AU2251999A - Method for fastening cladding panels to building frames - Google Patents

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patent Act CCMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT.

METHOD OF FASTENING CLADDING TO BUILDING FRAMES The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the method of performing it known to me: This invention relates to a method for fastening cladding panels to building frames.

There are a variety of systems available for this purpose. Cladding panels are of standard sizes and typically are fastened to the building frames using screws. This results in a wall in which the lines of screws are evident, unless they are coutersunk and the holes filled. Concealed fixing gives a much better appearance, and the filling of the screw holes is not needed, also the joining of the panels is often done with jointing elements which are either obvious and provide a path for weather to penetrate to the interior, or protrude above the panel surface and detract from the appearance.

Another way of fastening is to use adhesives to join panels to the frame. This has had the disadvantage that adhesives used, e.g.

2 pack epoxies, are rigid and do not allow for movement of the panels 15 due to thermal expansion and contraction. Recently adhesives have been oo i S.developed that while having a high bonding strength also are flexible and permit some movement in the panels. The adhesive used in the example S"is Dow Comrning 795.

Panelling is generally fixed with a spacing of approximately 10m between 20 sheets to allow for movement of the building and thermal expansion and contraction. To make the wall continous, and seal the edges of the panels and the ends and corners of walls and the surrounds of windows and doors and other openings, various methods have been used.

*e The method of this invention involves the use of jointing elements which have projecting parts to co-operate with slots cut in edges of S the cladding panels and fit into them, and provide finsihing edges where needed.

The cladding panels are joined to the building frame using high strength flexible adhesive as mentioned previously. The jointing elements are fastened to the building frame with suitable fasteners, usually screws.

The hollow of the jointing elements wherein the fasteners lie is filled with a flexible weatherproof gasket which co-operates with ridges on the inside side walls of the hollow to fix the gasket in place. The appearance is better than that of prev s panelled walls, there being no lines of screws and no projecting joining strips and an essentially continous wall. A wall erected by the method of the invention also is put up rore easily and quickly, and there is no sealant to apply with the attendant problem of the time required to cure; also the wall is more resistant to the penetration of rain and wind.

Materials used in the following example are as follows.

Panelling is Vitrepanel, which is made of compressed fibre reinforced cement, coated with a polyurethane coating.

Jointing elements are of extruded aluminium, of three different cross sectioned shapes to meet the different situations in which they are used. They may be coated on one or more edges with a polyurethane coating to match Vitrepanel.

Gaskets used are of EPDM; neoprene may by used, but the former is more weather resistant.

It would be evident that other materials may be used within scope of the invention.

An example of the invention will now be described with accompanying drawings.

15 On a pre-existing wall frame, application of the cladding panels is 15 begun at the bottom. A No: 1 extruded aluminium jointing strip is screwed to the bottom of the wall, extending the full length of the wall. A panel with slots out in the four edges is slid into the projecting parts of the jointing strips and joined to the full frame using Dow Comrning 795 adhesive. A No:3 strip of the height of the panel is fitted to 20 the slotted left hand edge of the panel and screwed to the wall frame.

A further panel with slotted edges is slid onto the bottom of No: 1 strip and the side No: 3 strip, a second No: 3 strip of the height of S. the panel is fitted into the slotted left hand edge of the panel and screwed to the wall frame. The process is repeated until the full 25 length of the wall is covered and the final No: 2 strip of the height of the panel is fitted into the last panel of the row and screwed to the wall.

A full length No: 3 strip is then fitted into the slotted tops of the row of panels, it is screwed to the wall frame and the process resumed with the next row of panels, and continued with subsequent rows until the whole wall is covered. A full length No: 1 strip is then inserted into the top edge slots of the uppermost row of panels and screwed to the wall frame.

Gaskets are now fitted into the hollows of the strips or jointing elements to form the final wall.

Finishing of breaks in the wall such as windows and doors are as illustrated in the drawings.

3 FIG. 1 illustrates how the three types of alumTinium jointing elements are used, with FIGS. 2 4 giving enlarged views of parts of FIG. 1.

FIGS. 5 7 are enlarged cross sections referring to parts of FIG. and illustrating how these parts of the wall are finished.

FIG. 8 is a similar cross section referring to parts of FIG. 10, and FIG. 9 is an enlarged cross section of part of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a diagrammatic view of a finished structure, with enlarged views elsewhere referred to in FIG. 5, 6, 7 and 8.

FIGS. 11 13 are cross sections of the aluminium extrusions in place and FIGS. 14 16 illustrations of how they are used with the panels and the gaskets.

Notes that the slots cut in the panels are at least Immn deeper than the engaging projections of the jointing elements to allow for movements of the wall and provide flexibility. Note also that the EPDM gasket fits 15 into the hollow space of the jointing elements to leave some empty space :for adjustment. Further, the back part of the panel edge nearer the wall frame is cut away further than the front part to co-operate with the extrusion shape and provide further resistance to the ingress of weather.

Again, note that the jointing elements are 3mn closer to the wall frames than the back of the panels to allow for the thickness of the adhesive which is usually 3rrm.

Claims (7)

1. A method for fastening cladding panels to bulling frames, comprising cutting continous slots in the edges of the cladding panels to co-operate with jointing elements, projecting arms of the jointing elements, being of such a cross section that they fit closely into the panels slots and allow for the thickness of the building adhesive and provide a hollow where needed for the insertion of a water resistant and flexible gasket; fastening the cladding panels to the building frames using a high strength flexible building adhesive; fitting the jointing elements into the slotted edges of the cladding panels; screwing the jointing elements to the building frame; filling the hollow of the jointing elements with a weather resistant and flexible gasket.

2. A method as in claim 1. wherein the cladding panel is compressed fibre cement board with a polyurethane coating.

3. "Smartfix" claims 1 or 2 wherein the jointing element is made from extruded aluminium.

4. "Smartfix" claims 1, 2 or 3 wherein the high strength flexible building adhesive is Dow Coming 795.

5. "Smartfix" claims 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein the gasket is made from EPDM.

6. A method as in claims 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5 substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7. A finished wall made by the method of the invention. 7. A finished wall made by the method of the invention. R. Lester Woodbury 29 MARCH 1999