DRYWALL PRODUCT

Abstract

A drywall product may inhibit the formation of mold, may hold a nail securely, may provide insulation, and may be strong and durable. The drywall product may include one or more of the following features: a vapor barrier on a stud side of a sheet of the drywall product, a nailing and fastening member on at least a portion of the sheet of the drywall product, a drywall-type mixture covering a wall side of the sheet of the drywall product, and a paper face for a smooth finish.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to drywall products and, more particularly, to drywall products that may resist mold, allow the direct nailing of trim thereto and add insulation value.

Current drywall will grow mold if any moisture exists behind the walls. The paper on the back of current drywall feeds the mold and allows it to grow, potentially making people sick. Current drywall also does not securely hold nails. This feature may be especially useful when trim is installed along a floor edge and/or a ceiling edge of a wall. Current drywall has minimal insulation value (for example, ½ inch drywall has an R-value of about 0.45) and may be broken or damaged easily.

As can be seen, there is a need for a drywall product that may inhibit the formation of mold, may hold a nail or fastener securely, may provide insulation and may be strong and durable.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, a drywall product comprises a drywall type mixture disposed as a sheet having a wall side and a stud side; and a nail and fastener layer attached to or incorporated into at least a portion of the stud side of the drywall type mixture.

In another aspect of the present invention, a drywall product comprises a drywall type mixture disposed as a sheet having a wall side and a stud side; a nail and fastener layer attached or incorporated into at least a portion of the stud side of the drywall type mixture; and a vapor barrier entirely covering the stud side of the sheet.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of a drywall product according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front view of a drywall product according to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a drywall product according to still another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the drywall product of FIG. 3 installed on a wall.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Various inventive features are described below that can each be used independently of one another or in combination with other features.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention provides a drywall product that may inhibit the formation of mold, may hold a nail and other fasteners securely, may provide insulation and may be strong and durable. The drywall product, according to embodiments of the present invention, may include one or more of the following features: a vapor barrier on a stud side of a sheet of the drywall product, a nailing and fastening member on at least a portion of the sheet of the drywall product, a drywall-type mixture covering a wall side of the sheet of the drywall product, and a paper face for a smooth finish. As used herein, “stud side” refers to the side of the sheet of drywall product that may be installed facing wall studs. “Wall side” of a sheet of drywall product refers to the side of the sheet of drywall product that may be installed facing an interior of a room.

Referring to FIG. 1, a drywall product sheet 10 may have a thickness 12 that is equivalent to conventional drywall. For example, the thickness 12 may be, for example ½ inch. Alternatively, the overall thickness 12 may be ⅜ inch or ⅝ inch or the like. The drywall product sheet 10 may have overall dimensions similar to conventional drywall. For example, the drywall product sheet 10 may be a 4-foot by 8-foot sheet, a 4-foot by 12-foot sheet or a 4-foot by 16 foot sheet or like that. The drywall product sheet 10 may include a vapor barrier 14 on a stud side 16 of the drywall product sheet 10. The vapor barrier 14 may be a plastic or rubberized layer. In one embodiment of the present invention, the vapor barrier 14 may be a plastic sheeting, such as a 6 mil plastic sheeting. In an alternate embodiment, the vapor barrier 14 may be sprayed on as a rubberized coating onto the drywall product sheet 10. In a further alternate embodiment, the vapor barrier 14 may be a metalized film or foil. The vapor barrier 14 may cover the entire stud side of the drywall product sheet 10.

On a wall side 18 of the drywall product sheet, a smooth paper face 20 may be disposed. The smooth paper face 20 may be similar to the paper face of conventional drywall. Between the smooth paper face 20 and the vapor barrier 14 may be installed a drywall-type mixture 22. The drywall-type mixture 22 may be similar to conventional drywall mixtures. A waterproofing chemical, as may be known in the art, may be added to the drywall-type mixture 22. The drywall-type mixture 22 may be designed in a manner similar to conventional drywall. For example, the wall side of the drywall-type mixture 22 may include indentations (not shown) along one or more edges thereof for creating smooth seams when the drywall product sheets 10 abut one another. The thickness of the drywall-type mixture 22 may be from about 3/16 inch to about ½ inch, for example, and typically is between about 5/16 inch to about ½ inch, as discussed in greater detail below. A mesh may be optionally formed in the drywall-type mixture 22.

A nail and fastener layer 24 may be disposed between the drywall-type mixture 22 and the vapor barrier 14. In one embodiment of the present invention, the nail and fastener layer 24 may be disposed along an entire surface of the drywall product sheet 10. In an alternate embodiment, the nail and fastener layer 24 may be disposed around a perimeter of a drywall product sheet 10-1, as shown in FIG. 2. In a further alternate embodiment, the nail and fastener layer 24 may be disposed on one or more edges 26 of a drywall product sheet 10-2, as shown in FIG. 3. By having the nail and fastener layer 24 cover a portion of at least one edge of the drywall product sheet 10, the edge 26 having the nail and fastener layer 24 may be disposed at a position to secure trim and/or molding to the drywall product sheet 10. Trim and/or molding may be secured to the nail and fastener layer 24 by, for example, a nail, screw or other similar fastener. The nail and fastener layer 24 may be attached to the drywall-type mixture 22 or may be incorporated into the drywall-type mixture 22.

As shown in FIG. 5, the drywall product sheet 10-2 may be positioned with the edge 26 having the nail and fastener layer 24 facing a floor 32 and a ceiling 28 of a wall 30 to be drywalled. Such a configuration may permit molding to be installed and secured to the drywall product sheet 10-2 at the floor 32 and the ceiling 28.

The nail and fastener layer 24 may be made of a material that may secure a nail therewithin. For example, the nail and fastener layer 24 may be wood, plastic or a composite material. In other embodiments, the nail and fastener layer 24 may be made of post-consumer recycled material. The nail and fastener layer 24 may be from about ⅛ inch to about ¼ inch thick. In one embodiment of the present invention, the drywall type mixture 22 may be about 5/16 inch thick, while the nail and fastener layer 24 may be about 3/16 inch thick, resulting in an overall thickness 12 of about ½ inch, thereby approximating the thickness of a conventional sheet of ½ inch drywall.

When the nail and fastener layer 24 does not cover the entire surface of the drywall product sheet 10, the thickness of the drywall type mixture 22 may vary so that the combination of the nail and fastener layer 24 and the drywall type mixture 22 may result in a drywall product sheet 10 that may have a flat stud side 16, as shown in FIG. 4. The nail and fastener layer 24 may have a width 34 from about 2 inches to about 16 inches, typically from about 8 inches to about 14 inches.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A drywall product comprising:

a drywall type mixture disposed as a sheet having a wall side and a stud side; and

a nail and fastener layer attached to or incorporated into at least a portion of the stud side of the drywall type mixture.

2. The drywall product of claim 1, further comprising a vapor barrier covering the stud side of the sheet.

3. The drywall product of claim 2, wherein the vapor barrier is selected from a plastic sheeting, a spray-on coating, an extruded or laminated sheet, a vapor deposited layer, a vacuum thermoformed, a furnace sintered layer or an enrobing-formed layer.

4. The drywall product of claim 1, wherein the nail and fastener layer is attached to or incorporated into the entire stud side of the drywall type mixture.

5. The drywall product of claim 1, wherein the nail and fastener layer is attached to or incorporated into at least one edge of the drywall type mixture.

6. The drywall product of claim 5, wherein the nail and fastener layer has a width from about 8 inches to about 14 inches.

7. The drywall product of claim 1, wherein the width of the drywall product is uniform in surface topography on a stud side.

8. The drywall product of claim 1, further comprising a smooth paper face on the wall side of the sheet.

9. A drywall product comprising:

a drywall type mixture disposed as a sheet having a wall side and a stud side;

a nail and fastener layer attached to or incorporated into at least a portion of the stud side of the drywall type mixture; and

a vapor barrier entirely covering the stud side of the sheet.

10. The drywall product of claim 9, wherein the nail and fastener layer is selected from the group consisting of wood, plastic, composite, and post consumer recycled material.