Thermal break wood stud with rigid insulation and wall framing system

Abstract

A thermal break wall system comprised of 36 thermal studs each comprised of two non-dimensional lumber sections with a thermal break section of rigid foam insulation therebetween. The studs are 24 on center. The studs are used for headers and sills and also may be used for top and bottom plates. The corners have an exterior all wood stud, an interior all wood stud and an interior all wood stud adjacent to the interior wood stud completing the interior corner for nailing gypsum board thereto. This corner has a thermal break space between the exterior and interior wood studs for insulation placement. The corners may also have two 36 thermal studs oriented 90 degrees from each other and an interior all wood stud for completing the interior corner for nailing gypsum board thereto. This corner arrangement also has a thermal break through its construction.

Claims

1. A 36 inch non-dimensional thermal break wood and rigid insulation stud, the 36 thermal stud comprising: a.) two non-dimensional lumber 32 inch sections each having dimensions which range from 1-1 inches (depth) by 2-3 inches (width) excluding 24 dimensional lumber with a thermal break section of rigid foam insulation positioned therebetween whose dimensions range from 2-3 inches (depth) by 2-3 inches (width); b.) mechanical fasteners securing the lumber sections and the thermal break insulation section together; and c.) wherein the 36 thermal stud is configured for placement in a wall to be at least one of (i) top and bottom plates, (ii) vertical wall studs secured between the plates, and (iii) headers, sills and cripples, of a framing system for residential and light commercial buildings.

2. The 36 inch non-dimensional thermal break wood and rigid insulation stud of claim 1, in combination with a thermal break corner having an exterior thermal break stud and an adjacent through-the-wall thermal break stud oriented 90 degrees from each other and an interior all wood stud for completing an inner wall corner section for nailing thereto with a thermal break space between the exterior thermal break stud and the interior wood stud for adding thermal insulation and the thermal break space continuing through the through-the-wall thermal break stud.

3. The 36 inch non-dimensional thermal break wood and rigid insulation stud of claim 1, in combination with a thermal break wall of said top and bottom plates of thermal break studs between which the thermal studs are vertically positioned and secured to the top and bottom plates and the headers and sills of the thermal break studs.

4. The 36 inch non-dimensional thermal break wood and rigid insulation stud of claim 1, further comprising a second thermal break stud having a 34 inch construction and including two non-dimensional lumber 31 inch sections whose dimensions range from 1-1 inches (depth) by 2-3 inches (width) excluding 24 dimensional lumber and a middle rigid foam insulation section whose dimensions range from -1 inches (depth) by 2-3 inches (width).

5. The 36 inch non-dimensional thermal break wood and rigid insulation stud of claim 1, wherein the 36 thermal stud comprises a plurality of the thermal break studs configured for placement in the wall, wherein the thermal break studs are vertically positioned in the wall up to 24 on center.

6. A thermal break wood and rigid insulation wall framing system for residential and light commercial buildings, comprising: a.) 36 inch thermal break studs each comprised of two non-dimensional lumber sections with a thermal break section of rigid foam insulation positioned therebetween, wherein the two non-dimensional lumber sections are each 32 all wood sections dimensions of which range from 1-1 inches (depth) by 2-3 inches (width) excluding 24 dimensional lumber and the thermal break section of the rigid foam insulation is a middle rigid foam insulation section having dimensions of which range from 2-3 inches (depth) by 2-3 inches (width); b.) mechanical fasteners securing the lumber sections and the insulation section together; and c.) a wall, wherein the thermal break studs are positioned in the wall and are at least one of (i) headers and sills and (ii) top and bottom plates of the wall and additional said thermal break studs are vertically positioned between and secured to the top and bottom plates.

7. The thermal break wood and rigid insulation wall framing system of claim 6 wherein the thermal break studs are vertically positioned up to 24 on center.

8. The thermal break wood and rigid insulation wall framing system of claim 6, further comprising a thermal break corner having an exterior thermal break stud and an adjacent through-the-wall thermal break stud oriented 90 degrees from each other and an interior all wood stud for completing an inner wall corner section for nailing thereto with a thermal break space between the exterior thermal break stud and the interior wood stud for adding thermal insulation and the thermal break space continuing through the through-the-wall thermal break stud.

9. The thermal break wood and rigid insulation wall framing system of claim 6, further comprising a second thermal break stud having a 34 inch construction and including two non-dimensional lumber 31 inch sections whose dimensions range from 1-1 inches (depth) by 2-3 inches (width) and a middle rigid foam insulation section whose dimensions range from -1 inches (depth) by 2-3 inches (width).

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a prior art top plan view of a wall and corner segment of conventional or standard construction showing R values through various portions of the walls;

(2) FIG. 2 is a prior art plan view of a standard 960 square feet building;

(3) FIG. 3 is a prior art standard rear wall elevational view of the building of FIG. 2;

(4) FIG. 4 is a prior art standard front wall elevational view of the building of FIG. 2;

(5) FIG. 5 is a prior art standard left side elevational view of the building of FIG. 2, the right side being a mirror image of the left side;

(6) FIG. 6 is a top plan view of a wall and corner segment of the present invention;

(7) FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a standard dimensional 26 stud along side of the 36 thermal stud (Tstud) of the present invention;

(8) FIG. 8 is a dimensional view of the 36 Tstud of the present invention;

(9) FIG. 9 is perspective view of a wall and corner segment construction of the present invention as shown in plan drawing of FIG. 6;

(10) FIG. 9A is perspective view of a wall and corner segment construction of the present invention as shown in FIG. 9 with illustrative insulation wrapping through the thermal break area;

(11) FIG. 10 is another perspective view of the wall and corner segment construction of the present invention as shown in plan drawing of FIG. 6 and FIG. 9;

(12) FIG. 11 is another perspective view of the wall and corner segment construction of the present invention as shown in plan drawing of FIG. 6 and FIGS. 9 and 10;

(13) FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the wall and corner segment construction of the present invention as shown in plan drawing of FIG. 6 using the Tstud as top and bottom plates forming a complete thermal break between the inside and outside wall and corner surfaces;

(14) FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a standard dimensional 24 stud alongside of a 34 Tstud of the present invention;

(15) FIG. 14 is a dimensional view of the 34 Tstud of the present invention;

(16) FIG. 15 is a top plan view of a second embodiment of the Tstud corner which is an inverted wall and corner segment of the present invention;

(17) FIG. 15A is a top plan view of a third embodiment of a Tstud corner segment of the present invention;

(18) FIG. 15B is a top plan view of a fourth embodiment of a Tstud corner segment of the present invention;

(19) FIG. 16 is a plan view of a 960 square feet building constructed out of the Tstud design and framing system of the present invention;

(20) FIG. 17 is a rear wall elevational view of the building in FIG. 16 using the Tstud design and system;

(21) FIG. 18 is a left side elevational view of the building in FIG. 16 using the Tstud design and system, the right side being a mirror image thereof; and

(22) FIG. 19 is a front wall elevational view of the building in FIG. 16 using the Tstud design and system;

DETAILED SPECIFICATION

(23) Referring to FIGS. 6 through 11, the thermals break Tstud design and wall system 60 of the present invention may be viewed, understood and compared with the standard stud wall system of FIGS. 1 through 5.

(24) Sectionally from the outside to inside of the Tstud wall building is firstly siding 62 on the outside of the building 60. Next there is an exterior air film 64 over the OSB plywood sheathing 66 which is nailed to the thermals break 36 Tstud 72 which has more nailing and/or gluing surface area than a dimensional 26 stud 22. That is, the Tstud 72 nailing surface is 3 compared to 2 of the standard 26 stud 22 which makes the carpenter's job of putting up the sheathing 66 more easy with correct nail locations. Next follows fiberglass batt insulation 68. In some cases, blown-in or sprayed-in insulation may be used. Illustratively, the R value efficiency calculations for the fiberglass batt insulation are based on Owens Corning (Toledo, Ohio) fiberglass insulation. Other fiberglass insulation manufacturers may have higher or lower R values.

(25) The 36 Tstud 72 construction includes a 32 all wood section 74 which may be specially made or ripped from a 26 stud 22. Dimensions of this all wood section 74 may range from 1-1 (depth)2-3 (width). A middle or sandwiched rigid foam insulation section 76 may range from 2-3 (depth)2-3 (width). The foam section 76 may be of expanded polystyrene or polyisocyanurate, or other suitable rigid foam or its equivalent. In fact, it is to be anticipated that rigid foams of yet even high R values are on the market now with more being created that are and will be suitable for use with the present invention. A second all wood 32 section 78 is similar to the first wood section 74. The foam may be glued to the wood sections 74 and 78 and may also be nailed together with a 5 nail 79 or screw or other mechanical fastener. The R value of the Tstud alone may range from 15.62-18.74 depending on rigid insulation type.

(26) After the insulation 68 is placed in the wall system 60, another interior air film 80 is suitably stapled to the Tstuds 72. Thereafter gypsum board, drywall or sheet rock 82 is nailed or screwed to the 3 faces of the Tstuds 72 finishing the inside of the building wall 60 except for paint or wall treatments.

(27) The Tstud corner 84 has an outer all wood 24 stud 86 and an inner all wood 24 stud 88 rotated 90 degrees from each other. An inside all wood 22 stud 90 is adjacent the inner stud 88 to complete the formation of the inside corner for nailing the gypsum board 82 thereto. By this arrangement, a thermal break 92 is formed in the Tstud corner 84 where fiberglass batt insulation 68 may be placed or spray-in insulation may be blown into the thermal break area 92. As shown in FIGS. 9 through 11, the thermal break wall system 60 is built in between 26 top and bottom plates 98 and 100 with vertical Tstuds 72 being nailed through these plates 98 and 100, 24 on center.

(28) As seen in FIGS. 9 through 11, the 36 Tstuds 72 have good integral strength and they may be used as headers 94 and sills 96 without the need for cripple studs 34 used in standard construction 10 shown in FIGS. 1 through 5 and described above. More specifically, a single Tstud 72 may be used as a header for up to 4 3 spans and two (or three) Tstuds 72 may be used for headers up to 8 6 in width with only back nailing through the Tstuds.

(29) FIG. 12 illustrates that the Tstuds 72 may also be used as top and bottom plates 102 and 104 thus completing the thermal break envelope for the entire building 60.

(30) From the plan view (FIG. 6) the Tstud design and thermal break wall system 60 has greatly improved R values that are: through the 26 Tstuds 72 of 18.53; through the header 94 of 18.53; average through the pocket corner 84 of 24.52; and through the insulated wall portion of 25.28. A comparison with the standard building 10 and the Tstud building 60 are in the following Table 1:

(31) TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 R VALUES Standard Thermal Wooden Break Wall Through Building Through System 2 6 Wall Stud 9.16 3 6 T Stud 18.53 2 6 Header 15.285 T Stud Header 18.53 Corner Average 11.63 T Stud Corner Average 24.52 Insulated Wall 21.28 Insulated Wall 25.28 Top/Bottom Plates 9.16 Top/Bottom Plates 18.53

(32) A comparison of labor cost savings with the standard building 10 and the Tstud building 60 are in the following Table 2:

(33) TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 CONSTRUCTION COST ESTIMATOR Labor Spacing BF Costs Number of Studs Standard 16 on center 109 7.95 $0.42 $363.95 Thermal Break Stud 24 on 63 7.95 $0.42 $210.36 center Difference savings in labor $153.59 Lineal Feet Standard Double top plate 256 0.6875 $0.69 $121.44 Thermal Break Stud Single 128 0.6875 $0.69 $60.72 top plate Difference saving in labor $60.72 Preferred method of $214.31 Labor framing a Tstud savings Energy Wall Labor Costs per Board Foot (BF) of Lumber, Exterior Wall Model House 960 square feet and 128 lineal feet around perimeter, 8 foot tall wall According to RS Means Construction Data 2009 Labor costs at $30 per hour

(34) Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, a 34 thermal break Tstud 110 may be viewed as compared to a 24 stud 86 or 88. This 34 Tstud construction has applicability in southern geographic regions where 26 construction is not required by building codes.

(35) The 34 Tstud 110 construction includes a 31 all wood section 112 which may be specially made. Dimensions of this all wood section 112 may range from 1-1 (depth)2-3 (width). A middle or sandwiched rigid foam insulation section 114 may range from -1 (depth)2-3 (width). The foam section 114 may be of expanded polystyrene or polyisocyanurate. A second 31 section 116 is similar to the first wood section 112. The foam may be glued to the wood sections 112 and 114 and may also be nailed together with a 4 nail 79 or screw. The R value of the Tstud may range from 6.25-10, depending on the insulation type, versus the R value of a 24 of 4.375.

(36) FIG. 15 shows a second embodiment of an inverted thermal break Tstud corner 120 wherein the corner juts into the interior of the building. The corner 120 is comprised, of two outer 24 studs 122, 124 at a right angle to each other and an inner 24 stud 126 completing the interior corner for nailing gypsum board 82 thereto. A thermal break 73 is between the outer or exterior studs 122, 124 and inner or interior stud 126 for stuffing fiberglass batt insulation 68 therein. The average R value for this Tstud corner 120 is the same as for Tstud corner 84 shown in FIG. 6 and described above.

(37) Referring to FIG. 15A, a third embodiment of a Tstud corner 130 may be seen. The corner 120 has an outer 36 Tstud 132 which is the same as Tstud 72. An adjacent through-the-wall 36 Tstud 134 is 90 degrees from and touching outer 36 Tstud 132. An inner 24 wood stud 136 completes the inside corner for nailing gypsum board 82 thereto. The thermal break 138 is through space between the outer Tstud 132 and inner 24 wood stud 136 with batt insulation 68 therein and further through the rigid foam insulation 76 of the through-the-wall Tstud 134. The R value for this Tstud corner 130 is R=24.52.

(38) Referring to FIG. 15B, a fourth embodiment of a Tstud corner 131 may be seen. The corner 131 has an outer 36 Tstud 133 which is the same as Tstud 72. An adjacent through-the-wall 36 Tstud 135 is 90 degrees from and touching outer 36 Tstud 133. As currently required by California, a drywall clip 137 is secured to the through the wall Tstud 135 for supporting gypsum board 82. The R value for the Tstud corner 131 is 26.92.

(39) Referring to FIGS. 16 through 19, a 960 square feet Tstud design and framed building 60, 140 may be seen and is directly comparable to the standard 960 square feet building 10 of FIGS. 1 through 5 as described above. The Tstud building 140 has a window back wall 142 with window 143, a door front wall 143 with a door 145 and mirror image side walls 146. The vertical Tstuds 72 are 24 on center. This Tstud construction uses 63 vertical studs.

(40) Advantageously, there are no cripple studs 34 along windows 143, doors 145 and headers 94. This Tstud building 140 saves 32 vertical studs over the standard building 10 because the Tstuds are 24 on center and efficiency is increased with more space for insulation 18. When Tstuds 72 are used for top and bottom plates 102, 104, the Tstud building 140 also has a complete thermal break around its perimeter without the need for expensive rigid foam being nailed to the outer perimeter of the building 140.

(41) The above embodiments are for illustrative purposes and the scope of this invention is described in the appended claims below.