US3906699A

US3906699A - Water sealing component for installing siding

Info

Publication number: US3906699A
Application number: US529090A
Authority: US
Inventors: Robert Leddy
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1974-12-03
Filing date: 1974-12-03
Publication date: 1975-09-23
Anticipated expiration: 1992-09-23

Abstract

A component for making rigid water tight installations of siding materials, such as aluminum. The component has a body with an elongated slot therein. A flange is located at one end of the component at right angles to the body. The body has a wall at right angles therewith and the wall tapers from one end to the other.

Description

United States Patent [191 Leddy 1 Sept. 23, 1975 [5 WATER SEALING COMPONENT FOR 2,225,992 12/1940 52/60 INSTALLING SIDING 3,139,703 7/1964 52/211 3,289,380 l2/l966 52/288 [76] Inventor: Robert Leddy, 35 Dale CL, 3 500 00 3 1970 5 gg Norwood, NJ. 07648 3,698,142 10/1972 Theriault 52/58 [22] Filed: Dec. 3, 1974 Primary ExaminerHenry C. Sutherland [21] Appl' N05 529,090 Attorney, Agent, or FirmDominic J. Terminello [52] US. Cl. 52/712; 52/58; 52/211; 57 ABSTRACT 52/288; 52/551 51 Int C|.2 E041) 3/3 E041) 3/3 E04]: 13/00 A component for making rigid water tight installations [58 Field at Search 52/58, 60-62, of Siding materials, Such as aluminum The Component 52/288 2] 1, 551, 712 714 has a body with an elongated slot therein. A flange is located at one end of the component at right angles to [56] References Cited the body. The body has a wall at right angles therewith UNITED STATES PATENTS and the wall tapers from one end to the other.

1,218,937 3/1917 Heard 52/60 3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures WATER SEALING COMPONENT FOR INSTALLING -SIDING The invention relates to a component for making rigid water-tight installations of siding material and more particularly to such components for making rigid water-tight aluminum siding installations.

For simplicity, reference will be made throughout this disclosure to aluminum siding material. Such reference is not intended in any way to limit the component of this invention to the installation of aluminum siding.

In installing aluminum siding it is normal practice to use I channels around all places where siding terminates such as windows and doorsites. Corner posts are usually used at corners. The J channel and corner posts provide a place into which the aluminum panels terminate. Frequently windows are located in proximity to each other, for example, two windows may be 3 feet (36 inches) apart in a structure. In such case the J channels would be placed around each window. Because the faces of J channels are typically /2 inch wide, the daylight space between the J channels will be 35 inches. The aluminum siding being installed between the two J channels would have to be cut somewhat less than the opening space, i.e. at least 3 inch. The panel then will be slightly flexed and forced into the opening between the channels and then centered therebetween leaving approximately Vs inch space at each end between the end of the siding and the channel. This creates a vertical seam between the J-channel and the panel end along the entire length of the window or door, etc. A header piece of J-channel is placed horizontally and extending about ya inch beyond the vertical J-channel. The body of the horizontal J-channel is snipped and bent over the body of the vertical J- channel. This ties in both J-channel members and a gutter effect is created. Much of the water coming down the wall of a structure is caught by the horizontal header piece which directs the flow of water down the vertical channel and directly into the wall through the vertical seam between the J-channel and the end of the panel. It is obvious then that in a typical structure having 15 to 30 windows, doors and/o: inside and outside corners a great deal of water gets behind the siding material and into the wall of the structure.

It has become the undesirable but standard practice not to caulk the vertical space between the siding panel and the J-channel. The reason the space is not caulked is due to the vertical pitch of the siding panels. Siding panels are typically 8 inches wide. Therefore at each 8 inch interval on the wall there is a tapered opening in the J-channel which at one end of the panel is about inch and in the 8 inch width decreases to at the other end. In attempting to caulk each one of these areas, it would be necessary to insert the nozzle of the caulking gun into the space and run a bead down the panel 8 inches. Since the opening decreases to 0, the nozzle of the caulking gun would only go for about 6 inches at which point it would have to be retracted, usually leaving a trail of caulking behind and in general a very unsightly area. Also, the fact that if the time were taken to do a neat job, in a few months time, the caulking would be discolored and eventually crack and open due to the hollowed areas behind the siding and the expansion and contraction of the aluminum panels. For these reasonsit has become the standard practice not to caulk these vertical spaces. Manufacturers application manuals stress the sealing of these seams but do not offer any means for accomplishing this task.

Therefore it is the main object of this invention to provide a component which will make a simple rigid, vertical water-tight installation of siding materials around such places as windows, doors, and inside and outside corners.

Another object is to provide a component which will simplify the mechanics task of providing a quality installation of siding.

Yet another object is to eliminate need for caulking at vertical spaces.

Yet a further object is to eliminate the need for backing tabs to provide a rigidstructure where panels terminate.

These and other objects will either be pointed out or become apparent from the following designations and drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan elevation view of the component of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a prospective view of a siding panel fitted into a J-channel with the component;

FIG. 3 is a prospective view of a siding panel fitted with a J-channel without the component.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 wherein like parts bear like reference characters, the component comprises a body 1 having an elongated slot 2 which terminates at one end in a flange 3. Flange 3 is substantially at right angles to the length of the slot 2 and has a width 4 substantially the same as the butt B of the siding panel P being installed. The slot 2 is for slideably receiving the edge of the siding panel P. The component has a wall W at substantially right angles to the body 1 and extends from the flange end F of the component to the other end E with the wall tapering from its smallest width S at the flange end F to its largest width L at the opposite end E.

In the preferred embodiment the slot 2 terminates a distance D from the end E which distance is substantially equal to the dimension of the lock portion L of the siding panel.

While the dimensions of the various sections of the components are not critical, the sections themselves are critical. The flange 3 is required to seal the under space between the butt end of the panel and the J- channel J. The tapered wall is necessary to match the vertical pitch of the panel. The distance D on the component is necessary to permit locking of the panel and to provide a continuous conduit formed by the components for water to flow from panel to panel to the bottom of the structure.

FIG. 3 illustrates the seam M formed between the panel P and the .I-channel I when a component is not used. In FIG. 2 a component is used and .it is obvious that the seam has been sealed not only against water but also wind, bugs and other foreign objects.

Another use for the component of the invention is on new construction where the siding is installed directly over wood sheathing, and where window and door casings are covered with aluminum. In such a situation, the window and door casings are extended out from the sheathing their full thickness, approximately inch at which point J-channels are nailed around the casing to receive the siding panels. In this type of installation a double seam is created. One between the siding going into the J-channel and the other seam created between the casing and the J-channel itself.

The water problem is more critical on new construction because there is no siding material under the aluminum as in a remodeling job and possibility of water seepage into the house is much greater. The component of the invention in new construction eliminates the need for a .I-channel around windows and doors.

Because the component slideably engages the siding panel, it can be used to extend the siding panel. it is obvious from the foregoing that the water-tight component acts also as a panel extension or expander. The slideable mounted component can extend the length of a panel a distance equal to the width of the slot in the component.

Further, the component of the invention, in addition to acting as a water sealing component and expander, also acts as a rigid support member which eliminates the need for a backing tab. Manufacturers suggest that backing tabs be installed at all seams and ends of panels to provide rigidity to the installation when hollow panels (panels without backing boards) are being installed.

While the invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment, obvious modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art and such modifications are intended to be covered by the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A component for making rigid water-tight vertical seams in installations of siding material, said component comprising a body, said body being reversely bent upon itself to define an elongated slot in said body for slideably receiving a siding panel, said slot terminating at one end in a flange which is substantially at right angles to the length of said slot and said body and having a width substantially the same as the thickness of the butt of said siding panel, said body being further bent to define a wall at substantially right angles to the portions of said body defining said slot and extending in a direction opposite from said flange said wall tapering from its smallest width at the flange, end of the said body to its largest width at the opposite end of said body.

2. Component according to claim 1 wherein said slot terminates a distance from the end of said body opposite the flange and which distance is substantially equal to the dimension of the locking portion of said siding panel.

3. Component according to claim 1 wherein the component is aluminum.

Claims

3. Component according to claim 1 wherein the component is aluminum.