SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FORMING FLUSH JOINTS BETWEEN ADJACENT WALLBOARD PANELS
A system and method for forming flush joints and improving the shear strength in wallboard panels are provided. The system includes using a clamping mechanism to apply simultaneous opposing pressure against the butt joint area so as to cause the edges of adjacent wallboard panels to align level with the plane of the drywall panels. In certain implementations, the system utilizes an elongated tie strap to interconnect a back support disposed on the back side of the drywall panels with a tensioning device which is disposed on the front side of the panels. Adhesive prepackaged in packets can be used to attach the back support to the drywall.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to systems and methods for installing wallboards, and in particular, relates to a system and method that can be used to form flush joints between adjacent wallboard panels and improve the overall shear strength of the finished drywall.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various drywall installation systems have been developed to create level and smooth drywall joints. Joint compound and tape are typically applied to the joint area to conceal the seam between two drywall panels. Joint areas formed by abutting the beveled edges of drywall panels are inherently recessed and/or tapered thus can be filled with joint compound and covered by joint tape without creating a visible ridge in the finished drywall. However, joint areas formed by abutting the cut edges of panels, often referred to as butt joints, are usually already level with the plane of the drywall panels. Once joint compound and tape are applied thereto, a slight ridge is often visible. Thus, a taper is usually artificially created in the butt joint area during drywall installation in an effort to eliminate or at least reduce the ridging effect created by the joint compound and tape so as to form a more smooth and flat finish.
Back blocking is a common practice designed to create such an artificial taper in the butt joint area. However, the conventional back blocking process is generally costly and time consuming. It involves multiple steps including attaching a strip of wood to the framing joist adjacent to the back surface of the drywall directly behind joint seams to provide some backing and resistance. The process also involves mounting a temporary brace on the joists through the finished side of the drywall panels. The brace is adapted to exert pressure against the seam to force the seam to become slightly recessed with respect the plane of the finished side of the drywall. Once the joint compound is set, the temporary brace would have to be removed and the holes from attaching the brace filled. These complicated and time-consuming steps often discourage drywall installers from using the back blocking process. As a consequence, the butt joint areas of many installed drywall are not as flat and smooth as desired.
Moreover, drywall panels are typically fastened at the joint area to a building stud, joist or other framing component. Gradual movement of the building frame over time due to moisture and other factors can cause deformation of the drywall joint. For example, panel edges forming the drywall joint can be forced out of alignment and protrude outwardly due to moisture movement of the stud to which the edge is mounted. Such deformation greatly detracts from the appearance of the finished drywall.
In view of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that there is a need for an improved system and method for forming flush drywall joints. The preferred embodiments of the present invention are intended to ameliorate one or more of the shortcomings discussed above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe preferred embodiments of the present invention provide a novel system and method for installing drywall panels. The system and method have several features, no single one of which is solely responsible for their desirable attributes. Without limiting the scope of this invention, its more prominent features will now be discussed briefly. However, not all of the following features are necessary to achieve the advantages of the system or method. Therefore, none of the following features should be viewed as limiting. After considering this discussion, and particularly after reading the section entitled “Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments,” one will understand how the features of the preferred embodiments provide advantages over prior art systems.
One such advantage is that the system and method can be easily and conveniently implemented to form aesthetically appealing, flat and smooth drywall joint areas without requiring complex or multiple process steps. Additionally, the system and method also provide a finished drywall with improved shear strength and a joint area that is not susceptible to deformation over time due to moisture movement of the building frame.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a system for forming flush joints between wallboard panels. The system comprises a back support adapted to be attached to a back side of two wallboard panels and sized to extend across at least a portion of a joint area; a front support adapted to extend across at least a portion of the joint area on the front side of the panels; and an interconnect member, wherein the interconnect member is adapted to extend from the back support through the joint area and to the front support, wherein the interconnect member is adapted to attach to the front and back supports and exert a force on the supports so as to cause the back support and the front support to exert simultaneous opposing inward pressure against joint area.
In another embodiment, the present invention provides a method for installing wallboard panels. The method comprises attaching a first drywall panel to a framing member; attaching a support to a back side of the first drywall panel. Preferably, the support is disposed adjacent to an edge of the first drywall panel such that at least a portion of the support extends past the edge. The support can be attached to the first drywall panel by an adhesive such as joint compound known in the art. The method further comprises attaching a second drywall panel to a framing member. The second drywall panel is preferably positioned adjacent to the first drywall panel, wherein an edge of the second drywall panel is abutted against the edge of the first drywall panel so as to form a butt joint. Preferably, the portion of the support extending past the edge of the first drywall panel is attached to the second drywall panel via an adhesive such as joint compound known in the art. The method further comprises extending an interconnect member from the support through the joint area between the drywall panels and applying a pulling force on the interconnect member so as to pull the support against the back side of the first and second drywall panels and force the edges therebetween to align. The method further comprises locking the interconnect member in place.
In yet another embodiment, the present invention provides an adhesive system for drywall installation. The system comprises a sheet member comprising individual compartments; and an adhesive, wherein the adhesive is positioned in each of the compartments, wherein application of pressure against the compartments forces the adhesive to be released from the individual compartments. In one embodiment, the sheet member comprises a plurality of perforations so that the sheet can be divided into smaller sections.
In the embodiment shown in
As also shown in
As briefly described above, the interconnect member 106 is adapted to interconnect the back support 102 and the front support 104 in a manner such that the back support and the front support 104 each simultaneously exert opposing pressures against an object to create a clamping effect. In one embodiment, the interconnect member 106 comprises a T-shaped plastic tie having an elongated body 122, a cross piece 124, and a sliding member 126 which is configured to lock in place on the tie body 122. In one embodiment, the sliding member 126 is ratcheted and engages with the tie body in a known manner to grip the tie body, thus locking the sliding member in place. However, it will be appreciated that the interconnect member can assume other configurations and utilize other locking mechanisms. In some implementations, the interconnect member can comprise an elongated cable that can be locked in place by forming a knot near one end of the cable.
When used as part of the system 100, the tensioning device 112 in conjunction with the interconnected member 122 can be used to cause the back and front supports to apply opposing pressures against the butt joint area so as to create a clamping effect in the butt joint area. In one embodiment, the interconnect member 122 is extended from the opening 108 in the back support 102 through the openings 120, 118 in the base 105 and tensioning device 112 of the front support 104. The sliding member 126 is then slid along the body of the interconnect member 122 to the tensioning device and locked in place when it is tightly pressed against the tensioning device.
It will be appreciated that components of the system described above can assume a variety of different configurations and still perform the intended functions. For example,
Although the foregoing description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention has shown, described and pointed out the fundamental novel features of the invention, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form of the detail of the invention as illustrated as well as the uses thereof, may be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit of the invention. Particularly, it will be appreciated that the preferred embodiments of the invention may manifest itself in other shapes and configurations as appropriate for the end use of the article made thereby.
Claims
1. A system for forming flush joints between wallboard panels, said system comprising:
- a back support adapted to be attached to a back side of two wallboard panels and sized to extend across at least a portion of a joint area;
- a front support adapted to extend across at least a portion of the joint area on the front side of the panels; and
- an interconnect member, said interconnect member is adapted to extend from the back support through the joint area and to the front support; said interconnect member is adapted to attach to the back and front supports and exert a force on the supports so as to cause the back support and the front support to exert simultaneous opposing inward pressure against the joint area.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the front support comprises at least one tensioning device, wherein said tensioning device is adapted to exert a tension on the interconnect member when the interconnect member is attached to the tensioning device.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the interconnect member comprises an elongated cable and a ratcheted sliding member slidably disposed along said cable, wherein the sliding member is adapted to engage with said cable to lock the sliding member in place.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the front support comprises at least one substantially planar surface, said surface is adapted to contact the joint area on the front side of the wallboard panels.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the back support comprises at least one substantially planar surface, said surface is adapted to contact the joint area on the back side of the wallboard panels.
6. The system of claim 2, wherein the tensioning device comprises a horse shoe shaped protrusion.
7. The system of claim 2, wherein the tensioning device comprises a material having elastic properties.
8. The system of claim 1, further comprising adhesives adapted to attach the back support to the wallboard panels.
9. A method for installing wallboard panels, said method comprising:
- attaching a first drywall panel to a framing member;
- attaching a support to a back side of the first drywall panel, wherein the support is disposed adjacent an edge of the first drywall panel such that at least a portion of the support extends past the edge of the first drywall panel, wherein the support is attached to the first drywall panel by an adhesive;
- attaching a second drywall panel to a framing member, wherein the second drywall panel is disposed adjacent the first drywall panel, wherein an edge of the second drywall panel is abutted against the edge of the first drywall panel, wherein the portion of the support extending past the edge of the first drywall panel is attached to the second drywall panel via the adhesive;
- extending an interconnect member from the support, through the joint area between the drywall panels;
- applying a pulling force on the interconnect member so as to pull the support against the back side of the first and second drywall panels and force the edges therebetween to align; and
- locking the interconnect member in place.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising attaching a first end of the interconnect member to the support and a second end to a tensioning device.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein attaching the second end of the interconnect member to a tensioning device comprises attaching the interconnect member to a triangular shaped protrusion.
12. The method of claim 9, wherein locking the interconnect member into position comprises pulling taut the interconnect member and placing a ratchet locking device on the interconnect member.
13. The method of claim 9, wherein said interconnect member comprises a plastic tie.
14. The method of claim 9, wherein applying a pulling force on the interconnect member comprises applying sufficient pulling force to cause adhesive between the support and the back sides of the wallboard panels to flow into a seam area between the panels.
15. An adhesive system for drywall installation, comprising:
- a sheet member comprising individual compartments;
- an adhesive, said adhesive is positioned in each of said compartments, wherein application of pressure against the compartment forces the adhesive to be released from the individual compartments.
16. The adhesive system of claim 15, wherein the adhesive comprises a joint compound.
17. The adhesive system of claim 15, wherein the planar sheet member is perforated.
Type: Application
Filed: Oct 16, 2006
Publication Date: May 15, 2008
Inventor: Harvey Misbin (Phoenix, AZ)
Application Number: 11/549,911
International Classification: E04B 2/00 (20060101); E04C 2/00 (20060101);