Abstract:
A method for installing a vapor bather in a building includes loosely hanging a strip around a periphery of an area to be insulated, providing a vapor bather having a plurality of attachments, the attachments adapted to attach to the strip, attaching the attachments to the strip, and then tightening the strip to tighten the vapor bather.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/309,051, which was filed Mar. 1, 2010. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    As natural resources, particularly those required for heating and cooling, become scarcer, consumers and businesses are trying to utilize better technologies to lower the cost of energy and the like. Likewise, local governments and industry groups are promulgating new standards for energy compliance. 
         [0003]    For instance, ASHRAE (The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers), has promulgated standards that will require that new conditioned air low-rise commercial construction will require roof u-values of between 0.035-0.040 and wall u-values of 0.050-0.060. This is a significant change from its current u-value of 0.062 for the roof. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    According to an embodiment shown herein, a method for installing a vapor barrier in a building includes loosely hanging a strip around a periphery of an area to be insulated, providing a vapor barrier having a plurality of attachments, the attachments adapted to attach to the strip, attaching the strip attachments to the strip, and then tightening the strip to tighten the vapor barrier. 
         [0005]    According to a further embodiment shown herein, a method for installing insulation in a building includes loosely hanging a strip around a periphery of an area to be insulated, providing a web having a plurality of attachments, the attachments adapted to attach to the strip, attaching the strip attachments to the strip, and tightening the strip. 
         [0006]    According to a further embodiment shown herein, a method for installing a vapor barrier in a building includes attaching hangers for holding a strip at corners between supporting members of the building, loosely hanging a strip on the hangers, providing a vapor barrier having a plurality of attachments, the attachments adapted to attach to the strip, attaching the attachments to the strip, and tightening the strip. 
         [0007]    According to a still further embodiment shown herein, an apparatus for hanging a vapor barrier in a building has a strip for attaching around a periphery of an area to be insulated, the strip being capable of being tightened, and a vapor barrier having a plurality of attachments attached to the vapor barrier away from an edge thereof to create an area of the vapor barrier, the attachments adapted to attach to the strip and the area being adaptable to attach to the building. 
         [0008]    These and other features of the present invention can be best understood from the following specification and drawings, the following of which is a brief description. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  is a partial perspective view of a typical low-bay building construction. 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a vapor barrier for use in the low-bay building of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0011]      FIG. 2A  is an alternative embodiment for the area shown as  2 A in  FIG. 2 . 
           [0012]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a low-bay building having a plurality of attachments and a wire. 
           [0013]      FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of the vapor barrier of  FIG. 2  attached to the building of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a tool for use with the wire used in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0015]      FIG. 6  is a method of using an embodiment shown in the other Figures herein. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0016]      FIG. 1  shows a typical low-rise building  10  having a plurality of posts  15  supporting a plurality of beams  20  that support a plurality of purlins  25 . The posts also support a plurality of eave struts  30 . The purlins are shown having a capital “Z” like shape but other shapes are contemplated. The posts  15 , purlins  25 , eave struts  30  and beams  20  are constructed of steel but other materials are also contemplated herein. 
         [0017]    Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a vapor bather  35  for use in the building of  FIG. 1  or the like is shown. The vapor barrier  35 , which is typically a web of impervious fabric material, like a coated plastic, has a plurality of attachments such as hooks  40  sewn into the vapor barrier thereof (though other means of attaching the hooks to the vapor bather are contemplated). The hooks should be about 9-24 inches apart though other distances are contemplated. The hooks  40  are not at the edge  45  of the vapor barrier but are designed to attach to a flexible strip such as a wire, cord or cable  50  inside the edge  45 . The material of the vapor barrier (shown as length A and B in  FIG. 2 ) closer to the edge  45  is used to seal the vapor bather against the building  10  (see edge  45  in phantom if  FIG. 4 ). 
         [0018]    Referring to  FIG. 2A , an alternative way of attaching the hooks  40  includes folding over the edges  45  of the vapor barrier  35  to create a double layer  51  of vapor barrier for strength. A rivet  53  is placed through a hole  52  in the hook  40  and the doubled vapor bather  51  to secure the hook to the vapor barrier. 
         [0019]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a hanger such as eye hooks  55  are attached to the beams  20  and the purlins  25  at least every 20 feet or so. It is also preferred that the eye hooks  55  are placed at the corners of the eave struts  30  and the purlins  20  to define a bay to be insulated. Though eye hooks are preferred because the wire or cable  50  is attached through the eyes hooks  55  and left slack, at least at first, other attachment methods are contemplated that will hold the wire and allow it to be tightened. The wire shown is one-eight inch cable though other materials are contemplated as mentioned hereinabove. The eye hooks  55  may also be placed against the beams  20  if more insulation is desired. 
         [0020]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , to attach the vapor barrier  35  to the wire  50 , one side of the vapor barrier is secured to the wire  50  along a beam by attaching the hooks  40  in the vapor barrier along a beam to the wire  50 . Then an end of the vapor barrier is secured, by attaching the hooks  40  to the wire  50  along an eave strut  30 . Then the other side of the vapor barrier  35  is secured to the wire  50  attached to another purlin by attaching the hooks in the vapor barrier along the wire  50  on the other purlin  25 . Then the other end of the vapor barrier  35  is secured, by attaching the hooks  40  to the wire  50  along the other eave strut  30 . 
         [0021]    Once both sides are installed and the vapor barrier  35  is square, the wire  50 , which is loosely attached to itself at both ends  60  is tightened (see  FIG. 5 ). The cable may be tightened with pliers  65  or come-alongs and secured by a Gripple® fastener (Gripple is a registered trademark of the Gripple Limited Corporation of East Sheffield, England) or the like (not shown) and secured together so that the tightened cables do not slip. Tightening the cable causes the cable to pull the hooks, and the vapor barrier thereby, towards the edges of the area to be insulated between the purlins  25  and the edge struts  30  thereby tightening the vapor bather  35  left to right and front to back. The vapor barrier  35  may now support insulation  70 . 
         [0022]    With the vapor bather  35  tight in place, the vapor bather  35  defined by areas A and B in  FIG. 2  is placed against the beams, around the purlins and eave struts by means of adhesive or the like to create tight vapor seal. 
         [0023]    Once the vapor barrier  35  is installed, insulation  70  is then unrolled into place from the top side of the building onto the vapor bather between the purlins  25 . Because the depth of installation is dependent on where the eyehooks  55  are placed, the vapor barrier and the insulation placed atop the vapor barrier can be placed virtually anywhere below the purlins so that the purlins do not compress or interfere with the insulation and the required R-values. The eye hooks  55  can be lowered should the building owner ever require more insulation be added to the building. 
         [0024]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , operation of the embodiments shown is shown. Hanger such as eye hooks  55  are attached to the eave struts  30  and the purlins  25  (step  100 ). Attachments such as hooks  40  are attached to the vapor barrier  35  (step  105 ). A strip such as wire  50  is hung from the hangers/eye hooks  55  (step  110 ) and the attachments/hooks  55  are attached to the strip/wire  50  (step  115 ). Insulation  70  is disposed between the purlins  25  (step  120 ) and the strip/wire  50  is tightened to remove the slack therein (step  125 ). If more insulation  70  is needed, the hangers/eye hooks  55  are attached to beams  20  (step  130 ) and the strip/wire  50  is then suspended from the hangers/eye hooks  55  and eave struts  30  (step  135 ). The attachments/hooks  55  are attached to the strip/wire  50  (step  140 ). More insulation  70  may be disposed between and/or below the purlins  25  (step  145 ) and the strip/wire  50  is tightened to remove the slack therein (step  150 ). 
         [0025]    One of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that if a vapor barrier is not necessary, a web or other type of support may be used to hold the insulation in place. 
         [0026]    Although a combination of features is shown in the illustrated examples, not all of them need to be combined to realize the benefits of various embodiments of this disclosure. In other words, a system designed according to an embodiment of this disclosure will not necessarily include all of the features shown in any one of the Figures or all of the portions schematically shown in the Figures. Moreover, selected features of one example embodiment may be combined with selected features of other example embodiments. 
         [0027]    The preceding description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed examples may become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not necessarily depart from the essence of this disclosure. The scope of legal protection given to this disclosure can only be determined by studying the following claims.