Abstract:
A pan flashing including a pitched pan configured to wrap around a bottom of the door or window on three sides defining a bottom surface thereof; a plurality of spaced wedges extending from the pitched pan providing a weight bearing support for a sill disposed thereover; a front flange projecting perpendicularly and downwardly from a front edge defining a fourth side, the flange being fluted for fluid communication with channels defined by the plurality of spaced wedges, thus allowing ventilation up through the flutes to the pitched pan residing under the door or window and allowing a place for the water to flow out of the pan; and a front wall coplanar with the front flange and extending upwardly and downwardly from the pan, the front wall providing an attachment means for securing to a vertical stud framing the door or window, when installed.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       [0001]     Water in the form of rainwater, ice, snow, or the like, penetrates in and around building wall components, e.g., windows and doors, and then migrates downwardly beneath the wall component resulting in high moisture in the wall interior. In traditional building construction where the walls are formed of a wood frame with an outer cladding of wood, brick or concrete, this moisture has created some problems, although the porosity of the cladding allows the moisture to escape. Also, openings in the exterior of the walls, either due to the nature of the materials used, or the addition of ventilation openings, have aided in moisture removal.  
         [0002]     In more modern construction, however, there is a trend toward the use of cladding materials that result in a building that is as air tight as possible. These materials include, for example, exterior insulation and finish systems (EIFS), insulated brick, polyethylene sheeting, and polyvinyl siding. With these non-porous cladding materials, moisture entering the wall interior may be trapped, creating a highly moist environment that causes the wood frame components of the building to rot, and metal components to rust or corrode. In addition, the moist environment is a breeding ground for wood consuming insects, causing further decay. This problem is accelerated in hot and humid environments.  
         [0003]     Attempts have been made to prevent entry of water into the building wall interior by sealing or caulking entry points in and around wall components as the primary defense against water intrusion, or by installing flashing around the wall components to divert the water, discussed more fully below. These attempts have not been completely successful. Sealants are not only difficult to properly install, but tend to separate from the wall component or wall due to climatic conditions, building movement, the surface type, or chemical reactions. Flashing is also difficult to install and may tend to hold the water against the wall component, accelerating the decay.  
         [0004]     The use of sealants and flashing is also limited to the attempted minimization of water collection in building walls in new construction, and the further collection in existing structures. These materials are of no value in addressing the problem of water that has already entered a building wall interior. Thus, with solutions presented in the prior art, water still enters the wall interior, and the problem is further compounded by the prevention of any evaporation of the water already in the wall interior.  
         [0005]     The problem of water penetration has prevented the full use of new building cladding materials, and has resulted in many buildings with rotting framing structures, requiring extensive and expensive retrofitting. Thus, there is a great need for an apparatus and method to prevent water from entering the wall interior of a building at wall components, and for the removal of water that has already collected within the wall interior. As used herein, the term “water” refers to both liquid and airborne forms of water, while moisture is intended to refer to the water carried by the air in a humid environment.  
         [0006]     In particular, there has always been a problem with exterior doors and preventing moisture from being blown under and around exterior doors.  
         [0007]     The above is particularly true where porch overhangs or other structures are lacking. Also, in open areas even with a porch overhang or other covering structure, rain can be driven almost horizontally against the entry door. This is particularly true in coastal areas where storms are quite often accompanied by very strong winds.  
         [0008]     The result of water ingressing under the entry doors not only causes the underside of the interior floor and the surface of the sub floor to become wet, but over a period of time can cause the flooring to rot as well as the floor joist and doorjamb. This prevents the owner from seeing any water until there is significant damage to the building. When this happens, very expensive repairs must be made. Once this is accomplished and a new door installed, the process starts all over with the floor becoming wet and rot setting in.  
         [0009]     Whenever someone installs a door or window there is a chance for water to enter the structure. When it rains, water can splash off the exterior steps or deck, wick under the sill of the door and get under the flooring inside the structure. With the water between the sub floor and the flooring, it can do substantial damage ruining the flooring in front of, and anything just below, the door or window. As discussed above, the repeated entry of water into the structure will eventually cause substantial dry rot. The oldest and most durable method used for preventing water from running under a door or window is pan flashing.  
         [0010]     Pan flashing is a physical barrier that prevents the entry of water into a structure. The installer will bend and fold lead or aluminum in a very specific manor to make a pan. The lead or aluminum can tear easily, making this process somewhat delicate. Once installed, the interior finishing construction exposes the pan to a number of potential hazards that can, and often do, tear it. If the integrity of the pan is compromised, the water is able to enter the structure. If everything works properly with the pan, the doorsill sits in a pan of water eventually causing it to rot. The problems and inconvenience of pan flashing has caused the majority of installers to try alterative methods, most notably caulk.  
         [0011]     The advent of caulk has caused as many problems as it has solved as described above. To keep the water out of the structure, the caulk seal at the base of the door must be continuous. The areas to be caulked can be difficult to access and, as such, are prone to having gaps in the bead of caulk. To compensate for the potential for gaps in the caulk, the installer uses a large volume of caulk, which causes problems with the interior and exterior finishing construction. Interior and exterior finishing carpenters tend to trim the excess caulk in order to finish the structure, which can introduce gaps in the caulk allowing water to enter the structure. In the long term, the constant motion of the doorsill and the sub floor due to seasonal temperature and humidity fluctuations puts a lot of stress on the caulk. This stress, coupled with the tendency of the caulk to dry out over time, will cause gaps in the caulk allowing water to enter the structure. Thus, a product that will resolve all the problems affiliated with both pan flashing and caulking is desired.  
       SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
       [0012]     The above discussed and other drawbacks and deficiencies are overcome or alleviated by a pan flashing to prevent water from entering a building by wicking underneath a door or window. In an exemplary embodiment, the pan flashing includes a pitched pan configured to wrap around a bottom of the door or window on three sides defining a bottom surface thereof, the pan having a substantially rectangular shape in plan; a plurality of spaced wedges extending from the pitched pan, an exposed top surface of the plurality of spaced wedges corresponding to a horizontal plane and providing a weight bearing support for a sill disposed thereover; a front flange projecting perpendicularly and downwardly from a front edge defining a fourth side of the rectangular shape, the flange being fluted for fluid communication with channels defined by the plurality of spaced wedges, thus allowing ventilation up through the flutes to the pitched pan residing under the door or window and allowing a place for the water to flow out of the pan; and a front wall coplanar with the front flange and extending upwardly and downwardly from the pan, the front wall providing an attachment means for securing to a vertical stud framing the door or window, when installed.  
         [0013]     In another exemplary embodiment, flashing for installation underneath entry doors is disclosed. The entry door flashing includes a water impervious, generally rectangular bay portion having an interior pitched bottom for installation in a rough entry door opening of a building structure underneath an entry door; a plurality of spaced wedges extending from the pitched bottom, an exposed top surface of the plurality of spaced wedges corresponding to a horizontal plane and providing a weight bearing support for a sill disposed thereover; an interior lip upwardly projecting at approximately 90 degrees integrally formed along one edge of the bay portion; side lips upwardly projecting at approximately 90 degrees integrally formed along opposite edges of the bay portion and on opposite ends of the interior lip; an exterior lip downwardly projecting at approximately 90 degrees integrally formed along the edge of the bay portion opposite the upwardly projecting interior lip and between the side lips, the exterior lip including lip end portions being integrally formed therewith and extending outwardly from each end thereof, the lip end portions also being integrally formed with an exterior edge of the lips in perpendicular relation thereto; and a plurality of spacers intermediate the exterior lip and a kick plate disposed thereover, the plurality of spacers providing fluid communication between the pitched bottom between the plurality of wedges and an exterior surface defining the exterior lip, whereby a waterproof entry door flashing is provided that extends underneath and completely surrounds a bottom surface of an entry door assembly preventing windblown water which penetrates through the entry door assembly from contacting the interior floor of the building structure and allows drainage thereof.  
         [0014]     In yet another exemplary embodiment, a method of installing a water impervious, integrally formed entry wall component flashing including a generally rectangular bay portion having a pitched bottom, an interior edge, an exterior edge and side edges with an upwardly projecting lip at approximately 90 degrees along the interior edge, upwardly projecting lips at approximately 90 degrees along the end edges, a plurality of spaced wedges extending from the pitched bottom, and a downwardly projecting lip at approximately 90 degrees along the exterior edge is disclosed. The method includes forming a rough entry wall component opening having side jack studs, a header and one of a sill and a subflooring threshold with exterior sheathing therebelow in a building structure; placing the flashing pan in the rough entry wall component opening juxtaposed to the sill or threshold, with the exterior lip juxtaposed to the exterior sheathing with the end lips being disposed juxtaposed to the jack studs; overlapping felt sheathing over under or behind the upwardly projecting end lips; placing a wall component assembly that includes one of a sill and a threshold connected to one end of a pair of jambs with a header connected to the other end of the jambs with at least one of a door and a window operatively mounted in the assembly, in the flashing pan; securing the door and header in the rough opening; and trimming the entry door whereby a water impervious means is provided for flowing water that has penetrated around the vertical edges and underneath the threshold of the door assembly to the exterior of the building structure. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0015]     Referring to the exemplary drawings wherein like elements are numbered alike in the several Figures:  
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a molded pan in accordance with an exemplary embodiment;  
         [0017]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the molded pan installed in the rough entry door opening of a building structure;  
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is a front perspective view of an entry door or window assembly installed and trimmed out;  
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is an enlarged partial perspective view of the molded pan of  FIG. 1 ;  
         [0020]      FIG. 5  is a partial top plan view of the molded pan of  FIG. 1 ; and  
         [0021]      FIG. 6  is a partial perspective view of a kick plate portion of the molded pan of  FIG. 1  for use in other applications in accordance with an exemplary alternative embodiment.  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0022]     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-3 , a one-piece entry door flashing pan in accordance with an exemplary embodiment, indicated generally at  10 , is preferably molded in a single piece and can be composed of any suitable material such as plastic or the like. Also, the pan  10  can be manufactured by joining a plurality of separately formed components. For example, a pan portion can be formed of an extruded base section and an injection molded upper section forming three side walls, while a lip extending from the base section opposite the three side walls can also be extruded. Since the selection of materials of this type are well known to those skilled in the art, further detailed discussion of this portion of the same is not deemed necessary. Furthermore, it will be noted that although an entry door flashing pan is described in conjunction with a hinged door in an exemplary embodiment, entry door flashing pan  10  may be employed with a sliding door, window or other building wall component other than an entry door.  
         [0023]     The entry door pan  10  includes rectangular-shaped bay portion  11  that is approximately the same length as various standard rough entry door openings, including custom entry openings. Bay portion  11  includes a width approximately as wide as the door jamb of an entry door assembly with room for disposing insulation on either side if desired.  
         [0024]     An upwardly projecting interior lip  12  is integrally formed along the rear edge of bay portion  11 . This lip is preferably no longer than about three quarters of an inch high which is the normal thickness of interior flooring.  
         [0025]     Upwardly projecting side or jamb lips  13  are integrally formed on the ends of the bay portion and the ends of interior lip  12 . These side lips are preferably no longer than about three quarters of an inch high. In an exemplary embodiment, lips  12  and  13  rise up from the floor approximately three quarters of an inch and are solid continuous pieces.  
         [0026]     A downwardly projecting exterior lip or flange  14  is integrally formed along the front edge of bay portion  11 . This exterior lip  14  extends outwardly beyond side or jamb lips  13 , as indicated at  14 ′, and then extends back to the top edge thereof so that such lip is integral with the front edge of the bay portion and the front end of the side lips  13  as can clearly be seen in  FIG. 1 . Exterior lip  14  extends well beyond a rough opening preventing water from entering from either side of the doorjamb. In an exemplary embodiment, exterior lip  14  includes a predrilled hole for nailing the assembly to the exterior of the building. Exterior lip extends downwardly about four to about ten inches. In an exemplary embodiment, exterior lip  14  extends about eight inches corresponding to a rise up to the threshold.  
         [0027]     The rough entry door opening  15  is formed from a 2×4 jack stud  16  on either side thereof with felt or other building wrap material applied thereover and extending down to bay portion  11  on either side outside of side lips  13  as can clearly be seen in  FIG. 2 . It will be recognized by one skilled in the art that the rough entry opening  15  is not within the pan or bay portion  11 , and that only the door sill is in the pan.  
         [0028]     The flashing pan  10  rests on the threshold rough opening  18  of the building structure with the downwardly projecting exterior lip  14  lying juxtaposed to the finished exterior sheathing veneer or the like  19 .  
         [0029]     Referring to  FIG. 3 , the door assembly, indicated generally at  20 , includes a threshold  21  connected to a pair of door jambs  22  which in turn are connected a header  23 . The door or doors  24  are either hingedly connected to the door jamb or jambs, or track mounted if the assembly is for sliding doors such as sliding glass doors. Although  FIG. 3  is described with reference to sliding glass doors, one skilled in the pertinent art will readily recognize that door or doors  24  is optionally a window or windows  24  in a casement window as illustrated or arranged to slide up and down with reference to  FIG. 3 .  
         [0030]     Entry door assemblies come in standard widths and the flashing pans of the present invention would also come in the same widths. Once the pan has been placed in the rough opening  15  as described above, the entry door assembly  20  is simply placed in the bay portion  11  of the one-piece entry door flashing pan  10  and is secured in such rough opening by a standard installation connector made into the jambs and header as the manufacturers of door assemblies specify. No connectors or fasteners are used to hold the threshold in place since it is connected to the lower portion of the door jambs.  
         [0031]     Once the entry door assembly  20  is in place, the flashing pan  10  of the present invention cannot move inwardly because of the exterior lip  14 , cannot move outwardly because of the interior lip  12  and cannot move sideways because the same lies juxtaposed to the jack studs  16 .  
         [0032]     Once the entry door assembly is in place, the same can be trimmed out in the normal manner. Finally, the threshold trim or kick plate  25  is mounted on the outside of exterior lip  14  and is secured to the threshold  21  of the door assembly  20 . A plurality of vertical grooves or slots  26  are configured in lip  14  so water can escape harmlessly from the pan to the exterior of the building.  
         [0033]     Referring now to  FIGS. 4 and 5 , flashing pan  10  is described more fully herein. Bay portion  11  is pitched to force water to flow out of the pan via gravity and prevent sill  21  from rotting. More specifically, flashing pan  10 , which is advantageously formed by molding, comprises a base  30  having a horizontally extending lower surface  31  and a sloping downwardly and outwardly upper surface  33 . Base  30  has a substantially rectangular shape in plan. Horizontally extending lower surface  31  of base  30  lies directly on threshold rough opening  18 .  
         [0034]     Lip or front flange  14  projects perpendicularly and downwardly from a front edge of base  30 . Front flange  14  is integrally formed with base  30  and abuts against finished exterior sheathing veneer or the like  19 . The latter extends from under base  30  and is disposed on a building wall  12 .  
         [0035]     In order to keep the door or window level  24 , wedges  28  are bonded or integrally formed on a pitched bottom  30  defining bay portion  11 . Each wedge  28  is preferably, but not limited to, a solid ¼-inch wide wedge disposed on the pitched bottom  30  of the pan every ½-inch. At the two bottom opposing sides defining bay portion  11  of the pan corresponding with lips  14 ′, an oversized wedge  32  is disposed therein to support the door and window jambs  22 . Wedges  28 ,  32  are configured to follow a contour of pitched bottom  30  on one side  36  or the top side thereof, while an opposite side  38  or bottom side as illustrated, is configured to lie in a substantially level horizontal plane.  
         [0036]     Wedges  28 ,  32  are not movable and appear with a frequency including, but not limited to, ¼-inch width wedge flowed by ½ inch gap extending a length defining bay portion  11  of pan  10 . The two wider wedges  32  are disposed on opposite sides thereof. The wedge structure or configuration of wedges  28 ,  32  give the strength needed to support normal weights crossing the doorsill. In particular, wider wedges  32  provide the necessary strength to carry jambs  16  disposed thereover. In an exemplary alternative embodiment, wedges  28  and  32  are optionally solid rectangles configured to support a weight of the door and any traffic across the door sill.  
         [0037]     Lip  14  extends from a leading edge  40  of pitched bottom  30  at an angle of about 90 degrees down the outside of the structure and is fused or integrally molded to the exterior portion of the two sides or lips  14 ′ of the pan.  
         [0038]     Wedges  28 ,  32  create flutes by the alternating spaces  34  formed between wedges  28 ,  32  and continue to lip  14  via grooves or slots  26  formed thereon. Alternating spaces  34  formed between contiguous wedges  28 ,  32  define channels that are in fluid communication with grooves or slots  26  defined in lip  14  that provide a place for the water to flow out of the pan. In addition, spaces  34  in fluid communication with corresponding grooves  26  act as ventilation openings to facilitate reduction of moisture content within the wall interior.  
         [0039]     In an alternative exemplary embodiment, it is contemplated that spaces  34  can be defined by solid triangles that are in direct contact with the floor or are optionally defined by a “membrane” of a similar thickness to lips  12  and  13  making an underside of the pan look like a top of the pan, only reversed. Alternatively, spaces  34  are optionally defined by a combination of the two above configurations.  
         [0040]     The fluting of lip  14  greatly facilitates the removal of the water from the bay portion  11  of pan  10  and allows for airflow behind the exterior kick plate  25  disposed thereover, decreasing the chances of rot.  
         [0041]     In an alternative exemplary embodiment with reference to  FIG. 6 , a fluted portion  100  of pan  10  is illustrated. It will be recognized by one skilled in the pertinent art that fluted portion  100  includes lip  14  separated from pan  10  illustrated in  FIG. 1  for use in other applications, e.g., for placement between a building and the starting plate of a deck that holds the joist of the deck. In fact, any place that could use air circulation to prevent rot could benefit from fluted portion  100 . Fluted portion includes grooves  126  defined by raised ribs  150  extending a length defining a height of fluted portion  100  as illustrated in  FIG. 6 . In an exemplary embodiment as shown, each rib  150  includes ¼-inch width followed by a ½ inch gap between contiguous ribs  150 . However, other configurations and dimensions are contemplated as suitable for the desired end purpose, including, but not limited to, evenly spaced corrugated ribs or unevenly spaced triangular ribs, for example. Furthermore, such configurations and dimensions are contemplated for use with molded flashing pan  10  as suitable for the desired end purpose.  
         [0042]     From the above it can be seen that the present invention provides a visually unseen means for preventing water from ingressing into the interior of a building under and around the entry door or doors, including windows. The watertight integrity is maintained by having the flashing pan integrally formed without openings therein. Furthermore, an exemplary embodiment in accordance with the present invention is contemplated for use in any structure extending from an exterior wall, including but not limited to, a sliding-type window, a crank out window, a non-opening window, a side light window, a dryer vent; and a gas fireplace vent.  
         [0043]     The present invention is also simple to install and is highly efficient in accomplishing the desired results.  
         [0044]     The present invention can, of course, be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of such invention. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.