IES20070109A2 - A cladding system - Google Patents

Abstract

A cladding system for a building structure includes a number of overlapping cladding panels (20) mounted on a support frame (11,12,14) fixed to the exterior of a wall (10) of the building structure. Adjacent panels (20) have cooperating shaped edges (23,24) which nest together and capture a sealing strip (26) therebetween. The cladding panels (20) are mounted on the exterior of the building structure in vertically spaced-apart rows with a string course between each row of panels (20). <Figure 5>

Description

This invention relates to a cladding system for cladding the exterior of a building.

The invention particularly relates to an exterior cladding system of the type in which a plywood skin is mounted by a support frame on an exterior of a building structure, and then an outer metal skin formed by a plurality of thin metal panels is affixed to the outside of the inner plywood skin which forms a support for the thin metal panels. The metal panels may for example be of copper, zinc or aluminium material and may be employed to provide an aesthetically pleasing feature on the building, for example in penthouse constructions in apartment blocks or office blocks.

Typically a sealing strip is mounted in the joint between overlapping side edges of the metal panels. However, difficulties can arise in retaining the sealing strip properly in between the joint during construction and in use the sealing strip can sometimes work itself out of the joint.

The metal panels are also typically overlapped at top and bottom edges. This can present a problem if one panel becomes damaged and needs to be replaced, necessitating the removal of a number of panels from the top of a clad wall down to the damaged panel to allow replacement of the damaged panel.

Another problem arises in fixing the cladding at an ope surround for a window for example. The window generally has to be mounted in the ope after the cladding has been mounted on the building to provide the necessary seal with an aesthetically pleasing finish. This requirement delays progress on construction as the services such as plumbing and electricity are not installed until the building is effectively weatherproof and the opes are closed by installation of the windows and doors.

The present invention is directed towards overcoming these problems.

IE Ο 7 Ο 1 Ο 8 -2Summary of the Invention According to the invention there is provide a system for cladding a building, including the steps: mounting a support frame on an exterior of a building structure, said support frame including a plurality of spaced-apart parallel horizontal rails and a plurality of associated spaced-apart parallel vertical mullions; mounting a plywood inner skin on an exterior of the support frame, said plywood inner skin being formed by a plurality of plywood panels fixed to the support frame; said plywood inner skin being spaced-apart from the exterior of the building structure to define a ventilated cavity between an inside face of the plywood inner skin and an outside face of the building structure; attaching a breathable weatherproof membrane to an exterior face of the plywood inner skin; mounting an outer metal skin of cladding panels on an exterior of the plywood inner skin outside the membrane; mounting the metal cladding panels on the exterior of the building structure in vertically spaced-apart rows with a string course between each row of panels; securing each panel on the plywood skin by means of a lower mounting bracket and an upper mounting bracket, said lower mounting bracket having an upright inner portion secured by fasteners to the plywood skin, an outwardly extending intermediate portion on which the panel sits projecting outwardly at a lower end of the inner portion and having at its outer edge a downwardly depending outer skirt with an inwardly folded lower lip; the upper mounting bracket having an upright inner portion secured hy IE Ο 7 Ο 10 9 -3fasteners to the plywood skin, an outwardly extending intermediate portion at a bottom of the inner portion, and a downwardly depending skirt at an outer end of the intermediate portion, said skirt overlapping and retaining a top of the panel; the string course being formed by metal string panels each having an upright inner portion secured by fasteners to the plywood skin and being overlapped by the lower mounting bracket supporting the row of metal panels above the string course, the string panel having an outwardly projecting flange at a bottom of the inner portion which sits on top of the intermediate portion of the upper mounting bracket of the row of panels below the string course, the flange terminating in a downwardly depending outer lip which overlies the skirt of the upper mounting bracket, a free end of the lip being turned upwardly inside the skirt.

In another embodiment the system includes overlapping and interconnecting the metal panels at their sides by means of stepped vertical side joints, said side joints comprising an inwardly extending L-shaped edge on one panel and a complementary inwardly extending C-shaped edge on the next adjacent panel defining a channel within which the L-shaped edge nests, fitting a sealing strip between the overlapping edges at an innermost portion of the channel and securing the panels together and to the inner plywood skin by fasteners mounted within the channel.

Detailed Description of the Invention The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is an elevational view of portion of a building incorporating the cladding system of the invention; Fig. 2 is an elevational view showing another portion of the building; IE Ο 7 Ο ι ο 9 -4Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation view showing the cladding system of the invention; Fig. 4 is a detail side sectional view showing portion of the cladding system; Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view showing a cladding arrangement at an ope according to the system of the invention; and Fig. 6 is a detail sectional plan view showing the cladding arrangement at the ope.

Figs. 1 and 2 show portion of an exterior of a building indicated generally by the reference numeral 1 which has been clad according to the system of the invention with thin metal cladding panels 2, 3, 4 mounted on a plywood support.

Referring to Fig. 3 the building structure has an outer blockwork wall 10, a plurality of spaced-apart parallel horizontal battens or rails 11 are mounted on an exterior of the wall 10. A plurality of associated spaced-apart parallel vertical mullions 12 are mounted between the rails 11. A marine grade plywood skin 14 is mounted on an exterior of the mullions 12 formed by a plurality of plywood panels affixed to the mullions 12. It will be noted that the plywood skin 14 is spaced-apart from the outer face of the wall 10 by the rails 11 and mullions 12 to define a ventilated cavity between an inside face 15 of the plywood skin 14 and an outside face 16 of the wall 10.

A breathable weatherproof membrane 18 is attached to and covers an exterior face of the plywood inner skin 14.

An outer metal skin of aluminium panels 20 is mounted on an exterior of the plywood inner skin 14 outside the membrane 18. The overlapping side connection or joint between adjacent aluminium panels 20 is best seen in Fig. 5. Adjacent panels 20 interconnect at side joints indicated generally by the reference numeral 22. Each side joint 22 is formed by an inwardly extending L-shaped edge 23 on ΙΕ Ο 7 ο 1 ο ί -5one panel 20 and a complementary inwardly extending C-shaped edge 24 on the next adjacent panel 20 defining a channel 25 within which the L-shaped edge 23 nests. A sealing strip 26 of resilient material is mounted between the overlapping edges 23, 24 at an innermost portion of the channel 25. Fasteners 28 mounted within the channel 25 secure the edges 23, 24 together and to the plywood skin 14. It will be appreciated that the sealing strip 26 is securely captured and retained at the inner end of the channel 25 and cannot be moved or displaced from the channel 25.

It will be noted from Fig. 3 that vertically spaced-apart rows of aluminium panels 20 are mounted on an exterior of the plywood skin 14 with matching aluminium string courses 30 between the rows of panels 20.

Referring to Fig. 4 each panel 20 is supported at its lower end on a lower mounting bracket 32 having an upright inner portion 33 which is secured by fasteners 34 to the plywood skin 14. The bracket 32 has an outwardly extending intermediate portion 35 on which the panel 20 sits. An outer skirt 36 projects downwardly at an outer edge of the intermediate portion 35 and has an upwardly folded lower lip 37. At an upper edge of each panel 20 the panel 20 is fixed by an upper mounting bracket 40 of similar profile to the lower bracket 32 but without the lip 37, having an upright inner portion 41 secured by a fastener 42 to the plywood skin 14, an outwardly extending intermediate portion 43 and a downwardly depending outer skirt 44 which retains a top of the panel 20 below the bracket 40.

It will be noted that the panels 20 are spaced apart vertically with a string panel 50 of the string course 30 therebetween. The string panel 50 has an upright inner portion 51 secured by a fastener 52 at its upper end to the plywood skin 14. A lower portion of the string panel 50 overlaps and follows the contour of the upper mounting bracket 40, having an outwardly extending flange 53 which overlies the intermediate portion 43 and an inwardly curved outer lip 54 which extends downwardly outside the skirt 44, a free end 55 of the lip 54 being turned upwardly inside the skirt 44. As the panels 20 do not themselves overlap at top or bottom, should any panel 20 become damaged it can easily be replaced without having to remove all the panels 20 above it. The only panel 20 removed is the actual |6 Ο 7 Ο 10 ® -6damaged panel 20 itself.

Referring now in particular to Figs. 5 and 6, the cladding mounting arrangement at a window ope 60 will be described. A metal window mounting plate 61 is mounted on the plywood skin 14 at each side of the ope 60 and secured to the plywood skin 14 by fasteners 62. As can be seen in Fig. 6 an edge portion 63 of the membrane 18 is overlapped over an outer edge of the mounting plate 61. An aluminium window frame 65 carrying a double glazed glass panel 66 is mounted within the ope 60 and is secured within the ope 60 by fasteners 67 which engage through the frame 65 and outwardly through the mounting plate 61 into the plywood skin 14. It will be noted that side faces 68 of the window frame 65 are spaced-apart from each mounting plate 61, leaving a small gap 69 there between. The window frame 65 can thus be mounted in each ope 60 to render the building effectively weatherproof so construction, fitting out and installation of services within the building can proceed. The outer cladding panels 20 can be fitted at a later date whenever convenient. In fitting the panel 20 at the ope 60 an innermost edge 72 of the panel 20 is inserted into the gap 69 left between the mounting plate 61 and the window frame 65. An inside face of said edge 72 is secured to an outer face of the mounting plate 61 by a bonding agent 74. An outer mastic seal 75 is formed between an outer edge of the window frame 65 and the panel 20. Inside the building an inner mastic seal 76 is formed between an inner edge of the window frame and plasterboard panels 78 cladding the wall 10 inside the building.

It will be appreciated that the mounting arrangement for the window frame according to the invention allows fitting of the window frame 65 in the ope 60 before cladding an exterior of the building with the outer metal panels 20, whilst at the same time avoiding having to overlap an edge of the panel 20 with the front face of the window frame 65 which would detract from the aesthetic appearance of the window frame 65.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the appended claims.

IB ¢7 Ο 10 8

Claims (3)

1. A system for cladding a building, including the steps: 5 mounting a support frame on an exterior of a building structure, said support frame including a plurality of spaced-apart parallel horizontal rails and a plurality of associated spaced-apart parallel vertical mullions; mounting a plywood inner skin on an exterior of the support frame, said 10 plywood inner skin being formed by a plurality of plywood panels fixed to the support frame; said plywood inner skin being spaced-apart from the exterior of the building structure to define a ventilated cavity between an inside face of 15 the plywood inner skin and an outside face of the building structure; attaching a breathable weatherproof membrane to an exterior face of the plywood inner skin; 20 mounting an outer metal skin of cladding panels on an exterior of the plywood inner skin outside the membrane; mounting the metal cladding panels on the exterior of the building structure in vertically spaced-apart rows with a string course between 25 each row of panels; securing each panel on the plywood skin by means of a lower mounting bracket and an upper mounting bracket, said lower mounting bracket having an upright inner portion secured by fasteners to the plywood 30 skin, an outwardly extending intermediate portion on which the panel sits projecting outwardly at a lower end of the inner portion and having at its outer edge a downwardly depending outer skirt with an inwardly folded lower lip; IE 07 0 10 9 -8the upper mounting bracket having an upright inner portion secured by fasteners to the plywood skin, an outwardly extending intermediate portion at a bottom of the inner portion, and a downwardly depending skirt at an outer end of the intermediate portion, said skirt overlapping 5 and retaining a top of the panel; the string course being formed by metal string panels each having an upright inner portion secured by fasteners to the plywood skin and being overlapped by the lower mounting bracket supporting the row of 10 metal panels above the string course, the string panel having an outwardly projecting flange at a bottom of the inner portion which sits on top of the intermediate portion of the upper mounting bracket of the row of panels below the string course, the flange terminating in a downwardly depending outer lip which overlies the skirt of the upper 15 mounting bracket, a free end of the lip being turned upwardly inside the skirt.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, including overlapping and interconnecting the metal panels at their sides by means of stepped vertical side joints, said side 20 joints comprising an inwardly extending L-shaped edge on one panel and a complementary inwardly extending C-shaped edge on the next adjacent panel defining a channel within which the L-shaped edge nests, fitting a sealing strip between the overlapping edges at an innermost portion of the channel and securing the panels together and to the inner plywood skin by 25 fasteners mounted within the channel.

3. A cladding system substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.