Flexible Flashing Material And Method of Manufacture

Abstract

A flashing material for a building structure is provided. The flashing material includes a flexible water-resistive membrane having an upper textured surface with a series of separate, laterally paced-apart, elongate spacers bonded thereto. The elongate spacers can be polymeric filaments that define an air space and drainage paths across the upper surface of the membrane. Preferably, the filaments have a series of depressions formed therein that provide transverse drainage paths across the filaments. Sill, decking and other building structure assemblies and methods of making the flashing material are provided.

1 . A flashing material for a building structure, comprising:
 a flexible water-resistive membrane; and   a series of separate, laterally spaced-apart, elongate spacers bonded to an upper surface of said membrane, said elongate spacers being polymeric filaments and defining an air space and drainage paths across the upper surface of said membrane.   
     
     
         2 . A flashing material according to  claim 1 , wherein said filaments are of a thickness that projects to a predetermined height above said upper surface of said membrane and that defines a thickness of said air space above said upper face of said membrane, and wherein said filaments have a series of depressions formed therein that do not extend to said predetermined height and that provide said drainage paths which extend transversely across said filaments. 
     
     
         3 . A flashing material according to  claim 2 , wherein said series of depressions are located at spaced intervals along a length of each filament and are formed by flattened sections of said filaments, and wherein each filament is continuous and consists of an alternating array of said flattened sections and non-flattened full-size sections of said filament. 
     
     
         4 . A flashing material according to  claim 3 , wherein said filaments are thermally bonded to said membrane and do not intersect. 
     
     
         5 . A flashing material according to  claim 4 , wherein said membrane has a multi-layer construction and includes an upper layer made of a sheet of polymeric material having a textured upper surface to which said filaments are bonded and a lower adhesive layer providing said membrane with a self-stick property. 
     
     
         6 . A flashing material according to  claim 5 , further comprising a release sheet covering said underside of said adhesive layer whereby said adhesive layer is exposed when said release sheet is removed from said membrane. 
     
     
         7 . A flashing material according to  claim 6 , further comprising an elongate flexible wedge secured to a rear edge portion of said underside of said membrane to provide said membrane with a forward slope from its rear edge toward its front edge. 
     
     
         8 . A flashing material according to  claim 7 , wherein said elongate wedge has opposite ends defining opposite end sections of said membrane, and wherein said filaments extend in a direction substantially from one end section of said membrane to said opposite end section of said membrane. 
     
     
         9 . A flashing material according to  claim 8 , wherein said wedge is made of an openwork mat of polymeric filaments. 
     
     
         10 . An assembly of a building opening, comprising:
 framework defining an opening in an exterior wall of a building, said framework including a sill member extending between opposite upright framing members;   one or more outer sheathing members applied to the wall surrounding said opening; and   a flexible water-resistive membrane applied over said sill member and being folded over a front edge of said opening onto said outer sheathing member, said membrane having a series of separate, laterally spaced-apart, elongate spacers bonded to an upper surface of said membrane, said elongate spacers being polymeric filaments and defining an air space and drainage paths across said upper surface of said membrane;   each of said filaments extending generally in a direction from said one upright framing member to said other upright framing member along the length of said sill member of said opening.   
     
     
         11 . An assembly according to  claim 10 , wherein said filaments are of a thickness that projects to a predetermined height above said upper surface of said membrane and that defines a thickness of said air space above said upper face of said membrane, and wherein said filaments have a series of depressions formed therein that do not extend to said predetermined height and that provide said drainage paths which extend transversely across said filaments. 
     
     
         12 . An assembly according to  claim 11 , wherein said series of depressions are located at spaced intervals along a length of each filament and are formed by flattened sections of said filaments, herein each filament is continuous and consists of an alternating array of said flattened sections and non-flattened full-size sections of said filament, and wherein said filaments do not intersect. 
     
     
         13 . An assembly according to  claim 12 , wherein said membrane has a multi-layer construction and includes an upper layer made of a sheet of polymeric material having a textured upper surface to which said filaments are thermally bonded and a lower adhesive layer providing said membrane with a self-stick property. 
     
     
         14 . An assembly according to  claim 13 , wherein said underside of said membrane is adhesively secured to said sill member and said outer sheathing by said adhesive layer. 
     
     
         15 . An assembly according to  claim 14 , further comprising an elongate wedge or backdam secured to said sill member underneath a rear edge portion of said membrane to provide said membrane with a forward slope from its rear edge toward its front edge. 
     
     
         16 . An assembly according to  claim 15 , further comprising a window installed within said opening over said sill member and said membrane, and wherein said air space and said drainage paths are provided between said membrane and a lowermost framing element of said window. 
     
     
         17 . An assembly according to  claim 16 , further comprising:
 at least one additional membrane identical to that applied over said sill member that is applied over a window flange extending from said window adjacent at least one of the jambs or header of the window; and   an exterior window trim member applied over said at least one additional membrane.   
     
     
         18 . A method of assembling a window opening in a wall of a building, comprising:
 installing framework defining an opening in an exterior wall of a building, the framework including a sill member extending between opposite upright framing members;   applying outer sheathing members to the wall about the opening; and   securing a flexible water-resistive membrane over the sill member and folding a front edge of the membrane onto the outer sheathing member extending below the sill member, said membrane having a series of separate, laterally spaced-apart, elongate spacers bonded to an upper surface of the membrane, the elongate spacers being polymeric filaments and defining an air space and drainage paths across the upper surface of the membrane, each of the filaments extending generally in a direction from the one upright framing member to the other upright framing member along the length of the sill member of the opening.   
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 18 , further comprising a step of installing a flanged window within the opening over the sill member and the membrane. 
     
     
         20 . A method of making a flashing material for a sill of an opening in an exterior wall of a building, comprising the steps of:
 bonding a series of separate, laterally spaced-apart, elongate polymeric filaments on an upper textured surface of a flexible water-resistive membrane; and   flattening said filaments at spaced intervals to create drainage paths extending transversely across said filaments.   
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 20 , wherein said water-resistive membrane is made of a polymeric material, wherein, during said bonding step, said extruded polymeric filaments are thermally bonded to said membrane, and further comprising the step of applying a layer of adhesive on an underside of said membrane and thereafter applying a release sheet to the underside of said membrane to cover said layer of adhesive.