New Products to Simplify and Perfect Your Next Longboard Installation
Today we are releasing a handful of quality-of-life products that we hope will assist you when installing Longboard!
- Tongue & Groove Butt Joint Fastening Kit
- Link & Lock™ Isolation Washer
- 1/16” Installation U-Shim
To enhance clarity and reduce butt-joint failures caused by improper installation, we are introducing a Butt Joint Kit. To address the question of separating our aluminum from dissimilar metals, we introduce the new Isolation Washer for Link & Lock™ systems. This nylon washer provides a separation layer to prevent dissimilar metal contact and reduce friction, thus minimizing sound and finish wear. Finally, a U-Shim designed for use with our new Castellation Planks and HITCH™ Horizontal Girts.
Tongue & Groove Butt Joint Fastening Kit
To enhance clarity and reduce butt-joint failures caused by improper installation, we are introducing a Butt-Joint Kit. This kit is not included with the purchase of T&G Planks and must be purchased separately. However, we will include quantities in our materials lists at a ratio of one box of 20 kits (sufficient for 20 butt-joints) for every four boxes of 24ft cladding (approximately 400 square feet). If the project does not require butt-joints, the kit is unnecessary.
Utilizing butt-joints can help minimize waste by using shorter lengths of offcut material. This will reduce waste on site and of the project budget, butt-jointed material can also create a much more authentic appearance overall. This can be helpful to projects perhaps with larger open areas and/or with mixing in multiple solid colors or woodgrains. The starter strip will be powder coated using what we call “reclaimed” powder. Reclaimed powder is the powder collected in our spray booth that didn’t land on the material during production. Using reclaimed powder for these kits will keep it from the landfill and reduce environmental waste.
The kits will also facilitate communication regarding single butt-joints (40ft rule) and multiple floating butt-joints.
It is recommended that butt-joints using the butt-joint kit with rivets be installed between furring strips or framing members to avoid contact that would restrict movement. If a butt-joint must be positioned on a furring or framing member, the rivets must be spaced sufficiently from the center to prevent contact with the furring or framing member. This method is suitable for both single and multiple butt-joint applications.
If T&G Planks are to be installed directly onto sheathing (with no furring or clear space, but fasteners still going into wall studs), rivets will not be suitable due to insufficient clearance. In this case, screws should be used, but this method is limited to single butt-joint applications only.
Link & Lock™ Isolation Washer
To address the question of separating our aluminum from dissimilar metals, we introduce the new Isolation Washer for Link & Lock™ systems. This nylon washer provides a separation layer to prevent dissimilar metal contact and reduce friction, thus minimizing sound from friction and reducing finish wear.
Although we have not experienced, nor do we anticipate, issues in these areas, this enhancement aligns with our core value of “Continuous Improvement: There is Always a Better Way”. Past projects without the washer are not a cause for concern.
The Isolation Washer will be included with the purchase of all Link & Lock™ sets at no additional cost, in quantities equal to the Link & Lock Mounting Clip (LLMC). Additionally, it will be available for purchase in packs of 48, matching the quantity of our LLMC.
1/16” Installation U-Shim
This U-Shim is designed for use with our new Castellation Planks and HITCH™ Horizontal Girts:
Castellation Planks: When using Link & Lock™, the U-Shim provides support behind the anchoring point of each Link & Lock fin. The 1/16” U-Shim matches the 1/16” gap created by the plank’s Quick-Screen Clip. Without the U-Shim, securing the Link & Lock would cause the Link & Lock and Castellation Plank to collapse in these areas. Previously, projects used blocking behind the planks, which was time-consuming and introduced foreign materials. This U-Shim represents a significant improvement in the installation process.
Hitch™ Horizontal Girts: When attaching directly to sheathing/water-resistant barriers (WRB) for drainage planes, the U-Shim provides an easy solution to stand the girts off the WRB, allowing moisture to migrate down the wall. Additionally, the U-Shim facilitates the shimming of the girts to flatten the plane efficiently.
