Shim for use in siding application

Abstract

An improved shim for use in a siding application includes an elongated sheet of shim stock having a number of elongated indicators thereon to enable the sheet of shim stock to be cut into any of a variety of predetermined sizes for use with a variety of different accessories. In an exemplary depicted embodiment, the sheet of shim stock also includes an elongated V-groove disposed generally centrally thereon. The V-groove enables the sheet of shim stock to be deflected between a substantially planar configuration and an angled configuration. The indicators provide detectable guides along which the sheet of shim stock can be disunited to remove desired excess portions of the sheet of shim stock in order to provide a resultant shim having a transverse size that is suited for use in conjunction with a particularly accessory.

1 . A shim structured for use in conjunction with any of a plurality of different elongated accessories in a siding application on a building, the siding application additionally including a number of siding panels usable in conjunction with the accessories, the siding panels generally each including a siding portion and a backer portion, the shim comprising: 
 an elongated sheet of shim stock having an average thickness;    an elongated indicator disposed on the sheet of shim stock and extending substantially parallel with the longitudinal extent of the sheet of shim stock; and    the indicator providing a detectable guide along which the sheet of shim stock can be disunited to form an elongated first portion and an elongated second portion, the first portion having a transverse size that is at least in part predetermined by the location of the indicator on the sheet of shim stock, the transverse size of the first portion enabling it to cooperate with at least a first elongated accessory having a set of transverse dimensions, with the transverse size of the first portion substantially corresponding with at least a portion of the set of transverse dimensions when the first portion is used on the building in conjunction with the at least first accessory, the first portion being disposed between the at least first accessory and the building to space the at least first accessory away from the building a distance substantially equal to the average thickness of the first portion and into alignment with the siding portion of at least one of the siding panels when the at least one of the siding panels is disposed on the building with the backer portion thereof being disposed between the building and the siding portion.    
     
     
         2 . The shim of  claim 1  wherein the first portion terminates at an elongated first side and an elongated second side, the at least first accessory terminating at an elongated first edge and an elongated second edge, the first side being disposed generally flush with the first edge, and the second side being disposed generally flush with the second edge.  
     
     
         3 . The shim of  claim 2  wherein the at least first accessory includes a plurality of elongated accessories used in conjunction with one another.  
     
     
         4 . The shim of  claim 1  wherein the second portion is structured to be usable on the building in conjunction with a second accessory that terminates at an elongated first edge and at an elongated second edge, the second portion terminating at an elongated first side and an elongated second side, the second portion being disposed between the second accessory and the building to space the second accessory away from the building a distance substantially equal to the average thickness of the second portion and into alignment with the siding portion of at least one of the siding panels when the at least one of the siding panels is disposed on the building with the backer portion thereof being disposed between the building and the siding portion, the first side of the second portion being disposed generally flush with the first edge of the second accessory, and the second side of the second portion being disposed generally flush with the second edge of the second accessory.  
     
     
         5 . The shim of  claim 1  wherein the sheet of shim stock is structured to be usable on the building in conjunction with a third accessory that terminates at an elongated first edge and at an elongated second edge, the sheet of shim stock terminating at an elongated first side and an elongated second side, the sheet of shim stock being disposed between the third accessory and the building to space the third accessory away from the building a distance substantially equal to the average thickness of the sheet of shim stock and into alignment with the siding portion of at least one of the siding panels when the at least one of the siding panels is disposed on the building with the backer portion thereof being disposed between the building and the siding portion, the first side of the sheet of shim stock being disposed generally flush with the first edge of the third accessory, and the second side of the sheet of shim stock being disposed generally flush with the second edge of the third accessory.  
     
     
         6 . The shim of  claim 1  wherein the sheet of shim stock has a plurality of spaced apart elongated indicators extending substantially parallel with the longitudinal extent of the sheet of shim stock, any of the indicators being selectable to serve as a guide for disuniting the sheet of shim stock into the first and second portions in order to provide at least one of the first portion and the second portion with a desired predetermined transverse dimension for use in conjunction with one of the accessories.  
     
     
         7 . The shim of  claim 6  wherein at least one of the indicators is a notch formed in the sheet of shim stock.  
     
     
         8 . The shim of  claim 1  wherein the sheet of shim stock includes an elongated V-groove formed therein that is generally V-shaped and that extends substantially parallel with the longitudinal extent of the sheet of shim stock, the sheet of shim stock including an elongated first leg adjacent the V-groove and an elongated second leg adjacent the V-groove, the sheet of shim stock being deflectable about the V-groove between a substantially planar configuration wherein the first and second legs are generally coplanar and an angled configuration wherein the first and second legs are oriented non-coplanar.  
     
     
         9 . The shim of  claim 8  wherein the sheet of shim stock includes a plurality of elongated indicators disposed thereon, a first of the indicators being spaced in a first direction from the V-groove, a second of the indicators being spaced in a second direction from the V-groove, any of the indicators being selectable to serve as a guide for disuniting the sheet of shim stock into the first and second portions in order to provide at least one of the first portion and the second portion with a desired predetermined transverse dimension for use in conjunction with one of the accessories.  
     
     
         10 . The shim of  claim 9  wherein the first of the indicators and the second of the indicators are spaced substantially equal distances in opposite directions from the V-groove.  
     
     
         11 . The shim of  claim 8  wherein the sheet of shim stock includes a first plurality of spaced apart indicators disposed thereon and spaced in a first direction from the V-groove, the sheet of shim stock further including a second plurality of spaced apart indicators disposed thereon and spaced in a second, opposite direction from the V-groove, the spacing of the first plurality of indicators in the first direction from the V-groove being substantially the same as the spacing of the second plurality of indicators in the second direction from the V-groove.  
     
     
         12 . The shim of  claim 11  wherein the sheet of shim stock includes a first face and a second face, the first plurality of indicators and the second plurality of indicators being disposed on the first face, the V-groove being disposed on the second face.  
     
     
         13 . The shim of  claim 12  wherein at least one of the indicators of the first and second pluralities of indicators is a notch formed in the sheet of shim stock, any one or more of the indicators being selectable to serve as a guide for disuniting the sheet of shim stock in order to provide at least one of the first portion and the second portion with a desired predetermined transverse dimension for use in conjunction with one of the accessories.  
     
     
         14 . A method of installing a number of accessories in a siding application on a building, the siding application additionally including a number of siding panels usable in conjunction with the accessories, the siding panels generally each including a siding portion and a backer portion, the method comprising: 
 providing a shim that can be used in conjunction with any of a plurality of different elongated accessories in the siding application, the shim including an elongated sheet of shim stock having an average thickness, the sheet of shim stock including an elongated indicator disposed thereon and extending substantially parallel with the longitudinal extent of the sheet of shim stock, the indicator providing a detectable guide along which the sheet of shim stock can be disunited to form an elongated first portion and an elongated second portion, the first portion having a transverse size that is at least in part predetermined by the location of the indicator on the sheet of shim stock;    selecting at least a first elongated accessory for application to the building, the at least first accessory having a set of transverse dimensions;    determining from the set of transverse dimensions of the at least first accessory whether or not the sheet of shim stock should be disunited at the indicator to form the first and second portions; and    performing one of:    retaining the sheet of shim stock without disuniting along the indicator; and    disuniting the sheet of shim stock along the indicator to form the first and second portions, with the transverse size of the first portion substantially corresponding with at least a portion of the set of transverse dimensions; and    disposing the at least first accessory and the one of the non-disunited sheet of shim stock and the first portion of the disunited sheet of shim stock on the building, with the one of the sheet of shim stock and the first portion of the sheet of shim stock being disposed between the at least first accessory and the building to space the at least first accessory away from the building a distance substantially equal to the average thickness and into alignment with the siding portion of at least one of the siding panels when the at least one of the siding panels is disposed on the building with the backer portion thereof being disposed between the building and the siding portion.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said providing a shim includes providing a shim that includes a sheet of shim stock having a plurality of spaced apart elongated indicators disposed thereon, the indicators extending substantially parallel with the longitudinal extent of the sheet of shim stock, and wherein said determining includes determining from the set of transverse dimensions of the at least first accessory whether or not the sheet of shim stock should be disunited at any of the indicator to form the first and second portions, wherein said retaining the sheet of shim stock includes retaining the sheet of shim stock without disuniting along any of the indicators, and wherein said disuniting includes determining that disuniting the sheet of shim stock along a particular one of the indicators will result in an elongated first portion having a predetermined transverse size that corresponds with at least a portion of the set of transverse dimensions and disuniting the sheet of shim stock along the particular one of the indicators to form the first portion.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said providing a shim includes providing a shim that includes a sheet of shim stock having an elongated V-groove formed therein that is generally V-shaped and that extends substantially parallel with the longitudinal extent of the sheet of shim stock, the sheet of shim stock including an elongated first leg adjacent the V-groove and an elongated second leg adjacent the V-groove, and further comprising deflecting the sheet of shim stock about the V-groove between a substantially planar configuration wherein the first and second legs are generally coplanar and an angled configuration wherein the first and second legs are oriented non-coplanar.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising disposing the one of the sheet of shim stock and the first portion of the sheet of shim stock in the angled configuration on an outside corner of the building between the building and the at least first accessory.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising disposing the one of the sheet of shim stock and the first portion of the sheet of shim stock in the angled configuration on an inside corner of the building between the building and the at least first accessory.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the at least first accessory includes a plurality of elongated accessories used in conjunction with one another.  
     
     
         20 . A siding application on a building, the siding application comprising: 
 an elongated accessory having a set of transverse dimensions and being disposed on the building;    a shim;    a number of siding panels disposed on the building, the siding panels generally each including a siding portion and a backer portion, the siding portion of at least one of the number of siding panels being aligned with the accessory, the backer portion of the at least one of the number siding panels being disposed between the building and the siding portion of the at least one of the number siding panels;    the shim initially including an elongated sheet of shim stock having an average thickness and having an elongated indicator disposed on the sheet of shim stock and extending substantially parallel with the longitudinal extent of the sheet of shim stock;    the indicator providing a detectable guide along which the sheet of shim stock was disunited to form an elongated first portion and an elongated second portion, the first portion having a transverse size that is at least in part predetermined by the location of the indicator on the sheet of shim stock, the transverse size of the first portion enabling it to cooperate with the accessory, with the transverse size of the first portion substantially corresponding with at least a portion of the set of transverse dimensions;    the first portion being disposed between the accessory and the building and spacing the accessory away from the building a distance substantially equal to the average thickness of the first portion and into alignment with the siding portion of the at least one of the number of siding panels.    
     
     
         21 . The siding application of  claim 20  wherein the first portion terminates at an elongated first side and an elongated second side, the at least first accessory terminating at an elongated first edge and an elongated second edge, the first side being disposed generally flush with the first edge, and the second side being disposed generally flush with the second edge.  
     
     
         22 . The siding application of  claim 20  wherein the accessory includes a plurality of elongated accessories used in conjunction with one another.  
     
     
         23 . The siding application of  claim 20  wherein the sheet of shim stock initially had a plurality of spaced apart elongated indicators extending substantially parallel with the longitudinal extent of the sheet of shim stock, one of the indicators having been selected to serve as a guide for disuniting the sheet of shim stock into the first and second portions in order to provide the first portion with the desired predetermined transverse size for use in conjunction with the accessory.  
     
     
         24 . The siding application of  claim 23  wherein at least one of the indicators is a notch formed in the sheet of shim stock.  
     
     
         25 . The siding application of  claim 20  wherein the first portion includes an elongated V-groove formed therein that is generally V-shaped and that extends substantially parallel with the longitudinal extent of the first portion, the first portion including an elongated first leg adjacent the V-groove and an elongated second leg adjacent the V-groove, the first portion being deflectable about the V-groove between a substantially planar configuration wherein the first and second legs are generally coplanar and an angled configuration wherein the first and second legs are oriented non-coplanar.  
     
     
         26 . The siding application of  claim 25  wherein the sheet of shim stock initially included a plurality of elongated indicators disposed thereon, a first of the indicators being spaced in a first direction from the V-groove, a second of the indicators being spaced in a second direction from the V-groove, one of the indicators having been selected to serve as a guide for disuniting the sheet of shim stock into the first and second portions in order to provide the first portion with a desired predetermined transverse dimension for use in conjunction with the accessory.  
     
     
         27 . The siding application of  claim 26  wherein the first of the indicators and the second of the indicators are spaced substantially equal distances in opposite directions from the V-groove.  
     
     
         28 . The siding application of  claim 27  wherein the sheet of shim stock includes a first plurality of spaced apart indicators disposed thereon and spaced in a first direction from the V-groove, the sheet of shim stock further including a second plurality of spaced apart indicators disposed thereon and spaced in a second, opposite direction from the V-groove, the spacing of the first plurality of indicators in the first direction from the V-groove being substantially the same as the spacing of the second plurality of indicators in the second direction from the V-groove prior to the sheet of shim stock being disunited to form the first and second portions.  
     
     
         29 . The siding application of  claim 28  wherein the sheet of shim stock includes a first face and a second face, the first plurality of indicators and the second plurality of indicators being disposed on the first face, the V-groove being disposed on the second face.  
     
     
         30 . The siding application of  claim 29  wherein at least one of the indicators of the first and second pluralities of indicators is a notch formed in the sheet of shim stock, one of the indicators having been selected to serve as a guide for disuniting the sheet of shim stock in order to provide the first portion with a desired predetermined transverse size for use in conjunction with the accessory.