Siding system and method

Abstract

A siding system and method includes siding members, such as siding panels that coupled together to form siding for a wall. Other siding members can include both vertically and horizontally applied siding such as beveled siding, lapped siding, sheeted siding, siding paneling, exterior plywood, channel siding, board and batt siding, non-panelized shingles and panelized shingles. In implementations, the siding members are spaced from the wall by vertically oriented furring members and / or horizontally oriented vented furring members that can be affixed to the siding members prior to affixing to a building structure. Some of the siding panels have two-piece backer-board and shingle construction, or one-piece backer-shingle construction, or one-piece backer-siding construction. The siding panels are constructed to for various joints between the panels when they are coupled together.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims priority benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 60 / 715,437 filed Sep. 9, 2005.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention is directed generally to exterior siding for buildings. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] Cedar shingles have a long and rich history as siding material in North America. Properly manufactured and installed, traditional individual shingles perform very well. However, there are shortcomings to traditional individual shingle systems. Traditional individual shingles are very labor intensive and expensive to apply. Those applying the shingles require a high degree of skill to perform this job and these skills are in short supply today. It is also very expensive and labor intensive to apply finishes to individual shingles. Traditional individual shingle systems do not allocate expensive raw materials efficiently as they use considerabl...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

Traditional individual shingles are very labor intensive and expensive to apply.

Those applying the shingles require a high degree of skill to perform this job and these skills are in short supply today.

It is also very expensive and labor intensive to apply finishes to individual shingles.

Traditional individual shingle systems do not allocate expensive raw materials efficiently as they use considerably more expensive premium cedar in this process.

Individual shingles are also not well suited for energy efficient home building methods that may require more effective moisture management systems.

Manufacturers have tried, with limited success, to replicate the performance and success of traditional individual shingle systems using shingles preinstalled to a backing system or backer-board at a manufacturing facility.

Historically, panel manufacturers (particularly those using Western Red Cedar (“WRC”) shingles) have focused on efforts to reduce the amount of WRC used in these panels due to the high cost of the raw material.

Since shingles are also labor intensive to apply, applying one-ply in lieu of two plies has also brought down the labor costs.

However, these designs have not fully compensated for these and other shortcuts and as a result, shingle panel system performance has suffered.

These shortcomings include a system that is dependent on the performance and longevity of the felt layer, which is not nearly as reliable as a second layer of a durable wood species such as, for example, Western Red Cedar, or of a non-durable wood that has been treated to withstand the elements.

The vulnerability of a system using a felt layer increases in the keyways (the spacing between the individual shingles) as the felt is directly exposed to the elements including UV exposure, which can cause premature failure of the felt.

That failure exposes the backer-board, which is made of non-durable materials, to be exposed to the elements.

It is also a problem if the exposed felt comes in contact with certain finishes which can prematurely degrade the felt and / or cause the felt to “bleed,” thereby staining the shingles.

Once the felt has been breached, the weather can now access the plywood sheathing which can cause premature decay and additional and premature system failure including the backer-board to warp and / or delaminate.

In addition, the exposed felt visually detracts from the aesthetics and architectural appeal of the panel.

The shingles are susceptible to fracture, splitting, and cupping if there is not sufficient amount of room in the keyway for them to move.

Because this condition is impossible to maintain, the exposure to these changes causes swelling or shrinkage of the wood, which results in movement of wood.

Shrinkage of shingles following application (usually due to shingles containing more than the targeted moisture content when produced at the factory or varying climate conditions in the field) can increase the original keyway spacing, which in turn exposes additional felt and increases the associated problems.

Conversely, water absorbed by dry shingles cause the shingles to swell requiring space for them to move and expand.

Without a sufficient keyway space the shingles fracture and split damaging the integrity of the panel.

The pressures exerted from expansion and contraction is often severe enough to at least partially dislodge the shingles from the backer-board, which can cause premature panel system failure and compromises the asthetics of structure.

These staples are often electro-galvanized staples which will ultimately cause iron-bleed in the event that they (a) protrude though the face of the shingle when manufactured (are over driven), (b) hit a void in the plywood, which causes the staple to over drive, or (c) become exposed at a later date through weathering and wear of the shingle face.

The combination of the shingles being held tightly together without a keyway and the full cover glue system creates significant problems due to the need of the shingles to expand and contract with climactic changes.

When the shingles are restricted in this manner, the pressures that develop can fracture, split, or cup the shingles and also can cause the backer-board to become exposed, which again may result in premature panel failure.

Multi-course panel designs are available, but these systems have numerous disadvantages.

First, they produce more waste during installation than a single course design.

Second, the panels require more labor to manufacture and to install.

Third, the panels are heavier and more difficult to install.

Fourth, some of these systems do not adequately provide for an unexposed fastening method when fastening the panel to the wall.

However, nailing regimens throughout the balance of the panel (the majority of the fasteners) fasten the panel to the wall system via face nailing, which leaves the heads of the nails exposed.

This detracts from the visual and architectural appeal of the shingle panel from the outset and creates increased problems over time with the eventual rust of the fastener and subsequent stain that develops on the shingles as a result of this procedure.

Exposed fasteners also subject the fastener to the elements and can cause premature fastener failure resulting in unsecured panels on the wall.

Exposed fasteners also create problems in the finishing process.

Stains, paints, bleaching oils, and other finishes produced and recommended for wood are often not formulated to adhere properly to the metal fasteners, and / or finish differently (often creating “shiners”) when applied to exposed fasteners.

This system has severe shortcomings because the nail coatings are often damaged in the process (which can cause premature fastener failure) and because many of the nail heads remain at the worst possible location, which is at or near the drip line of the shingle they are attempting to conceal the fastener under.

This detracts from the visual and architectural appeal of the shingle panel from the outset and creates increased problems over time with the eventual rust of the fastener and subsequent stain that develops on the shingles as a result of this procedure.

In addition, exposed fasteners are subjected to the elements and can cause premature fastener failure resulting in unsecured panels on the wall.

Exposed fasteners also create problems in the finishing process because stains, paints, bleaching oils, and other finishes produced and recommended for wood are often not formulated to adhere properly to the metal fasteners, and / or finish differently (often creating “shiners”) when applied to exposed fasteners.

A panel constructed in this manner consumes more raw materials and subsequently more labor is necessary to apply these materials to their panel relative to other panel systems described above.

This panel is also significantly heavier and more cumbersome and difficult to apply than other panel systems.

The application of the Home-Slicker product between the shingles and the backer-board in this system is problematic.

The manufacturer of Home-Slicker states that wind-driven rain from the outside and moisture vapor from the home's interior often remain trapped between the siding and the house wrap.

Although Home-Slicker may play some role in the panel system described above, it does not address the real problem: moisture management between the house sheathing and the siding system where moisture related problems normally arise.

The existing systems described above use backer-boards that are produced from plywood sheathing making it difficult if not impossible to manufacture a backer-board profile that provides an interlocking style horizontal joint.

The void created is tapered (vertically) and as such the panel does not readily accommodate a moisture management / furring strip system.

The system described above that eliminates the keyway between the shingles on the backer-board does not provide for an overlapping joint.

However, since this system is prone to failure due to expansion and contraction of the shingles, the backer-board and the open joint between the panels can become exposed to the elements, which can introduce moisture into the wall system.

Negative pressure build up in the wall system can exacerbate this problem by sucking moisture into the wall system through this open joint.

The void is tapered (vertically) and as such the panel does not readily accommodate a moisture management / furring strip system.

Indeed, the systems described above block vertical migration of moisture because the top horizontal edges of the panel are fastened tightly to the wall.

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