Panel siding assembly with spacing and positioning elements and method

Abstract

A panel siding assembly adapted to be mounted to an outside surface of a wall in a manner to provide an air space between the siding assembly and the wall so that moist air in the air space is able to escape from the air space. The assembly comprises a plurality of laterally aligned panels having upper and lower panel edge portions and outside and inside surfaces. The panels are located at vertically spaced locations so that each pair of upper and lower adjacent panels are positioned so that an upper front surface portion of the lower panel of the pair is adjacent to a lower rear surface portion of the upper panel of the pair at a laterally extending juncture location. There is a plurality of spacing and locating devices which are positioned at spaced locations along the juncture location.

1 . A panel siding assembly adapted to be mounted to an outside surface of a wall in a manner to provide an air space between the siding assembly and the wall so that moist air in the air space is able to escape from the air space, said assembly comprising:
 a) a plurality of laterally aligned panels having upper and lower panel edge portions and outside and inside surfaces, said panels being located at vertically spaced locations in a manner that each pair of upper and lower adjacent panels are positioned so that an upper front surface portion of the lower panel of the pair is adjacent to a lower rear surface portion of the upper panel of the pair at a laterally extending juncture location; and   b) a plurality of spacing and locating devices which are positioned at spaced locations along the juncture location, each spacing and locating device comprising a spacing portion which has bearing engagement with the outside surface of the wall to space at least one of the panel from the outside surface of the wall and a positioning portion to locate relative vertical location of the device with at least one of the panels of an adjacent pair of panels or relative location of two adjacent panels to each other.   
   
   
       2 . The panel siding assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the positioning portion of at least some of the devices comprises a downwardly facing recess to position an upper portion of a lower panel of its related pair. 
   
   
       3 . The assembly as recited in  claim 2 , wherein there is a retaining member extending downwardly from a location adjacent to said recess. 
   
   
       4 . The assembly as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said retaining member also comprises a support portion which has an upwardly facing support surface to provide support for an adjacent panel. 
   
   
       5 . The assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said positioning portion comprises an upwardly extending retaining member that provides an upwardly facing slot to position a lower end portion of an adjacent panel. 
   
   
       6 . The assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein there is at least one spacing and locating device which is positioned in bearing relationship to an adjacent wall portion and has a downwardly facing retaining member to retain an upper end of an adjustable panel, and said upper end of the panel has a fastener extending through the panel and through the spacing and retaining member to extend into the wall so that the upper end of the panel is attached to the wall. 
   
   
       7 . The assembly as recited in  claim 6 , wherein there is a spacing portion which has a downwardly facing slanted surface which has a narrow lower end portion to be able to become moved into a space between the spacing member and the wall to facilitate positioning of the spacing member. 
   
   
       8 . The assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said spacing and locating device comprises a downwardly extending slot-like opening to receive an upper end portion of a lower panel, and there is a yielding stop-member capable of engaging an upper end portion of the lower panel to position it at a lower location to provide a gap above the panel, and said positioning member is able to yield if there is later expansion of the panel. 
   
   
       9 . The assembly as recited in  claim 1 , wherein at least some of said spacing and locating devices comprises a spacing and locating device designed to minimize heat transfer through the device to reduce probability of a fire or the like damaging a structure, said heat resistant device comprising a spacing section, a spacing element having side portions extending from the spacing element to the wall, with at least some of said side portions having extending thin spacing portions which have a small thickness dimension and a small edge contact region with the outer surface of the wall. 
   
   
       10 . The combination as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said devices of  claim 9  comprises a central member which is generally aligned with, and spaced from the outer surface of the wall, and has on at least two of its side edges outwardly extending flanges having outer edge portions which are in contact with the outer surface of the wall structure. 
   
   
       11 . The assembly as recited in  claim 10 , wherein said device has its surface areas with through-openings comprising at least about one half of the total area so that air could circulate through the air space of the assembly. 
   
   
       12 . A method of mounting a plurality of panels to an outside surface of a wall in a manner to provide a panel siding assembly with an air space between the siding assembly and the wall so that moist air in the air space is able to escape from the air space, said method comprising:
 a) providing a plurality of laterally aligned panels having upper and lower panel edge portions and outside and inside surfaces, and placing said panels sequentially at vertically spaced locations at a location spaced from said outside wall surface in a manner that each pair of upper and lower adjacent panels are positioned so that an upper front surface portion of the lower panel of the pair is adjacent to a lower rear surface portion of the upper panel of the pair at a laterally extending juncture location; and   b) providing a plurality of spacing and locating devices and positioning these at spaced locations along the juncture locations of the panels, with each spacing and locating device comprising a spacing portion which is in bearing engagement with the outside surface of the wall to position the lower end portion of the upper panel of its related pair and a positioning portion which locates relative positions between some of the two panels and the device.   
   
   
       13 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , wherein the positioning portion of at least some of the spacing and locating devices comprises a downwardly facing recess and an upper portion of a lower panel of its related pair is inserted in the recess. 
   
   
       14 . The method as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the positioning portion comprises a retaining member extending downwardly from a location adjacent to said recess, and an upper edge portion of the panel is inserted to be adjacent to this retaining member. 
   
   
       15 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , said positioning portion comprises a support portion which has an upwardly facing support to provide support for an adjacent panel surface, and utilizing said support surface to support a lower end portion of the related panel. 
   
   
       16 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , further comprising positioning an upwardly extending retaining member to define with another member of the positioning portion an upwardly facing slot and positioning a lower end portion of an adjacent panel in the slot. 
   
   
       17 . The method as recited in  claim 12 , comprising at least one spacing and locating device which is positioned in bearing relationship to an adjacent wall portion and has a downwardly facing retaining member to retain an upper end of an adjustable panel, and said upper end of the panel has a fastener extending through the panel and through the spacing and retaining member to extend into the wall so that the upper end of the panel is attached to the wall. 
   
   
       18 . A spacing and locating device adapted for use in mounting panels to an outside surface of a wall in a manner to provide an air space between the siding assembly and the wall so that moist air in the air space is able to escape from the air space, where the assembly comprises:
 a) a plurality of laterally aligned panels having upper and lower panel edge portions and outside and inside surfaces,   b) said panels being located at vertically spaced locations in a manner that each pair of upper and lower adjacent panels are positioned so that an upper front surface portion of the lower panel of the pair is adjacent to a lower rear surface portion of the upper panel of the pair at a laterally extending juncture location;   
     said spacing and positioning device comprising;
 a) said spacing and positioning device being adapted to be used as one a plurality of said spacing and locating devices which are positioned at spaced locations along the juncture locations of the panels; 
 b) each spacing and locating device comprising a spacing element which is in bearing engagement with the outside surface of the wall to space at least one of the panel from the outside surface of the wall and a positioning portion to locate relative vertical location of the device with at least one of the panels of an adjacent pair of panels or relative location of two adjacent panels to each other. 
 
   
   
       20 . The spacing and locating device as recited in  claim 18 , wherein said spacing and locating device comprises a spacing and locating device designed to minimize heat transfer through the device to reduce probability of a fire or the like damaging a structure, said heat resistant device comprising a spacing section, with spacing elements which are extending from said panel as said side portions, said spacing elements comprising thin spacing portions which have a small thickness dimension and a small edge contact region with the outer surface of the wall to limit heat transfer.