Masonry wall insulation system

Abstract

A disclosed masonry wall insulation system includes: a masonry wall; a bracket supported by the wall; a sheet of insulating material adjacent to the wall; and a sheet of wallboard. The wall is comprised of courses of blocks joined together with a settable medium. The bracket, which is partially embedded between two of the courses of blocks, supports the wallboard sheet adjacent to the insulating sheet. Consequently, the insulating sheet is sandwiched between the wall and wallboard. The bracket that supports the wallboard can support the sheet of insulating material in one or both of the following ways: (1) direct support beneath the bottom edge of the sheet, or (2) friction caused by the bracket sandwiching the sheet snugly between the supported wallboard and the supporting masonry wall. The system requires no separate brackets or fasteners to support the sheet of insulating material. Other systems and methods are also disclosed.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A masonry wall insulation system comprising: 
 (a) a masonry wall comprised of a plurality of blocks joined together with a settable medium;    (b) a bracket supported by the wall, a part of the bracket held by the settable medium joining two of the courses of blocks;    (c) a sheet of insulating material adjacent to the wall; and    (d) a sheet of wallboard supported adjacent to the sheet of insulating material by the bracket;    wherein    (e) the sheet of insulating material is sandwiched between the wall and the wallboard.    
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the insulating material is comprised of rigid polystyrene foam.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the bracket comprises a plurality of attachment portions embedded in the settable medium at a plurality of points.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3  wherein each attachment portion includes a horizontal part and a downward-extending part, wherein each horizontal part is structured to rest on a top surface of one of the blocks and each downward-extending part is structured to abut a vertical surface inside a recess of the block at the top of the block.  
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the bracket spans a plurality of blocks in one of the courses.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the bracket spans substantially the length of the sheet of insulating material.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the bracket spans at least the length of the sheet of wallboard.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the settable medium is free of embedded bracket portions along a majority of the length of the courses of blocks.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the bracket comprises a generally horizontal part extending from the settable medium and an upward-extending part at the end of the generally horizontal part, wherein the bracket is shaped to support a lower portion of the sheet of insulating material thereon.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the generally horizontal part of the bracket and the sheet of insulating material have widths that are substantially uniform and equal.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the generally horizontal part includes a vertically protruding part interposed between the horizontal and vertical parts of the bracket, wherein the vertically protruding part is shaped to engage an upper portion of another sheet of insulating material below the bracket.  
     
     
         12 . A method for insulating a masonry wall, the method comprising: 
 (a) laying a lower course of blocks;    (b) then placing a first part of a bracket partially above the lower course of blocks such that the lower course of blocks supports a first part of the bracket and a generally horizontal second part of the bracket extends beyond an edge of the lower course of blocks;    (c) then securing an upper course of blocks to the lower course of blocks and the first part of the bracket;    (d) then placing a sheet of insulating material next to the upper course of blocks on the second part of the bracket, wherein a third part of the bracket extends beyond the insulating sheet; and    (e) attaching a wallboard sheet to the third part of the bracket;    whereby the bracket is partially embedded between the lower and upper courses of blocks, the bracket supports the wallboard sheet, and the insulating sheet is sandwiched between the blocks and the wallboard sheet.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein placing the sheet comprises placing a sheet of insulating material that is comprised of rigid polystyrene foam.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein: 
 (a) the method further comprises placing another bracket above a course of blocks laid above the upper course of blocks; and  
 (b) placing the sheet comprises fitting the sheet of insulating material in position between the brackets.  
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  wherein securing the upper course of blocks to the lower course of blocks and the bracket comprises partially embedding the bracket in or around settable medium between the lower and upper courses of blocks.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein securing the upper course of blocks to the lower course of blocks comprises embedding portions of the bracket in settable medium at positions extending along a minority of the length of the courses of blocks.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12  wherein placing the first part of the bracket further comprises securing a horizontal part and a downward-extending edge part of the bracket to a top surface and a vertical surface, respectively, at the top of one of the blocks in the lower course.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12  wherein: 
 (a) placing the bracket further comprises using a bracket that includes a vertically protruding part interposed partway across the width of the generally horizontal part; and  
 (b) the method further comprises securing an upper portion of another sheet of insulating material below the bracket and below the upper course of blocks, wherein the vertically protruding part keeps the insulating sheet below the bracket from tilting outward.  
 
     
     
         19 . A masonry wall insulation system comprising: 
 (a) a masonry wall;    (b) a sheet of rigid polystyrene foam;    (c) a sheet of wallboard; and    (d) means for supporting the wallboard from the wall such that the foam sheet is sandwiched between the wall and the wallboard;    whereby the foam sheet provides thermal insulation between the wallboard and the wall.    
     
     
         20 . A bracket structured to be supported by a plurality of standard-sized cement blocks having interior voids and exterior walls, the bracket comprising: 
 (a) a generally horizontal part extending substantially the length of the bracket;    (b) a plurality of attachment portions disposed substantially equidistant from each other along the length of the generally horizontal part at a first edge thereof, each of the attachment portions including: 
 (1) a horizontal section matching the width of an exterior wall of a block; and  
 (2) a downward-extending flange at the end of the horizontal part away from a first edge of a generally horizontal part; and  
   (c) an upward-extending ledge extending substantially the length of the bracket at a second edge of the horizontal part opposite the first edge.    
     
     
         21 . The bracket of  claim 20  further comprising a vertically protruding part extending substantially the length of the horizontal part and interposed partway across the width of the generally horizontal part.