STEP 5: Laying Out, Fabricating and Assembling our Interior Steel Soffit Material and Fittings -
The primary difference between installation of our Architectural/Aesthetic/Commercial steel soffit systems and our Security soffit system primarily lies in the means of joining the cover sections.
Our Architectural/Aesthetic/Commercial steel soffit materials are readily joined via an internal slip coupling. The coupling easily slips into one end and is pinched in place by a hand seamer (refer to Recommended Tools section of this Installation Guide), thus forming a male end to be slipped into the next section. When working with 20G or heavier material and/or in situations where the substrate(s) are distorted and uneven, simply use 1/8” pop rivets as needed to hold corner sections square and pull seams together.
As for our security soffits, prefabricated ends are designed to form male/female overlapping joints via the use of integral (factory installed) couplings. The joints are then locked together with steel pop rivets (1/8" diameter) using a hand held riveter (this must be done by the installer). Rivet holes (1/8" diameter) must be drilled through the two joined sections. For field efficiency, the use of a template and a high speed drill are suggested.
IMPORTANT: Holes must be spaced at 2" intervals around the cover perimeter at a distance no greater than l” from the end of the female section.
5.1 Sprinkler Outlets- Outlet holes should be cut only after careful measuring to determine the precise location. Depending on the size of the escutcheon plate used, a 2”- 3” outlet hole is recommended in order to provide allowance for proper positioning.
A carbide tipped hole saw is suggested for cutting outlet holes. When required, a sprinkler outlet adapter ring is provided by the installing contractor. The purpose of the sprinkler outlet adapter ring is to prevent any possible gaping between the sprinkler escutcheon and the steel soffit material. These rings are simply cut lengths of pipe (usually plastic) of a size that will slip over the outlet branch of your pipe tee along the full length of such outlets prior to installing the cover. This device is optional but should be considered mandatory for high security (prison) installations.
5.2 Steel Interior Soffit Systems Installation- IMPORTANT: Always wear safety glasses and leather gloves when conducting field fabrications and handling our soffit materials. With the shield cut to the proper length (see Recommended Tools section of this Installation Guide) and positioned, it is simply pressed onto each clip until a definite “snap” is heard from each clip arm. This is best accomplished by attaching one side of the shield cover first, followed by the opposite side, and is best done by applying direct pressure only at clip locations. A large rubber mallet is helpful, particularly for the heavier gauges. Be sure to record the clip locations prior to attempting to snap the cover on. These records will also allow for easy removal. Field cut ends and outlet holes must be touched up with a matching paint prior to installation to protect the cover against corrosion.
5.3 Sprinkler Head Accommodations- Our Steel Soffit Systems can accommodate most any type of sprinkler head, including those intended for institutional use.
5.4 Soffit System Fittings and Closure Sections- Field fabricated fittings can be readily made on demand in the field with the use of factory made wall flanges. Examples of such fittings include: L-Shield x U-Shield T- Intersections, U-Shield x U-Shield T-Intersections, L-Shield Inside Corners, etc. Using aviation shears/snips, a hand held saber saw/metal cutter, or an industrial grade jigsaw (refer to Recommended Tools section in this Installation Guide), a slot is cut in the cover section for pipe emergence. When performing this function, we suggest you use the bracket itself as a template to mark the outline of the slot to be cut. For heavier gauge material, it is helpful to cut a hole to form the bottom of the slot, then cut down to the hole with a die grinder, cutoff saw, or plasma cutter. The flange is then attached to the cover (with pop rivets) around the slot with the offset sections then being likewise attached to the flange, thus tightly tying the two cover sections together.
IMPORTANT: The flange should be attached to the first section only after the first section has been installed. In this manner it can be positioned tightly against the construction surfaces. The catch points of the cover section interfacing with the flange must be snipped to allow the overlapping cover to closely hug the flange.
When forming inside corners with the L-Shield cover you will note there are left and right hand flanges, depending on the direction it is being installed from. While you will generally be supplied with a few extra of each, it is a good idea to keep this fact in mind and try to balance your requirements accordingly.
The key benefits of such field made fittings are design flexibility and the elimination of precision cutting otherwise required to accurately position pre-fabricated fitting.
Pre-Fabricated Fittings- Certain fittings are joined with splice couplings in the same manner as the lineal sections. Rivets can be applied in order to pull the seams together smoothly. The end cap serves as its own coupling and simply slips into the end of a lineal section and is then either caulked or riveted in place. Unless otherwise specified, JG Innovations Inc., will assume field fabricated fittings will be utilized where possible.
Wall Flanges- Can also be used as closure flanges where the shield ends directly at the wall (these are identical to those used for field fabricated fittings).
IMPORTANT: n all cases, the flange fits on the inside of the cover and the catch points/groove must be clipped from the cover section at the interfacing with the flange.
5.5 Trouble Shooting- Each project you encounter will have its nuances. These may include:
Asbestos Ceilings- A wall mounted L-Bracket sized to accommodate the ceiling level catch point of your particular soffit is available for any installations needing to accommodate asbestos ceilings.
Protrusions/Offsets- In situations where the substrate has small protrusions and offsets, typically the soffit material is over sized and notched as needed. For larger offsets, custom offset elbows and corners may be ordered.
Restricted Vertical Space- Where space is limited, i.e. high doorways, it may be necessary to use a smaller cover than what may otherwise be optimal. When installing a fire sprinkler system with side wall heads, it may then require “sprinkler housings” to accommodate “drops” to the sidewall sprinkler device at its listed elevation.
Excessively Wavy Construction Surfaces- Using a chalk line, determine the “low points” of such surfaces and mount the clips at these points. If the clips were mounted in the high points, it may be impossible to snap the soffit material on. Caulk the “high” sections where gapping between the shield and substrate has occurred.
Restricted Horizontal Lineal Space- Snip off the catch points from the soffit material section that would normally interface with a coupling or wall flange. This precludes the need for “sliding” over the coupling.
There are many ways to enhance the physical appearance if you are having problems with ceiling or wall distortion and other special situations described above. Our recommendations include:
- Small finishing nails can be used to hold shield ends square when butting shield up to a wall. After nail is in place, sealant can be applied. After sealant has cured, nail can be removed and corner is held in place. This is most commonly done in situations where clip placement is difficult or impossible.
- Wooden shims may be handy in situations where shield may need to be forced down from the ceiling surface or out from a wall to maintain a lineal and square appearance.
- Painters caulk can be utilized to fill in small openings in seam areas. Seams should not appear to be gapped or open; by utilizing this method, you are left with a smooth, paint-ready surface, free of blemishes or unsightly gapping.
5.6 Special Fabrications- In order to provide an exact concealment solution tailored to each individual project needs, our interior steel soffit systems are entirely custom-fabricated and built to order. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the designer and/or the installer to determine precisely what those needs may be. Filling these needs often require special fabrications. In those instances, please submit drawings, complete with dimensions, to JG Innovations, Inc., via fax at 608-314-8712 or electronically to [email protected] for review, consultation, and pricing.