Prefabricated wall system and method

A system for installing prefabricated wall panels in a building includes a lower sill plate adapted to be fastened to a foundation, an upper sill plate fastened to a bottom of the prefabricated wall panel and adapted to be inserted within the lower sill plate, and a plurality of openings in the upper sill plate. The openings are adapted to allow grout to be inserted between the upper sill plate and the lower sill plate after the upper sill plate is inserted within the lower sill plate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to prefabricated wall systems, and more particularly to a system for easily installing prefabricated walls in a level manner, regardless of whether the existing foundation or base on which the wall is to be installed is uneven or not level.

Often times a prefabricated wall panel has more precise tolerances than the foundation on which the prefabricated wall panel is to be mounted. This means that the foundation may not be as straight as the wall panel, or may be slanted or uneven. Although such mismatches between the foundation and the wall panel are often tolerated in wood panel framing, they are desirably eliminated or reduced in light gauge metal framing. In the past, such mismatches have been eliminated or reduced in two general manners. First, builders may insert shims between the bottom of the wall panel and the top of the foundation, as necessary, in order to correct for any unevenness or unlevelness in the foundation. Second, builders may attempt to insert grout between the bottom of the wall panel and the top of the foundation. This second method is often undesirable because of the difficulty of preventing the grout from leaking out of its desired positioned prior to its curing, and/or because of the difficulty of completely inserting the grout into all of the gaps where its presence is desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to some of the embodiments of the present invention, a system and method are provided for more easily addressing mismatches between prefabricated wall panels and the foundations on which they are mounted. In some embodiments, the system and method utilize upper and lower sill plates that enable grout to be easily inserted therebetween in all desired locations such that the grout does not escape prior to curing. The use of permanent shims is avoided and the prior difficulties of using grout are substantially avoided or reduced.

According to a first embodiment, a system for installing prefabricated wall panels is provided that includes a lower sill plate and an upper sill plate. The upper sill plate has a plurality of openings defined therein. The lower sill plate is adapted to be fastened to a foundation. The upper sill plate is fastened to a bottom of the prefabricated wall panel and is adapted to be inserted within the lower sill plate. The plurality of opening are adapted to allow grout to be inserted between the upper sill plate and the lower sill plate after the upper sill plate is inserted within the lower sill plate.

According to other aspects, the upper sill plate has a generally U-shaped cross section comprised of a horizontal member and two end members that are generally perpendicular to the horizontal member. The plurality of opening are defined in the horizontal member.

In some embodiments, the lower sill plate has a generally U-shaped cross section comprised of a horizontal member and two end members that are generally perpendicular to the horizontal member. The two end members extend vertically upward from the horizontal member when the lower sill plate is fastened to the foundation.

The lower sill plate includes a plurality of slits defined in the two end members, in some embodiments. The slits are adapted to allow the lower sill plate to bend in a manner that follows any undulations in a top surface of the foundation.

The lower sill plate is adapted to contain the grout such that the grout is generally prevented from escaping out of the lower sill plate prior to curing.

The upper sill plate is adapted to be fastened to the lower sill plate prior to the grout being inserted between the upper sill plate and the lower sill plate. The lower sill plate matches an upper surface of the foundation such that any lack of levelness or unevenness in the upper surface of the foundation is matched by the lower sill plate. The upper sill plate is adapted to be attached to the lower sill plate without matching any lack of levelness or uneveness in the upper surface of the foundation.

The upper and lower sill plates are made of metal and the prefabricated wall panel includes a plurality of metal wall studs, in at least some embodiments. The bottoms of the metal wall studs are attached to a top surface of the upper sill plate.

According to another embodiment, a method of installing a prefabricated wall panel on top of a foundation is provided. The method includes fastening a lower sill plate to a top of the foundation; inserting the prefabricated wall panel into the lower sill plate; leveling the prefabricated wall panel; fastening the prefabricated wall panel to the lower sill plate while the prefabricated wall panel is level; and inserting grout through one or more openings in a bottom of the prefabricated wall panel between a bottom of the prefabricated wall panel and a top of the lower sill plate.

The method may further include fastening an upper sill plate to the bottom of the prefabricated wall panel prior to inserting the prefabricated wall panel into the lower sill plate. The fastening of the lower sill plate to the top of the foundation includes bending the lower sill plate to match any unevenness or lack of levelness of the top of the foundation.

In some embodiments, the fastening of the prefabricated wall panel to the lower sill plate while the prefabricated wall panel is level includes inserting fasteners through a first vertical wall member of the lower sill plate and through a second vertical wall member of the upper sill plate.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

A wall leveling system20according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown inFIG. 1. Wall leveling system20includes a prefabricated wall panel22, an upper sill plate24, and a lower sill plate26. Prefabricated wall panel22includes a top28and a bottom30. Upper sill plate24is secured to the bottom30of wall panel22. Lower sill plate26is adapted to be attached to a foundation32. Foundation32can take on a variety of different forms. In many instances, foundation32will be part of the ground level of a building, although it will be understood that foundation32may alternatively be part of an upper level (e.g. non-ground level) floor of a multi-story building.

When fully installed, wall leveling system20also typically includes a layer of grout34that is positioned on top of lower sill plate26and underneath upper sill plate24. InFIG. 1, the grout34is drawn transparently so that lower sill plate26can be seen underneath it. In fact, all of the components of wall leveling system20have been illustrated transparently inFIGS. 1 and 2so that all of the structures are visible, even when they are positioned behind another structure. Again, this has been done merely for purposes of illustration.

Prefabricated wall panel22includes a plurality of substantially vertical studs36that are spaced apart from each other and parallel to each other. A top plate38of wall panel22extends perpendicularly across the top28of wall panel22and is secured to the top end of each of the studs36. Top plate38may be a conventional top plate. Upper sill plate24also extends perpendicularly across the bottom30of wall panel22and is secured to the bottom end of each of the studs36. Upper sill plate24, as can be seen more clearly inFIG. 5, is substantially U-shaped in cross section and includes a center flat member40and two end members42. End members42are substantially vertical and parallel to each other. Flat member40is substantially perpendicular to end members42and extends horizontally between each end member42.

As can be seen more clearly inFIGS. 1 and 2, flat member40includes a plurality of apertures44defined in it that, as will be discussed in greater detail below, enable grout34to be more easily inserted between upper sill plate24and lower sill plate26. Apertures44are shown inFIGS. 1 and 2as being circularly shaped. It will be understood that the shape of apertures44can be changed. Further, the size of each aperture44, as well as their spacing between each aperture44, can be changed from that shown inFIGS. 1 and 2. In some alternative embodiments, upper sill plate24includes sections of expanded metal in areas between studs36, and the holes in the expanded metal define apertures44. Still other variations are possible.

As can also be seen more clearly inFIG. 5, lower sill plate26is also generally U-shaped in cross section and includes a central flat member46and two end members48defined at the ends of flat member46. End members48extend substantially vertically upward from central flat member46. As can also be seen more clearly inFIG. 5, end members48of lower sill plate26are spaced apart a slightly greater distance than end members42of upper sill plate24such that upper sill plate24can be inserted into lower sill plate26. When so inserted, the interior sides of end members48of lower sill plate26contact a portion of the exterior sides of end members42of upper sill plate24. More specifically, end members48overlap end members42in a region R (FIG. 5). The height of overlapping region R may vary from one end of lower sill plate26to its other, depending upon the levelness, or lack of levelness, of lower sill plate26. As will be discussed in greater detail below, overlapping regions R provide an area where fasteners (not shown) can be inserted substantially horizontally through both end members42of upper sill plate24and end members48of lower sill plate26, thereby securing upper and lower sill plates24and26together.

As can best be seen inFIGS. 1 and 2, lower sill plate26includes, in at least one embodiment, a plurality of substantially vertically oriented slits50. Slits50are defined in end members48. Slits50are provided in order to more easily allow lower sill plate26to bend and/or otherwise conform to a top surface52of foundation32when the top surface52is not straight. When lower sill plate26is not bent, slits50create very little to almost no gap in the end members48. If top surface52of foundation32is bowed concavely downward (e.g. its ends are higher than its middle), the gaps created by slits50will become compressed when lower sill plate26is fastened to top surface52. If top surface52of foundation32is bowed convexly upward (e.g. its ends are lower than its middle), then the gaps created by slits50will expand.

Each of upper and lower sill plates24and26are made of metal, such as, but not limited to, steel or aluminum, in at least one embodiment. Wall panel22(e.g. studs36and top plate38, and upper sill plate24), in at least one embodiment, is also made of metal, such as, but not limited to, steel or aluminum. In some embodiments, studs36and top plate38can be made of wood. Lower sill plate26can also be made of wood, in at least one alternative embodiment.

Wall leveling system20is designed to account for and correct any lack of levelness or straightness in top surface52of foundation32. In other words, system20is designed to ensure that wall panel22is installed in a level manner, even if top surface52may not be level or straight. Further, system20is designed to ensure that wall panel22is level in both its side-to-side direction, as well as its front to back direction. This side-to-side leveling can be understood more easily with reference toFIG. 3. System20is designed to ensure that after wall panel22is installed, it will have the same height at a first end54as its second end56, even if the height of top surface52of foundation32at first end54is not the same as the height of top surface52of foundation32at second end56. The front-to-back leveling can be understood more easily with respect toFIG. 4. As shown inFIG. 4, system20is designed to also ensure that after wall panel22is installed, the height of wall panel22at a front end58will be that same as its height at a back end60, even if the height of the top surface52at its front and back ends58and60is not the same.

In order to use wall leveling system20, a user first fastens lower sill plate26to top surface52of foundation32. This may be done in any suitable and/or conventional manner, such as by inserting a plurality of fasteners substantially vertically through flat member40of lower sill plate26and into foundation32. Because of the ability of lower sill plate26to bend and/or flex, the attachment of lower sill plate26to foundation32will cause lower sill plate26to generally match the shape of top surface52of foundation32. Thus, for example, if top surface52includes a plurality of undulations in a side to side direction (e.g. from first end54to second end56), such as is shown in the example ofFIG. 3, lower sill plate26will generally be shaped to include those same undulations and/or lack of levelness after it is fastened to foundation32.

Once lower sill plate26is fastened to foundation32, wall panel22is inserted into lower sill plate26. More specifically, upper sill plate24of wall panel22is inserted into lower sill plate26. Before wall panel22is fastened to anything, it is leveled. Once it is leveled, the builders (or other workers) temporarily and manually hold wall panel22in this level state using conventional tools until it can be secured to lower sill plate26in this level state. As mentioned previously, one method of securing upper sill plate24to lower sill plate26is to drive a plurality of fasteners substantially horizontally through end members48and42in those areas where they overlap (e.g. overlapping region R ofFIG. 5). After upper plate24has been secured to lower sill plate26in this manner, or another manner, the temporary tools used by the workers to hold wall panel22in a level state can be removed. When removed, wall panel22will be level even if lower sill plate26is not level because wall panel22was fastened to lower sill plate26in a level manner. To the extent lower sill plate26was not level or even, one or more gaps will be defined between the flat member46of lower sill plate26and flat member40of upper sill plate24. Such gaps are then filled in using grout34.

In an alternative embodiment, upper sill plate24does not have a U-shape when viewed from its ends. Instead, in one such alternative embodiment, upper sill plate24has a rectangular block shape with a substantially flat top, flat bottom, and flat sides. The height of the block is large enough to allow fasteners inserted through the end members48of the lower sill plate26in the overlapping region R to engage the material of the upper sill plate24so that the two sill plates can be fastened together. In still another alternative embodiment, upper sill plate24is substantially flat and thin. In this embodiment, the upper sill plate24and lower sill plate26may be secured together by inserting fasteners through the end members48of lower sill plate26into one or more of the studs36.

In yet another alternative embodiment, top plate38may be modified to include one or more apertures similar to apertures44of upper sill plate24. Such apertures are sized sufficiently large to allow a builder to insert one or more hooks, or other devices, therethrough. The inserted hook, or other device, is then rotated after being inserted so as to prevent it from being removed from the aperture. The hook is attached to a rope, cable, chain, or the like, which is then used to lift the wall panel22into position above foundation32and into lower sill plate26. After the wall panel22is leveled and its upper sill plate24is fastened to lower sill plate26, the inserted hooks, or other devices, can be removed from wall panel22. Alternatively, the hooks can remain in the apertures and help hold the wall panel22in place until the grout is inserted and/or cured. Regardless of when the hooks are removed, the provisioning of apertures in the top plate38helps ease the task of lifting and maintaining the wall panel22in its desired position prior to its being secured therein with fasteners and grout.

The insertion of grout between upper and lower sill plates24and26is easily accomplished through the use of apertures44. That is, the grout is inserted through as many of apertures44as necessary in order to position the grout in those areas where a gap exists between upper and lower sill plates24and26. Further, the end members48of lower sill plate26substantially prevent the grout from leaking out of these gaps prior to the grout curing. That is, the end members48act as barriers for the grout34, thereby retaining the grout34in the gaps between flat members40and46of upper and lower sill plates24and26. Once the grout has cured, installation of wall panel22is complete. The cured grout then bears the majority of the weight of the wall panel22(and all of the structures it supports), rather than the fasteners used to secure upper sill plate24to lower sill plate26(e.g. those inserted through overlapping regions R). It is therefore not incumbent upon the fasteners used to secure sill plates24and26together to bear the weight of the structures supported on the wall panel22.