Siding attachment system

Siding attachment system is disclosed having a base and an attachment member. The base has an engaging wall extending from a back plate. The engaging wall has a plurality of base teeth. The back plate is configured to attach to a support wall. The attachment member has a receiving wall extending from a mounting plate. The receiving wall has a receiving opening configured to receive the engaging wall. The receiving wall comprises two interior walls adjacent the receiving opening. Each interior wall comprises one or more receiving teeth extending into the receiving opening to engage one or more of the base teeth to releasably join the attachment member to the base. The mounting plate comprises a surface for supporting siding.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates in general to system and devices for attaching siding.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The use of continuous insulation is mandated for some climates in the United States by newer energy codes, such as 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and 2012 International Green Construction Code. The purpose of continuous insulation is to eliminate thermal breaks that reduce thermal efficiency of insulation placed between framing members such as wall studs.

Siding can be placed over rigid insulation boards or foam that are placed outside of an air barrier (AB)/weather-resistive barrier (WRB). The use of continuous insulation with siding requires the siding to be connected to the to the support or back-up wall behind the AB/WRB. Some ties that pass through the continuous insulation and result in thermal leaks that reduce the efficiency of the continuous insulation.

The present inventor recognized the need for a siding attachment system that reduces thermal bridging where the continuous insulation is transversed. The present inventor recognized the need for a siding attachment system that is less susceptible to deterioration by moisture and weather conditions.

When installing continuous insulation panels, the panels are often installed in complete contact with the AB/WRB on the back-up surface. This prevents proper drainage of water on the exterior face of the AB/WRB. Water can be trapped in the minute gap between the continuous insulation and AB/WRB due to capillary action. This trapped water can cause accelerated deterioration of ties and other components.

The present inventor recognized the need for a siding attachment system that creates a gap between the continuous insulation panels and AB/WRB. This gap facilitates drainage.

Continuous insulation panels are often installed with adhesive backing to ensure they stay in place. This adhesive backing can impede drainage of water on the drainage plane and can degrade and fail over time under certain circumstances. This adhesive backing will also results in additional labor and material costs.

The present inventor recognized the need for a siding attachment system that can retain the continuous insulation panels in place and eliminate the need to rely on adhesive backing.

The present inventor recognized the need to transfer some compressive force from the siding attachment system onto the insulation to reduce or eliminate the possibility of buckling under compressive loads and to reduce the effective span within the cavity.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A siding attachment system is disclosed for connecting siding to a support wall. The system has a base and an attachment member. The base has an engaging wall extending from a back plate. The engaging wall has a plurality of base teeth. The back plate is configured to be attached to a support wall. The attachment member has a receiving wall extending from a mounting plate. The receiving wall has an elongated receiving opening configured to receive the engaging wall. The receiving wall has two interior walls adjacent the elongated receiving opening. Each interior wall has one or more receiving teeth extending into the receiving opening to engage one or more of the base teeth to releasably join the attachment member to the base. The mounting plate comprises a surface for supporting siding. The mounting plate is spaced apart from the back plate.

In some embodiments, the engaging wall is perpendicular to the back plate and the receiving wall is perpendicular to the mounting plate. The mounting plate is substantially parallel to the back plate when the attachment member is joined to the base. The elongated receiving opening extends along an entire vertical length of the receiving wall. The engaging wall has horizontally extending alignment bars on opposite exterior surfaces of the engaging wall. The receiving wall comprises horizontally extending alignment recesses. When the alignment bars are received in the alignment recesses, the attachment member is prevented from moving in the vertical direction. The surface for supporting siding of the mount plate comprises vertically extending fastener grooves for receiving fasteners connecting siding to the mount plate.

A method of attaching siding to a support wall is disclosed. A back plate of a base is attached to the support wall. The base has an engaging wall extending perpendicularly from the back plate. The engaging wall has a plurality of base teeth on opposite sides of the engaging wall. An elongated receiving recess of a receiving wall of an attachment member is aligning horizontally with the engaging wall. The elongated receiving recess is moved over the receiving wall. Receiving teeth on opposite sides of the elongated receiving recess are engaged with base teeth of the receiving wall to prevent the attachment member from moving in at least one first direction. Siding is attached to a mount plate of the attachment member.

In some embodiments one or more insulation panels are attached to the support wall by holding the insulation panel against the support wall with the mount plate of the attachment member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. For the purposes of explanation, specific nomenclature is set forth to provide a plural understanding of the present invention. While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings, and will be described herein in detail, specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.

FIGS. 1-5show a siding attachment system50. The system50comprises a base52and an attachment member54. In some embodiments, both components are manufactured using a semi-rigid plastic material.FIG. 3shows the system deployed in one type of application. The base is attached to a backup wall38. In some embodiments, the backup wall38may have an air barrier (AB) and/or weather-resistant barrier (WRB)34, placed over an exterior wall board or sheathing36, placed over wall studs38a. In some applications, the base may be attached over the air barrier and/or weather-resistant barrier34. The base may be used on other walls or backup wall arrangements known in the art.

The base52has a back plate56and an engaging wall58extending from the back plate. In some embodiments, the wall58extends perpendicular from the back plate. The wall58has a plurality of base teeth60extending along opposite sides of the engaging wall58, a back end62adjacent the back plate56, a front end64opposite the back end62. The base teeth on a first side of the engaging wall are mirror image identical to the corresponding base teeth on the opposite side of the engaging wall as shown inFIG. 2.

While the engaging wall is shown having teeth along its entire length between the back end62and front end64, in some embodiments, a portion thereof may be flat or blank without teeth. The engaging wall has upper and lower guide bars66,68on opposite sides of the engaging wall that extend beyond the teeth. The guide bars have a flat surface.

The back plate56comprises through going mounting fastener apertures/holes70. While three apertures are shown any number of apertures can be provided and placed about the back plate. Fasteners, such as screws71, are used to secure the base plate56to the backup wall38.

The attachment member54has a mounting plate72and a receiving wall74. The receiving wall74has opposite outer wall portions76,78, and a receiving recess or gap80between the outer wall portions76,78. An end opening88provides access to the receiving recess80opposite the mounting plate72. At an outer end of each wall portions76,78opposite the base is a toothed section82. The tooth section82comprises receiving teeth84extending from the wall portions76,78into the receiving recess80. The receiving teeth84on the first outer wall portion76are mirror image identical to the corresponding receiving teeth on the opposite second outer wall portion78, as shown inFIG. 2. Therefore there are matched pairs of opposite receiving teeth that engage corresponding opposite sides of the engaging wall, as is shown inFIG. 2.

A blank portion86extends from the tooth section82to the mounting plate72.

The receiving wall has upper and lower guide recesses90,92in each of the outer wall portions76,78. The guide recesses provide side directed access to and out of the receiving recess80. The upper and lower guide recesses90,92are configured to receive the guide bars66,68respectively. When the guide bars are received in the guide recesses, the attachment member54is secured against vertical movement in the directions H and I relative to the base. The recess90,92are perpendicular to the mounting plate72, and more specifically to the front face95.

In one application, the base52is attached to the backup wall38with screws71, insulation panels32are placed over a portion of the base52adjacent one or both sides of the engaging wall58. The thickness of the back plate56of the base52spaces the insulation panels32from the backup wall38. The resulting gap57facilitates drainage. Then the receiving wall74of the attachment member54is moved so that end opening88is aligned with the engaging wall58of the base52, and more particularly the front end64of the engaging wall58. The front end64is arrow shaped. The opposite sides of the end opening have angled surfaces to receive the arrow shaped front end64. The attachment member54is moved in the direction A ofFIG. 2. The receiving teeth84engage and slide over the base teeth60and drive the outer wall portions76,78outward and away from each other in the directions C and D, respectively. The outer wall portions are driven outward because the widest portion of the wall long the tooth section is wider than the narrowest portion of the receiving recess80in the tooth section.

As the attachment member54moves in the direction A, the outer wall portions76,78reciprocate or ratchet between expanding in the directions C and D, respectively, as the widest portion of the base teeth60encounter the widest portion of the receiving teeth84, and then falling back in the directions E and F, respectively, as the narrowest portion of the base teeth60encounter the narrowest portion of the receiving teeth84as the recess teeth ride up and down along the base teeth. The outer wall portions are semi-flexible within a range of motion and biased in the directions E and F to a certain point at least sufficient to achieve the interlocked engagement of the receiving recess teeth with the base teeth as shown inFIG. 2.

The attachment member54can be moved forward in the direction A until a rear face94of the mounting plate72contacts or is in close proximity to a front face42of an insulation panel32. In this way, the mounting plate secures and holds the insulation panel(s)32adjacent the backup wall38without the need for adhesive backing on the insulation panel(s). The attachment member has a range of motion from where only the first base tooth60aof the engagement wall in is the recess adjacent the first recess tooth84ato where the arrow shaped end front end64is received in the corresponding arrow shaped end portion98of the recess80. Therefore, the attachment member is movable relative to the base to account for and secure insulation panels of various depths.

The attachment system50transfers compressive force or load that is provided to the exterior of the siding, such as by winds, through the attachment system, onto the backup wall38. In some applications, the force or load is transferred from the attachment to the outer face of the insulation panel, through the insulation panels and onto the backup wall38. In some applications, the mounting plate is substantially parallel to the back plate when the attachment member is joined to the base.

To remove the attachment member54from the base, the outer wall portions76,78must be expanded in the directions C and D, respectively, until the receiving teeth84release from base teeth60sufficiently to allow clearance between the two sets of teeth and the attachment member to be withdrawn in the direction B ofFIG. 2.

The front face95of the mounting plate72has a plurality of vertically extending fastener grooves96. In some embodiments, these fastener grooves extend the entire length of the front face95. The fastener grooves96receive the end point48of a fastener such as a nail46. The groove prevents the nail, screw, or other fastener from moving out of place when first being driven or penetrating the front face95. As shown inFIG. 3, a siding mount44of the siding system30is attached the mounting plate72by the nail46. The mount44is shown spaced apart from the front face95, but in some applications the mount will be in surface-to-surface contact with the front face95.