GB2374881A

GB2374881A - External cladding panel

Info

Publication number: GB2374881A
Application number: GB0206125A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Smeeth
Original assignee: Elliott Group Ltd
Current assignee: Algeco UK Ltd
Priority date: 2001-03-15
Filing date: 2002-03-15
Publication date: 2002-10-30
Also published as: GB0106333D0; GB0206125D0

Abstract

An external cladding panel (6), for or of a wall structure (4) or building, comprises a body or substrate(8) comprising cementatious material and having a facing, for example made up of slips (58) of a ceramic material. The slips (58) may be brick slips secured, for example, by adhesive on the body or substrate (8), with pointing (62) between adjacent slips, to simulate the appearance of a brick wall, the slips(58) being spaced in rows by ribs(10) formed on the body or substrate. In a wall structure (4) the cladding panel (6), or a plurality of the panels, is mounted on one or more fixings (18) the or each cladding panel being secured at its body or substrate (8) to the or each fixing which in turn is retained to a frame or frames (20). An outer wall of a pre-formed, for example factory made, building module may comprise one or more of the cladding panels.

Description

EXTERNAL CLADDING PANEL This invention concerns an external cladding panel.

The invention also concerns a wall structure comprising at least one external cladding panel and a building comprising at least one external cladding panel.

According to a first aspect the present invention consists in an external cladding panel which comprises a body or substrate comprising cementatious material, and the body or substrate bearing facing on a face of the body or substrate.

Said body or substrate may be wholly or substantially wholly of said cementatious material. Said cementatious material may comprise a Portland cement. The said cementatious material may comprise glass reinforced cement (GRC).

Said facing may be adhered to the substrate, for example, the facing may be adhered to the body or substrate by adhesive between said facing and the body or substrate. Said facing may comprise a plurality of slips.

Aforesaid slips may be of ceramic material. If desired, the slips may be brick slips. Advantageously, brick slips may be arrayed on the body or substrate to simulate an appearance of a brick wall.

Pointing may be provided between adjacent slips. Said pointing may be of a flexible material, for example the pointing may comprise a flexible or plasticised cement which may, for example, be a cement mortar.

Said face on the body or substrate may have a plurality of spaced, parallel spacers, preferably ribs, thereon whereby one or more slips in a row of

slips may be spaced by a said spacer from one or more slips in an adjacent row of slips. Said spacers may be formed from the material of the body or substrate. The spacers may be moulded. The spacers may be arranged such that in a vertically disposed position of use of the external cladding panel, they are vertically spaced and the row of slips extends horizontally.

Said body or substrate may be formed with at least one through hole therein. Said hole or holes may each be intended to receive a respective securing means having a shank to extend through the hole. The or at least one said hole may be provided with a lining or cushioning for easing stress applied thereto. Said lining or cushioning may be a ferrule or grommet. The lining may be formed of rubber or plastics material, for example a neoprene rubber. A said securing means may be a screw. The body or substrate may be faced with facing so as to leave spaces in the facing at one or more of said holes to give access to the hole or holes, for example spaces may be left in the array of slips. Facing, for example one or more slips, may be attached in place on the body or substrate, for example by adhesive, to occupy such space or spaces after a said securing means has been inserted into a respective said hole in or as part of a procedure for holding the external cladding panel in position. If the inserted facing is one or more slips, pointing may then be applied.

An edge of the external cladding panel, for example an edge of the body or substrate, may comprise salients with bights between said salients. Said bights and salients may be disposed at a substantially vertical edge of the cladding panel. If desired, said bights and salients may form a substantially castellated edge of the panel. Said bights and salients may be provided at two opposite edges of the body or substrate.

A said cladding panel may be of substantially rectangular or square shape.

A plurality of said external cladding panels may be adapted for mounting side by side for use. A gap or gaps between adjacent panels may be filled with sealant, for example flexible sealant. Aforesaid facing, for example slips, may be mounted over the or any said gaps to cover the gaps after which pointing may be applied if the facing is slips.

According to a second aspect the present invention consists in a wall structure comprising at least one external cladding panel in accordance with the foregoing first aspect of the invention.

The external cladding panel or panels of the wall structure, as in use, may be disposed substantially vertically. The or each cladding panel may be mounted on at least one fixing or preferably a plurality of fixings, for example, using one or more said securing means, for example a screw or screws which may be self-tapping screws, engaging the aforesaid fixing or fixings. Said fixing or fixings may be mounted on a frame, for example a first frame, which may be substantially vertical, and said frame may be substantially wholly or mainly of wood. Said first frame may be mounted on a second frame. Said second frame may be a metal frame.

Said metal may be ferrous metal, for example steel.

The or each said fixing may be an elongate or longitudinal element which may be mounted in any attitude, for example, substantially horizontally or more preferably, for example, substantially vertically when the wall structure is in use. Said fixing may have first and second flanges which may be spaced. At least one securing member may be attached to or engage a said first flange and the second flange may be attached or secured to the first-mentioned frame, for example by screws or nails. Said second flange may be secured to a respective stud in the first frame. A said fixing may be a bracket having an intermediate section

interconnecting the first and second flanges which may be spaced and lie in respective substantially vertical planes in use of the wall structure. In one example the or a plurality of the brackets may have a cross-section of a substantially stylised Z-shape in which the first and second flanges are substantially parallel. In another example, one or more said brackets may each have said first and second flanges each disposed in a respective plane at substantially a right-angle one to another whereby the bracket is of substantially stylised G-shape in cross-section. The bracket (s) may be of metal, for example steel.

Aforesaid external cladding panels may be disposed adjacent one another in respective planes, vertical in use of the cladding panels, which extend transversely to one another, for example at substantially a right-angle, so as to form a corner between two walls of the wall structure including or formed by the external cladding panels. If the cladding panel facings are slips, corner slips of angular, for example rectangular section, may be used to fit over the corner and be retained in place, for example by adhesive, relative to the bodies or substrates of the external cladding panels.

An aforesaid cladding panel may be mounted in position by any suitable technique as, or as part of, a wall. The wall may be a wall of a building.

According to a third aspect the present invention consists in a building including a wall structure in accordance with the aforesaid second aspect of the invention.

If desired, the afore-mentioned second frame may be a structural or support frame of the building.

According to a fourth aspect the present invention consists in a pre-formed building module comprising one or more external cladding panels according to the aforesaid first aspect of the invention.

Said pre-formed building module may be pre-formed at a factory. The pre-formed building module may be provided with the one or more external cladding panels at the factory. One or more of said building modules may be transported to a building site where the building may be formed from the building module or modules. For example, a plurality of the pre-formed building modules may be secured together side by side and/or one on another in forming the building.

The building may be a dwelling, for example a house or bungalow, or a block of flats.

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which :- Figure 1 is a diagrammatic vertical section of a fragment of a wall structure of a building comprising external cladding panels formed according to the invention; Figure 2 is a fragmentary diagrammatic horizontal section of the wall structure in Figure 1 (possibly, say on line II-II) ; Figure 3 is a fragment of a side elevation (pointing being absent) of an exterior of the wall structure in Figures 1 and 2 showing portions of adjacent, external cladding panels formed according to the invention, and

Figure 4 is a section of a fragment of an external cladding panel formed according to the invention showing a hole to accept securing means.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2, a building 2 includes a wall structure 4 bearing external cladding panels each indicated generally at 6 and individually at 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D and 6E (and 6F, 6G, 6H and 61 in Figure 3). Each external cladding panel 6 comprises, as illustrated, a vertical substantially planar body or substrate 8 of a cementatious material which is one comprising cement, for example a Portland cement. The cementatious material may be glass-reinforced cement (GRC) which may be Portland cement containing glass fibres. Preferably the GRC contains no or substantially no sand. By comparison with a conventional wet cement mixture the glass fibres replace the usual sand, and the wet GRC mixture is Portland cement, water and glass fibres. Each body or substrate 8 may be substantially square or rectangular in general shape. On the outer face each body or substrate 8 comprises a plurality of substantially equally spaced horizontal ribs 10, forming spacers, extending across the body or substrate. Each rib 10 may be moulded as part of the body or substrate. Also each body or substrate 8 is formed with a plurality of through holes (one shown at 12 in Figure 4) each lined by a grommet or ferrule 14 (Figure 4) of a cushioning rubber or plastics material, for example neoprene.

The bodies or substrates 8 may be secured by screws 16, for example self-tapping screws, passing through the aforesaid ferrule-lined holes 12 and engaging fixings 18. For example, at least one vertical frame 20 which may be of wood and comprising vertical studs 22 may be provided in the wall structure 4. Each frame 20 may correspond with a respective outer wall and may be suitably secured in position. For example, the building 2 may have a support or structural frame arrangement

comprising frame elements some of which are indicated fragmentarily at 24,26, 28,30 and 32. In one example the frame (s) 20 may be secured to or mounted on the structural frame arrangement 24,26, 28,30, 32. The structural frame arrangement 24,26, 28,30, 32 may be of metal, for example steel.

The fixings 18 and 18A may be longitudinally extending brackets which are vertically presented in use and may be of metal, for example, steel.

The fixings 18 have spaced, substantially vertical and parallel flanges 34 and 36, the flanges 34 being secured, for example by nails or preferably screws 38, to the studs 22 and the bodies or substrates 8 being secured by the screws 16 to the flanges 36. As can be seen in Figure 2, the brackets 18 may be of a stylised Z-shape in cross-section. In Figure 2, it can be seen that bracket 18A adjacent window 40 is of a stylised G-shape in cross-section having a vertical flange 42 to which the body or substrate 8 of cladding panel 6D is attached, a vertical flange 44 (in a plane at right angles to flange 42) secured to the stud 22 adjacent the window, and a central section 48 to which the body or substrate of the cladding 6E is attached. Window 40 may have an opening part 49, sill 50, and internal ledge 52.

As will be understood from Figures 1 to 3, to externally clad walls, a plurality of the external cladding panels 6 may be mounted in position side by side in substantially co-planar disposition. Vertical edges of the bodies or substrates 8 of adjacent cladding panels 6 (say the panels 6F, 6G, 6H and 61 in Figure 3) may comprise bights 54 alternating with salients 56 which may be so shaped that those edges have a castellated appearance, the salients on one body or substrate substantially complementing or fitting into the bights in an adjacent body or substrate. Slips 58 which may be of ceramic material, for example brick slips to create the appearance of a brick wall, are adhered by suitable adhesive to

the outer surface of each body or substrate 8 to provide facing to the body or substrates. The slips may be supported by the spaced ribs 10 whilst the adhesive sets. The ribs 10 are spaced apart by about the width of a slip and thereby serve to locate and space adjacent rows of slips 58. Slips 58 can be adhered to the bodies or substrates 8 before they are mounted in position (for example, before they are secured to the fixings 18,18A) or afterwards. If slips are adhered to the bodies or substrates 8 before the bodies or substrates are mounted in position using the holes 12, then spaces may be left in the array of slips 58 leaving the holes uncovered so the spaces give access to the holes 12 in the bodies or substrates for securing the latter in place, for example using the screws 16-the spaces being filled by slips after access to the holes is no longer needed, for example after the screws 16 have been inserted. In any case it is preferred to leave spaces to be filled by slips, i. e. slips 58'indicated in dotted lines in Figure 3, later after adjacent bodies or substrates 8 have been mounted in position to provide cladding, and sealant 60, which may be flexible, has been disposed in gaps between those bodies or substrates-in Figure 3 sealant 60 in a horizontal gap between vertically spaced bodies or substrates 8 (say between cladding panels 6F and 6H or between cladding panels 6G and 61) being indicated at 60A and at 60B in a zig-zag gap created by the salients and bights at the generally vertical edges between horizontally spaced bodies and substrates. After sealant 60 has been applied spaces left unoccupied on adjacent bodies or substrates can be filled by slips such as slips 58'or corner slips 58" (Figure 2). Once the slips 58,58', 58"are adhered in position gaps therebetween may be filled by grouting or pointing material 62. For example, pointing material 62 may be a cement mortar, for example a plasticised cement. In cases where external cladding panels 6 are supplied for mounting in place with slips 58 thereon already, pointing 62 between those slips may have already been applied also.

In a case where building 2 is built from pre-formed building modules transported to the site a structural frame of a lower module may comprise the elements 28,30 and 32 and a structural frame of an upper module may comprise the elements 24 and 26. The lower module can be preformed with the external cladding panels 6 (as may be exemplified by 6C) mounted in position thereon at a factory and likewise the upper module can be pre-formed with the cladding panels (see panel 6A) also in position. When adjacent pre-formed modules are secured together gaps between their respective array of external cladding panels 6 may then be filled by an infilling of external cladding panels 6 between the arrays (as may be exemplified by panel 6B (Figure 1)).

The building 2 may be a dwelling.

Claims

CLAIMS 1. An external cladding panel comprising a body or substrate comprising cementatious material, and the body or substrate bearing facing on a face of the body or substrate.
2. An external cladding panel according to claim 1 wherein the body or substrate is wholly or substantially wholly of cementatious material.
3. An external cladding panel according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the cementatious material comprises a Portland cement.
4. An external cladding panel according to any preceding claim wherein the cementatious material comprises glass reinforced cement.
5. An external cladding panel according to claim 4 wherein the glass reinforced cement contains no or substantially no sand.
6. An external cladding panel according to any preceding claim wherein the facing is adhered to the body or substrate.
7. An external cladding panel according to claim 6 wherein the facing is adhered to the body or substrate by adhesive between the facing and the body or substrate.
8. An external cladding panel according to any preceding claim wherein the facing comprises a plurality of slips.
9. An external cladding panel according to claim 8 wherein the slips are of ceramic material.

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10. An external cladding panel according to claim 9 wherein the slips are brick slips.
11. An external cladding panel according to claim 10 wherein the brick slips are arrayed on the body or substrate to simulate an appearance of a brick wall.
12. An external cladding panel according to any of claims 8 to 11 wherein pointing is provided between adjacent slips.
13. An external cladding panel according to claim 12 wherein the pointing is of a flexible material.
14. An external cladding panel according to any of claims 8 to 13 wherein the body or substrate has a plurality of spaced parallel spacers whereby one or more slips in a row of slips is or are spaced by a said spacer from one or more slips in an adjacent row of slips.
15. An external cladding panel according to claim 14 wherein the spacers are formed from the material of the body of substrate.
16. An external cladding panel according to claim 14 or claim 15 wherein the spacers are ribs.
17. An external cladding panel according to any preceding claim wherein the body or substrate has at least one through hole therein intended to receive a respective securing means having a shank to extend through the hole.

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18. An external cladding panel according to claim 17 wherein the or at least one said hole is provided with a lining or cushioning for easing stress applied thereto.
19. An external cladding panel according to claim 18 wherein the lining or cushioning is a ferrule or grommet.
20. An external cladding panel according to any of claims 17 to 19 wherein the facing on the body or substrate has a space therein at the or each hole to give access to the hole.
21. An external cladding panel according to claim 20 and any of claims 8 to 16 wherein the space at the or each hole in the body or substrate is left in the array of slips.
22. An external cladding panel according to claim 21 wherein one or more of the slips is or are attachable on the body or substrate to occupy the space at the or each hole after said securing means has been received at the or the respective hole.
23. An external cladding panel according to any preceding claim wherein an edge thereof comprises salients and bights between the salients.
24. An external cladding panel according to claim 23 wherein the bights and salients form a substantially castellated edge of the panel.
25. An external cladding panel according to claim 23 or claim 24 wherein the salients and bights are at an edge of the body or substrate.

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26. An external cladding panel according to claim 25 wherein the salients and bights are at opposite edges of the body or substrate.
27. An external cladding panel according to any preceding claim which is of substantially rectangular shape.
28. An external cladding panel according to any of claims 1 to 26 which is of substantially square shape.
29. A plurality of external cladding panels each according to any preceding claim and adapted for mounting side by side for use.
30. A wall structure comprising at least one external cladding panel as claimed in any of claims 1 to 28.
31. An wall structure according to claim 30 comprising at least one fixing on which the or each cladding panel is mounted.
32. A wall structure according to claim 31 wherein there is a plurality of the fixings.
33. A wall structure according to claim 31 or claim 32 wherein the or each fixing is an elongate or longitudinal element.
34. A wall structure according to claim 31 or claim 32 wherein the or each fixing is a bracket.
35. A wall structure according to any of claims 31 to 34 wherein the or each fixing is mounted on a frame.

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36. A wall structure according to claim 35 wherein the or each fixing has a first flange at which the or each cladding panel is secured to the fixing, and a second flange at which the fixing is retained to the frame.
37. A wall structure according to claim 35 or claim 36 wherein the frame is made substantially wholly or mainly of wood.
38. A wall structure according to any of claims 35 to 37 wherein the frame is mounted on a second frame.
39. A wall structure according to claim 38 wherein the second frame is a metal frame.
40. A wall structure according to any of claims 30 to 39 wherein at least two of the external cladding panels are disposed adjacent one another in planes which extend transversely to one another so that the external cladding panels form a corner between two walls of the structure including or formed by the external cladding panels.
41. A wall structure according to claim 40 wherein each of the external cladding panels forming said corner is in accordance with any of claims 8 to 16,21 or 22, or any of claims 23 to 29 as dependent from any of claims 8 to 16,21 or 22, and corner slips of angular section are fitted over the corner and retained in place relative to the bodies or substrates of said external cladding panels.
42. A building including a wall structure according to any of claims 30 to 41.
43. A pre-formed building module comprising one or more external cladding panels according to any of claims 1 to 29.

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44. A building comprising one or more pre-formed building modules according to claim 43.
45. An external cladding panel substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.
46. A wall structure substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.
47. A pre-formed building module substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.
48. A building including pre-formed building modules substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.