Vertical siding panel protective strip

A prefab building protective system is disclosed, where the building includes multiple frame members supporting an exterior water shedding skin formed of adjacent panels. Two adjacent panels define a seam thereby where rain water leakage may occur. The present invention involves a T-strip having a back plate with width equal to or greater than the width of a frame members, and supporting an upstanding spline sufficient in height to extend through the spacing between adjacent panel members abutted against both faces of the spline.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
This disclosure is directed to a protective strip for attachment to the 
vertical siding in prefabricated housing exemplified by mobile homes. 
Prefab or factory assembled housing takes advantage of a number of 
light-weight materials and utilizes light-weight construction. Generally, 
it is constructed with a multiple layer wall having frame members in it 
which are erected with regular vertical frame members. The frame members 
extend between upper and lower frame members and define a support adjacent 
to an outer wall seam. The layers which form the structure are fabricated 
on top of it. In one aspect, the exterior shell normally is formed of 
water impervious sheet material. The sheet material is typically a 
selected clad vinyl, vinyl covered aluminum, particle board, hard surfaced 
composition sheeting such as FORMICA and similar products. All of these 
will be described as the outside or exposed panel which will be defined, 
for purposes of this disclosure, as the weather panel. In that, it must be 
water proof material. A more recent product which is highly desirable is 
the fibre-cement panel material which is provided by the James Hardie 
Building Products Company. Other panels include hardboard and composition 
sheet products sold under the brand name of MASONITE. Generally speaking, 
these panels are assembled with butting edges to define a seam. 
With supportive framing and regular installation of the weather panels on 
the exterior, there is the serious likelihood of leakage along the seam 
between adjacent panels. These seams are vertical. The vertical seams are 
often exposed to rain which may fall at an angle to impinge on the side 
wall. Prefab buildings and mobile homes are generally constructed without 
an eave overhanging the wall which otherwise keeps the rain water off. As 
the rain impinges on the structure, a real risk is running down the side 
of the wall to seep into the narrow slot between adjacent weather panels. 
In fact, a narrow slot which is quite thin, will serve almost as a 
capillary, tending to draw water and permitting the water to flow to the 
inside region behind the seam. When water gets behind the wall, there is a 
serious risk of water damage which can readily be permanent. 
The prefab industry (and others in mobile homes and the like) do not 
routinely position felt paper behind the seams. Generally, the main 
defense against water intrusion at the seams is caulking from the exterior 
to prevent water entry into the seams. 
The present disclosure sets forth a system by which water can be excluded 
from these seams. It is possible to fill these seams from the exterior. 
The seams are most commonly filled from the exterior with semi-soft 
caulking material typically applied with a caulking gun. While that will 
last perhaps a few years, it often becomes brittle and readily fractures 
on structural shifting. Structural shifting is substantially an assured 
event which occurs especially with prefab buildings. For one thing, they 
are built at one location and moved over streets and roads to another 
location. When subjected to the bumps of highway traffic, shock loading 
occurs and there may be a fraction of an inch shift where adjacent occurs, 
which otherwise define a water proofed seam, will slide to and fro. In 
some instances, the flexing applied to the frame is torsional which may 
cause one panel at the top end of the seam to buckle inwardly and the same 
panel at the lower end of that seam to buckle outwardly. While there are 
many failure modes, they typically result from jarring and flexure of the 
frame. The same is also true even after the frame of the mobile home has 
been placed on anchor blocks. Normally it is towed with two or three sets 
of tires located at the mid-portion. This enables the remote ends to droop 
and hang downwardly by a fraction of an inch. Both of the opposite ends of 
the prefab building droop in the same way. Then. when the towing trip is 
over and the transportation is complete, and the devise is then installed, 
it often is positioned on corner located props. At that time, the tires 
may be deflated or even removed. The frame of the mobile home or prefab 
structure again is warped. Again, seams between adjacent weather panels 
will show evidence of shifting. An externally installed bead of caulking 
material is effective for just a few months or a few years, especially 
when the frame is bent with a move. 
It is possible to seal the gap between adjacent weather panels but that it 
somewhat difficult with other mechanisms. Where the panels are quite 
thick, that can be done differently. Where relatively thin, it is somewhat 
more difficult to grip the panels with an external strip. To the extent 
that the strip is located externally, it is supported only at narrow 
marginal widths along the thickness of the panels. With thin panel 
construction, that is generally an inadequate grip. Since the grip is 
inadequate, it is easy for the panel protective strips to pop loose. This 
is true especially when the frame is twisted during transportation. Then, 
when the prefab building is positioned at one location, the frame may be 
bent, first arching in a concave and then in a convex fashion, thereby 
breaking or otherwise dislodging edge located protective strips. 
The present disclosure is directed to an improved protective strip. It is 
constructed especially for prefab housing or mobile homes. It is 
preferably constructed in the fashion of a Tee having a central spline 
which is centered along the backing and the spline extends outwardly in 
the gap between adjacent panels. In the optimum situation, the spline is 
positioned at the desired location and is nailed in place by nailing the 
strip to adjacent frame members. This can be done so that the strip of the 
present disclosure is anchored. Moreover, this permits anchoring so that 
the wall can be assembled with a high quality seam between adjacent 
weather panels which does not permit water penetration. By excluding 
water, the life and durability of the fabricated wall is extended 
remarkably. Moreover, the ability to shed water notwithstanding modest 
shifts in position between adjacent panels enables the prefab building or 
mobile home to be towed more readily. The vibrations encountered during 
travel do not pose as great a problem. 
In summary, the present disclosure sets forth a system in which a Tee 
shaped strip is installed between adjacent panels, positioned on the 
inside of the seam, thereby providing an improved water proof joint. This 
joint more readily excludes water and prevents entry of water. Beyond 
that, it excludes air leaks so that the thermal loss of heating or cooling 
is improved. Finally, it improves and makes more readily durable the 
protection to the frame members. In one embodiment, the strip of the 
present disclosure protects the installed frame members, typically being 
single or double 2.times.4s. Finally, the strip of the present disclosure 
assures protection and prevents unwanted water entry so that the passage 
of time does not harm or damage either the fabricated skin at the exterior 
or create rot on the interior frame. It especially protects the frame 
members so that they do not require water proofing materials.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
Attention is now directed to FIG. 1 of the drawings where a mobile home or 
prefab building 10 is illustrated. Assume for purposes of description that 
it is formed with a rectangular profile. The walls are ideally about 8 
feet tall, and it will discussed and described under the assumption that 
the walls are made of a set of panels which are 4.times.8. To this end, 
the panels are identified by the numeral 12 and they define adjacent 
seams. Speaking generally, the prefab building in this instance has a 
horizontal frame member 14 and a vertical stud 16. There is all external 
L-shaped bracket 18 on the exterior. This seals over the skin along the 
frame members 14 and 16 at the upper end. The frame members are connected 
to define the entire structure. Permanent or demountable tires are shown 
at 20. Typically, there will be a tow hitch or other tongue mounted 
structure which connects with the frame. This enables the prefab building 
10 to be towed to a particular location. It has a length anywhere from 
about 20 to perhaps 80 feet. Over length structures are made depending on 
the requirements of the prefab building. At the time of towing, all the 
weight is supported at the middle. The installed tires 20 may be removed, 
deflated or replaced with blocks underneath the frame. The frame can be 
raised by blocking under the structure. A typical support 22 is shown 
Linder one end, and similar support(s) are furnished at the opposite end. 
It is not uncommon to support the frame of the building 10 with four, six 
or eight pilings. They are located along the two edges and typically at 
the corners of the two sides. The mid-portion may or may not be supported. 
With four or more supports under the framed building, there still remains 
the reality of arcuate bending downwardly where the left and right ends 
droop while towing and they are bent upwardly when rested on the supports 
22. This curvature of the frame remains relatively small. Whether curved 
in a concave or convex fashion, this bowing tends to distort the frame and 
thereby causes the adjacent panels 12 to slide against each other. Not 
only may they slide relatively, they may also wiggle and jiggle when 
subjected to bumps during transit. Thus, the structure may be slightly 
distorted with some modest curvature after manufacture but while being 
stored before delivery, it is later exposed to bouncing and vibration when 
traveling from the point of fabrication to the point of installation, and 
then bowing occurs in another fashion when the structure is installed at 
the final destination. It can be bowed downwardly, shaken badly, and then 
bowed upwardly, all as a result of the sequence of installation, towing 
and erection. 
Without regard to the manner of harm inflicted on the structure, the seam 
between the adjacent panels 12 is subjected to significant wear and tear. 
This will impact the hermetic seal formed at the adjacent panels. If water 
proof and air tight at the time of manufacture, that virtue is preserved 
by the present invention. Suffice it to say, the strip of the present 
disclosure provides remarkable extension of life to the hidden frame work 
which includes the frame member 14 and the stud 16 exemplified in FIG. 1. 
Attention is now directed to FIG. 2 of the drawings. This is a sectional 
view through the frame member 14 which is covered over by the weather 
panels 12. The panels are abutted against each other to define a joint 
which requires protection against weather. In this particular instance, it 
is shown with a sheet of protective film such as felt, paper or other 
sheet material. The sheet 24 is incorporated for that purpose. The sheet 
24 is sometimes omitted in some prefab buildings. It is not always 
included; if included, the sheet material 24 is located on inside of the 
panels 12. The present disclosure is concerned with a protective strip 25. 
It is located at the edges between the weather panels 12. It has the form 
of a Tee as viewed in cross-section. As will be elaborated, the dimensions 
of the Tee are significant in relation to the prefab building. The scale 
of the materials in FIG. 2 should be noted. The abutted panels 12 are 
relatively thin. Indeed, they can have a thickness as little as 0.125 
inches; the preferred fiber-cement panel is about 0.3125 inches. Not only 
are they relatively thin, they are flexible and able to bend in a limited 
extent. Considering, however, the 8 foot height of the panels, they can 
bow or buckle by a substantial amount. Therefore, the view of FIG. 2 is 
idealized in that the panels 12 are intended to be precisely abutted and 
aligned, and are evenly cut so that they maintain uniform contact along 
the installed strip 25. This idealized description preferably is even 
assisted by the strip 25 which is placed between the two panels, the scam 
being 8 feet in height. The frame member 14 is located on the back side of 
the panels 12. Assume for the moment that the panels have an exposed 
weather face which is a skin or surface weather resistant treatment. That 
skin is incorporated to assure all weather exposure at the time the prefab 
building is installed. Through the seasons, a skin is required to shed 
water so that none enters the panel and damages the panel material. This 
strip 25 is installed to assist in that regard also. The strip 25 has a 
back plate 26 which has a thickness of perhaps 0.03 to about 0.08 inches, 
and has a width of at least 1.5 inches. The preferred width is 3 inches. 
The preferred thickness is about 0.045 which is sufficient thickness for 
rigidity and durability without undue bending. There is a significance to 
this for certain wall frame construction dimensions. The strip, in 
addition, includes an upstanding spline 28. The spline has a thickness 
which has been exaggerated along with the panels 12 in the present view. 
The spline preferably has a height approximately equal to or less than the 
thickness of the panels 12. Those panels can be relatively thin, the 
typical material having a thickness given above. The spline 28 has a 
thickness in the range of 0.03 to about 0.15 inches. The spline 28 is 
about 0.0625 inches shorter in height compared to the panels. This defines 
a slot for receiving a small bead of caulking to supplement the seal. The 
seal is primarily dependent on the strip. While it can be made thicker, 
there is no particular gain in greater thickness. 
As illustrated, the spline 28 is normal to the back 26. The back 26 has a 
width of 3.0 inches so that it will align up adjacent to a frame 
construction featuring adjacent 2.times.4s. FIG. 3 shows one frame 
construction where adjacent vertical boards 30 and 32 are illustrated. 
When using 2.times.4 frame members, the cumulative width of the pair is 
about 3 inches. The back plate 26 is centered with respect to the pair of 
frame members so that both frame members are protected against the 
intrusion of rain water. The frame members are protected to the left and 
right of the seam by a width of about 1.5 inches. Using this dimension, 
both of the frame members are protected from water intrusion. The pathway 
that water would have to follow is relatively long. Even should a drop or 
two of water get behind the panel members, as might occur where there is a 
ding or chip from the edge of one of the panels, the water is required by 
capillary wetting to flow around the edge of the strip 25. Often, there 
simply is not enough water to cover that great a distance and thereby 
contact the frame members 30 and 32. The protection to the frame member is 
even greater as illustrated in FIG. 4. The panel members 12 again are 
separated by the strip 25 but the strip in this instance is positioned 
adjacent to only a single frame member 34. Assuming the frame member 34 
has the normal size, a width of about 1.5 inches, flow of water by 
capillary contact and wetting around the face of the strip is 
significantly limited. The strip is not a perfect barrier but it is quite 
effective in water exclusion. 
At the time of installation, the strip 25 typically is placed finder the 
edge of one panel member prior to the assembly of the second panel. At 
that stage, small headed nails are driven through the strip 25 into the 
frame 34. This is repeated at three or four locations along the frame 34. 
The grip of the nails along with the tight grip to the strip prevents the 
flow of water into the nail holes. In effect, the holes formed by nailing 
are self-healing in the sense that water on the exterior does not 
routinely flow next to the nail because there is no room for capillary 
wetting. By nailing the strip 25 to the frame member behind it, the water 
exclusion feature is not compromised. Rather, water is excluded at this 
location. 
Attention is now directed to FIG. 5 of the drawings. It shows the strip 25 
with adjacent panels 12, and the panels 12 arc locked in place in the same 
manner. The strip 25 is abutted snugly against both of the panels 12. 
Cosmetically, the strip is exposed along the bead of the upstanding spline 
28 and is only slightly visible. It is relatively short so that it does 
not significantly protrude nor does it cast a shadow when lighted from one 
side. Without the use of any caulking material, but by nailing the panels 
in place and clamping them by the L-shaped bracket 18 and comparable 
brackets along the lower edges, the panels are snugly held against the 
wall and do not have significant tendencies of popping loose. So to speak, 
each panel is held and pressed against the strips along the edges of the 
panel. Since the panels 12 are connected to one or two strips along 
adjacent edges, those edges maintain sufficient facial pressure and 
contact so that the strip 25 continues the water exclusion virtue long 
after fabrication. Even when the prefab building is moved supported by the 
tires 20, relative movement of adjacent panels does not pose a problem of 
breaking any seal material at the seam. Should there be even the smallest 
to largest movement between the panels 12, there is no caulking material 
in the seam and no likelihood of fracture. 
The T-shaped strip 25 is fabricated by extrusion of polyvinyl material. A 
mold of the appropriate shape forms the strip. To reduce cost, the strip 
material need not be provided with UV blocking material in the compound. 
Preferably, it is somewhat bendable or flexible. In the event that 
building settling occurs and the frame is warped in some way, the warp 
will not damage, break or distort the strip causing a localized failure. 
As best illustrated in the drawings, and in particular with regard to the 
cross sectional views, it will be observed that the strip of the present 
invention is ideally positioned between adjacent members 12 and has the 
protruding spline which is ideally made as a T-shaped, single piece 
protective strip which has a back plate which is essentially flat, planar, 
solid, monolithic and smooth sided. In addition, the spline is preferably 
a flat, planar, solid, monolithic, smooth sided protruding planar member 
at approximately right angles with respect to said back plate, and the 
preferred version utilizes a spline having a thickness of about 0.03 
inches or greater. 
The prefab building 10 may have several seams around it. Each seam is 
protected with a strip. Each seam is preferably secured in the same 
fashion with the same construction techniques. In practice, incorporation 
of the strip 25 at every seam protects the same and thereby extends the 
life of the prefab building. With extended life, protection is assured for 
a much longer interval. 
While the foregoing is directed to the preferred embodiment, the scope is 
determined by the claims which follow.