Wall cladding planks, clips, systems, and methods of installation and use

Abstract

A panel system provides a prefabricated exterior building façade. Various wall claddings and clips for hanging wall claddings are discussed. A wall cladding system includes: a building wall; a plurality of wall cladding planks; a plurality of fasteners extending through respective apertures in the plurality of wall cladding planks to secure the plurality of wall cladding planks to the building wall, in which each fastener has a head and a shaft, and the shaft mounts a spacer behind a rear face of the respective wall cladding plank to define a drainage gap between the wall cladding planks and the building wall. A wall cladding plank clip includes a fastener with a head and a shaft; a drainage gap spacer mounted on the shaft; and a front washer plate mounted on the shaft between the head and the drainage gap spacer. A pre-fabricated wall cladding plank has: a core of insulating material; a fire-resistant component; an integral drainage system defined on a rear face of the pre-fabricated wall cladding plank; corresponding tongue and groove profiles on opposing edges of the pre-fabricated wall cladding plank to mate with adjacent pre-fabricated wall cladding planks of identical dimensions; and an external decorative finishing layer.

1 . A wall cladding system comprising:
 a building wall;   a plurality of wall cladding planks;   a plurality of fasteners extending through respective apertures in the plurality of wall cladding planks to secure the plurality of wall cladding planks to the building wall, in which each fastener has a head and a shaft, and the shaft mounts a spacer behind a rear face of the respective wall cladding plank to define a drainage gap between the wall cladding planks and the building wall.   
     
     
         2 . The wall cladding system of  claim 1  in which the plurality of wall cladding planks comprise a starter row of wall cladding planks mounted on a starter hanger that is secured to the building wall. 
     
     
         3 . The wall cladding system of  claim 2  in which the starter hanger comprises:
 a mounting strip secured to the building wall; and 
 a flange that extends laterally off the mounting strip away from the building wall to support a base end of the plurality of wall cladding planks that form the starter row. 
 
     
     
         4 . The wall cladding system of  claim 3  in which the flange forms a hook that fits within respective slots in the base ends of the plurality of wall cladding planks that form the starter row. 
     
     
         5 . The wall cladding system of  claim 3  in which the starter hanger comprises a plurality of weeping holes. 
     
     
         6 . The wall cladding system of  claim 2  further comprising a base flashing strip mounted below the starter row. 
     
     
         7 . The wall cladding system of  claim 1  in which the plurality of wall cladding planks are arranged in two or more vertically stacked, horizontal rows. 
     
     
         8 . The wall cladding system of  claim 1  in which each wall cladding plank of the plurality of wall cladding planks has corresponding tongue and groove profiles on opposing edges of the wall cladding plank and that mate with the corresponding tongue and groove profiles of adjacent of the plurality of wall cladding planks. 
     
     
         9 . The wall cladding system of  claim 8  in which:
 the plurality of wall cladding planks are arranged in a plurality of stacked rows; 
 the corresponding tongue and groove profiles of each wall cladding are located on opposing bottom and top edges of each of the plurality of wall cladding planks; and 
 adjacent rows above and below one another connect by interlocking the respective corresponding tongue and groove profiles of the wall cladding planks of each of the adjacent rows. 
 
     
     
         10 . The wall cladding system of  claim 1  in which the building wall comprises in sequence from exterior to interior, a rainscreen, a drywall layer and a plurality of wall studs, in which the plurality of fasteners secure to the studs. 
     
     
         11 . The wall cladding system of  claim 1  in which each of the plurality of wall cladding planks is a pre-fabricated wall cladding plank that comprises:
 a core of insulating material; 
 a fire-resistant component; 
 an integral drainage system; and 
 an external decorative finishing layer. 
 
     
     
         12 . The wall cladding system of  claim 1  in which each spacer comprises a sealing element that seals around the shaft. 
     
     
         13 . The wall cladding system of  claim 12  in which the sealing element comprises a resilient spool mounted coaxial with the shaft. 
     
     
         14 . The wall cladding system of  claim 13  in which each resilient spool comprises a rubber spool. 
     
     
         15 . The wall cladding system of  claim 13  in which each spacer comprises a coil spring mounted coaxial around the shaft and around the sealing element. 
     
     
         16 . The wall cladding system of  claim 15  in which each spacer comprises opposed spacer washer plates mounted on the shaft adjacent opposed respective axial ends of the sealing element, with the coil spring mounted between the opposed spacer washer plates. 
     
     
         17 . The wall cladding system of  claim 1  in which each spacer comprises a wall-facing washer plate at a distal axial end of the spacer. 
     
     
         18 . The wall cladding system of  claim 1  in which each fastener comprises a front washer plate mounted on the shaft between the head and the spacer. 
     
     
         19 . The wall cladding system of  claim 18  in which each spacer is axially spaced along the shaft away from the front washer plate and head to define a wall cladding plank receiving gap on the shaft. 
     
     
         20 . The wall cladding system of  claim 19  in which each spacer comprises a head facing washer plate that is located at a proximal axial end of the spacer and that is spaced from the front washer plate to define the wall cladding plank receiving gap. 
     
     
         21 . The wall cladding system of  claim 20  in which the front washer plate and the head facing washer plate are rigidly connected. 
     
     
         22 . The wall cladding system of  claim 18  in which the front washer plate forms a wall cladding plank supporting lateral shelf. 
     
     
         23 . The wall cladding system of  claim 1  in which each spacer has teeth at a distal axial end of the spacer. 
     
     
         24 - 65 . (canceled) 
     
     
         66 . A method comprising assembling the wall cladding system of  claim 1  by mounting the plurality of wall cladding planks and the plurality of fasteners on a building wall.