Siding product with weather-resistant barrier sheet

Abstract

A siding product especially suitable for use as lap siding is formed by attaching a weather-resistant barrier sheet to a siding board along the length of the top portion of the board in a partially overlapping arrangement and the weather-resistant barrier sheet can be used to protect the front face of pre-finished siding boards during shipping and remains attached to the siding product after installation to provide improved drainage of water that may infiltrate behind the siding.

1 . A siding product comprising: 
 a siding board having a front face with a length and a width, an opposing back face, opposing top and bottom edges, the top edge having a width, and opposing side edges; and    a weather-resistant barrier sheet having a width at least as wide as the width of the front face of the siding board and a length at least as long as the length of the front face of the siding board;    wherein the barrier sheet is affixed to the siding board so as to partially overlap a portion of the front face of the siding board adjacent the top edge thereof to form an overlapping interface between the siding board and the barrier sheet extending the entire length of the front face of the siding board, the overlapping interface having a width, and the barrier sheet providing an exposed portion of the front face of the siding board adjacent the overlapping interface and a first extending portion of the barrier sheet being unattached to the siding board and extending above the overlapping interface and the front face of the siding board along the length thereof.    
   
   
       2 . The siding product of  claim 1 , wherein the barrier sheet comprises a sheet layer selected from the group consisting of impregnated felts, asphalt impregnated papers, microporous films, perforated films, woven fabrics, nonwoven fabrics, and film-fabric laminates.  
   
   
       3 . The siding product of  claim 2 , wherein the siding board is fabricated from a material selected from the group consisting of wood, wood composites, fiber cement, concrete, rubber composites, polymer resins, and polymer composites.  
   
   
       4 . The siding product of  claim 3  wherein the siding board is a lap siding board comprising a fiber cement board.  
   
   
       5 . The siding product of  claim 3 , wherein the front face of the siding board is pre-finished with a finish selected from the group consisting of coatings and laminates.  
   
   
       6 . The siding product of  claim 3 , wherein the siding board is vinyl siding.  
   
   
       7 . The siding product according to  claim 3 , wherein the barrier sheet comprises a nonwoven fabric.  
   
   
       8 . The siding product according to  claim 7  wherein the nonwoven fabric is selected from the group consisting of flash spun plexifilamentary sheets and spunbond-meltblown-spunbond sheets.  
   
   
       9 . The siding product of  claim 1 , wherein the width of the barrier sheet is at least as great as the sum of the widths of the front face and the top edge of the siding board.  
   
   
       10 . The siding product of  claim 1 , wherein the length of the barrier sheet is greater than the length of the front face of the siding board such that a second extending portion of the barrier sheet extends beyond the first side edge of the siding board.  
   
   
       11 . The siding product of  claim 10 , wherein a third extending portion of the barrier sheet extends beyond the second side edge of the siding board.  
   
   
       12 . The siding product of  claim 11 , wherein the width of the barrier sheet is at least as great as the sum of the widths of the front face and the top edge of the siding board.  
   
   
       13 . The siding product of either of claims  9  or  12 , wherein the width of the barrier sheet is substantially equal to the sum of the widths of the overlapping interface and the top edge and the front face of the siding board, such that when the first extending portion of the barrier sheet is folded over the top edge and the back face of the siding board, the back face is substantially covered by the barrier sheet.  
   
   
       14 . A method for stacking siding product comprising: 
 providing a first siding product according to  claim 9 , wherein the extending portion of the first barrier sheet is folded over the top edge and back face of the first siding board;    providing a second siding product according to  claim 9 , wherein the extending portion of the second barrier sheet is folded over the top edge and back face of the second siding board; and    stacking the first siding product on top of the second siding product such that the back face of the first siding board faces towards the front face of the second siding board.    
   
   
       15 . A method for stacking siding product comprising: 
 providing a first siding product according to  claim 12  wherein the second and third extending portions of the first barrier sheet are folded over the first and second side edges of the first siding board, respectively, and the first extending portion of the first barrier sheet is folded over the top edge and back face of the first siding board;    providing a second siding product according to  claim 12  wherein the second and third extending portions of the second barrier sheet are folded over the first and second side edges of the second siding board, respectively, and the first extending portion of the second barrier sheet is folded over the top edge and back face of the second siding board; and    stacking the first siding product on top of the second siding product such that the back face of the first siding board faces towards the front face of the second siding board.    
   
   
       16 . A method for installing siding on an outer wall of a building comprising: 
 attaching a first siding product according to  claim 1  to the outer wall in a horizontal orientation such that the extending portion of the barrier sheet is optionally attached to the outer wall;    placing a second siding product according to  claim 1  to the outer wall in a horizontal orientation such that an edge of the second siding product forms a butt joint with an edge of the first siding product, and    attaching the second siding board to the outer wall.    
   
   
       17 . A method for installing siding on an outer wall of a building comprising: 
 attaching a first siding product according to  claim 1  to the outer wall in a horizontal orientation such that the extending portion of the barrier sheet is optionally attached to the outer wall;    placing a second siding product according to  claim 1 , wherein the extending portion of the second barrier sheet is in a partially overlapping horizontal orientation above the first siding product such that the second siding board covers the portion of the first barrier sheet that overlaps the first siding board; and    attaching the second siding board to the outer wall.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16  or  17 , wherein a weather-resistant barrier housewrap sheet is sandwiched between the outer wall of the building and the siding products.