Abstract: A method of molding a building product may include providing an injection mold with a plurality of gates located adjacent a perimeter of the injection mold. The method may further include commingling a first material and a second material into a flow. The second material may be a color that contrasts with a color of the first material. The method may include injecting the commingled flow into the plurality of gates to form an injection molded building product, and removing the molded building product from the injection mold. In addition, the second material may extend through an interior of the molded building product and appear as contrasting streaks on an exterior of the building product to form a variegated grain appearance.

Abstract: A roofing product can include a heater. In an embodiment, the heater can have different areas that have different heat flux capacities, different portions having heater elements of different lengths or a combination thereof. The roofing product can be installed so that an area of the roof that has a higher heat load, such as near an eave and a valley of the roof, can receive more heat. In another embodiment, the roofing product includes an overhang section that includes at least a portion of the heater. The roofing product can be installed, and the overhang section can be coupled to an object that extends beyond an edge of the roof or over a plane defined by a roof. Many different manufacturing techniques can be used to form the heaters.

Abstract: A deck drainage system includes a plurality of hanger clips. Each hanger clip may have a plurality of mounting holes configured to fasten the hanger clip to a support at selected elevations. A soffit may be mounted to the hanger clips without fasteners and located completely below the deck, such that not every hanger clip directly contacts the soffit. A slope of the soffit may be selected by mounting at least two of the hanger clips to the support at different vertical elevations. The soffit may be configured to slope beneath the deck and drain water therefrom in a selected direction.

Abstract: A roofing product can include a substrate and a heater. The roofing product may be placed along portions of a roof where heat can help to reduce the likelihood of water freezing into ice while along a roof. In an embodiment, the heater can be located in a headlap portion of the roofing product. A roofing product can include plurality of heaters that can provide sufficient heating should a particular heater fail. Method of fabricating the roofing product can be adapted for a fabrication line that can operate continuously.

Abstract: A roofing shingle has a shingle body with at least a top layer having a buttlap portion with a butt edge and a headlap portion. An exposure zone extends from the butt edge toward the headlap portion is configured to be exposed to the environment when the roofing shingle is installed on a roof. A shadow formation may be located in the exposure zone of the top layer. The shadow formation and the exposure zone differ from each other in at least one aspect, such as color. The top layer may be substantially rectangular and have no tabs formed along the butt edge. A thickness of the exposure zone and a thickness of the shadow formation may be substantially identical. The shadow formation may be a simulated cut out, slit or slot.

Abstract: A photovoltaic module includes an encapsulated photovoltaic element and an infrared-transmissive decorative overlay simulating conventional roofing.

Abstract: A shingle, a method of making it, and a roof embodying the shingle is provided, in which an exterior surface of the shingle is provided with an attached reinforcement layer through which fasteners may be applied when the shingle is applied to a roof.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to photovoltaic devices, and more particularly to photovoltaic roofing products in which a photovoltaic element is joined to a roofing substrate. In one embodiment, the present invention provides a photovoltaic roofing element comprising a roofing substrate; one or more photovoltaic cells disposed on the roofing substrate; and a colored or patterned layer disposed on the roofing substrate and visible in the area surrounding the photovoltaic cells; and an encapsulant layer disposed over the photovoltaic cells and the patterned colored layer.

Abstract: A roofing accessory adds thickness to a roofing product. A roofing system includes a roofing shingle secured to a roof deck as an outermost layer of the roof. The roofing accessory is secured between the roofing shingle and a previous course of roofing shingle for adding a thickness of at least about 1.5 mm to at least a portion of an exposed edge of the roofing shingle.

Abstract: A hip, ridge or rake shingle is provided, in which a pair of substantially rigid panel portions are connected by a hinge portion, and wherein the shingle is pre-assembled, but can conform to a variety of different angles to accommodate different angular relationships between surfaces of a hip, ridge or rake of a roof. The substantially rigid panel portions are connected by a hinge and may or may not have a reinforcement member, and all of the panels, hinges and reinforcement members are of synthetic thermoplastic polymeric construction and are welded together by ultrasonic or vibratory welding techniques.

Abstract: A method of reducing the amount of cooling energy required to heat and cool a building is provided. The method includes disposing a porous insulating material in the exterior walls and substantially covering the ceiling in the attic space of the building to a substantial depth. The porous insulating material includes a desiccant. The method further includes permitting the desiccant—bearing porous insulating material to adsorb water moisture from the attic space and then permitting the adsorbed water moisture to desorb from the desiccant—bearing porous insulating material into the enclosed room of the building, resulting in a reduction in the amount of energy required to heat and cool the building.

Abstract: A plurality of hip, ridge or rake shingles, and the shingles produced thereby and stacks and packages of such shingles are provided. An adhesive impregnated mat is moved longitudinally, and granules are provided onto adhesive, in predetermined bands. An overlay band of adhesive, continuous or discontinuous is provided, with granules thereon, increasing the thickness of the shingle material being made, in predetermined bands, relative to the remainder of the shingle material. The shingle material is slit longitudinally, and one portion can be laminated to another portion, preferably creating a multiple-ply laminated shingle material with thickened overlay portions and optionally with shadow line portions. The material is then slit longitudinally, and cut transversely into a plurality of hip, ridge or rake shingles, which may be individually separated from each other, or which may comprise a plurality of connected together shingles. The shingles are then stacked and wrapped.

Abstract: A multiple-layer laminated shingle and a method of making the shingle are provided, in which at least one thermal set adhesive of high temperature resistance is applied for securing the shingle layers together, to reduce reliance on a roofer having to fasten (via nails, staples or other fasteners) through a narrow headlap zone of a posterior shingle layer in order to secure the posterior shingle layer to a roof; such that a vertically wide portion of the headlap area of the anterior shingle layer is presented to the roofer as a nailing zone.

Abstract: A dark-colored siding panel product includes a shell having a layered structure. The layered structure can include a substrate comprising polyvinylchloride. The substrate may be located between inner and outer layers. The inner and outer layers may be formed from a weatherable polymer. In addition, at least the outer layer may have a CIE color unit L*<75. An insulation layer may be mounted to the shell.

Abstract: A fire resistant roofing material includes a core sheet and a sheet of conductive material having a thermal conductivity greater than about 25 W/m-K. The sheet of conductive material is coextensively bonded with the core sheet, and coated with a polymer-modified bituminous material having fire-resistant properties.

Abstract: The present invention relates particularly to photovoltaic roofing systems in which photovoltaic elements are integrated on a roof deck with conventional roofing materials. In one aspect, a photovoltaic roofing system includes a two-part tee element disposed on a roof deck, the two-part tee element comprising a base piece including a central portion; two opposed horizontally-extending first and second flanges extending from the central portion, and a top piece attachment feature formed in the central portion, and a top piece including a base piece attachment feature mated with the top piece attachment feature of the base piece; and a vertically extending portion extending from the base piece attachment feature. A first photovoltaic element can be disposed on the roof adjacent the base piece with its edge disposed on the horizontally-extending first flange of the base piece of the two-part tee element.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to roofing products. The present invention relates more particularly to roofing products for use with photovoltaic elements, and to photovoltaic systems that include one or more photovoltaic elements joined to a roofing substrate. In one embodiment, a roofing product includes a flexible roofing substrate having a top surface, the top surface having one or more granule-coated zones thereon capable of acting as a receptor zone or an exposure zone, each zone being adapted to receive one or more photovoltaic elements; and an adhesive suitable for securing photovoltaic elements to one or more of the granule-coated zones, the adhesive capable of forming a bond to the granules and the top surface of the flexible roofing substrate and to the bottom surface of the photovoltaic elements.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the photovoltaic generation of electrical energy. The present invention relates more particularly to photovoltaic roofing products for use in photovoltaically generating electrical energy. One aspect of the invention is a photovoltaic roofing element comprising: a flexible roofing substrate; a photovoltaic element disposed on the flexible roofing substrate; and an electrical connector operatively coupled to the photovoltaic element, wherein the flexible roofing substrate has formed therein a recess shaped to at least partially receive the electrical connector.

Abstract: Roofing granules include a core having an average ultraviolet transmission of greater than sixty percent and an average near infrared reflectance of greater than sixty percent and a UV coating layer on the exterior surface. The coating provides UV opacity, while the core provides near infrared reflectance.