Accessories and Fittings

The Soffi-Steel® System beneficially requires few accessories and fittings in order to successfully complete the installation process. By only utilizing a handful of accessories and fittings, this minimizes necessary time and efforts to finish your project’s interior concealment needs.

Please refer to the images and explanations of use below as you are becoming familiar with our Soffi-Steel® System and its installation components. You may click on any of the following to be immediately redirected to information regarding: Fasteners, Shield Clips, Couplings, Wall Flanges, End Caps, Inside Corners, Outside Corners & Elbows, Con-Seal-It™ Groove Edge, Sealant, L-Brackets, Access Panels, Shield Clip Release Tool.

Fasteners – We supply an array of fasteners in order to best suit each application. The type(s) utilized are determined by the individual requirements of each project and the site substrate(s). Fasteners necessary for your project may include one or more of the following:

Gypsum Board Substrate

• #8 Screws (1 ¼”)
• #10 Screws (1 ¼”)
• Conical Anchors (Mollies)
• ¼” Dia. x 3” Toggle Bolts
• Zippits
• Other options are available upon request

Concrete Substrate

• Metal Hit Anchors (7/8”)
• Metal Hit Anchors ( 2”)
• ¼” Dia. x 1 ¼” Tapcons
• ¼” Dia. x 1 ¾” Tapcons
• Other options are available upon request

Security Fasteners

• 1/8” Dia. Buttonhead White Head Rivets
• 1/8” Dia. Buttonhead Stainless Steel Rivets
• 3/16” Dia. Buttonhead Stainless Steel Rivets
• #8 Self-tapping Security Screw (1”)
• #10 Self-tapping Security Screw (1”)
• Other options are available upon request

Shield Clips – Our shield clip is the primary hanging mechanism and tightly secures the Soffi-Steel® System to the substrate by creating a snap-lock connection. This unique design renders the shield virtually irremovable and tamper-resistant. Patent #5,526,617

-  Our Residential/Commercial/Educational Facility (1”) Shield Clips are typically used in conjunction with installation of the Soffi-Steel® System in 24, 22, and 20 Gauge Material. Sufficient for secure fastening of our lighter gauges to the substrate.
-  Our Institutional (1 ½”) Shield Clips were designed for applications involving installation of the Soffi-Steel® System in 18, 16 and 14 Gauge Material. Engineered to eliminate tampering possibilities, this shield clip provides proper attachment and support of our heaviest gauges

Couplings – Due to fabrication and shipping limitations, our Soffi-Steel® System is offered in up to 10’ sections. However, most projects can commonly require longer runs of material. In order to address this need, we have developed a coupling, which simply acts as an internal seaming device allowing a stream-lined connection of two sections of our Soffi-Steel® System to one another. Our couplings are available ‘loose’ for ultimate ease of field installation or pre-installed in a crimped or riveted manner.

Wall Flanges – Our Soffi-Steel® System was originally designed as a security cover for Institutional applications. With this in mind, we’ve created a wall flange to assure secure installation of our system. This is an internal fitting that remains concealed upon anchoring the wall flange to a section of our Soffi-Steel® System. Our wall flanges serve multiple uses and can aid in certain field fabrications.

To provide further attachment security and remove the option of tampering, our wall flanges are used at those points in which our shield starts or sbacktotops at a substrate. Simply attach the wall flange to the substrate using the appropriate fasteners, and then slide the edge of the shield over the already attached wall flange. For additional security or to remedy any gaps, you may apply caulk or rivets.

Please note: When ordering wall flanges for your L-Shield applications, you will need to indicate whether your project requires left and/or right hand wall flanges. Our U-Shield wall flanges are reversible.

There are also applications in which it is necessary to create a ‘T-Intersection’ as required by the utility design. In these instances, a wall flange serves as the anchoring mechanism that connects one section of shield to the exterior surface of the adjoining section.

While we offer the option to purchase factory-fabricated inside corners, outside corners and elbows, our wall flanges are used as a mechanism for field fabricating these ‘bends’ directly on the job site. The wall flange is used in the same manner as indicated to produce a T-Intersection. Should you opt for the more economical option of field-fabrication, you would require:

• 2 – Wall Flanges = Inside Corner
• 1 – Wall Flange, 1 – End Cap = Outside Corner
• 1 – Wall Flange, 1 – End Cap = 90° Elbow

End Caps – In the occasion your application leaves an exposed end, we supply an end cap which is designed to slide into and snuggly fit within the open end of the shield. Apply caulk or rivets for a secure installation.

Inside Corners, Outside Corners & Elbows – At your option, we can factory fabricate any of the specialty ‘bends’ that your project may require. While electing this option advantageously saves you installation time, we do fabricate these bends at an exact 90° angle. This may pose problems as some substrates can have inconsistencies. See our section on wall flanges for a brief description relevant to field fabricating these bends.

Con-Seal-It™ Groove Edge - Our unique Con-Seal-It™ sealant-retaining groove edge serves as a retaining channel, holding the appropriate amount of sealant in place. This furrow aids in eliminating any gapping that may occur as a result of substrate inconsistencies. Additionally, the reverse curvature of our 21 Gauge zinc plated spring steel shield clips soundly secures the soffit from option of easy removal.

Sealants – The type of sealant utilized for finishing is determined by whether your project is a Residential/Commercial/Educational Facility or Institutional Soffi-Steel® System application. Technical Data Sheets are available upon request.

• Sonolastic NP1 – Recommended for finishing purposes in Residential/Commercial/Educational projects.
• Sonolastic Ultra Caulk – For High security applications commonly required by Institutional projects.

While considering the required functionality of our installed Soffi-Steel® System, we determined the features and benefits of the above listed types of sealants are as follows:

• Aliphatic polyurethane technology
• Impervious to high amounts of UV exposure
• No surface tackiness
• Medium modulus
• Superior workability
• Movement capability + 25%
• Staining, yellowing, and chalking resistant
• Non-dirt attracting, self-cleaning surface
• Excellent puncture and abrasion resistant properties
• Easy tooling
• Security applications
• Expands and contracts with joint movement

We also offer Contractor Grade Siliconized Acrylic Latex Caulk based on customer preference or in fulfillment of project specifications.

L-Brackets – Our L-Brackets are an engineered solution for those situations in which asbestos or dropped tile ceilings are existing, project conditions. Our L-Bracket design ensures that the need for penetration into the asbestos can be avoided while still allowing a secure, stream-lined interior soffit system.

Grice Engineering, Inc. offers two options to access the concealed utility once the Soffi-Steel® System has been installed. Typically seen as an advantageous feature, our Soffi-Steel® System is virtually irremovable. However, it has become apparent this could create a problem if a situation arises making it a necessity to remove the cover. The following options are offered:

Access Panels – Our access panels come available either loose or factory-installed per project specifications. In order to fabricate the access panels, it will be necessary to obtain information such as:

Size – The access panel should be surrounded by a margin of shield at no less than 1 1/2” wide. For example, if an access panel was ordered for a 9” x 12” shield, the maximum dimensions of the access panel would be 7 1/2” x 10 1/2”. Also, it is advantageous to keep the length of the access panel to a minimum in order to retain the strength of the shield cover. Recommended size is one foot or less in both length and height.

Location - It may be beneficial to forecast where problems could occur. Consider the most strategic location for each access panel in the case there is a need for utility accessibility.

Attachment method – Will the access panel be connected to the shield by hinge or by screws?

Security concerns - It may be necessary to have a lock on each panel. Locks can be keyed separately or identically.

Since Grice Engineering, Inc. only provides custom fabrication, it is necessary to specify exactly what your project requires.

Shield Clip Release Tool – This device has been specially designed to release the shield from its installed, irremovable state. Inserting the shield clip release tool between the cover and the shield clip allows enough flex to release the cover. However, please note it may be necessary to install new shield clips in locations where the cover has been removed. We strongly recommend examining the condition of shield clips before proceeding to re-install the shield cover. In most cases, the cover remains intact and it can be installed as it was originally.