Building means
Building means, having a main plate 1, a flexible sheet 2 attached thereto, a first bolt portion 4 extending outwards of the plate 1 and an opposite second bolt portion 5 extending outwards of the plate. The building means formed such that when it is in use a structural member can be fastened to the first bolt 4 portion while at the same time the plate 1 is arranged behind exterior cladding 8 of a building. A ledge 2a, after it has been bent into shape, extends to beyond the cladding so that rainwater contacting the first face of the plate portion can run down the first face and be guided by the ledge to a drain away position in front of the cladding.
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This invention relates to building means. A preferred form of the invention relates to means for use in attaching structural members at or adjacent the exterior cladding of a house or other building.
BACKGROUNDIt is often necessary to fix structural members such as deck joists or pergola beams to the exterior part of a building. This presents a problem in that the point of contact between the structural member and the building may provide an area where rainwater is able to enter the building and, over time, cause rot or other damage to internal wall framing, etc. It is accordingly an object of one form of the present invention to go at least some way towards addressing this problem, or to provide the public with a useful choice. The term “comprising”, “comprises”, or derivatives thereof, if and when used herein, should be interpreted non-exclusively—ie to convey “consisting of or including”.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONAccording to one aspect of the invention there is provided building means, having a main plate portion, a flexible sheet extending from the plate portion wherein that sheet can be bent by hand to create a ledge, a first bolt portion extending outwards of a first face of the plate portion and a second bolt portion extending outwards of a second face of the plate portion opposite the first face; the building means being formed such that when it is in use a structural member can be fastened to the first bolt portion while at the same time the plate portion is arranged at least partially behind exterior cladding of a building and wherein the ledge, after it has been bent into shape, extends to beyond the cladding, wherein rainwater contacting the first face of the plate portion can run down the first face and be guided by the ledge to a drain away position in front of the cladding.
Preferably the building means has supportive packing on the first face of the plate portion and the first bolt portion extends outwardly from the supportive packing.
Preferably the main plate portion is at least substantially formed from a corrosion resistant metallic substance—eg stainless steel.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of securing a structural member (eg a joist) adjacent a building (eg a house), involving the steps of:
-
- i) taking a building means as described above,
- ii) arranging the main plate portion between wall framing and external cladding of the building and creating the ledge so that the ledge and the first bolt portion extend to positions in front of the cladding with the second bolt portion secured to the wall framing, and
- iii) securing a structural member (eg a joist) to the first bolt portion,
the method being such that in the event rainwater contacts the plate portion it is able to drain to the ledge, and then from the ledge in front of the cladding.
According to another aspect of the invention there is provided means installed on a building, the building means having a main plate portion, a flexible sheet extending from the plate portion wherein the flexible sheet is of a of a type that can be bent by hand to create a ledge during or prior to installation, a first bolt portion extending outwards of a first face of the plate portion and a second bolt portion extending outwards of a second face of the plate portion opposite the first face; the building means being such that a structural member is fastened to the first bolt portion and the second bolt portion is fastened to the building, the plate portion is arranged at least partially behind exterior cladding of the building, and the ledge extends to beyond the cladding and downwards so that when it rains rainwater contacting the first face of the plate portion is able to run down the first face and be guided by the ledge to a drain away position in front of the cladding.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSSome preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:
As shown in
Referring to
The connector is secured to the internal wall framing 10 behind the building paper 7 by way of the second portion 5 of the bolt 3. The first portion 4 of the bolt and the block 6 extend outwards of the plate 1 to positions in front of the cladding 8. A joist or other structural member can be butted against the block 6 and secured to the first portion 4 of the bolt—ie after drilling a hole in the joist and passing the bolt therethrough. The joist may or may not be part of a deck area. Preferably silicon sealant is placed between the cladding and the connector to assist in creating a weatherproof arrangement. Weatherproofing may also be assisted by applying adhesive building tape over the main edges of the plate 1 where these meet the building paper 7.
When the invention is in use rainwater which is able to get in behind the joist contacts the plate 1 and runs down to the ledge 2a. The ledge guides the rainwater away from the plate to a position in front of the cladding 8. From there the rain water is able to drip from the down-turned part 9 of the ledge rather than enter wall cavity and cause timber rot or other damage. To assist in directing water away from the connector the edges 11 of the outward extending part 12 of the ledge may be formed with a very slight “up turn” to assist in directing the rainwater to the down turned part 9. Referring to
Preferably the plate 1 and the packing block 6 are formed from stainless steel or some other corrosion resistant metallic substance. The block 6 may be substantially hollow, although that is not essential. Preferably the flexible sheet is formed from BITU-AL or some other suitable substance.
While some preferred forms of the invention have been described by way of example it should be appreciated that modifications and improvements can occur without departing from the scope of the appended claims.
Claims
1. Building means, having a main plate portion, a flexible sheet extending from the plate portion wherein that sheet can be bent by hand to create a ledge, a first bolt portion extending outwards of a first face of the plate portion and a second bolt portion extending outwards of a second face of the plate portion opposite the first face; the building means being formed such that when it is in use a structural member can be fastened to the first bolt portion while at the same time the plate portion is arranged at least partially behind exterior cladding of a building and wherein the ledge, after it has been bent into shape, extends to beyond the cladding, wherein rainwater contacting the first face of the plate portion can run down the first face and be guided by the ledge to a drain away position in front of the cladding.
2. Building means according to claim 1, having supportive packing on the first face of the main plate portion and wherein the first bolt portion extends outwardly from the supportive packing.
3. Building means according to claim 1, having supportive packing on the first face of the main plate portion and wherein the first bolt portion extends outwardly from the supportive packing, and wherein the main plate portion is at least substantially formed from a corrosion resistant metallic substance.
4. Building means according to claim 1, having supportive packing on the first face of the main plate portion and wherein the first bolt portion extends outwardly from the supportive packing, wherein the main plate portion is at least substantially formed from a corrosion resistant metallic substance, and wherein the flexible sheet is of a different corrosion resistant metallic substance to the main plate portion.
5. Building means installed on a building, the building means having a main plate portion, a flexible sheet extending from the plate portion wherein the flexible sheet is of a of a type that can be bent by hand to create a ledge during or prior to installation, a first bolt portion extending outwards of a first face of the plate portion and a second bolt portion extending outwards of a second face of the plate portion opposite the first face; the building means being such that a structural member is fastened to the first bolt portion and the second bolt portion is fastened to the building, the plate portion is arranged at least partially behind exterior cladding of the building, and the ledge extends to beyond the cladding and downwards so that when it rains rainwater contacting the first face of the plate portion is able to run down the first face and be guided by the ledge to a drain away position in front of the cladding.
6. Building means installed according to claim 5, wherein the building means has supportive packing on the first face of the main plate portion and the first bolt portion extends outwardly from the supportive packing, the structural member is adjacent the packing, the main plate portion is at least substantially formed from a corrosion resistant metallic substance, and wherein the flexible sheet is of a different corrosion resistant metallic substance to the main plate portion.
7. A method of securing a structural member adjacent a building, involving the steps of:
- i) taking a building means according to claim 1,
- ii) arranging the main plate portion between wall framing and external cladding of the building so that the ledge and the first bolt portion extend to positions in front of the cladding with the second bolt portion secured to the wall framing, and
- iii) securing a structural member to the first bolt portion, the method being such that in the event rainwater contacts the plate portion it is able to drain to the ledge, and then from the ledge in front of the cladding.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 5, 2006
Publication Date: Oct 5, 2006
Applicant:
Inventor: Anthony Muir (Wellington)
Application Number: 11/326,002
International Classification: E04B 1/61 (20060101);