Drywall tape and joint

• US 20030181114A1
• Filed: 03/20/2002
• Published: 09/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Adfors Canada Ltd. (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Technical Fabrics Europe
• Inventors: Roberts, David Geraint, Newton, Mark Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 7,141,284 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 442/149
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 2400/263 in the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: C09J 7/21 Paper; Textile fabrics
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/04 Bases for plaster sub-ceilings with plaster-carrying means E04B9/06
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/042 Joint tapes
• CPC Class Codes: E04F 13/047 Plaster carrying meshes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/14 Layer or component removable to expose adhesive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1419 Wax containing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/197 with noncoplanar reinforcement
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/28 Web or sheet containing structurally defined element or component and having an adhesive outermost layer
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 442/2738 Coating or impregnation intended to function as an adhesive to solid surfaces subsequently associated therewith

Abstract

Drywall tapes, drywall joints and methods for their construction are provided by this invention. The drywall tape of this invention includes a web of glass fibers and a coating disposed over a portion of the glass fibers. The coating includes a resinous binder which is at least partially soluble or dispersible in joint compound. The resinous binder is capable of forming an adhesive bond with the joint compound when set.

Claims

1. A drywall tape suitable for joint compound repairs and joint covering, comprising:

a web of glass fibers; and

a coating disposed over a portion of said glass fibers in said web, said coating comprising a resinous binder being at least partially soluble or dispersible in said joint compound, and capable of forming an adhesive bond with said joint compound when set.

2. The drywall tape of claim 1 wherein said web comprises a non-woven fabric, woven fabric, knitted fabric, mat or scrim.

3. The drywall tape of claim 1 wherein said resinous binder comprises an aqueous emulsion or solution applied to said portion of glass fibers and then dried to form said coating.

4. The drywall tape of claim 3 wherein said aqueous emulsion or solution comprises one or more resins selected from the group comprising:

polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, polystyrene, polyvinylchloride, polyacrylate, ethylene vinyl acetate co-polymer, vinyl-acrylic co-polymer, styrene butadiene, acrylic polymer, starch, protein glues, soy protein, animal glue, gelatin, vegetable-based glue, gum, resin, mucilage, inorganic compound, cementitious material and copolymers and combinations thereof.

5. The drywall tape of claim 1 wherein said joint compound comprises an acrylic polymer and said resinous binder comprises polyvinyl alcohol, vinyl-acrylic co-polymer, polyvinyl acetate, or a combination thereof.

6. The drywall tape of claim 1 wherein said web further comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive disposed on a first surface thereof.

7. The drywall tape of claim 6 wherein said coated web is slit and wound into a roll of tape.

8. The drywall tape of claim 1 wherein said resinous binder is applied as an aqueous emulsion having at least about 25-75 wt. % solids.

9. The drywall tape of claim 1 wherein said resinous binder comprises an aqueous emulsion of polyvinyl acetate applied to said web and dried to form said coating.

10. The drywall tape of claim 1, further comprising an anti-blocking agent.

11. The drywall tape of claim 10, wherein said anti-blocking agent comprises less than about 5 wt. % of a waxy substance.

12. A drywall joint comprising:

a pair of drywall boards adjoined to form a seam region;

a drywall tape disposed over a portion of said seam region, said drywall tape comprising a web of glass fibers and a coating disposed thereon, said coating comprising a resinous binder capable of re-wetting when contacted by liquid water;

a first joint compound layer containing liquid water in solution disposed over said drywall tape, said liquid water of said first joint compound layer re-wetting the resinous binder in said coating, said first joint compound layer and said re-wetted coating drying to form an adhesive bond; and

a second joint compound layer disposed over said first joint compound layer.

13. The drywall joint of claim 12 wherein said resinous coating comprises one or more of the group selected from:

polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl acetate, polystyrene, polyvinylchloride, polyacrylate, ethylene vinyl acetate co-polymer, vinyl-acrylic co-polymer, styrene butadiene, acrylic polymer, starch, protein glues, soy protein, animal glue, gelatin, vegetable-based glue, gum, resin, mucilage, inorganic compound, cementitious material and copolymers and combinations thereof.

14. The drywall joint of claim 12 wherein said web of glass fibers comprises a non-woven fabric, woven fabric, knitted fabric, mat or scrim.

15. The drywall joint of claim 12 wherein said web comprises a pressure sensitive adhesive disposed on a first surface thereof, said pressure sensitive adhesive adhering said web of glass fibers to said seam region.

16. The drywall joint of claim 12 wherein said resinous coating comprises is a water vapor resistant composition compromising PVAc and an anti-blocking agent.

17. The drywall joint of claim 16 wherein said anti-blocking agent comprises a waxy substance.

18. The drywall joint of claim 12 wherein said adhesive bond between said first joint compound layer and said coating is stronger than the tensile strength of the set compound of said first joint compound layer.

19. A method of preparing a drywall joint comprising:

disposing a pair of drywall boards in adjoining relationship to one another to form a seam region;

disposing a drywall tape over said seam region, said drywall tape comprising a web of glass fibers having disposed thereon a resinous binder capable of re-wetting and setting when contacted with a joint compound to form an adhesive bond therewith;

applying a first joint compound layer over said drywall tape whereby a portion of said resinous binder is re-wetted; and

drying said first joint compound layer and said re-wetted resinous binder together to form an adhesive bond.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said finished drywall joint has an average load to first crack ASTM C 474 (Appendix) which is at least 16% greater than a similarly prepared finished drywall joint without said resinous binder.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein said drywall tape is adhered to said drywall seam region by a pressure sensitive adhesive.

22. A finished drywall seam or repair region, comprising:

a drywall seam or repair region;

a drywall tape comprising a web of glass fibers, including a re-wettable, resinous coating disposed at least on a first surface of said web, and a pressure-sensitive adhesive disposed on at least a second surface of said web;

said drywall tape adhered to the seam or repair region by said pressure-sensitive adhesive so as to substantially cover said seam or repair region;

a first joint compound layer containing liquid water in solution disposed over said drywall tape, wherein said liquid water re-wets the re-wettable, resinous binder, said first joint compound layer and said re-wetted, resinous binder drying to form an adhesive bond joining said web to said first joint compound layer;

said finished drywall joint comprising at least a 16% improvement in the average load to first crack under tensile load ASTM C474 (Appendix) over a similarly prepared finished drywall joint which does not contain said re-wettable resinous binder.

23. The finished drywall seam or repair region of claim 22, wherein said re-wettable resinous coating comprises a dried emulsion including wax and polyvinyl acetate.