Wall attachment system comprised of a wood fastener and method involving suspension

Abstract

A wood fastener according to principles of the invention comprises a wood unit having at least one upper and one lower groove. The grooves are offset. The grooves have sufficient depth and width to allow a nail or similar fastener to extend therethrough and also allow passage of a reciprocating saw blade. The side ends are trimmed to mesh with furring strips. The fastener includes one or more starter holes to facilitate use by guiding placement and insertion of screws or nails. In use, the fastener attaches a movable wall to bracing provided in finished walls and ceilings of a room. To facilitate removal of the fastener for rearrangement of the wall, nails or screws extending through the grooved sections of the fastener may be cut using a reciprocating saw. A method for using the fastener is also provided.

1 . A fastener used for attaching a wall to a structure, said fastener comprising:
 a body comprised of a construction material, said body having a top and a bottom;   a top groove formed in the top of the body, said top groove having a first depth and a first width;   a bottom groove formed in the bottom of the body, said bottom groove having a second depth and a second width;   the top groove and the bottom groove being unaligned and not overlapping; and   the first width and the second width each being sufficient to accommodate a nail and a reciprocating saw blade.   
     
     
         2 . A method of providing a room with a movable nonbearing wall, said room having a room height and a room width, a ceiling, a floor and at least a pair of opposed walls, and said movable wall comprising a wood framework and gypsum wallboard, said method comprising steps of:
 constructing the room with bracing, said bracing comprising support structures at the ceiling and at each of the pair of opposed walls, where the movable nonbearing wall may be attached,   finishing the ceiling and walls before the movable nonbearing wall is attached, said step of finishing concealing the bracing;   providing a plurality of removable fasteners, said removable fasteners each having a fastener height and width;   providing a movable nonbearing wall having a wall height and a wall width less than the room height and room width, the difference between the wall height and room height being about twice the height of each removable fastener, the difference between the wall width and the room width being about twice the height of each removable fastener,   attaching the plurality of removable fasteners to the removable wall and to the bracing, said fasteners being disposed between the movable wall and the bracing at least at the ceiling and the pair of opposed walls.   
     
     
         3 . A method of providing a room with a movable nonbearing wall according to  claim 2 , wherein the room has been constructed with bracing in at least two locations where the moveable wall may be attached, and said room is further constructed with an electrical system, HVAC system, window, door frame and fire safety device configured to maintain utility of said electrical system, HVAC system, window, door frame and fire safety device regardless of the location at which the movable nonbearing wall is attached to the bracing. 
     
     
         4 . A method of providing a room with a movable nonbearing wall according to  claim 2 , wherein the moveable wall is temporarily suspended above the floor by attaching the moveable wall to bracing along the opposed walls and ceiling, allowing flooring to be installed beneath the moveable wall. 
     
     
         5 . A method of providing a room with a movable nonbearing wall according to  claim 2 , further comprising an connecting electrical receptacle at bracing at one of the pair of opposed walls, a conduit from said connecting electrical receptacle to an adjacent source electrical receptacle to which electric power is supplied, a conduit extending in said moveable wall from a receiving electrical receptacle to an edge of the wall adjacent to the connecting electrical receptacle, said conduits allowing electric cable to electrically couple the source electrical receptacle to the receiving electrical receptacle via the connecting electrical receptacle. 
     
     
         6 . A wood fastener as described in the detailed description above. 
     
     
         7 . A wood fastener as depicted in the figures. 
     
     
         8 . A method of using a wood fastener to install and remove a wall as described in the detailed description above. 
     
     
         9 . A movable wall, removably attached to a support structure via a wood fastener as described in the detailed description above. 
     
     
         10 . A suspended wall having a top edge, a bottom edge and two side edges, the bottom edge being elevated above a floor, and at least one of the top edge and the side edges being fastened to a support structure. 
     
     
         11 . A movable wall, removably attached to a support structure via a wood fastener as shown in the figures. 
     
     
         12 . A wood fastener used for attaching a wall to another wall, ceiling or floor, and which has grooves on opposite sides to enable screws or nails to be cut or pried so that a fastener can be removed. 
     
     
         13 . The fastener of  claim 1  in which notches are routed into four corners of the fastener where furring strips can be tacked to support edges of drywall affixed to a movable wall. 
     
     
         14 . The fastener of  claim 1  in which at least one long edge is routed to act as a guide to move a wall into place on a wood fastener. 
     
     
         15 . The fastener of  claim 1  in which two predrilled voids serve as guides for a nail or screw in a first and second use as the nail or screw passes through drywall and an underlying stud and in which the voids guide the nail or screw at such an angle where both the wood fastener cannot rotate on gypsum finish and where the nails or screws will be completely embedded in wood on the opposite side of gypsum. 
     
     
         16 . The fastener of  claim 1  in which a wood fastener is painted a bright color on its edges so that they will be noticed when demolition begins. 
     
     
         17 . The fastener of  claim 1  in which a “center” line is marked on the fastener. 
     
     
         18 . The fastener of  claim 1  in which the fastener has instructional markings on it to aid in application and removal. 
     
     
         19 . The fastener of  claim 1  in which a predrilled void is provided so that the fastener can be temporarily used as a jig to position nails or screws that will be toenailed through the movable wall's top or bottom plate or end studs into a fastener. 
     
     
         20 . The fastener of  claim 1  in which one or more voids is predrilled laterally through the fastener so that it can be used to attach a wall flush against another wall at the wall's bottom plate so that finished flooring isn't damaged or top plate so that the finished ceiling isn't damaged.