Vapor impermeable insulation facing construction

Claim 2

In a roof structure which includes a number of ceiling purlins supported at their ends by horizontal beams, a continuous vapor impermeable facing construction attached to said purlins and said beams which supports overlying layers of insulation and prevents vapor from passing through said facing construction and into said insulation, said facing construction comprising: a facing material, wherein said facing material is both vapor impermeable and sufficiently strong to support the weight of overlying insulation, said facing material being formed into a number of rectangular sheets, each of said rectangular sheets being suitable in width to extend between an adjacent and parallel pair of said purlins, and suitable in length to extend from one end of said purlins to the other, said rectangular facing sheets being joined together at said purlins to cover the ceiling area spanned by said purlins; a number of reinforcing members attached to said facing sheets along the portions where said facing sheets are attached to said purlins, and also along the portions where said facing sheets are attached to said beams, each of said rectangular facing sheets having a pair of longer sides and a pair of shorter ends, one of said reinforcing members being attached along each of the sides and each of the ends of each of said rectangular facing sheets; and permanent fastening means, wherein said permanent fastening means attach said rectangular facing sheets, through said reinforcing members, to said purlins and said beams, each of said purlins having a lower flange such as is included in a C or a Z type purlin, and wherein when an adjacent pair of said purlins are viewed together, each of the bottom sides of the lower flanges of said pair of purlins has an outer portion, said rectangular facing sheets being attached to the outer portions of the bottom sides of the lower flanges of said purlins to permit said rectangular facing sheets to overlap when connected to a common purlin to create an overlapping facing joint, said overlapping facing joint being impervious to vapor, and thus, preventing vapor from passing through said overlapping facing joint.

Claim 3

The facing construction of claim 1 wherein each of said beams supporting the ends of said purlins is an I-beam having an upper flange, the end of said rectangular facing sheet being attached to the bottom side of the upper flange of said I-beam by said permanent fastening means installed through said reinforcing member attached along the end of said rectangular facing sheet.

Claim 4

The facing construction of claim 2 further comprising a number of strips of double-faced tape applied to each of said rectangular facing sheets adjacent to said reinforcing members, attached along the sides and ends of said rectangular facing sheets, said tape having an upper and a lower adhesive face, the lower adhesive face adhering said tape to said facing material, the upper adhesive faces applied to an adjacent pair of said purlins, thereby conveniently positioning said rectangular facing sheet to permit the installation of said permanent fastening means, along the sides of said facing sheet, through said reinforcing members, and into said pair of purlins, the remaining rectangular facing sheets being installed on the purlins in the same manner, joining to cover the entire ceiling area spanned by the purlins.

Claim 5

The facing construction of claim 2 wherein said facing construction supports the weight of overlying insulation.

Claim 6

The facing construction of claim 2 wherein said facing material is vinyl reinforced polyester.

Claim 7

The facing construction of claim 2 wherein said permanent fastening means are drill point screws.

Claim 8

The facing construction of claim 2 wherein each of said reinforcing members is a metal reinforcing strap.

Claim 9

The facing construction of claim 7 wherein each of the sides and ends of said rectangular facing sheets are formed into an envelope suitable to extend around and envelop one of said metal reinforcing straps, said reinforcing strap envelope sealing said metal reinforcing strap within said facing material.

Claim 10

The facing construction of claim 8 wherein said metal reinforcing strap is 3/4inch in width.

Claim 11

The facing construction of claim 2 wherein each of said reinforcing members is an angle strip having two side members joined along one edge, and movable between an open and a closed position, whereby said side members remain in a V-shaped configuration in said open position, an edge of said rectangular facing sheet is inserted into said angle strip in said open position, said angle strip then being crimped to said closed position by a suitable tool wherein said angle strip then remains in said closed position after said tool has been removed without further application of exterior force, said rectangular facing sheet being pinched between said sides in said closed position, said rectangular facing sheet being thereby secured in said angle strip, said angle strip being in the same manner installed along each of the sides and ends of each of said rectangular facing sheets, said angle strips thereby reinforcing the sides and ends of said rectangular facing sheets, said angle strip then being rolled towards the center of said rectangular facing sheet so that said facing material extends around said angle strip in an enclosed position, said rectangular facing sheets being attached to said purlins by said permanent fastening means installed through said angle strips in said enclosed position.

Claim 12

In a roof structure which includes a number of parallel ceiling purlins supported at their ends by horizontal beams, a method for installing a vapor barrier, to underlie and support insulation installed between said purlins, constructed from a number of sheets of a facing material which is both vapor impermeable and sufficiently strong to support overlying insulation, a number of reinforcing members, a number of strips of double faced adhesive tape, and permanent fastening means, which comprises the steps of: (a) forming said facing material into a number of rectangular sheets, each of said rectangular sheets having a pair of longer sides and shorter ends, said rectangular sheets being suitable in width to extend between an adjacent pair of said purlins, and suitable in length to extend from one end of said pair of purlins to the other, the widths and length of said rectangular facing sheets allowing additionally for the attachment of a reinforcing member along each of the sides and ends of said rectangular facing sheets, said rectangular facing sheets when attached to said purlins covering the entire ceiling area spanned by said purlins; (b) attaching said reinforcing members along each of the sides and ends of said rectangular facing sheets; (c) applying strips of said tape along each of the sides and ends of said rectangular facing sheets, said tape being applied adjacent to said reinforcing members, a longer strip of said tape running down each side of each of said rectangular facing sheets, and a shorter strip of said tape running across each end of each of said rectangular facing sheets, said tape having an upper and a lower adhesive face, the upper adhesive face adhering said tape to said facing material; (d) temporarily securing a first rectangular facing sheet along the sides thereof to a first pair of said purlins by applying the upper adhesive face of the longer strips of said tape, running down the sides of said first rectangular facing sheet, to the undersides of said first pair of purlins so that said first rectangular facing sheet is thereby temporarily secured to said first pair of purlins, said first rectangular facing sheet extending between said pair of purlins and extending from one end of said pair of purlins to the other. (e) permanently securing said first rectangular facing sheet to said first pair of purlins by installing said permanent fastening means along the sides of said first rectangular facing sheet, said permanent fastening means being installed through said reinforcing members and penetrating said first pair of purlins, each of said purlins having a lower flange, and an underside of the lower flange, there being an outer portion to the underside of the lower flange when said pair of purlins is viewed together, said permanent fastening means attaching said first rectangular facing sheet through said reinforcing members to the outer portions of the bottom sides of the lower flanges of said pair of purlins to permit a subsequently installed rectangular facing sheet to overlap when attached to a common purlin; (f) permanently securing the ends of said first rectangular facing sheet to said beams supporting the ends of said pair of purlins by first applying said tape to said beams, each of said beams being an I-beam with an upper flange and an underside to the upper flange, said tape adhering the ends of said first rectangular facing sheet to the undersides of the upper flanges of said I-beams, said permanent fastening means then being installed through said reinforcing members, running along the ends of said first rectangular facing sheet, into the undersides of the upper flanges of said I-beam; (g) attaching the remaining number of said rectangular facing sheets to the remaining pairs of said purlins by repeating steps (d), (e) and (f), above, to install each of said rectangular facing sheets, the result being the creation of a facing construction which provides a continuous vapor impermeable surface across the entire ceiling area spanned by said purlins, said facing construction being securely attached along the edges of the ceiling and being made up of a number of said rectangular facing sheets joined together along the sides thereof at said common purlins, providing vapor impermeable overlapping joints at said common purlins; (h) installing insulation on top of said facing construction; and (i) installing a rigid roofing material on top of said purlins over said insulation.

Claim 13

In a roof structure which includes a number of parallel ceiling purlins supported at their ends by horizontal beams, a method for installing a vapor barrier, to underlie and support insulation installed between said purlins, constructed from a number of sheets of a facing material which is both vapor impermeable and sufficiently strong to support overlying insulation, a number of reinforcing members, a number of strips of double faced adhesive tape, and permanent fastening means, which comprises the steps of: (a) forming said facing material into a number of rectangular sheets, each of said rectangular sheets having a pair of longer sides and shorter ends, said rectangular sheets being suitable in width to extend between an adjacent pair of said purlins, and suitable in length to extend from one end of said pair of purlins to the other, the widths and length of said rectangular facing sheets allowing additionally for the attachment of a reinforcing member along each of the sides and ends of said rectangular facing sheets, said rectangular facing sheets when attached to said purlins covering the entire ceiling area spanned by said purlins; (b) attaching said reinforcing members along each of the sides and ends of said rectangular facing sheets; (c) applying strips of said tape along each of the sides and ends of said rectangular facing sheets, said tape being applied adjacent to said reinforcing members, a longer strip of said tape running down each side of each of said rectangular facing sheets, and a shorter strip of said tape running across each end of each of said rectangular facing sheets, said tape having an upper and a lower adhesive face, the upper adhesive face adhering said tape to said facing material; (d) temporarily securing a first rectangular facing sheet along the sides thereof to a first pair of said purlins by applying the upper adhesive face of the longer strips of said tape, running down the sides of said first rectangular facing sheet, to the undersides of said first pair of purlins so that said first rectangular facing sheet is thereby temporarily secured to said first pair of purlins, said first rectangular facing sheet extending between said pair of purlins and extending from one end of said pair of purlins to the other. (e) permanently securing said first rectangular facing sheet to said first pair of purlins by installing said permanent fastening means along the sides of said first rectangular facing sheet, said permanent fastening means being installed through said reinforcing members and penetrating said first pair of purlins, each of said purlins having a lower flange, and an underside of the lower flange, there being an outer portion to the underside of the lower flange when said pair of purlins is viewed together, said permanent fastening means attaching said first rectangular facing sheet through said reinforcing members to the outer portions of the bottom sides of the lower flanges of said pair of purlins to permit a subsequently installed rectangular facing sheet to overlap when attached to a common purlin; (f) permanently securing the ends of said first rectangular facing sheet to said beams supporting the ends of said pair of purlins by first applying said tape to said beams, each of said beams being an I-beam with an upper flange and an underside to the upper flange, said tape adhering the ends of said first rectangular facing sheet to the undersides of the upper flanges of said I-beams, said permanent fastening means then being installed through said reinforcing members, running along the ends of said first rectangular facing sheet, into the undersides of the upper flanges of said I-beam; (g) attaching the remaining number of said rectangular facing sheets to the remaining pairs of said purlins by repeating steps (d), (e) and (f), above, to install each of said rectangular facing sheets, the result being the creation of a facing construction which provides a continuous vapor impermeable surface across the entire ceiling area spanned by said purlins, said facing construction being securely attached along the edges of the ceiling and being made up of a number of said rectangular facing sheets joined together along the sides thereof at said common purlins, providing vapor impermeable overlapping joints at said common purlins; (h) installing insulation on top of said facing construction; and (i) installing a rigid roofing material on top of said purlins over said insulation.

Claim 14

The method of claim 11 wherein the step of installing insulation includes: (a) installing two layers of insulation on top of said facing construction, said insulation running in a direction perpendicular to said purlins, said insulation having been cut to fit between said purlins; (b) installing an uppermost third layer of insulation on top of said first two layers of insulation, said uppermost layer being laid across the top of the purlins in a direction perpendicular thereto.