Siding product with weather-resistant barrier sheet

Abstract

A siding product especially suitable for use as lap siding is formed by attaching a weather-resistant barrier sheet to a siding board along the length of the top portion of the board in a partially overlapping arrangement and the weather-resistant barrier sheet can be used to protect the front face of pre-finished siding boards during shipping and remains attached to the siding product after installation to provide improved drainage of water that may infiltrate behind the siding.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a lap siding product that includes a siding board and a weather-resistant barrier sheet attached thereto.

2. Description of the Related Art

It is known in the art to use a weather-resistant or water-resistant barrier sheet as housewrap in building construction. The weather-resistant barrier sheet should be moisture vapor permeable to allow moisture to pass through the sheet and prevent moisture condensation accumulation on the internal structure behind the sheet, while at the same time providing a barrier to liquid water. An outer cladding layer such as vinyl siding, wood siding, lap siding, etc. is installed over the housewrap. Lap siding is a common type of siding that is installed in such a way that a siding board partially overlaps the siding board directly underneath it. A variety of jigs and other means have been devised to ensure that the overlap distance is constant as multiple rows of siding are installed. Even with a complete and uniform weather-resistant barrier behind lap siding, water drainage behind the siding can become an issue, especially for absorptive siding products such as fiber cement boards.

Some siding boards are pre-finished at the factory with a coating, laminate, or other finish, prior to installation. Pre-finished siding boards generally require protection of the finished surface during packaging to maintain the integrity and appearance of the factory-applied finish. This is especially an issue for fiber cement siding boards, which are inherently abrasive. Protective layers are often inserted between siding boards when they are stacked and packaged for shipping. The protective layer prevents the pre-finished front face of a siding board from contacting the potentially abrasive back face-of an adjacent siding board in the stack. The protective layer can be applied between the stacked siding boards with or without the use of an adhesive. If an adhesive is not used, the protective sheet can slip during stacking and/or transport, resulting in damage to the siding finish. In some cases, the protective sheet itself can damage the pre-finished face. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. U.S. 2004/0086676 to Peng et al. describes applying a protective layer to cover the entire finished face of a fiber cement board using an adhesive. The adhesives are preferably pressure-sensitive adhesives. Suitable protective layers include polymer films, woven or nonwoven polymeric fabrics, and paper or foam sheets, optionally coated on at least one face with a polymer film. The protective layer is weakly bonded to the finished face of a siding board and is removed completely from the siding board prior to installation of the siding at the construction site. The protective layer is generally discarded after it is removed.

There remains a need for an improved siding product that is easy to install, does not require the use of disposable liners during transport, and promotes drainage of water that may infiltrate behind the siding.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is a siding product made of

a siding board having a front face with a length and a width, an opposing back face, opposing top and bottom edges, the top edge having a width, and opposing side edges; and

a weather-resistant barrier sheet having a width at least as wide as the width of the front face of the siding board and a length at least as long as the length of the front face of the siding board;

wherein the barrier sheet is affixed to the siding board so as to partially overlap a portion of the front face of the siding board adjacent the top edge thereof to form an overlapping interface between the siding board and the barrier sheet extending the entire length of the front face of the siding board, the overlapping interface having a width, and the barrier sheet providing an exposed portion of the front face of the siding board adjacent the overlapping interface and a first extending portion of the barrier sheet being unattached to the siding board and extending above the overlapping interface and the front face of the siding board along the length thereof.

The invention is also a method for installing siding product on a structure.

The invention is also a method for stacking siding products.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a front elevation view of a first embodiment of a siding product of the present invention.

FIG. 1B is a section view of a siding product of FIG. 1A in which the extending portion of the barrier sheet is folded over the top edge and onto the back face of the siding board.

FIG. 1C is a section view of a siding product of FIG. 1A in which the extending portion of the barrier sheet is folded over the top edge and onto the back face of the siding board wherein the extending portion of the barrier sheet partially covers the back face of the siding board.

FIG. 1D is a section view of a stack of three of the siding products shown in FIG. 1B.

FIG. 1E is a section view of a stack of three of the siding products shown in FIG. 1C.

FIG. 1F is a section view of a siding product according to the present invention wherein the siding board has a beveled-type cross-section.

FIG. 1G is a section view of a stack of three of the siding products shown in FIG. 1F.

FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of a front elevation view of an alternate embodiment of a siding product of the present invention.

FIG. 2B is a plan view of the siding product of FIG. 2A, showing that the barrier sheet is folded back over the siding board to prepare for stacking and shipping.

FIG. 3A is a plan view showing placement of two siding products of the present invention during installation of a row of siding to form a butt joint.

FIG. 3B is a plan view showing placement of two siding products of the present invention during installation after forming the butt joint.

FIG. 4A is a plan view showing placement of an additional course of siding product over a previously installed course of siding products.

FIG. 4B is a plan view showing an additional course of siding product installed over the previously installed course of siding products.

FIG. 5 is a section view of a wall wherein three courses of lap siding product of the present invention have been installed.

FIG. 6 is a section view of a wall wherein three courses of vinyl siding product of the present invention have been installed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The term “fiber cement” as used herein refers to a material made from fibers, silica, and cement. The fibers can be cellulose fibers such as wood pulp. Fiber cement may also include other components such as density modifiers, additives, aggregate, and water repellents.

The term “siding board” is used herein to include siding panels, planks, shingles, clapboard, shakes, vinyl siding and the like. Siding boards are generally nailed or otherwise secured to an outer sheathing, such as plywood, to form at least a portion of the outer wall of the building. Siding products can be made from a variety of materials such as wood, wood composites (e.g. masonite), fiber cement, concrete, rubber composites, polymer resins, and polymer composites.

The tem “weather-resistant barrier sheet” as used herein refers to a sheet material that resists penetration of liquid water and is moisture-vapor permeable. A weather-resistant barrier sheet preferably has a tensile strength of at least 20 lb/in (35 N/cm) (measured according to ASTM D828), a hydrostatic head of at least 22 inches (55.9 cm) (measured according to ASTM D779), and a water vapor transmission rate of at least 5 perms (measured according to ASTM E 96).

The terms “nonwoven fabric”, “nonwoven sheet”, and “nonwoven web” as used herein refer to a sheet structure of individual fibers that are positioned in a random manner to form a planar material without an identifiable pattern, as opposed to a knitted or woven fabric.

The term “plexifilamentary” as used herein, means a three-dimensional integral network or web of a multitude of thin, ribbon-like, film-fibril elements of random length and with a mean film thickness of less than about 4 microns and a median fibril width of less than about 25 microns. In plexifilamentary structures, the film-fibril elements are generally coextensively aligned with the longitudinal axis of the structure and they intermittently unite and separate at irregular intervals in various places throughout the length, width and thickness of the structure to form a continuous three-dimensional network. A nonwoven web of plexifilamentary film-fibril elements is referred to herein as a “flash spun plexifilamentary sheet”.

The present invention relates to a siding product that includes a weather-resistant barrier sheet attached to a top portion of the front face of a siding board along the entire length of the siding board. Typically adhesive would be used as the attaching medium. In which case, the adhesive could be applied in either a continuous or discontinuous manner. In one embodiment, the siding product is a lap siding product.

FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram of a front elevation view of a first embodiment of a siding product of the present invention. Weather-resistant barrier sheet 1 is adhesively affixed (adhesive layer not shown) in a partially overlapping arrangement to a top portion of the front face 3 of siding board 5 to form an overlapping interface 7 along the length of the board on the edge of the board that will be concealed by an overlying board after installation on a building (“concealed edge”). The portion of the barrier sheet that is not affixed to the siding board forms an extending portion that extends above the front face of the siding board. The extending portion has a width WEX, which is generally between about 15 and 25 cm. The length LB of the barrier sheet is at least as long as the length L_S of the front face of the siding board. Typical siding boards are available in lengths between about 12 feet (3.7 meters) and 16 feet (4.9 meters). In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, L_S=L_B. The width W_B of the barrier sheet is preferably at least as wide as the width W_S of the siding board. In the specific embodiment shown in FIG. 1A, W_B is greater than W_S. In another embodiment, W_B equals the sum of W_S+W_E+W_O, where W_E is the width of the top edge 13 of the siding board (which equals the thickness of the board at its top), and W_O is the width of overlapping interface 7. The width of the overlapping interface is generally between about 2 and 5 cm. In an alternate embodiment, the width of the barrier sheet W_B can equal the sum of W_S+W_E. If desired, the siding product of the present invention can be assembled with the width of the overlapping interface approximately equal to the manufacturer's recommended overlap of the installed lap siding for a particular siding product. This allows the bottom edge of the barrier sheet to be used as a guide during installation to ensure that the overlap distance remains constant as the rows of lap siding are installed. Since the barrier sheet remains attached to the siding board during and after installation of the siding, the width of the overlapping interface should not be greater than the desired siding overlap so that the portion of the barrier sheet forming the overlapping interface is completely covered after installation of the siding on a building.

FIG. 1B is a section view of the siding product of FIG. 1A, in which the extending portion of the barrier sheet is folded over top edge 13 and onto back face 9 of siding board 5 and wherein the width of the barrier sheet W_B equals the sum of the W_S+W_E+W_O. In this embodiment, the extending portion of the barrier sheet that is folded over the board completely covers back face of the siding board 5.

FIG. 1C is a section view of the siding product of FIG. 1A, in which the extending portion of the barrier sheet is folded over top edge 13 and onto back face 9 of siding board 5, and wherein the width of the barrier sheet W_B equals the sum of W_S+W_E, such that the extending portion of the barrier sheet partially covers the back face 9 of the siding board, leaving an exposed portion 11 of the back face of the siding board uncovered along the length of the siding board. The width of the uncovered section 11 on the back face of the siding board is substantially the same as the width W_O of the overlapping interface on the front face of the siding board.

After the extending portion of a barrier sheet is folded over the top edge and onto the back face of a siding board, a plurality of the siding products can be stacked for packaging. FIG. 1D is a section view of a stack of three of the siding products shown in FIG. 1B. The siding products are stacked in a back face-to-front face arrangement. The front faces 3′ and 3″ of each of the siding boards located below the top siding board in the stack contact the weather resistant barrier sheet 1 and 1′, respectively, of the siding product stacked above it. With the exception of the top siding board in the stack, the front surfaces of each of the underlying boards are prevented from contacting the back face of the immediately overlying board by the intervening layer of barrier sheet. The barrier sheet thus serves the function of a protective layer to prevent damage that might otherwise occur to the front face of the boards, which is important for pre-finished siding boards and especially for those pre-finished boards having abrasive back faces. The front face 3 of the top siding product in the stack can optionally be covered with a protective layer that can be a loose sheet of barrier sheet or other protective sheets known in the art, which is removed prior to installation.

FIG. 1E is a section view of a stack of three of the siding products shown in FIG. 1C. As in FIG. 1D, the siding products are stacked in a back face-to-front face arrangement, but with alternating siding products rotated by 180 degrees such that the top edge of each board is adjacent the bottom edges of boards positioned immediately above and below the board. The front faces 3′ and 3″ of each of the siding boards located below the top siding board in the stack contact weather resistant barrier sheets 1 and 1′, respectively, of the siding product stacked above it. Since the extending portion of the barrier sheet is not long enough to completely cover the back faces of the siding boards in this embodiment, rotation of alternating boards in the stack causes the exposed portion on the back face of a siding board to contact the overlapping portion of the barrier sheet on the front face of the siding board lying below it in the stack. In FIG. 1E, exposed portion 11 on the back face of the top siding product in the stack overlies the overlapping portion of the barrier sheet on the front face of the second siding product in the stack and the exposed portion 11′ on the back face of the second siding product in the stack overlies the overlapping portion of the barrier sheet on the front face of the bottom siding product in the stack. The front face 3 of the top siding product in the stack can optionally be covered with a protective layer that can be a loose piece of barrier sheet or other protective sheets known in the art, which is removed prior to installation. The exposed portion 11″ of the back face of the siding board at the bottom of the stack can optionally be protected with a removable protective sheet or other protective material prior to packaging (such as shrink wrapping, etc.) the stack of siding boards.

FIG. 1F is a section view of a siding product according to the present invention wherein the siding board has a beveled-type cross-section instead of the rectangular cross-section of the boards shown in FIGS. 1A-1E. Adhesive layer 2 adheres a portion of the barrier sheet 1 to front face 3 of siding board 5 to form an overlapping interface of width W_o. FIG. 1G is a section view of a stack of three of the siding products shown in FIG. 1F, with alternating siding products rotated by 180 degrees such that the top edge of each board is adjacent the bottom edges of boards positioned immediately above and below the board.

If the siding board used to prepare the siding product of the present invention has a pre-finished front face, one of the functions of the barrier sheet is to protect the pre-finished front face of the siding board during packaging and transport. This is achieved by folding over the extending portion of the barrier sheet and stacking the boards as described above. In order to effectively protect the pre-finished face in this manner, the width of the barrier sheet should be at least as wide as the sum of W_S+W_E, as described above for FIGS. 1B and 1D. If the protection feature is not required, the width of the barrier sheet should be at least as wide as the width of the siding board in order to facilitate drainage of water that may infiltrate behind the siding boards, as described in more detail below.

FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of a front elevation view of another embodiment of a siding product of the present invention. Barrier sheet 1 can have a range of widths and is affixed to the front face 3 of siding board 5, as described above for FIG. 1A. In FIG. 2A, the length L_B of the barrier sheet is greater than the length L_S of the siding board such that both of the side edges 15 and 17 of the barrier sheet extend beyond side edges 19 and 21 of the siding board by a distance L_EX and L_EX′, respectively. The distances L_EX and L_EX′ are each generally between about 13 cm and about 18 cm and can be different or substantially the same. In an alternate embodiment, the barrier sheet can be affixed to the siding board such that the only one side edge of the barrier sheet extends beyond the corresponding side edge of the siding board while the other side edge of the barrier extends substantially to, but not beyond, the front face of the siding board at its other side edge. Prior to stacking for packaging, the portion of the barrier sheet that extends above the siding board is folded over the top edge and back face of the siding board as described above for FIGS. 1B and 1C. The portions of the barrier sheet that extend beyond the side edges of the siding board are folded over the side edges of the siding board and onto the back face.

FIG. 2B is a plan view of the siding product of FIG. 2A, with arrows indicating how barrier sheet 1 is folded back over siding board 5 to prepare for stacking and shipping. Lines “A” represent fold lines where the extending side portions are folded over the side edges of the siding board. The extending side portions of the barrier sheet are not required for protection of the front surface of the siding board, but rather are used to facilitate drainage of water from behind the siding board when installed, as described in more detail below.

Weather-resistant barrier sheets suitable for use in the present invention include asphalt impregnated felt, asphalt impregnated paper, microporous films, perforated films, woven sheets, nonwoven fabrics such as flash spun plexifilamentary sheets, such as Tyvek® flash spun polyethylene sheets available from E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Inc., Wilmington, Del. (DuPont), spunbond-meltblown-spunbond composite nonwovens, film-fabric laminates such as laminates comprising a microporous film or perforated film laminated to a scrim, woven, or nonwoven layer, and other house wrap sheet materials known in the art.

The siding board used to prepare the lap siding product of the present invention can be selected from a wide range of lap siding products used for building construction. The siding board is preferably a pre-finished, primed, or painted siding board. The present invention is especially advantageous for overcoming problems associated with damage to the finished surface during packaging/transport and/or drainage behind the lap siding after installation. In one embodiment, the siding board is a fiber cement board. Fiber cement boards are prone to the above-mentioned problems since they are often pre-finished, and are both abrasive and water absorbent. When a traditional natural wood siding product is used, it will generally be primed on all sides prior to attaching the weather-resistant barrier sheet.

The weather-resistant barrier sheet can be affixed to a top portion of the front face of the siding board using a suitable liquid or spray adhesive. One suitable example is HS-90 spray/liquid adhesive available from 3M, St Paul, Minn. The adhesive can be applied to the concealed edge of the board and the barrier sheet rolled onto the adhesive-coated area forming an overlapping interface of desired width. The barrier sheet can be pre-cut to the desired dimensions and adhesively affixed to the siding board. The bond between the barrier sheet and the siding board should be strong enough to endure handling of the boards during packaging as well as during cutting and installation of the boards at the construction site.

FIG. 3A is a plan view showing placement of two siding products of the present invention during installation in a horizontal orientation of a row of siding to form a butt joint. Siding products 30 and 30′ include siding boards 31 and 31′ and attached barrier layers 32 and 32′, respectively. Siding product 30 is attached to the exterior wall of a building construction, for example to exterior plywood sheathing, using fastening members such as staples 33. A weather resistant barrier housewrap sheet (not shown) is preferably installed over the exterior wall using methods known in the art prior to installing the siding product. The staples are placed such that extending side edge 34 (shown as shaded portion of barrier sheet 32) remains loose, thus allowing siding board 31′ to fully abut siding board 31 by positioning siding board 31′, as indicated by the arrows, adjacent thereto. FIG. 3B shows that siding board 31′ is installed such that the board and attached barrier sheet 32′ overlay extending side edge 34 of siding product 30. Extending side edge 34′ of barrier sheet 32′ overlays barrier sheet 32 and is secured in place using fastening members such as staples 33′. Siding boards 31 and 31′ are attached to the exterior wall using fastening members, such as nails 40. The boards would be installed after the complete housewrap application, which is a uniform envelope that serves primarily as an air barrier. Therefore, it is important to envelop the entire wall and especially the sill plate at the foundation where the first boards would be installed.

FIG. 4A is a plan view showing installation of an additional course of siding product comprising siding board 31″ and attached barrier sheet 32″ over and above an installed course of siding products, such as that shown in FIG. 3B. Siding board 31″ is positioned above siding boards 31 and 31′ as indicated by the arrows such that the bottom edge 35 of board 31″ is aligned with the bottom edges 36 and 36′ of the barrier sheets. The bottom edges of the barrier sheets serve to facilitate alignment of the siding to achieve uniform lapping exposure of the siding boards. As shown in FIG. 4B, after board 31″ has been positioned, it is secured in place using fastening members such as nails 38. Barrier sheet 32″ is secured in place using fastening members such as staples 42.

FIG. 5 is a section view of a wall 52, upon which three courses of lap siding product of the present invention have been installed generally according to the method described for FIGS. 4A and 4B showing overlapping sections of the barrier sheets 50. A housewrap material (not shown) is preferably installed intermediate the wall and the siding product in order to provide a continuous weather-resistant barrier. Fasteners 51 secure each siding board to exterior wall 52. Fasteners 51 are preferably placed in the overlapping interface so that the fastener will be hidden by the overlying course of siding boards. Staples 53 secure the barrier sheet to the exterior wall. It is important that the gap 54 between adjacent rows of siding boards not be sealed so that water that drains down along the barrier sheet 50 behind a siding board can exit the wall structure.

FIG. 6 is a section view of a wall upon which three courses of vinyl siding product in accordance with the present invention have been installed showing overlapping sections of the barrier sheets 60. A barrier sheet is adhered to each snaplock groove 61 of vinyl siding 64 and to exterior wall 62 by nails 63. When a row of siding is installed over an already installed row of siding, lapping vinyl piece 64′ snaps over the barrier sheet and lower siding piece 64. Water that drains down barrier sheet 60 exits the wall structure through weep holes 65. Although vinyl siding is currently considered to be a “draining” structure as it is loosely clad, use of an attached barrier sheet according to the present invention is expected to further improve draining of water from the wall structure. This is expected to be especially desirable for foam-backed siding.

Test Methods

The following test methods are employed to determine various reported characteristics and properties. ASTM refers to the American Society of Testing Materials.

Tensile strength is measured according to ASTM D828, which is hereby incorporated by reference, and is reported in units of pounds/inch or N/cm.

Hydrostatic head is measured according to ADTM D779, which is hereby incorporated by reference, and is reported in units of inches or centimeters.

Water Vapor Transmission Rate is measured according to ASTM E 96, which is hereby incorporated by reference, and is reported in units of perms.

Claims

1. A siding product comprising:

a siding board having a front face with a length and a width, an opposing back face, opposing top and bottom edges, the top edge having a width, and opposing side edges; and

a weather-resistant barrier sheet having a width at least as wide as the width of the front face of the siding board and a length at least as long as the length of the front face of the siding board;

wherein the barrier sheet is affixed to the siding board so as to partially overlap a portion of the front face of the siding board adjacent the top edge thereof to form an overlapping interface between the siding board and the barrier sheet extending the entire length of the front face of the siding board, the overlapping interface having a width, and the barrier sheet providing an exposed portion of the front face of the siding board adjacent the overlapping interface and a first extending portion of the barrier sheet being unattached to the siding board and extending above the overlapping interface and the front face of the siding board along the length thereof.

2. The siding product of claim 1, wherein the barrier sheet comprises a sheet layer selected from the group consisting of impregnated felts, asphalt impregnated papers, microporous films, perforated films, woven fabrics, nonwoven fabrics, and film-fabric laminates.

3. The siding product of claim 2, wherein the siding board is fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of wood, wood composites, fiber cement, concrete, rubber composites, polymer resins, and polymer composites.

4. The siding product of claim 3 wherein the siding board is a lap siding board comprising a fiber cement board.

5. The siding product of claim 3, wherein the front face of the siding board is pre-finished with a finish selected from the group consisting of coatings and laminates.

6. The siding product of claim 3, wherein the siding board is vinyl siding.

7. The siding product according to claim 3, wherein the barrier sheet comprises a nonwoven fabric.

8. The siding product according to claim 7 wherein the nonwoven fabric is selected from the group consisting of flash spun plexifilamentary sheets and spunbond-meltblown-spunbond sheets.

9. The siding product of claim 1, wherein the width of the barrier sheet is at least as great as the sum of the widths of the front face and the top edge of the siding board.

10. The siding product of claim 1, wherein the length of the barrier sheet is greater than the length of the front face of the siding board such that a second extending portion of the barrier sheet extends beyond the first side edge of the siding board.

11. The siding product of claim 10, wherein a third extending portion of the barrier sheet extends beyond the second side edge of the siding board.

12. The siding product of claim 11, wherein the width of the barrier sheet is at least as great as the sum of the widths of the front face and the top edge of the siding board.

13. The siding product of either of claims 9 or 12, wherein the width of the barrier sheet is substantially equal to the sum of the widths of the overlapping interface and the top edge and the front face of the siding board, such that when the first extending portion of the barrier sheet is folded over the top edge and the back face of the siding board, the back face is substantially covered by the barrier sheet.

14. A method for stacking siding product comprising:

providing a first siding product according to claim 9, wherein the extending portion of the first barrier sheet is folded over the top edge and back face of the first siding board;

providing a second siding product according to claim 9, wherein the extending portion of the second barrier sheet is folded over the top edge and back face of the second siding board; and

stacking the first siding product on top of the second siding product such that the back face of the first siding board faces towards the front face of the second siding board.

15. A method for stacking siding product comprising:

providing a first siding product according to claim 12 wherein the second and third extending portions of the first barrier sheet are folded over the first and second side edges of the first siding board, respectively, and the first extending portion of the first barrier sheet is folded over the top edge and back face of the first siding board;

providing a second siding product according to claim 12 wherein the second and third extending portions of the second barrier sheet are folded over the first and second side edges of the second siding board, respectively, and the first extending portion of the second barrier sheet is folded over the top edge and back face of the second siding board; and

stacking the first siding product on top of the second siding product such that the back face of the first siding board faces towards the front face of the second siding board.

16. A method for installing siding on an outer wall of a building comprising:

attaching a first siding product according to claim 1 to the outer wall in a horizontal orientation such that the extending portion of the barrier sheet is optionally attached to the outer wall;

placing a second siding product according to claim 1 to the outer wall in a horizontal orientation such that an edge of the second siding product forms a butt joint with an edge of the first siding product, and

attaching the second siding board to the outer wall.

17. A method for installing siding on an outer wall of a building comprising:

attaching a first siding product according to claim 1 to the outer wall in a horizontal orientation such that the extending portion of the barrier sheet is optionally attached to the outer wall;

placing a second siding product according to claim 1, wherein the extending portion of the second barrier sheet is in a partially overlapping horizontal orientation above the first siding product such that the second siding board covers the portion of the first barrier sheet that overlaps the first siding board; and

attaching the second siding board to the outer wall.

18. The method of claim 16 or 17, wherein a weather-resistant barrier housewrap sheet is sandwiched between the outer wall of the building and the siding products.