Method for Installing Wall Panels to the Exterior Wall of a Building

Abstract

A method for installing wall panels to an exterior building wall is provided. The method applies the rainscreen principle. Interlocking components are used to attach aluminum or other wall panels to an exterior wall. In one aspect, the method includes fastening a bracket assembly to the exterior building wall, fastening an attachment clip to the bracket assembly, providing a panel perimeter strip, providing a wall panel, fastening the wall panel to the panel perimeter strip along one side surface of the wall panel, providing a through-opening through the wall panel thereby permitting fluid communication from an atmosphere into the hollow interior portion of the wall panel, and sliding an infill strip into a slot of the panel perimeter strip between the attachment clip and the through opening so as to cover a fastener of the bracket assembly; The system is held together non-adhesively.

1 . A method for installing a wall panel to an exterior building wall, the wall panel having an exterior flat surface and at least two side surfaces bent inwardly at an angle to the exterior flat surface and defining a hollow interior portion, and the method comprising:
 operatively connecting an attachment clip to a wall surface of the exterior building wall, the attachment clip having a central fastening surface and at least two opposing wing members extending outwardly from the central fastening surface;   providing a first panel perimeter strip comprising:
 a generally C-shaped member sitting inside a corner of the wall panel and extending along an inside portion of the side surface, and 
 a receiving member integrally attached to the C-shaped member that extends beyond the side surface of the wall panel and provides a slot adapted to engage and interlock a first of the at least two wing members of the attachment clip, thus connecting the wall panel to the attachment clip and thereby to the wall; 
   fastening the wall panel to the first panel perimeter strip along one side surface of the wall panel;   providing a through-opening through the wall panel, thereby permitting fluid communication from an atmosphere into the hollow interior portion of the wall panel and so as to permit ingress and egress of air and moisture to provide a pressure-balanced and moisture-drained interior environment for the wall panel; and   sliding an infill strip into the slot of the first panel perimeter strip between the attachment clip and the through opening;   wherein the system is held together non-adhesively.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising fastening a bracket assembly to the exterior building wall; and wherein:
 the step of operatively connecting the attachment clip to the wall surface of the exterior building wall comprises fastening the attachment clip to the bracket assembly by at least one fastener; and   the infill strip covers the fastener of the bracket assembly.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the two wing members of the attachment clip are each adapted to engage a receiving member of a panel perimeter strip. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein:
 fastening the wall panel to the first panel perimeter strip comprises running at least one rivet through the first panel perimeter strip and through the one side surface of the wall panel; and   the through-opening through the wall panel defines the at least one rivet such that the interior portion of the wall panel is ventilated at least partially through the at least one rivet.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the infill strip is fabricated from a substantially rigid material comprising a metal material, a polycarbonate material, polyethylene, or combinations thereof. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the first bracket assembly comprises two back-to-back L angle brackets fastened to each other to form a generally Z shaped assembly, a first end of which is for attachment to the wall and a second end of which is for fastening to the attachment clip. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wall panel comprises an aluminum composite material. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the wall panel comprises an aluminum composite material which is routed and bent generally perpendicularly to form the exterior and side surfaces. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first fastener comprises a threaded fastener. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the panel perimeter strip is pre-assembled to the wall panel before being fastened to the first bracket assembly. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 providing a second panel perimeter strip in accordance with the first panel perimeter strip;   attaching a second panel perimeter strip to a second of the at least two opposing wing members of the attachment clip;   fastening a second wall panel to the second panel perimeter strip along one side surface of the second wall panel such that the side surface of the second wall panel faces the side surface of the first wall panel; and   providing a through-opening through the second wall panel, thereby permitting fluid communication from the atmosphere into the hollow interior portion of the second wall panel.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the infill strip is engaged with the slot of the first panel perimeter strip prior to installing the second wall panel. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the first panel perimeter strip and the second panel perimeter strip are adjacent one another; and   the infill strip is introduced to the slots of the first and second adjacent panel perimeter strips after two adjacent wall panels have been installed.   
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 applying an isolation tape between the attachment clip and the bracket assembly.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the bracket assembly comprises steel. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the infill strip comprises a strip of aluminum composite material. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 installing a panel stiffener component inside the hollow interior portion of the first and second wall panels to reinforce the exterior surfaces of the wall panels and preventing deforming or popping of the wall panels.