Patent Publication Number: US-9416515-B2

Title: Device and method for keeping humidity/water away from concrete foundations and provide insulation

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/063,946 filed on Oct. 25, 2013, which is herein incorporated by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to concrete foundations, and more specifically to a device and method for keeping humidity/water away from concrete foundations, such as foundation walls and/or a concrete slab sitting on a footing, and provide insulation. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The accumulation of water, and sometimes water pressure, along a foundation wall and/or under a concrete slab of a building can generate major problems to the building structure, without accounting for discomforts the building resident has to deal with. Water along a foundation wall and/or under a concrete slab, usually considered as the basement of the building, causes a high level (higher than normal comfortable level) of moisture, which might eventually dampen/damage sections of the walls and/or floor finishing. Other problems may occur on the concrete foundation itself. All these problems are even more present when there is a positive pressure along the wall and/or under the slab. 
     Such water can be stagnant and remain along the wall and/or under the slab for extensive periods of time, if not permanently, depending on the soil type. Since there is no real access along the wall and/or under the slab, there is no efficient way to get rid of the above-mentioned problems associated with the presence of water or moisture, other than digging along the wall and/or breaking the slab to access the water drenched soil. Alternatively, some have tried to drain such water by reaching the area from underneath the footing, but this could induce local displacement (collapsing, falling) of the footing, which will generate even more problematic situations to the structure of the building. 
     Humidity can also reach the concrete slab from the interface between the foundation walls and the footing supporting the walls, with the concrete of the foundation walls not fully adhering to the footing, thereby leaving some interstices for water to reach the slab. Furthermore, since the concrete is known to be porous, it is further easy for water often accumulating at the outer periphery of the footing to slowly flow along the unsealed interface and reach the slab sitting on the inner periphery of the footing. 
     Commonly, particles are placed especially along the foundation walls to provide adequate drainage, which is a time consuming operation since this must be performed in stages (i.e. by sections of 1 or 2 foot at a time, pouring particles, adjusting a landscape fabric membrane, filling the space between the landscape fabric membrane and the soil, and repeating the process) from the base of the foundation wall up towards the surface. This process is very labor intensive, requires specialized equipment for long durations of time and consequently is very expensive. 
     Accordingly, there is a need for an improved device and method for keeping humidity away from a foundation wall and/or under a main concrete slab and provide insulation. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide an improved device and method for keeping humidity/water away from concrete foundations and provide insulation, and more specifically to a device and method for keeping humidity/water away from foundation walls and/or a concrete slab sitting on a footing and provide insulation. 
     An advantage of the present invention is the reduction in the time and equipment required for the installation of particles along concrete foundations by providing box-like devices having drainage openings and which are filled with particles, the devices being configured to be easily stacked vertically along foundation walls or mosaicked in contact with concrete foundations or pathways. 
     According to an aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for keeping humidity/water away from a concrete foundation wall and provide insulation, the concrete foundation wall having a soil-facing surface, said method comprising the steps of:
         providing a plurality of devices comprising a rectangular main body having flat surfaces forming a cavity therein, the main body being configured so as to be stackable horizontally and vertically, and having opposed upper and lower surfaces each comprising a plurality of drainage openings therethrough; and   positioning the plurality of devices in contact with the soil-facing surface of the concrete foundation wall such that the lower surfaces of the devices face downward.       

     According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method as above, further comprising the step of: positioning a plurality of longitudinal spacers in contact with the soil-facing surface of the concrete foundation wall prior to positioning the plurality of devices, the plurality of devices being positioned in contact with the longitudinal spacers. 
     According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a device for keeping humidity/water away from a concrete foundation and provide insulation, the concrete foundation having a soil-facing surface, said device comprising:
         a rectangular main body having flat surfaces forming a cavity therein, the main body being configured so as to be stackable horizontally and vertically, and having opposed upper and lower surfaces each comprising a plurality of drainage openings therethrough; and   a plurality of particles, the particles being located within the cavity and having a diameter larger than the openings&#39; diameter;       

     wherein positioning a plurality of the devices adjacent the soil-facing surface of the concrete foundation keeps humidity/water away therefrom and provide insulation. 
     According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provided a kit for keeping humidity/water away from a concrete foundation wall and provide insulation, the concrete foundation having a soil-facing surface, said kit comprising:
         a plurality of devices as above; and   a plurality of longitudinal spacers;   wherein positioning a plurality of the longitudinal spacers in contact with the soil-facing surface of the concrete foundation wall and a plurality of the devices in contact with the longitudinal spacers keeps humidity/water away therefrom and provide insulation.       

     According to a further still aspect of the present invention there is provided a method, device and kit as detailed above, wherein at least one surface of the main body is hinged so as to allow access to the cavity and/or the main body is composed of a biodegradable material and/or the particles are selected from the group consisting of gravel, plastic particles, polymer particles, polystyrene particles and a combination thereof. 
     Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of the detailed description provided herein, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the description in association with the following Figures, in which similar references used in different Figures denote similar components, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a broken perspective view of devices for keeping humidity/water away from concrete foundations and provide insulation in accordance with embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an enlarged broken perspective view taken along line  2 - 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  is a broken perspective view of devices for keeping humidity/water away from concrete foundations and provide insulation in accordance with alternative embodiments of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 4  is an enlarged broken perspective view taken along line  4 - 4  of  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference to the annexed drawings the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be herein described for indicative purpose and by no means as of limitation. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , there is shown a device  10  for keeping humidity/water away from concrete foundations and provide insulation, more specifically foundation wall  20  and concrete slab  12  partially sitting on a concrete footing  14  of a building in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. It is to be understood that the device  10  can be used in conjunction with the foundation wall  20  or the concrete slab  12  only as well as with both. 
     The device  10  is essentially for keeping water/humidity away from the foundation wall  20  entirely sitting on the top surface  18  of the footing  14  and provide insulation to the foundation wall  20 , typically with a key  22  at the interface there between to prevent lateral sliding of the foundation wall  20  relative to the footing  14  and/or the main concrete slab  12  partially sitting on an internal edge of a top surface  18  of the footing  14 . The foundation wall  20  and slab  12  have respective soil-facing surfaces  24  and  26 . 
     With particular reference to  FIG. 1 , the device  10  in accordance with the illustrative embodiment is box-like having a rectangular main body formed by flat surfaces  30  made of a bio-degradable material such as for example, cardboard, having opposed upper  30   a  and lower  30   b  surfaces each comprising a plurality of drainage openings  32  therethrough, and a hinged surface  34  allowing access to the interior of device  10 , which contains a plurality of non bio-degradable particles  36  such as for example, gravel, plastic particles, polymer particles, polystyrene particles (including Styrofoam™ particles either spherical or “peanut” shaped) or a combination thereof, having a diameter larger than the diameter of the drainage openings  32 . 
     It is to be understood that in alternative embodiments the device  10  may be made of a non bio-degradable material and\or may be provided with further surfaces  30  having drainage openings  32  and\or may be provided with a plurality of hinged surfaces  34  or none at ail. It is further to be understood that the device  10  may be provided empty and the hinged surface  34  used to fill the interior of device  10  with the particles  36  or that it may be provided already filled with the particles  36 . 
     In accordance with the present invention, a plurality of devices  10  are configured to be vertically stacked in a trench between the soil-facing surface  24  of the foundation wall  20  and the soil  1  and horizontally mosaicked in a space between the soil-facing surface  26  of the slab  12  and the soil  1  such that the lower surfaces  30   b , which comprise drainage openings  32 , face downward. The devices  10  are stacked or mosaicked so as to entirely cover the soil-facing surface  24  of the foundation wall  20  or the soil-facing surface  26  of the slab  12 , respectively. 
     As schematically shown in  FIG. 1 , the present invention is preferably installed along with a bed of small rocks  50  surrounding the footing  14  and having positioned therein a drain pipe  60  to improve the flow of water away from the building. 
     Typically, a landscape fabric membrane  40  or the like is positioned between the vertically stacked devices  10  and the soil  1 . Preferably, the membrane  40 , allowing water and other fluids to flow there through while blocking any solid particles to flow there through, extends upward beyond the soil  1  level and downward down to the bed of small rocks  50  surrounding the footing  14 . Similarly, in an alternative embodiment, an additional landscape fabric membrane  41  may be positioned between the foundation wall  20  and the vertically stacked devices  10 . 
     The above device  10  can be installed either retroactively onto an existing building or during the construction thereof. 
     A corresponding method for keeping humidity/water away from concrete foundations and provide insulation, more specifically foundation wall  20  and/or concrete slab  12 , is also provided. The method comprises positioning a plurality of devices  10 , as previously described, in contact with the soil-facing surface  24 ,  26  of the foundation wall  20  and concrete slab  12 , respectively, such that the lower surfaces of the devices  10  which comprise drainage openings  32  face downward. 
     Typically, this entails vertically stacking the devices  10  in a trench between the soil-facing surface  24  of the foundation wall  20  and the soil  1  and horizontally mosaicking the devices  10  in a space between the soil-facing surface  26  of the slab  12  and the soil  1  so as to entirely cover the soil-facing surface  24  of the foundation wall  20  or the soil-facing surface  26  of the slab  12 , respectively. 
     In accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention, shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , a plurality of longitudinal horizontal  42  and/or vertical  44  spacers may be applied at intervals to the soil-facing surface  24 ,  26  of the foundation wall  20  and/or concrete slab  12 , respectively, prior to positioning the plurality of devices  10 . The spacers  42 ,  44  provide for increases water flow away from the foundation wall  20  and/or concrete slab  12  and may be made of, for example, wood, polymer or metal. 
     It is to be understood that multiple layers of spacers  42 ,  44  may be used and that additional landscape fabric membranes  41  may be positioned between each spacer  42 ,  44  layers, or between the spacer  42 ,  44  and the device  10 . 
     The method typically further includes the step of positioning a landscape fabric membrane  40  between the vertically stacked devices  10  and the soil  1 . Similarly, in the alternative embodiment where spacers  42 ,  44  are used, an additional landscape fabric membrane  41  may be positioned between the foundation wall  20  and the spacers  42 ,  44  and/or between the spacers  42 ,  44  and the vertically stacked devices  10 . 
     It is to be understood that multiple layers of spacers  42 ,  44  may be used and that additional landscape fabric membranes  41  may be positioned between each spacer  42 ,  44  layers. 
     The method may also include the steps of excavating the trench previous to the step of vertically stacking the devices  10  along the soil-facing surface  24  the foundation wall  20  and/or providing the space between the soil-facing surface  26  of the slab  12  and the soil  1  previous to positioning the slab  12 . 
     In an alternative embodiment, the method may also apply to keeping humidity/water away from a pathway horizontally mosaicking a plurality of devices  10  horizontally in a trench between a soil-facing surface of the pathway and the soil  1  previous to the positioning of the pathway. 
     Although the present invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the disclosure has been made by way of example only and that the present invention is not limited to the features of the embodiments described and illustrated herein, but includes all variations and modifications within the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.