Exterior Wall Assembly Systems

Abstract

An attachment strip for attaching lath to a wall and a system for attaching lath to a wall with increased water resistive characteristics. The attachment strip has protruding teeth on an attachment plate that holds the lath in place, and a mounting plate that secures the lath furring strip against the wall and framing. In addition, since attachment strip, instead of the lath directly, is secured to the sheathing, fewer mounting devices are needed compared to when a lath is directly secured to a sheathing, where substantially more mounting devices would be needed. Thus in this arrangement, fewer penetrations are created when installing the lath. Additional water resistive features, such insulation layers, and a drainage space surrounded by two water resistive barriers, create space that not only increases insulation, but protects the inner layers of a wall from damage.

I claim: 
     
         1 . An attachment strip for attaching a lath to a wall, comprising:
 a mounting plate for placement of said attachment strip flush against said wall;   a mounting device for securing said mounting plate to said wall;   an attachment plate substantially perpendicular to said mounting plate, said attachment plate having a vertical edge; and,   at least one protruding tooth projecting from said vertical edge of said attachment plate for securing said lath to said attachment strip;   whereby mounting said lath over said at least one protruding tooth prevents said lath from easily detaching from said attachment strip;   whereby securing said mounting plate to said wall reduces moisture intrusion into said wall by requiring fewer mounting devices and thus fewer holes created, compared to the greater amount of mounting devices needed to alternatively secure said lath directly to said wall.   
     
     
         2 . The attachment strip of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said attachment plate comprises at least one keying hole;   whereby said keying hole forms a region where plaster enters and mechanically bonds said lath to said attachment plate.   
     
     
         3 . The attachment strip of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said at least one protruding tooth is a triangular protruding tooth;   wherein said at least one triangular protruding teeth is formed from a diagonal segmentation of said attachment plate through said vertical edge;   
     
     
         4 . The attachment strip of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said at least one protruding tooth is a rectangular protruding tooth.   
     
     
         5 . The attachment strip of  claim 4 ,
 wherein said at least one triangular protruding tooth comprises a recessed region along at least one edge of said at least one triangular protruding tooth.   
     
     
         6 . The attachment strip of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said at least one protruding tooth is a crescent-shaped protruding tooth.   
     
     
         7 . The attachment strip of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said at least one protruding tooth is angled approximately 70 degrees from a vertical plane of said attachment strip.   
     
     
         8 . The attachment strip of  claim 1 ,
 wherein said at least one protruding tooth is at least one multipronged tooth, each multipronged tooth comprising a plurality of prongs extending away from a prong vertex adjacent to said vertical edge.   
     
     
         9 . A attachment strip for attaching a lath to a wall, comprising:
 a first mounting plate for placement of said attachment strip flush against said wall;   a mounting device for securing said mounting plate to said wall;   a first attachment plate substantially perpendicular to said mounting plate, said   protruding tooth plate substantially perpendicular to said attachment plate;   at least one protruding tooth projecting from said protruding tooth plate for securing said lath to said attachment strip.   
     
     
         10 . The attachment strip of  claim 9 ,
 wherein said at least one protruding tooth comprises a grooved region for said lath to engage with said at least one protruding tooth.   
     
     
         11 . The attachment strip of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a second mounting plate substantially planar to said first mounting plate;   a second attachment plate integral with said protruding tooth plate and said second mounting plate;   wherein said first and second attachment plates and said protruding tooth plate form three sides of an insulating region for placement of insulation;   
     
     
         12 . The attachment strip of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 at least one keying hole circumscribing said at least one protruding tooth.   
     
     
         13 . The attachment strip of  claim 9 , further comprising
 at least one keying hole disposed within said protruding tooth plate, said keying hole interposed between a first protruding tooth and a second protruding tooth.   
     
     
         14 . A system for attaching lath, the system comprising:
 a lath;   an attachment strip comprising a first mounting plate for placement of said attachment strip flush against a mounting surface; a second mounting plate for placement of said attachment strip flush against mounting surface, substantially planar with said first mounting plate; a first side attachment plate extending from said first mounting plate; a second side attachment plate substantially opposing said first side attachment plate and extending from said second mounting plate; a front attachment plate integral and connecting both said first side attachment plate and said second side attachment plate for attaching said lath;   at least one piece of insulation between said first and second mounting plate, and said wall mounting plate;   a wall; and,   at least one mounting device for securing said attachment strip to said wall.   
     
     
         15 . The system for attaching lath of  claim 14 ,
 wherein said front attachment plate comprises at least one protruding tooth.   
     
     
         16 . The system for attaching lath of  claim 14 ,
 wherein said at least one protruding tooth extends approximately 70 degrees from said a vertical plane of said front attachment plate.   
     
     
         17 . The system for attaching lath of  claim 14 ,
 wherein said at least one mounting device is a single mounting device that secures said lath to said front attachment plate; and,   wherein said single mounting device penetrates said at least one piece of insulation, said wall mounting plate, and said wall.   
     
     
         18 . The system for attaching lath of  claim 14 , wherein said front attachment plate comprises at least one protruding tooth extending from said front attachment plate.