Abstract:
A building product includes a pultruded panel including a first wall and a second wall separated by a space, the pultruded panel is configured to provide a stucco-like exterior surface when mounted to a building.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119 (e) of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/571,969 filed on May 17, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     FIELD  
       [0002]     This application relates generally to building products and more specifically to a siding system.  
       BACKGROUND  
       [0003]     Stucco sidings on homes provide an aesthetically pleasing and weather resistant surface. More modern synthetic stucco systems like Drivet and EFIS have largely replaced traditional stucco to reduce material and labor costs. Modern synthetic stucco systems have encountered severe product liability issues related to water trapped in the wall cavity that cannot dry out before rot sets in. What is needed is an alternative to stucco and synthetic stucco systems that improves on the cost disadvantages of traditional stucco and the trapped water disadvantages of synthetic stucco. What is needed is a system that provides the exterior look of stucco but is less expensive and allows water in the wall cavity to escape before rot sets in.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0004]     A building product includes a pultruded panel including a first wall and a second wall separated by a space, the pultruded panel configured to provide a stucco-like exterior surface when mounted to a building.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0005]      FIG. 1  shows a cross-section view of a panel, in accordance with one embodiment.  
         [0006]      FIG. 2  shows a cross-section view of an assembled panel system, in accordance with one embodiment.  
         [0007]      FIG. 3  shows a enlarged cross-section view of the interlock of two panels and the stud attachment of  FIG. 2 .  
         [0008]      FIG. 4  shows a cross-section view of an assembled panel system, in accordance with one embodiment. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0009]     In the following detailed description, reference is made to the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that the embodiments may be combined or that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  shows a profile, cross-section view of a panel  100 , in accordance with one embodiment. Panel  100  is used as part of a siding system for a building. A plurality of panels  100  can be vertically or horizontally mounted to a building and interlock with one another. These panels  100  resist moisture and wind intrusion into the building wall cavity. In some embodiments, panel  100  includes two panel walls  101  and  102  and a hollow space  140  between the panel walls. In some examples there can be more than one hollow space  140  in a panel. In some hollow panel embodiments, the panel wall  102  facing the studs (and the building wall cavity) has micro-perforations to allow for moisture to escape. In some hollow panel embodiments, the panels  100  are mounted vertically to channel intruding bulk water, such as rain, down the hollow space and away from the building wall cavity. Vertically mounted panels are panels in which the space  140  runs vertically up and down the building.  
         [0011]     Panel  100  mates with other panels at its ends. In this example, one end of panel  100  includes a first finger  103  and a second finger  104  that define a U-shaped mounting area  105  therebetween. The other end of the panel includes a curved finger  106  including a shoulder  107  and a cut-out area  108 .  
         [0012]      FIGS. 2 and 3  show a cross-section, top profile view, of an assembled panel system according to one embodiment. A panel  110  is equivalent to panel  100 , as described above. In this example, panels  100  and  110  are mounted vertically (such that space  140  runs vertically up and down the building) and attached to building studs  120  with nails or screws  130 . Cut-out area  108  provides a gap for the head of the nail or screw. In other examples, panels  100  and  110  can be nailed over sheathing, instead of being mounted directly to the studs. The two panels  100 ,  110  are connected at a seam  160 . The panels mate such that finger  106  is positioned between fingers  103  and  104  with shoulder  107  abutting the end of finger  103 . In mounting the panels, finger  106  of a first panel is inserted into the gap  105  of a second panel and the first panel is then placed flush against the structure and nailed or otherwise fastened through its finger  104  to the structure.  
         [0013]     As discussed, each panel can include one or more hollow spaces  140  to channel bulk water away from the building wall cavity. In some embodiments, the panel wall  102 , facing the studs, can include a plurality of small holes  163  such as micro-perforations or micro-pores to allow for moisture vapor to pass through the wall, allowing the building wall cavity to release moisture.  
         [0014]     In one embodiment, the panels  100  and  110  are constant cross-section profiles formed by pultrusion. This is advantageous because pultrusion can be produced with structural strength to match or exceed traditional wood sheathing. This allows panels  100  to take the place of traditional sheathing and siding, thus greatly simplifying the construction process. Also, pultruded products are also less susceptible to mold and mildew growth than wood products. Pultrusion also does not rot when exposed to moisture in the manner that wood products can. Moreover, since the pultruded members have a relatively high insulative property, they help the insulating value of a structure wall.  
         [0015]     Members  100  and  110  can be formed by pultrusion and can include a coating or a film for additional protection from elements or ultraviolet protection. For example, the pultrusion and coating can be as described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 6,197,412, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Panels  100  and  110  can be various lengths, for example, from a few inches to 30 feet or longer. The members can also have various widths, from a few inches to 4 feet or wider.  
         [0016]     In some embodiments, panels  100  and  110  can be pultruded and formed as composite parts. For example, glass, or other reinforcing fibers, are impregnated with resin and pulled through a forming guide and a heated die. The forming guide orients the fibers to be properly placed in the heated die to insure that the pultruded part has uniform reinforcement across its shape. The heated die cures and/or solidifies the resin around the reinforcing fibers, thus forming the composite part. The composite part, having a profile shape, is continuously pulled out of the heated die by a puller. The puller can be a clamp and stroke action from a reciprocating puller, or a smooth action from a caterpillar puller.  
         [0017]     Reinforcing fibers used in the example pultrusions can be glass, carbon fiber, kevlar, and other organic and inorganic filaments and fibers. Reinforcement fibers can take the form of filament and strand bundles, called rovings. They also take the form of yarns, texturized yarns, chopped strand mats, continuous strand mats, knitted mats, woven mats, surfacing veils, and many hybrid combinations of rovings, yarns, mats, and veils.  
         [0018]     Resin used in example pultrusions can be thermosetting resins like unsaturated polyesters in a styrene solution, or polyurethanes, phenolics, epoxides, thermosetting blends, and other thermosetting resins. Other resins used in pultrusion can be thermoplastic resins based on polyurethanes, acrylics, polyethylenes, and other thermoplastic resins. Resin used in pultrusion can also be thermoplastic resins that are embedded in rovings that melt and form the part inside the pultrusion die.  
         [0019]     Resin mixtures in pultrusion can also contain organic, polymeric, and inorganic additives for such properties as shrink control, mold lubrication, colorants, fillers and other specially additives.  
         [0020]     In some embodiments, the interlock seam  160  can be covered with sealant to match the color and texture of a weather-resistant coating  170  on the pultruded panels  100  and  110 . This embodiment eliminates the appearance of the seam and produces a surface appearance similar to stucco or synthetic stucco. For example, coating  170  can be applied in-line during pultrusion at a low gloss, and can include some texture that from a distance, looks like synthetic stucco. In such an embodiment, there is no “stucco material,” . it just looks like there is. In another embodiment, the panels  100 ,  110  can be painted or coated with a smooth or textured finish. In general, the outer surface of panels  100 ,  110  has a stucco-like appearance having a generally flat, non-seamed appearance.  
         [0021]     Referring to  FIG. 4 , in another embodiment the panels  100 ,  110  can be covered with a thick, plaster-like coating  180  used on synthetic stucco. In a further embodiment, these synthetic stucco coatings can be shaped into decorative patterns. In a further embodiment, the members can be covered in stucco, with and without decorative patterns. In each of these embodiments involving stucco or synthetic stucco coatings, the hollow panel wall still allows for bulk water management and moisture movement, thus maintaining the advantages over traditional stucco or synthetic stucco.  
         [0022]     The above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.