Patent ID: 8567145

Claim:
A connector strip, insulation board and pre-existing wall combination, comprising: (a) at least two elongate connector strips, each having a central rib section; a nailing member extending transverse to the central rib section at a proximal end thereof; at least one pair of opposed resilient retaining legs extending from the central rib section at a distal end, said at least one pair of opposed retaining legs having distal ends; and a stop member extending transverse to the central rib section on at least one side thereof between the nailing member and the at least one pair of opposed resilient retaining legs to define an insulation board receiving space between the nailing member and the stoop member; (b) a pre-existing wall having at least two adjacent elongate and spaced apart slots formed therein and extending along the length of the wall, each of said slots having a width between opposed interior walls and a depth; wherein the width of the opposed retaining legs of the elongate connector strip in a first position measured from the distal end of one of the pair to the distal end of the opposite of the pair is greater than the width of the elongate slots in the pre-existing wall; wherein a first elongate connector strip is attached to the first of the two adjacent elongate slots in the pre-existing wall with the at least one pair of opposed resilient retaining legs of said elongate connector strip inserted into the slot so that the opposed retaining legs bear against the opposed interior walls of the slot and thereby resist removal of said first elongate connector strip from said slot, and a second elongate connector strip is attached to the second of the two adjacent elongate slots in the pre-existing wall with the at least one pair of opposed resilient retaining legs of said elongate connector strip inserted into the slot so that the opposed retaining legs bear against the opposed interior walls of the slot and thereby resist removal of said second elongate connector strip from said slot; wherein the elongate connector strips have a length sufficient to attach insulation board and siding to the at least two connector strip such that said insulation board and siding are applied over the entire pre-existing wall; and (c) insulation board having first and second opposed side edges, wherein the first of said opposed side edges is received in the insulation board receiving space of one elongate connector strip and the second of said opposed edges is received in the insulation board receiving space of the second of the at least two elongate connector strips.