding panel such that a major portion of said rear face forms an angle with said vertical wall between about 1-10 degrees.
8. The assembly of claim 4, wherein said reinforced area comprises: a thickened portion, a resinous, fibrous or particulate reinforcement, a fabric, scrim or panel.
9. A siding panel assembly, comprising:
- at least a first and a second siding panels attached to a vertical wall of a structure, each of said siding panels being a generally rectangular shaped panel having a front and rear faces, said first siding panel angled to overlap at least a portion of said second siding panel, said rear face of at least said first siding panel having a reinforced area proximate to a top end of said rear face shaped such that at least a portion of said area sits substantially flush with a portion of said vertical wall.
10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein said reinforced area extends substantially along the entire length of said rear face.
11. The assembly of claim 9, wherein said siding panels are fiber cement clapboard siding panels.
12. The assembly of claim 9, wherein said siding panels are installed using a blind nail method using a plurality of nails and at least some of said nails are disposed through said reinforced area.
13. The assembly of claim 9, wherein said siding panels are installed using a face nail method using a plurality of nails and at least some of said nails are disposed through said reinforced area.
14. The assembly of claim 9, wherein said siding panels are secured to said vertical wall at least in part by a series of fasteners extending through said respective siding panels and into said vertical wall, wherein at least some of said fasteners are disposed through said reinforced area.
15. The assembly of claim 9, wherein said reinforced area includes a planar first face that contacts said portion of said vertical wall, said planar first face having a height of at least about one inch.
16. The assembly of claim 9, wherein said reinforced area includes a planar face that contacts said portion of said vertical wall, said planar face extending from a top edge of said first siding panel at an angle that substantially matches an angle between said rear face of said first panel and said wall created by said overlap.
17. A method of installing a siding panel assembly on a structure, comprising the following steps:
- providing at least a first and second siding panels, each of said siding panels being a generally rectangular shaped panel having a front and rear faces, said rear face of at least said first siding panel having a first area proximate to a top end of said rear face shaped such that at least a portion of said area sits substantially flush with a portion of said vertical wall when said first siding panel is secured to said wall and angled to overlap at least a portion of said second siding panel; and
- attaching said first and second siding panels to said structure such that a rear face of said first siding panel partially overlaps a front face of said second siding panel.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein said first area is a reinforced area.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein:
- said attaching step utilizes a blind nail attachment method comprising driving a series of nails through said first siding panel, through said reinforced area and into said vertical wall.
20. The method of claim 18, wherein:
- said attaching step utilizes a face nail attachment method comprising driving a series of nails through said first siding panel, through said reinforced area and into said vertical wall.
21. The method of claim 17, wherein said attaching step includes the step of driving a series of nails fasteners through said first area of said first siding panel.
22. The method of claim 17, wherein said siding panels are clapboard siding panels.
23. The method of claim 17, wherein said siding panels are fiber cement clapboard siding panels.
24. The method of claim 17, wherein said first area includes a planar face that contacts said portion of said vertical wall and a major portion of said rear face forms an angle with said vertical wall between about 1-10 degrees.
25. A generally rectangular shaped clapboard siding panel having a front and rear faces, said rear face having a protruding area proximate to a top end of said rear face shaped such that at least a portion of said area sits substantially flush with a portion of a vertical wall when said siding panel is secured to said vertical wall and angled to overlap at least a portion of a second siding panel secured to said vertical wall, such that said vertical wall provides support for said rear face when fasteners are driven through said clapboard siding panel and into said vertical wall through said protruding area.
26. The siding panel of claim 25, wherein said protruding area includes a planar face that is disposed to sit substantially flush with said portion of said vertical wall when said rear face overlaps said second siding panel such that a major portion of said rear face forms an angle with said vertical wall between about 1-10 degrees.
27. A siding panel having front and rear faces and a longitudinal length, said rear surface having a first portion forming and oblique angle with respect to a vertical wall to which said siding panel is affixed, said rear surface of said siding panel also including a second portion which is disposed in substantially flush contact with said vertical wall when said siding panel is affixed to said vertical wall.
Type: Application
Filed: Nov 26, 2003
Publication Date: May 26, 2005
Inventor: Rick Morse (Grass Lake, MI)
Application Number: 10/723,660