Synthetic boards for exterior water-resistant applications
Specially configured synthetic boards are provided for use with conventional carpentry tools and techniques to form flat, water-tight surfaces such as decks, roofs, walls, boat decks, hulls, and the like. The boards are formed to their desired shape and scale by extruding mixtures of wood particles and thermoplastic materials through appropriate converging dies. In one configuration, the edges of the boards have complementary configured outwardly facing recesses that permit them to be joined to form the watertight surfaces, and in another configuration the boards have features that interact with separate plastic structures to provide water tightness.
This application claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/593,505 filed on Jan. 20, 2005, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention generally relates to construction materials and, more particularly, to specially configured synthetic boards for providing water-tight exterior surfaces such as for decks, roofs, siding, and boat applications.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn the construction of outdoor surfaces, such as decks and porches, it is common to use flat materials that are weather-resistant. Typically, these are pressure-treated wood, cedar or teak planks, mahogany planks and, more recently, synthetic boards which are extruded wood/plastic composites.
In normal construction, boards of the above types are spaced apart to provide gaps, allowing moisture to drain through the crack fromed between the butt joint as from a deck to the area below. Problems arise when it is required that the area below be more or less protected from rain and snow as, e.g., when a patio is placed below an elevated deck.
Solutions for this problem are available on the market today, but all have certain limitations. Interlocking aluminum planks (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,010) are effective in providing leak-resistant lower levels. Various underlayments, covered with rubber or plastic sheet goods, are generally available. These are also effective.
However, there are two drawbacks with the above. First is appearance; many prefer the look of a traditional wooden floor. A second is related to construction techniques in that the above-cited existing systems require non-standard carpentry, e.g., pre-drilling and sawing of aluminum extrusions and cementing of large areas of sheet goods.
Consequently, one primary object of the present invention is to provide construction materials in the form of leak-resistant boards which are both attractive, i.e., wood-like in appearance and that are amenable to being worked with ordinary carpentry tools, techniques, and fasteners.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a low-cost and environmentally friendly means for producing wood-composite materials with the desired leak-resistant properties since the use of various products such as pure wood or plywood is presently expensive and accelerates forest depletion.
Materials that come in various compositions of wood particles and plastic have been available for many years. Their advantages over natural wood include greater durability and resistance to weathering. They are also often less expensive to manufacture than traditional wood or aluminum products and have the benefit of being producible from recycled plastic and wood products. In addition to these manufacturing benefits, wood-plastic composites have the same workability as wood with respect to the use of traditional carpentry tools and fasteners, and conventional methods for their fabrication have been well established.
One method of generating wood-plastic materials is by heating mixtures of the composites and applying an extrusion process whereby the melted mixture is forcibly passed through a converging die assembly with the desired cross-sectional shape. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,746,958 and 5,851,469 describe methods for mixing and stabilizing such material and extruding the heated composite through a die to provide board-shaped products of desired dimensions. Such a process could be adapted for shaping materials with novel dimensions and features (i.e., channels) meant for creating leak-resistant characteristics.
A further object of the invention is therefore to produce wood-like and leak-resistant material with an inexpensive and environmentally-friendly fabrication process.
Other objects of the invention will, in part, be obvious and will, in part, appear hereinafter when the detailed description is read with reference to the drawings.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe invention relates to channeled, interlocking boards with integral elastomeric or supplemental seals that are effective in constructing extensive, leak-resistant lateral surface, as for a deck, roof, wall or boat application.
In material content, the boards are typical of the composites now used for decking: 50% more or less of wood fibers, the remainder, of thermoplastic binders, typically high and low density polyethylenes. Alternatively, more or less plastic can be used.
Such boards are wood-like in appearance, extremely rugged and inexpensive. The low cost derives from the fact that the wood content comes from waste sawdust, and the plastic is from recycled goods, such as bags and bottles. Inexpensive processes for producing boards of such material can be adapted for incorporating the desired leak-resistant characteristics.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe structure, operation and methodology of the invention, together with other objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reading the detailed description in connection with the drawings in which each part has an assigned label or numeral that identifies it wherever it appears in the various drawings and wherein:
This invention relates to the production and use of materials suitable to provide extensive generally planar surfaces, such as a deck roof, or wall, which are water-tight to the areas enclosed, thus allowing such areas to be useful as protected areas, e.g., a patio, second deck, porch, storage, or living space. Additionally, the materials appropriately sized may be used in boat applications such as for hulls, decking, interior finishes, and topside structures.
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The joint between board 200 and vertical member 310 is sealed with a bead of caulk 302 or alternatively suitable flashing can be used. The finishing board 200, on the right side of the drawing, finishes the run of boards 100 in a neat and workmanlike manner.
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The finishing boards 802, on the left and right side of the drawing, finish the run of boards 402 in a neat and workmanlike manner. The joint between board 802 and vertical member 808 is sealed with a bead of caulk 810.
Screws 502 are typically stainless steel, galvanized or ceramic coated for corrosion resistance and may be self-sealing.
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It is important to note that this construction system is completely compatible with the customary carpentry of balusters, railings, skirts and the like.
The inventive boards can be produced using wood-composite materials, having the advantage of being inexpensive while retaining wood-like workability and appearance. One embodiment of production includes a means for generating an easily transportable composite mixture of wood particles and thermoplastic materials (i.e., post-consumer recycled plastics), as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,958. Such material is shaped with the desired features (e.g., the channels shown in 206 and rounded edges 208) by passing it under pressure, in a partially or fully melted state, through a converging die shaped accordingly. This process is similar to and may be adapted from an embodiment of U.S. Pat. No. 6,527,532. The extrusion process may also incorporate a means for laminating the elastomeric layer 202, alternatively covering the entire board. The layer 202 can alternatively be applied separately from the extrusion process.
Such boards may be used to promote water resistant deck surfaces, roofs, siding, boat decking, and boat hulls. The dimensions of the boards can be appropriately sized in thickness, width, and length, according to the particular application.
Based on the various described embodiments and teachings of the invention, other variants of it will occur to those skilled in the art and it is intended that such variants be within the scope of the invention as claimed.
Claims
1. A substantially planar surface comprising corresponding and interconnected water proof pieces that form water resistant channels between them for directing liquid away from the surface, said water proof pieces having opposed surfaces and edges with at least one lengthwise recess formed in a surface thereof adjacent one edge, said recess facing outwardly from said surface and configured and arranged to engage corresponding complementary shaped recesses in other like water proof pieces to provide surfaces with liquid channeling, leak resistant joints formed between adjoining water proof pieces.
2. A board for use with other like boards to construct surfaces, said board having opposed surfaces and edges with at least one lengthwise recess formed in a surface thereof adjacent one edge, said recess facing outwardly from said surface and configured and arranged to engage corresponding complementary shaped recesses in other like boards to provide surfaces with liquid channeling, leak resistant joints formed between adjoining boards.
3. The board of claim 2 wherein the cross-sectional shape of said recess comprises one concave section and one convex section arranged aside of one another.
4. The board of claim 3 wherein said concave section resides further inboard of said edge than does said convex section and is larger than said convex section.
5. The board of claim 4 wherein at least a portion of said concave section includes lengthwise sealing means to further assure that a leak resistant joint is formed between adjoining boards.
6. The board of claim 5 wherein said sealing means comprises a lengthwise meniscus of flexible sealing material.
7. The board of claim 6 wherein said flexible sealing material is selected from the group of materials consisting of elastomers, silicon, RTV, caulking compound, rubber, latex, and O-ring.
8. The board of claim 5 wherein said sealing means comprises a lengthwise groove formed in the bottom of said concave section and filled with a sealing material that sits proud of said surface of said concave section.
9. The board of claim 2 wherein said recess further includes a section for engaging adjoining boards along at least one common edge.
10. The board of claim 5 wherein said recess is configured and arranged as a snap fit joint, said joint having a widened and substantially planar surface at the base of said recess so that fasteners may attach said board to a surface beneath said board through said widened and substantially planar surface.
11. The board of claim 10 wherein said recess further comprises:
- a fastener at the base of said recess sufficiently small so that said board and said complimentary board are flush and so that said fastener is hidden from the top surface of said board; and
- a lengthwise seal adjacent said hidden fastener to further assure that a leak resistant joint is formed between adjoining boards.
12. The board of claim 2, wherein said board is comprised of composite materials selected from the group consisting of wood particles and plastic so that the appearance of said board is wood-like, said board being pliabile for use with common carpentry tools and fasteners and strengthened strength for common construction purposes selected from the group comprising decks, roofing, siding, boat decks, and boat hulls.
13. The board of claim 12 wherein said plastic is comprised of polyethylene.
14. The board of claim 13 wherein said board is formed by extrusion.
15. The board of claim 14 having additional structural features formed during extrusion including wire and rod stiffeners.
16. The board of claim 5 wherein said sealing means is co-extruded or contemporaneously applied.
17. A method for producing a wood-plastic composite for a board having opposed surfaces and edges with at least one lengthwise recess formed in a surface thereof adjacent one edge with the recess facing outwardly from the surface and configured and arranged to engage corresponding complementary shaped recesses in other like boards to provide surfaces with leak resistant joints formed between adjoining boards, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) providing particles of wood component;
- b) providing a thermoplastic component;
- c) proportioning the wood component and thermoplastic components in a mixing ratio from about 65/35 to about 40/60;
- d) heating the mixture; and,
- e) extruding the mixture through a die shaped according to the board's desired dimensions and profile.
18. The method of claim 17, further including the step of co-extruding an elastomeric strip along said grooves.
19. The method of claim 17, further including the step of laminating said board with a PVC layer.
20. A leak-resistant planar surface which channels water away from an underlying area comprising:
- a plurality of boards aligned adjacent to one another with two lengthwise grooves along the downward face of each board;
- channel strips placed underneath the lengthwise boundaries between said boards wherein said strips comprise protruding tongues that insert in a complimentary manner into said grooves of said boards so that said channel strips form channels for directing liquid away from said surface.
21. The leak-resistant planar surface of claim 20 wherein said channel strips are formed as an integrated sheet of periodically repeating such channel strips with flat areas spanning and underneath them.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 19, 2006
Publication Date: Jul 20, 2006
Inventor: Francis Caufield (Lexington, MA)
Application Number: 11/335,370
International Classification: E04B 2/30 (20060101);