US20240167271A1

US20240167271A1 - Wall panel and method for constructing a wall

Info

Publication number: US20240167271A1
Application number: US18/311,818
Authority: US
Inventors: Tyler WEISGERBER; Trevor Kent
Original assignee: 1947742 Alberta Ltd
Current assignee: 1947742 Alberta Ltd
Priority date: 2022-11-22
Filing date: 2023-05-03
Publication date: 2024-05-23
Also published as: CA3197419A1

Abstract

A wall panel comprising: a plurality of studs; a sheet of sheet material mounted on a rear facing side to the plurality of studs, the sheet material including perimeter edges and a perimeter portion of the sheet material extending beyond the plurality of studs to define a perimeter border on the rear facing side; a supportive edging on the perimeter edges of the sheet material and coupled to the studs; a layer of air vapour barrier membrane on a front facing side of the sheet of material, the layer of air vapour barrier membrane wrapped around the perimeter edges being exposed on the perimeter portion; and at least one of: a side edge flashing and a lower edge flashing.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/384,730, entitled “WALL PANEL AND METHOD FOR CONSTRUCTING A WALL” and filed on Nov. 22, 2022, which is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The apparatus and method disclosed herein relates to a wall panel and wall construction for a building.

BACKGROUND

In building construction, it is common to attach exterior wall panels to supportive building structures such as steel, concrete or masonry pillars or slab or floor edges. This is sometimes referred to as a curtain wall-type construction.
In this type of building construction, the exterior wall panels when assembled into a wall structure, must provide an air vapour barrier between the interior and exterior of the building. As will be appreciated, an air vapour barrier is a barrier that controls water vapour diffusion into the wall structure. The air vapour barrier must provide a substantially continuous barrier from panel to panel across the entire wall structure.
Previous curtain wall systems used a type of gasket joint for offering a panel-to-panel seal for the air vapour barrier. The gasket joint includes a tongue edge on one panel that fits into an edge-wise groove on an adjacent panel. An elastomeric gasket is in the depth of the groove and creates a seal with the tongue edge. However, because these gaskets were recessed in the depth of the joint, their proper seating and sealing could not be adequately inspected and verified during construction. Thus, an unsealed gasket, and therefore a defective air vapour barrier, could not be identified until after the wall was fully constructed, for example when the building was in use.
A wall panel unit is required that permits better inspection and verification of the air vapour barrier panel-to-panel seal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore in accordance with a broad aspect of the invention, there is provided a wall panel unit comprising: a plurality of studs; a sheet of sheet material mounted on a rear facing side to the plurality of studs, the sheet material including perimeter edges and a perimeter portion of the sheet material extending beyond the plurality of studs to define a perimeter border on the rear facing side; a supportive edging on the perimeter edges of the sheet material and coupled to the studs; a layer of air vapour barrier membrane on a front facing side of the sheet of material, the layer of air vapour barrier membrane wrapped around the perimeter edges being exposed on the perimeter portion; and at least one of: a side edge flashing and a lower edge flashing.
According to another broad, exemplary aspect, there is provided a building exterior wall comprising: a first wall panel unit comprising a sheet of sheet material and a layer of air vapour barrier membrane on a front facing side of the sheet of sheet material, the layer of air vapour barrier membrane wrapped around the perimeter edges and forming a first border of membrane exposed on a perimeter portion of the first sheet of sheet material's rear facing side; a second wall panel unit comprising a sheet of sheet material and a layer of air vapour barrier membrane on a front facing side of the sheet of sheet material, the layer of air vapour barrier membrane wrapped around the perimeter edges and forming a second border of membrane exposed on a perimeter portion of the second sheet of sheet material's rear facing side, the second wall panel unit spaced from the first wall panel unit by a gap; and an air vapour barrier membrane strip at the gap, where a first lengthwise edge of the strip is sealed against the first border and an opposite, second lengthwise edge of the strip is sealed against the second border.
According to another broad, exemplary aspect, there is provided a method for constructing a wall for a building structure, the method comprising: installing a first wall panel unit comprising a sheet of sheet material and a layer of air vapour barrier membrane on a front facing side of the sheet of sheet material, the layer of air vapour barrier membrane wrapped around the perimeter edges and forming a first border of membrane exposed on a perimeter portion of the first sheet of sheet material's rear facing side; installing a second wall panel unit comprising a sheet of sheet material and a layer of air vapour barrier membrane on a front facing side of the sheet of sheet material, the layer of air vapour barrier membrane wrapped around the perimeter edges and forming a second border of membrane exposed on a perimeter portion of the second sheet of sheet material's rear facing side, the second wall panel unit spaced from the first wall panel unit to define a gap between them; and, installing an air vapour barrier membrane strip to span the gap, where installing includes sealing a first lengthwise edge of the strip against the first border and sealing an opposite, second lengthwise edge of the strip against the second border.
The above simplified summary of example aspects serves to provide a basic understanding of the present disclosure. This summary is not an extensive overview of all contemplated aspects, and is intended to neither identify key or critical elements of all aspects nor delineate the scope of any or all aspects of the present disclosure. Its sole purpose is to present one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to the more detailed description of the disclosure that follows. To the accomplishment of the foregoing, the one or more aspects of the present disclosure include the features described and exemplary pointed out in the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form a part of this specification, illustrate one or more example aspects of the present disclosure and, together with the detailed description, serve to explain their principles and implementations.

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a wall structure, some edges are cutaway to show the sectional details;

FIG. 2 is an enlargement of area 2 in FIG. 1 , which illustrates a horizontal section through a side edge to side edge joint between two wall panel units;

FIG. 3 is an enlargement of area 3 in FIG. 1 , which illustrates a section through an upper edge to lower edge joint between two wall panel units;

FIGS. 4A and 4B are side elevations in section of a vertically spaced joint, with FIG. 4A being prior to the air vapour barrier membrane strip installation and FIG. 4B being after the air vapour barrier membrane strip installation; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the site where an edge of a membrane strip is sealed against the air vapour barrier membrane.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various aspects of the invention are now described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to promote a thorough understanding of one or more aspects of the invention. It may be evident in some or all instances, however, that any aspects described below can be practiced without adopting the specific design details described below. In other instances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate description of one or more aspects. The following presents a simplified summary of one or more aspects of the invention in order to provide a basic understanding thereof.
Throughout the following description specific details are set forth in order to provide a more thorough understanding to persons skilled in the art. However, well known elements may not have been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the disclosure. Accordingly, the description and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative, rather than a restrictive, sense.
FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 illustrate a portion of a wall structure 10 according to the present invention. While the illustrated portion of the wall includes portions of six wall panel units 14, of course a wall may have hundreds or thousands of wall panel units secured onto supportive building structures. Together the wall panel units create an envelope for the building including an air vapour barrier.
A wall panel unit 14 includes a sheet of sheet material 18 mounted on a plurality of studs 20, a supportive edging 22 on the perimeter edges of the sheet material, a layer of air vapour barrier membrane 26 and at least one of side edge flashing 30 and lower edge flashing 32.
Sheet material 18 is any sheet of material such as drywall (i.e. exterior, but could be interior), wood (i.e. such as plywood, durable particle board or MDF) or metal. In one embodiment, sheet material 18 is exterior grade drywall. Sheet material 18 forms the main planar, structural expanse of the unit. The sheet material has side edges including, in a typical rectangular configuration, an upper edge 18 a, a lower edge 18 b and side edges 18 c, which extend between the upper and lower edges. Of course, the sheet material also has front and rear facing planar surfaces. There may be openings in the sheet material for glazing units, doors, services or other interior to exterior access points.
Studs 20 are coupled to the sheet material 18 on the sheet material's rear facing surface. There may be studs extending vertically and horizontally. Studs 20 include edgewise studs 20 a that are at the outer edge of the stud assembly for each panel. In this panel, edgewise studs 20 a are spaced back from upper edge 18 a, lower edge 18 b and side edges 18 c of the sheet material. This spacing creates a perimeter 18′ of the rear facing planar surface of the sheet material that is exposed. In particular, this perimeter 18′ is a flange of the sheet material that extends out beyond studs 20 including the edgewise studs. Perimeter 18′ is exposed and overhanging beyond the studs 20 on the rear facing surface of the sheet material.
Supportive edging 22 extends around the perimeter edges 18 a, 18 b and 18 c of the sheet material. The supportive edging extends around substantially the entire perimeter of the sheet material and thereby frames the sheet material. Supportive edging 22 supports the sheet material at its edges, similar to a frame. Edging 22 protects the edges from damage due to impacts and acts as a coupling structure through which studs are connected to the sheet material, whereby the studs are coupled to the supportive edging which is in turn connected to the sheet material. In one embodiment, the supportive edging includes a channel-type structure, such as formed of durable metal or plastic. An elongate channel is in particular defined between two side planar webs 22 a, 22 b spanned by an end wall 22 c. An edge 18 a, 18 b, 18 c of the sheet material resides in the elongate channel of the supportive edging. In so doing, side planar web 22 a of the supportive edging lays over a portion of the front facing surface of the sheet material, and web 22 b lays over a portion of the rear facing surface of the sheet material, adjacent its edge. Supportive edging 22 can be, for example, a J-channel where front side planar web 22 a is shorter than rear side planar web 22 b. In one embodiment, the side planar web on the rear side, web 22 b, includes a protruding flange 22 d that projects away from the channel. Protruding flange 22 d can serve as the coupling structure where edging is coupled to studs, such as by use of fasteners.
Air vapour barrier membrane 26 overlies the front facing planar surface of sheet material 18. The air vapour barrier membrane is further wrapped around the perimeter edges 18 a, 18 b and 18 c. In particular, air vapour barrier member 26 is folded from the front facing planar surface of sheet material 18, around the edge such that the member overlies a portion of the rear facing planar surface of the sheet material. That member 26 is then terminated at a terminal edge 26′ on the rear facing planar surface. As such air vapour barrier membrane 26 is substantially continuous across the front facing planar surface, around the edges and on a border adjacent the perimeter edges of the rear facing planar side. The border formed by membrane 26 adjacent the perimeter edges 18 a, 18 b, 18 c on the rear facing side is 2-5 inches (5-10 cm) from the sheet material edge and the terminal edge 26′ of the membrane.
In one embodiment, the air vapour barrier membrane 26 is wrapped over, for example outwardly of, supportive edging 22. As such, the supportive edging is positioned between the sheet material and the air vapour barrier membrane. In one embodiment, the air vapour barrier overlies front side planar web 22 a, extends across end wall 22 c and the terminal edge 26′ of the air vapour barrier membrane is secured onto the exposed surface of rear side planar web 22 b adjacent the protruding flange 20 d. As such, the air vapour barrier border and terminal edge 26′ is visible and accessible on the rear facing surface of the wall panel unit.
Membrane 26 is adhered to the sheet material 18 and edging 22. In one embodiment, the membrane is self-adhered to the unit. The entire inward surface of the membrane may have an adhesive coating such that the air vapour barrier membrane can be self-adhered over substantially its entire back side where it contacts the sheet material 18, edging 22, etc.
If there are glazing or other openings in the sheet material 18, the air vapour barrier membrane is terminated in an appropriate matter at the openings.
Air vapour barrier membrane 26 is substantially vapour and air impermeable. The membrane may be constructed of a resilient, such as elastomeric, polymer, such as rubber or plastic. The membrane may be a rubber or polymeric film.
Wall panel unit 14 also includes at least one of: side edge flashing 30 and lower edge flashing 32. Side edge flashing 30 and lower edge flashing 32 are each attached on the front facing planar surface of the sheet material over, for example outwardly of, the air vapour barrier membrane 26.
If present, the side edge flashing 30 is attached along one or both of the side edges 18 c of the sheet material. The side edge flashing is elongate and extends along the length of the side edge on which it is attached. The side edge flashing has two parallel elongate sides. One of the elongate sides is secured to the front facing planar surface of sheet material 18 and the opposite elongate side extends laterally beyond the side edge 18 c of the sheet material. Therefore, side edge flashing 30 extends out laterally from and beyond the side edge of the sheet material. The side edge flashing may take various forms, but extends generally in plane or in a parallel plane with the front facing planar surface of the sheet material.
The lower edge flashing 32, if present, is attached along the lower edge 18 b of the sheet material. The lower edge flashing is elongate and extends along the length of the lower edge. The lower edge flashing has two parallel elongate sides. One of the elongate sides is secured to the front facing planar surface of sheet material 18 and the opposite elongate side extends laterally beyond the lower edge 18 b. Therefore, lower edge flashing 32 extends downwardly from and beyond the lower edge of the sheet material. The lower edge flashing may be shaped in various ways, For example, the lower downwardly projecting side can generally extend in plane or in a parallel plane with the front facing planar surface of the sheet material, can define protruding lip 32 a.
The wall panel unit 14 may also include a second membrane 36 over the front facing planar surface of the sheet material 18. The second membrane is positioned outwardly of the air vapour barrier, such that the air vapour barrier is located between the sheet material and the second membrane. Second membrane 36 is located on the sheet material or lapped on flashings to shed exterior moisture. Second membrane 36 can also be a resilient, elastomeric film applied by adhesives.
Each wall unit may include further materials on the front facing side, such as insulation, wall cladding, etc. Insulation 38, for example, installed over the air vapour barrier membrane 26 is illustrated in FIG. 4B. The further materials may be installed on the wall panel unit at the factory or at other times such as for example, after installation to a building structure.
A wall 10 is constructed with a plurality of the wall panel units 14 installed side by side and one above the other, as shown in FIG. 1 . The plurality of wall units in the wall have their sheet material portions substantially in plane with one another. In the wall 10, a wall panel is positioned adjacent to, but spaced from, the wall panels surrounding it. In particular, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , there is a horizontal gap G1 between the sheet material 18 of one wall panel unit and the sheet material of an adjacent wall panel unit alongside and, as shown in FIG. 3 , there is a vertical gap G2 between the sheet material 18 of one wall panel unit and the sheet material of the wall panel unit below. The gaps are present along the entire side edges and the entire upper and lower edges of the wall panels in the wall.
Gaps G1 and G2 accommodate floor slab deflection and inter-story drift, such as during seismic events, so the sheets of sheet material in the wall can move without contacting each other. Gaps G1, G2 can each be 1-3 inches (2.5-7.5 cm) across.
To complete the air vapour barrier for the building wall, air vapour barrier membrane strips 40 are installed across the gaps G1, G2. The membrane strips are solid strips of air vapour barrier membrane and are installed to extend from rear facing planar surface to rear facing planar surface of adjacent sheet materials. Membrane strips 40 each are coupled on one elongate side to the air vapour barrier membrane 26 on the perimeter 18′ of one panel and are connected on the other elongate side to the air vapour barrier membrane 26 on an immediately adjacent, horizontally or vertically-spaced, panel. There is a seal between each membrane strip and the rear-facing borders of air vapour barrier membrane 26 it contacts. In one embodiment, each membrane strip is applied with a seal between it and the air vapour barrier border against which the membrane strip is applied. In one embodiment, a sealant 42, such as a line of sealant, is positioned between the membrane strip and the air vapour barrier border to thereby create a seal between them, which is a portion of the building's overall air vapour barrier. An enlarged view is shown in FIG. 5 .
In one embodiment, membrane strips are coupled to the sheet material via a plurality of fasteners 46 secured along lengthwise edges 40′ of the vapour barrier membrane strips. The fasteners are driven through the membrane strip, through the air vapour barrier membrane and into the rear facing side of the sheet material. A sealant 50 is applied over the fasteners 46 to ensure that the air vapour barrier is not compromised. In one embodiment, the edges 40′ of the membrane strip are reinforced to better receive coupling by way of fasteners. For example, a durable strip 52, such as of metal can be positioned along lengthwise edges 40′ through which the fasteners can be secured. In one embodiment, the membrane wraps around both sides of the metal strip such that the metal strip is embedded in the membrane strip edge. With such an embodiment, air vapour barrier membrane strip 40 becomes clamped between the metal strip and the border of air vapour barrier membrane 26 on perimeter flange 18′.
Thus, the constructed wall 10 has a complete air vapour barrier comprising the air vapour barrier membrane 26 on the individual wall panels and the membrane strips 40 that span the gaps between the wall panels.
Because the membrane strips are installed on the back-facing side of the wall panels, the resulting air vapour barrier is readily visible and accessible and can be inspected and verified for quality compliance. In fact, visual inspection from the interior of the building can be undertaken. Being conducted from the interior of the building, the inspection is relatively safe and is possible even when finishes are complete on the exterior.
Membrane strips 40 are formed of a material that is flexible and substantially impermeable to vapour and air. For example, in one embodiment, membrane strips are formed of a resilient, elastomeric polymer such as rubber.
When the wall panel units are constructed into a wall, side edge flashing 30 and lower edge flashing 32 span the gaps G1, G2 between the front-facing planar surfaces of adjacent wall panels. Lower edge flashing 32 is positioned to extend down over an upper edge of a vertically adjacent wall panel below.
Flashings 30, 32 mitigate moisture ingress to the gaps G1, G2.
With reference to FIGS. 4A and 4B, to construct a wall using the wall panel units, the process involves repeatedly installing adjacent wall units to the building structure. A first wall unit 14 a is installed via its studs onto the building structure B and adjacent thereto a second wall unit 14 b is installed via its studs onto the building structure B. The sheet materials 18 of the two wall units are positioned substantially coplanar, but the edges 18 a of the sheet materials are spaced apart G2. A membrane strip 40 is applied to seal against the borders of the air vapour barrier membrane 26 that are exposed on the rear facing side at perimeters 18′. In particular, a seal 42 is applied between the lengthwise edge 40′ of membrane strip 40 and membrane 26 and fasteners 46 are installed to clamp membrane strip 40 to the sheet material and against membrane 26. Sealant 48 is applied over the fasteners to seal against any leaks at the fasteners. The installation of strip 40 can be from the interior of the building, where only the rear (interior) facing surfaces of the wall panels need be accessed.
This completes the air vapour barrier from wall unit to wall unit to create the building's overall air vapour barrier. To confirm that the air vapour barrier is properly installed, an inspection can be made from within the building by viewing the area where two panel units are installed side by side. Since the rear facing side border of each sheet of sheet material overhangs beyond its studs, it can be readily accessed and viewed. This being the location of the vapour barrier membrane strip, the proper placement and sealing of the strip can be verified.
The flashing 32 are lapped over the front facing side of adjacent wall panels, to span the gap G2 on the front facing. Although not illustrated, flashing 30 is also lapped over the front facing side of a side by side installation.
The above detailed description of example embodiments is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit this disclosure and claims to the precise forms disclosed above. While specific examples of, and examples for, embodiments are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the technology, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize.

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A wall panel comprising:

a plurality of studs;

a sheet of sheet material including a rear facing side, the rear facing side mounted against the plurality of studs, the sheet material including perimeter edges and a perimeter portion of the sheet material extending beyond the plurality of studs to define a perimeter border on the rear facing side;

a supportive edging on the perimeter edges of the sheet material and coupled to the studs;

a layer of air vapour barrier membrane on a front facing side of the sheet of material, the layer of air vapour barrier membrane wrapped around the perimeter edges and being exposed on the perimeter portion; and

at least one of: a side edge flashing and a lower edge flashing.

2. The wall panel of claim 1 wherein the sheet of sheet material is selected from drywall, wood or metal.

3. The wall panel of claim 1 wherein the supportive edging is an elongate, channel-type structure formed of durable metal or plastic.

4. The wall panel of claim 3 wherein the supportive edging includes a front side planar web extending over a portion of the front facing surface of the sheet material and rear side planar web extending over a portion of the rear facing surface of the sheet material and an end wall connecting the front side planar web and the rear side planar web.

5. The wall panel of claim 1 wherein the air vapour barrier membrane is wrapped over the supportive edging, such that the supportive edging is positioned between the sheet of sheet material and the air vapour barrier membrane.

6. The wall panel of claim 1 wherein the air vapour barrier membrane is self-adhered to the sheet of sheet material.

7. The wall panel of claim 1 further comprising a second membrane on the front facing side of the sheet of sheet material, the second membrane being positioned outwardly of the air vapour barrier, such that the air vapour barrier membrane is located between the sheet of sheet material and the second membrane.

8. The wall panel of claim 1 further comprising at least one of insulation and wall cladding on the front facing side overlying the air vapour barrier membrane.

9. A method for constructing a wall with an air vapour barrier, the method comprising:

installing a first wall panel unit comprising a sheet of sheet material and a layer of air vapour barrier membrane on a front facing side of the sheet of sheet material, the layer of air vapour barrier membrane being wrapped around perimeter edges of the sheet of sheet material and forming a first border of membrane exposed on a perimeter portion of a rear facing side of the sheet of sheet material;

installing a second wall panel unit comprising a piece of sheet material and a layer of air vapour barrier membrane on a front facing side of the piece of sheet material, the layer of air vapour barrier membrane being wrapped around perimeter edges of the piece of sheet material and forming a second border of membrane exposed on a perimeter portion of the rear facing side of the piece of sheet material, the second wall panel unit spaced from the first wall panel unit to define a gap between them; and

installing an air vapour barrier membrane strip to span the gap, where installing includes sealing a first lengthwise edge of the strip against the first border and sealing an opposite, second lengthwise edge of the strip against the second border.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein sealing a first lengthwise edge includes positioning a line of sealant on the first border and applying the first lengthwise edge onto the line of sealant.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising installing a plurality of fasteners through membrane strip and the first border and into engagement with the sheet of sheet material.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising applying a seal over the plurality of fasteners.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising arranging a flashing that extends laterally from the sheet of sheet material to span the gap.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising inspecting the installed air vapour barrier membrane strip from an interior of a building on which the wall is installed.

15. A building exterior wall comprising:

a first wall panel unit comprising a first sheet of sheet material and a layer of air vapour barrier membrane on a front facing side of the first sheet of sheet material, the layer of air vapour barrier membrane wrapped around perimeter edges of the first sheet of sheet material and forming a first border of membrane exposed on a perimeter portion of a rear facing side of the first sheet of sheet material;

a second wall panel unit comprising a second sheet of sheet material and a layer of air vapour barrier membrane on a front facing side of the second sheet of sheet material, the layer of air vapour barrier membrane wrapped around perimeter edges of the second sheet of sheet material and forming a second border of membrane exposed on a perimeter portion of a rear facing side of the second sheet of sheet material, the second wall panel unit spaced from the first wall panel unit by a gap; and

an air vapour barrier membrane strip at the gap, where a first lengthwise edge of the strip is sealed against the first border and an opposite, second lengthwise edge of the strip is sealed against the second border.

16. The building exterior wall of claim 15, further comprising a sealant between the first border and the first lengthwise edge, a fastener passing through the sealant and coupling the membrane strip to the sheet of sheet material and a seal over the fastener.

17. The building exterior wall of claim 15, further comprising a reinforcement member along the first lengthwise edge and the fastener is driven through the reinforcement member.

18. The building exterior wall of claim 15, further comprising a flashing extending laterally from the sheet of sheet material and spanning the gap.