EP1605114A1

EP1605114A1 - Device for use as lead-in in under-roof membranes

Info

Publication number: EP1605114A1
Application number: EP04013506A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Per Poulsen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Poulsen Per
Priority date: 2004-06-08
Filing date: 2004-06-08
Publication date: 2005-12-14

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for use as lead-in in under-roof membranes where the device comprises a collar surrounding a cavity, and a flexible member extending a distance away from said collar is attached to the collar, and the member along its periphery on at least a part of the side of the member facing downwards in the use situation is equipped with an adhesive.

Description

The present invention relates to a device for use as lead-in in under-roof membranes.
In roof constructions where the protective shield against the influence of the environment, especially wind, rain and humidity, is provided by a hard outer layer and a flexible inner layer, there is often a problem relating to providing lead-ins for exhausts, chimneys, insulation ducts or other installations which need to pass through the surface of the roof.
The roof covering may comprise clay tiles, prefabricated cement-based corrugated plates, wood chips, clading or the like, which only to a certain degree provides a barrier against humidity, wind, etc. For this purpose, wind and water barriers in the form of under-roof membranes are provided. By having the hard outer shell in the form of tiles or the like as mentioned above, and an inner flexible wind and vapour barrier, the roof construction may effectively protect the underlying constructions from the influences of the environment. This is particularly important where the roof construction also comprises insulation, which insulation will loose its insulation properties if it becomes wet, and ingress of moisture may promote fungus and rot in the underlying timber construction.
Although this combined barrier provides good protection against influences from the environment, it also causes problems when ventilation ducts, chimneys, exhaust pipes or other installations need to penetrate the barrier.
Additionally, the roof construction is constructed by erecting a number of rafters, which span from the top of the side wall to the top of the roof. Perpendicular to the rafters a number of laths will be arranged with a predetermined distance in order to support the tiles or other roof cladding. Between the rafters and the laths, the flexible wind and vapour barrier is placed and fastened to the rafters. If insulation is installed, this insulation is placed beneath the wind and vapour barrier, often between the rafters. Underneath the insulation, a moisture impervious barrier is provided such that moisture produced inside the house does not enter into the insulation and thereby reduce the ability of the insulation to insulate.
With the known methods for creating a lead-in through such a construction, an aperture is cut in the under-roof in the position where it is intended to have the lead-in. Above the aperture and between the rafters, a special gutter is arranged such that moisture present on the under-roof above the aperture will be guided around or away from the aperture in order to avoid moisture in the shape of water droplets entering the aperture and thereby gaining access to the interior of the house and, primarily, the insulation, and the timber construction. After the installation has been placed through the lead-in aperture, the gab between the installation, such as an exhaust pipe, and the flexible membrane is sealed, for example by means of an adhesive tape, or by a resilient sealing material.
When it comes to lead-ins for chimneys or exhaust pipes where the temperature on the surface of the exhaust pipe may be high enough to constitute a fire hazard, building codes usually require that a certain distance be kept between the surface of such elements and any flammable material. The Danish fire code, for example, requires that between and exhaust pipe from an oven or a chimney, a free distance of at least 50 mm be provided between the surface of the chimney and the surrounding construction.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a solution, in particular to problems relating to in-leads where chimneys or exhaust pipes are placed.
The present invention addresses this problem by providing a device for use as lead-in in under-roof membranes, wherein the device comprises a collar surrounding a cavity, and that a flexible member extending a distance away from said collar is attached to the collar, and that the member along its periphery on at least a part of the side of the member facing downwards in the use situation is equipped with an adhesive.
By providing a collar, which preferably may be rather stiff, it is possible to attach the device around the lead-in and onto the surrounding under-roof membrane such that, due to the tension between the flexible member of the device and the under-roof, the collar may be kept at an substantially even level with a surrounding under-roof and thereby effectively provide a moisture/water barrier from the outside of the under-roof towards the inside of the underlying construction. The collar will function as a sort of gutter, which will redirect the water around the lead-in, and at the same time, where the device is used for lead-ins which do not have a high temperature surface, it is possible to create an effective seal between the collar and the lead-in, whereby a safe and easy lead-in construction may be provided.
In a further advantageous embodiment, the collar is made from a strip of metal substantially forming a cylinder, said cylinder having a periphery surrounding the cavity and a height, where in use the cylinder is arranged with the height of the cylinder substantially perpendicular to the plane of the under-roof, and that said member is attached to the outside of the cylinder such that the cylinder extends heightwise on both sides of said member. By providing the collar with a certain height, namely the height of the cylinder and arranging the cylinder substantially perpendicular to the plane of the under-roof, it is assured that, even if variations in the flexible under-roof, for example due to wind or the like, the water will not be able to penetrate through the aperture, i.e. the cavity provided inside the collar, and thereby gain access to the underlying construction.
By further letting the collar extend below the plane, i.e. such that the flexible member is attached not along one of the rims of the cylinder, but on the cylindrical part, a number of advantages are achieved. Firstly, even if the device should be mounted upside-down, it will still provide protection in the form of a projecting collar structure such that water/moisture will not be able to penetrate along the lead-in. Secondly, it is possible to create a reliable and durable seal between the outside of the cylinder and the flexible member in that it will be possible to seal both sides of the flexible member in order to fix the flexible member in relation to the cylindrical shape of the collar.
In a further advantageous embodiment the member is made from the same flexible material as the under-roof. Hereby it is achieved firstly that as few different materials as possible are introduced into the construction and, furthermore, that the under-roof will have the same life expectancy without any parts deteriorating faster because different choices of material may not interact with the under-roof material or may deteriorate faster which subsequently provides an overall lower life expectancy for the under-roof structure. Additionally, as the general building code dictates certain requirements for the choice of materials used for under-roofs, such as for example resistance against ultraviolet radiation, moisture diffusion, etc., it is assured that, by using the same material for the flexible member as for the under-roof, all there requirements are fulfilled.
The collar may advantageously be made from plastic, aluminium, zinc, copper, or any other substantially rigid lightweight material. The important aspect in this is that the material is light such that it does not cause any exaggerated tension in the under-roof material and, furthermore, that it is rigid such that it will effectively maintain its shape and thereby provide a firm base for a good seal between the installation going through the under-roof and the device.
In a further advantageous embodiment one or more rigid brackets are provided for additional fastening of the device to a roof construction, where said brackets has a hook shaped section for engagement with the collar, and an extended section for fastening to the roof construction. The brackets are especially useful where the device is used in connection with chimneys, exhaust pipes, or other installations where the temperature of the installation may be such that the fire code, as mentioned above, requires that a certain distance be kept between the outside of the, for example, chimney construction and any flammable or ignitable material. In these instances, it is not possible to attach the under-roof to the lead-in construction, whereby the flexible under-roof may have a tendency to, due to the influence of gravity, be pulled out of its plane and thereby possibly provide a basis for water pools or even act as channels for channelling moisture or water into the interior of the construction.
The brackets, which are to be fastened to for example the laths of the roof construction, are able to carry the device such that no excessive load is transferred onto the flexible under-roof membrane. On the contrary, it might even be possible to elevate the under-roof around the aperture such that water is effectively directed away from the lead-in, thereby providing even better protection of the underlying construction.
The hook-shaped section of the brackets is formed in order to hold on to the collar and does not require any particular engagement means, but will effectively maintain the collar in a substantially fixed position in relation to the installation going through the lead-in. The extended section may be adapted to the roof structure in question.
When being mounted with brackets, it is often advantageous that the collar does not extend below or substantially below the fastening of the flexible member.
Where tiles are being used as the outer cladding, the distance between the laths is fairly small such that the extended section also may be relatively small. On the other hand, where larger roof covering elements are used, the brackets should be provided in an appropriate length. In order to maintain the brackets as carrying elements for the device, the fasting to the laths should be firm enough such that the bracket will be able to adequately absorb the forces afflicted due to the very limited weight of the collar and the variations created by wind acting on the flexible under-roof membrane.
In a further advantageous embodiment the adhesive is a double-sided Bytyl-based adhesive tape, and that the member is fastened to the collar by means of an ultraviolet resistant resilient polymer material. The double-sided adhesive tape has a very high resistance against the influence of water, and is at the same time able to effectively adhere to different materials, and, in particular, the membranes from which the under-roof typically is made of. In this connection it should be mentioned that a number of companies provide these under-roof membranes, such as for example Duport Corp. of the United States of America, Icopal and Phønix of Denmark, and others. In order to provide a long-lasting device, all materials must be resistant against the influence of water, frost, thaw and UV radiation as well. Therefore, the member which is fastened to the collar may advantageously be fastened by means of a resilient polymer material, for example in the shape of an adhesive sealant which also is widely available under different trade names. Suitable products may be obtained from the Sika Corp. of Switzerland.
In a further advantageous embodiment the height of the collar is between 20 mm and 50 mm, more preferred between 30 mm and 40 mm and most preferred between 33 mm and 37 mm, and that the cavity is 20 mm to 70 mm larger than the object intended to penetrate the under-roof. The dimension of the collar shall be chosen such that the top rim of the collar does not interfere with the underside of the outer cladding of the roof, for example the tiles, and at the same time it must be sufficiently high in order to provide a safe water conductive member away from the aperture in the under-roof membrane. Also, in order to have a sufficient surface to fasten the flexible member to the collar, it is desirable to have a certain area in order to provide an adequate fastening.
In a further advantageous embodiment the device may be in two or more sections, where each section comprises a part of the collar and the flexible member as well as means for connecting the different parts of the collar together such that it is possible to fit the device around already projecting construction parts.
This embodiment is particularly advantageous where the lead-in must be established, for example during renovation of a roof structure, around already existing structures such as chimneys or exhaust pipes, which typically have a height which renders it impossible to place the collar around the exhaust pipe. By splitting the device into two or more sections, it is possible to assemble the device around the lead-in, and thereby, regardless of the height of the installation which is to be provided with the lead-in, it is possible to provide a device according to the present invention, and thereby enjoy the advantages thus provided.

Fig 1 and 2: illustrate prior art arrangements of a chimney passing through an underroof membrane,
Fig. 3: illustrates the device according to the invention built into a roof construction,
Fig. 4: illustrates a cross-section through one embodiment of the invention,
Fig. 5: illustrates a plane view of a device according to the invention,
Fig. 6: illustrates a bracket for use when mounting the device according to the invention.

In fig. 1 is illustrated a traditional construction where the outer roof cladding such as tiles or the like has been removed. The construction comprises a number of rafters 1 and substantially perpendicular to the rafters a number of laths 2 are arranged. The laths 2 are arranged with a mutual distance depending on the type of outer cladding. For example, when tiles are used, the laths 2 are relatively closely spaced, and where bigger plate members are used for the outer cladding, the distance between the laths may be increased. For illustration purposes only a small section of the under-roof 3 is illustrated. In the actual construction, the under-roof 3 will cover the entire roof surface in order to provide a water and moisture impervious barrier. On the under-roof 3 a water guide 4 is provided, which will direct the water away from the flow path which would otherwise lead to the aperture 5 provided in order to lead the constructions part, in this example a chimney 6, through the roof.
The gab 5 may, according to circumstances and the national building code, be closed, for example by an adhesive tape or by an resilient sealant. Where the local fire code requires that an air gab is present, as is the case with the Danish fire code, which requires an air gab of at least 50 mm, the gab remains open. This causes the problem that the under-roof 3 around the aperture provided in order for the chimney 6 to penetrate the under-roof 3 is loose and may be a funnel for the water trapped on top of the under-roof, whereby access is provided to the underlying construction. It is therefore often necessary, as illustrated with reference to fig. 2, to provide a support 7 for the under-roof material 3. If the building is under construction, it is normally not a problem to provide the supports 7, but if the house is being renovated, or an extra exhaust pipe is being installed, it may be quite difficult, and thereby also expensive, to remove a large section of the roof cladding, and remove a large section of the under-roof 3 in order to gain access to the interior so that the support 7 can be established. Thereafter the under-roof 3 has to be replaced, and the laths 2 must be re-established, after which the roof cladding can be replaced.
The invention, however, as illustrated with reference to fig. 3, provides a solution for this problem, which, furthermore, also provides additional advantages. The under-roof is cut off close to the construction 6, which need to be provided with a lead-in through the roof construction. Thereafter, a device 10 according to the invention is placed adjacent the free end of the under-roof 3.
Turning to fig. 3 the device according to the invention at 10 has been mounted in a roof construction. The rafters 1 are covered by the under-roof structure 2 on top of which the laths 2 are arranged. The collar 11 of the invention is arranged adjacent the end of the under-roof 3 such that the flexible member 12 superposes the end of the under-roof 3. Not illustrated is the adhesive tape 15 which will create a water-tight seal between the flexible member 12 and the under-roof 3 as explained above. The bracket 20 is arranged such that it will support the collar 11 and thereby avoid that the under-roof will "sink" around the aperture cut in the under-roof. Furthermore, by providing the brackets 20 in order to keep the under-roof at a plane level with the rest of the surround under-roof, the support construction as explained with reference to fig. 2, may be avoided altogether.
Turning to fig. 4, the device will be explained in more detail. Fig. 4 illustrates a cross-section through a device according to the invention. The device 10 comprises a collar structure 11 made from a relatively rigid and light-weight material such as for example plastics, aluminium, zinc, copper or the like. Surrounding the outer periphery of the collar structure 11 a flexible member 12 is provided. The flexible member may advantageously be made from the same material as the under-roof 3, or any other suitable material. In order to provide a water-tight and secure fastening between the flexible member 12 and the collar 11, an adhesive sealing material 13 has been provided in the interface. In the illustrated embodiment the seal is provided on both sides of the flexible member, but naturally the seal may also be provided on only one side. Furthermore, the collar is provided with a groove 14, which extends around the outer periphery of the collar 11. The groove is provided in order to accommodate the flexible member in a safe and secure way, and also, at the same time, in order to increase the imperbility of the entire construction.
Along the periphery of the flexible member 12 a double-sided adhesive strip 15 is provided comprising a Bytyl-based based adhesive. In fig. 5 the device according to the invention is seen from above. With dashed lines 15' the placement of the double-sided adhesive strip along the periphery of the flexible member 12 is illustrated.
As illustrated in fig. 5, the edges of the flexible member 12 are cut at an angle such that water, for example engaging the upper edge 16 of the device 10, will be guided to the left in fig. 5.
Also illustrated in fig. 5 is the cavity 17 which is surrounded by the collar 11 through which cavity 17 the constructional member such as an exhaust pipe or chimney is supposed to fit. The cavity is in this instance illustrated as having an oval shape which is due to the fact that, in this particular embodiment as illustrated in fig. 5, the device 10 is suitable for fitting around a round member on a roof surface which is mounted at an angle as for example illustrated in fig. 2. The cross-section of the collar 11 may be any suitable shape, for example when the in-lead needs to accommodate a square or rectangular construction member such a chimney 6 as illustrated in fig. 1, the cavity 17 should have a rectangular cross-section.
Turning to fig. 6, a bracket for use in mounting the device according to the invention is illustrated. The bracket 20 comprises a hook-shaped section 21 and an extended part 22. The hook-shaped section 21 comprises, in this instance, a first section 23 connected to a flange 24. The length of the section 23 should correspond to the height of the collar 11. In the bracket one or more apertures 25 may be provided through which appropriate fastening means can be inserted in order to fasten the bracket to a batten 2.

Claims

Device for use as lead-in in under-roof membranes wherein the device comprises a collar surrounding a cavity, and that a flexible member extending a distance away from said collar is attached to the collar, and that the member along its periphery on at least a part of the side of the member facing downwards in the use situation is equipped with an adhesive.
Device according to claim 1, characterised in that the collar is made from a strip of metal substantially forming a cylinder, said cylinder having a periphery surrounding the cavity and a height, where in use the cylinder is arranged with the height of the cylinder substantially perpendicular to the plane of the under-roof, and that said member is attached to the outside of the cylinder such that the cylinder extends heightwise on both sides of said member.
Device according to claims 1 or 2, characterised in that the member is made from the same flexible material as the under-roof.
Device according to claims 1, 2 or 3, characterised in that the collar is made from plastic, aluminium, zinc, copper, or any other substantially rigid lightweight material.
Device according to any preceding claim, characterised in that one or more rigid brackets are provided for additional fastening of the device to a roof construction, where said brackets has a hook shaped section for engagement with the collar, and an extended section for fastening to the roof construction.
Device according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the adhesive is a double sided Bytyl-based adhesive tape, and that the member is fastened to the collar by means of an ultraviolet resistant resilient polymer material.
Device according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the height of the collar is between 20 mm and 50 mm, more preferred between 30 mm and 40 mm and most preferred between 33 mm and 37 mm, and that the cavity is 20 mm to 70 mm larger than the object intended to penetrate the under-roof.
Device according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the device may be in two or more sections, where each section comprises a part of the collar and the flexible member as well as means for connecting the different parts of the collar together such that it is possible to fit the device around already projecting construction parts.