Self-Sealing Coated Fasteners for Water-Resistant Building Panels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional building fasteners and panels face challenges with water and air penetration due to poor mat adhesion and infiltration, leading to increased porosity and failure to meet building codes, requiring additional sealing materials that are labor-intensive and costly.
Innovation Solution
Self-sealing fasteners and panels with a coating material or polymer annulus that forms a water-resistant seal upon installation, eliminating the need for external sealants and enhancing water-resistive and air barrier properties by ensuring the gypsum slurry penetrates the fiberglass mat, reducing voids and air pockets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional building panels with mat facer and gypsum core are used, then manufacturing is simple and cost-effective, but water and air penetration increases due to poor slurry infiltration and mat adhesion
Solution Approach 1:
The coating material is applied to the mat facer surface before the gypsum slurry is applied, creating a pre-prepared interface that enhances slurry infiltration and adhesion. This preliminary action ensures that when the slurry is applied, it immediately interacts with the coating material to form strong bonds and reduce porosity, improving water and air barrier properties without complicating the manufacturing process
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite structure consisting of the mat facer, coating material, and gypsum core. The coating material acts as an intermediate layer that combines the properties of both the mat and the gypsum, enhancing adhesion and reducing porosity. This composite approach improves water-resistive and air barrier properties while maintaining manufacturing simplicity
2Reliability
If sealant or tape is applied to fasteners to meet building codes, then water-resistive properties improve, but installation time and labor costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The coating material on the mat facer surface performs the sealing function automatically when the fastener is driven through it. The coating material flows around the fastener and forms a seal without requiring any additional sealant or tape application. This self-sealing property eliminates the need for separate sealing steps, reducing installation time and labor costs while maintaining water-resistive properties
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the sealing function with the coating material that is already applied to the mat facer surface. Instead of having separate sealing materials and procedures, the coating material serves dual purposes: enhancing adhesion between mat and gypsum, and providing water sealing at fastener interfaces. This merging of functions eliminates additional installation steps and reduces time loss
3Reliability
If self-adhered water resistive air barrier membranes are used, then water barrier properties improve, but construction process slows down due to drying and priming requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The coating material on the mat facer provides water barrier properties without requiring the sheathing to be dried or primed beforehand. The coating material is designed to work immediately upon application of the gypsum slurry, eliminating the need for separate drying and priming steps. This self-sufficient approach maintains effective water barrier properties while significantly improving construction speed and productivity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The self-sealing fasteners and panels provide improved water-resistive and air barrier properties, reducing installation time and material costs by eliminating the need for additional sealants and ensuring compliance with building codes through enhanced water vapor transmission rates and hydrostatic head tests.
Implementation Method 1
a coating material disposed on at least a portion of the external surface of the elongated fastener body... forms a water-resistant seal
Implementation Method 2
an annulus formed of a polymer that is relatively soft and has a low melt temperature, such that upon driving the fastener into a building panel or other surface, the annulus softens, spreads out, and compresses
Implementation Method 3
ensuring the gypsum slurry penetrates the fiberglass mat, reducing voids and air pockets
Data Source
AI summary
Self-sealing fasteners and associated building panels, systems, and methods are provided. In one aspect, a fastener includes an elongated fastener body with an external surface extending between the first end and the second end, and a coating material disposed on at least a portion the external surface. In another aspect, a fastener includes an elongated fastener body with an external surface extending between the first end and the second end, and a polymer annulus surrounding at least a portion of the external surface of the of the elongated fastener body at or adjacent the head of the fastener.