AU2009292738A1

AU2009292738A1 - Building sheet and method for detecting weatherproofness of structures

Info

Publication number: AU2009292738A1
Application number: AU2009292738A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Kyle Lloyd Herbert
Original assignee: KYLE HERBERT
Current assignee: KYLE HERBERT
Priority date: 2008-09-18
Filing date: 2009-09-16
Publication date: 2010-03-25
Anticipated expiration: 2029-09-16
Also published as: WO2010033040A1; AU2009292738B2; NZ571375A

Description

WO 2010/033040 PCT/NZ2009/000196 1 BUILDING SHEET AND METHOD FOR DETECTING WEATHERPROOFNESS OF STRUCTURES FIELD OF THE INVENTION 5 This invention relates to a building sheet for detecting the presence of certain environmental conditions (especially moisture) within a building or the like. It also relates to visual methods of detection of environmental conditions within a building or the like. 10 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION There has been a recent increase in the number of buildings suffering damage due to failure to properly protect buildings from the ingress of water. 15 Typically the problem is only revealed after the building has been completed, requiring expensive remedial action. It would be desirable to provide a method enabling the easy detection of building faults and a building sheet for use in such a method or to at least 20 provide the public with a useful choice. EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS According to one exemplary embodiment there is provided a building sheet 25 having a weight of up to 900g/m 2 which changes a detectable visual characteristic of the sheet when exposed to certain environmental conditions. The detectable characteristic is preferably a change in colour or transparency. According to another exemplary embodiment there is provided a method of 30 testing the weatherproofness of a structure comprising: WO 2010/033040 PCT/NZ2009/000196 2 i. building at least the shell of a structure; ii. applying a building sheet to the shell, the building sheet changing a detectable characteristic of the sheet when exposed to certain environmental conditions; and 5 iii. monitoring the building sheet over time to detect any change in its characteristics. According to a further exemplary embodiment there is provided a method of producing a building sheet comprising incorporating or applying a 10 composition to a sheet of material having a weight of up to 900g/m 2 which changes a detectable characteristic of the sheet when exposed to anomalous environmental conditions. According to a further exemplary embodiment there is provided a method of 15 testing the weatherproofness of a structure comprising: i. applying a detection composition to an interior surface of a structure, an optical characteristic of the detection composition changing when exposed to certain environmental conditions; and ii. monitoring the detection material over time to detect any change 20 in its optical characteristics. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The accompanying drawings which are incorporated in and constitute part of 25 the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the general description of the invention given above, and the detailed WO 2010/033040 PCT/NZ2009/000196 3 description of embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. Figure 1 shows a building sheet according to a first embodiment. 5 Figure 2 shows a building sheet according to a second embodiment. Figure 3 shows a building sheet according to a third embodiment. 10 Figure 4 shows a structure to which a building sheet has been applied to one wall. Figure 5 shows a building sheet according to a further embodiment. 15 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION In a first embodiment the building sheet has a detectable visual characteristic which changes in response to certain environmental conditions (for example the ingress of water into the interior of a structure or the presence of an 20 undesirable chemical composition). The base material of the building sheet may be building paper, building wrap, cladding underlay, roof underlay, moisture barrier, sheeting, a fabric etc. The building sheet may be formed of polypropylene, polyethylene, acrylic, polycarbonate, PEVA, PVC, BOPP, polyester, woven and non-woven films etc.. The term "building sheet" is also 25 used in this specification to include a building tape for joining building products together. In the embodiment shown in figure 1 the composition 1 having detectable characteristics is applied to sheet 2. In the embodiment shown in figure 2 the 30 composition having detectable characteristics is impregnated into sheet 3. In WO 2010/033040 PCT/NZ2009/000196 4 the embodiment shown in figure 3 the composition having detectable characteristics is applied in layers 4 and 6 to both sides of sheet 5. Layers 1, 4 and 6 may consist of multiple layers. Where sheet 2 or 5 has 5 poor adherence a primer layer may be applied before the active composition is applied. The composition may be applied over an entire sheet or in a predetermined pattern such as in stripes, in the form of an advertising logo or as a 10 combination of patterns. Applying the composition as a pattern may reduce the usage of the composition required as well as providing additional advertising. The building sheet preferably has a weight of up to 900 g/m 2 , more 15 preferably 50 to 170 g/m 2 and most preferably 60 to 120 g/m 2 . In one embodiment the detectable characteristic of the composition may be an optical characteristic. In one embodiment this may be colour or transparency. Colour or transparency changes in the composition may be permanent or reversible depending upon the application. 20 In one embodiment the composition may be a hydrochromatic composition that is activated by water to produce a colour or transparency change. Water may cause the colour or transparency of the sheet to change or the surface contour to change. Alternatively, the composition may be thermochromic 25 and change in dependence upon temperature. A change in temperature may reveal the presence of water on the sheet and so may provide an indication as to the presence of water. Hydrochromatic and thermochromic materials may provide reversible colour or transparency change. Hydrochromatic compositions may react with water to provide a permanent detectable 30 change. Compositions may also react in the presence of other chemicals. For WO 2010/033040 PCT/NZ2009/000196 5 example, the presence of arsenic may activate the composition. This allows the presence of undesirable compositions to be detected. The sheet will preferably have a thickness of less than 1 mm. 5 Example In one preferred embodiment shown in figure 5 a transparent plastic building sheet'13 having a weight of 60 to 150 g/m 2 has a transparent primer layer 14 applied thereto to facilitate adherence of a hydrochromatic layer 15. A 10 primer such as Kamthane S-1801 may be used with a density of about 1 g/m 2 to bind the hydrochromatic layer 15 to the sheet 13. Where the building sheet has suitable adherence the primer layer may not be required. The hydrochromatic ink is an ink that is opaque when dry and transparent when wet (such as Binder B-0821 or Neo Flex J-10) which may be applied at a 15 density of about 35 g/m 2 . A coloured layer 16 is applied over the hydrochromatic layer 15 so that when the hydrochromatic ink turns transparent when wet the coloured layer 16 is clearly visible through the building sheet. A suitable coloured ink may be applied at a density of about 10 g/m 2 . The coloured layer 16 could be omitted and the change in 20 transparency/opacity used to detect the presence of water but the coloured layer is preferred as this gives a clear visual indication of the presence of water. The layers 14 to 16 may be applied to the entire sheet 13 or selected portions 25 (stripes, designs, advertising etc.). The layers 14 to 16 may be applied using screen printing, flexographic printing, offset printing or other suitable printing methods or by spraying, rolling or be incorporated during manufacture. According to another embodiment a hydrochromatic sheet may be secured 30 to a building sheet by welding or gluing etc. This enables the method to be WO 2010/033040 PCT/NZ2009/000196 6 used with a non-transparent sheet. In another embodiment the substrate may be a building tape for joining building sheets together. Such tape may provide visual indication of leaks etc. where standard building sheets are employed. 5 Referring now to figure 4, walls 7 and 8 of a structure are shown. Building sheets 9, 10 and 11 have been applied to the interior of wall 8 which has had cladding applied to the exterior wall. In this example the building sheets are shown applied to the interior of the framing for clarity - it will be appreciated 10 that normally the building sheets will be applied between the framing and the external cladding. In this embodiment the colour or surface contour of a region 12 appears visibly different to the rest of sheets 9, 10 and 11. In this case water has penetrated the exterior cladding and region 12 indicates that there has been water penetration. During the period before internal linings 15 are applied to a structure the use of this building sheet provides a useful method to identify the ingress of water through external cladding so that it may be remedied before internal linings are applied. Rather than waiting for certain environmental conditions to occur the exterior cladding may be tested by hosing or water blasting the exterior. It will be appreciated that the 20 same method may be employed for cladding or roof underlay to detect leaks etc. in roofing. The invention thus provides a range of methods for detecting exposure to certain environmental conditions. The use of a detectable sheet incorporates 25 detection capabilities into a standard building material making it easy and cost effective to implement. While the present invention has been illustrated by the description of the embodiments thereof, and while the embodiments have been described in 30 detail, it is not the intention of the Applicant to restrict or in any way limit the WO 2010/033040 PCT/NZ2009/000196 7 scope of the appended claims to such detail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and method, and illustrative examples shown and 5 described. Accordingly, departures may be made from such details without departure from the spirit or scope of the Applicant's general inventive concept.

Claims

1. A building sheet having a weight of up to 900g/m 2 which changes a detectable visual characteristic of the sheet when exposed to certain 5 environmental conditions.

2. A building sheet as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sheet has a weight of 50 to 1 70g/m 2 . 10 3. A building sheet as claimed in claim 1 wherein the sheet has a weight of 60 tol 20g/m 2 .

4. A building sheet as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the sheet has a thickness of less than 1 mm. 15

5. A building sheet as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the detectable characteristic is an optical characteristic.

6. A building sheet as claimed in claim 5 wherein the optical 20 characteristic is colour or transparency.

7. A building sheet as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6 wherein a hydrochromatic layer is applied to the building sheet. 25 8. A building sheet as claimed in claim 7 wherein the hydrochromatic layer is applied by printing, spraying or rolling.

9. A building sheet as claimed in claim 7 or claim 8 wherein a primer is applied to the sheet before the hydrochromatic layer is applied. 30 WO 2010/033040 PCT/NZ2009/000196 9

10. A building sheet as claimed in any one of claims 7 to 9 wherein a coloured layer is applied over the hydrochromatic layer. 1. A building sheet as claimed in claim 7 wherein the hydrochromatic 5 layer changes colour or transparency when activated by water.

12. A building sheet as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 11 wherein the colour or transparency change is reversible. 10 13. A building sheet as claimed in any one of claims 6 to 11 wherein the colour or transparency change is permanent.

14. A building sheet as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein a composition exhibiting the detectable characteristic is 15 applied to one side of the sheet.

15. A building sheet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein a composition exhibiting the detectable characteristic is applied to both sides of the sheet. 20

16. A building sheet as claimed in claim 14 or 15 wherein the composition is applied in a predetermined pattern.

17. A building sheet as claimed in claim 16 wherein the pattern is stripes. 25

18. A building sheet as claimed in claim 16 wherein the pattern is advertising.

19. A building sheet as claimed in claim 16 wherein the pattern is a 30 combination of patterns. WO 2010/033040 PCT/NZ2009/000196 10

20. A building sheet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the detectable characteristic is surface contour. 5 21. A building sheet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the change in detectable characteristic is activated by temperature.

22. A building sheet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein the change in detectable characteristic is activated by a chemical. 10

23. A building sheet as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the sheet is building paper.

24. A building sheet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 22 wherein the 15 sheet is building wrap.

25. A building sheet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 22 wherein the sheet is a fabric. 20 26. A building sheet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 22 wherein the sheet is cladding underlay or roof underlay.

27. A building sheet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 22 wherein the sheet is sheathing. 25

28. A building sheet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 22 wherein the building sheet is a moisture barrier. WO 2010/033040 PCT/NZ2009/000196 11

29. A building sheet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 22 wherein the building sheet is a building tape. 5 30. A building sheet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 22 wherein the building sheet is jointing tape.

31. A method of testing the weatherproofness of a structure comprising: i. building at least the shell of a structure; 10 ii. applying a building sheet to the shell, the building sheet changing a detectable characteristic of the sheet when exposed to certain environmental conditions; and iii. monitoring the building sheet over time to detect any change in its characteristics. 15

32. A method as claimed in claim 31 wherein the building sheet is a building sheet as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 30.

33. A method as claimed in claim 31 or claim 32 wherein the building 20 sheet is monitored visually.

34. A method of producing a building sheet comprising incorporating or applying a composition to a sheet of material having a weight of up to 900g/m 2 which changes a detectable characteristic of the, sheet when 25 exposed to certain environmental conditions.

35. A method as claimed in claim 34 wherein the composition is a hydrochromatic composition. WO 2010/033040 PCT/NZ2009/000196 12

36. A method as claimed in claim 35 wherein a primer layer is applied before the hydrochromatic layer is applied.

37. A method as claimed in claim 35 or 36 wherein a coloured layer is 5 applied over the hydrochromatic layer.

38. A method as claimed in claim 35 wherein the hydrochromatic composition changes colour or transparency in the presence of water. 10 39. A method as claimed in any one of claims 34 to 38 wherein the composition is applied to both sides of the sheet.

40. A method as claimed in any one of claims 34 to 38 wherein the composition is applied to one side of the sheet. 15

41. A method as claimed in any one of claims 34 to 39 wherein the sheet is at least partially transparent.

42. A method as claimed in any one of claims 34 to 41 wherein the 20 composition is applied by printing, spraying or rolling. 25