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 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 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.

Abstract: A method of producing laminated roofing shingles is provided, wherein the shingles are of a dragon's tooth type, and shingles made in accordance with the method, and packages of such shingles.

Abstract: A laminated roofing shingle is provided, having an anterior shingle layer and a posterior shingle layer. Openings exist in tab portions of the anterior shingle layer, allowing for visible front surface portions of the posterior shingle layer to be visible through the openings. Such visible portions can be of varying vertical contrast from at least some of the top edges of the openings to at least some of the bottom edges of the posterior shingle layer that are exposed through the openings, and are generally of consistent horizontal contrast between right and left edges of the openings. Front surface portions of the posterior shingle layer that are exposed through one or more openings have a different contrast that is in interrupting contrast to at least a portion of any of the varying or consistent contrast that are visible through the openings between tabs of the anterior shingle layer.

Abstract: A roofing shingle may include a shingle body having a buttlap portion with a butt edge and a headlap portion. An exposure zone may extend from the butt edge toward the headlap portion and may be configured to be exposed to the environment when the roofing shingle is installed on a roof. The butt edge may be variegated and may include at least one tab. A first shadowline may be on at least a portion of the at least one tab. A second shadowline may be in the exposure zone. The first and second shadowlines may differ from each other in at least one aspect.

Abstract: The present invention relates particularly to photovoltaic systems for use in photovoltaically generating electrical energy. One aspect of the invention is a photovoltaic roofing system disposed on a roof deck.

Abstract: A ceiling panel uses a perimeter frame with a wide outwardly extending bottom flange defining a thin panel edge. Preferably the bottom flange includes a lower surface for securing of a finished substrate about the panel perimeter. The upper surface of the bottom flange receives a gusset clip that includes two arms for securement of the bottom flange and an upwardly extending lift and shift securing tab. The upwardly extending lift and shift securing tab is preferably located within a depth of the ceiling panel generally defined by an acoustical dampening material located within the perimeter frame.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to roofing or siding products. The present invention relates more particularly to roofing or siding products for use with photovoltaic elements, and to photovoltaic systems that include one or more photovoltaic elements joined to a roofing or siding substrate. In one embodiment, a roofing product includes a rigid roofing or siding substrate having a top surface, the top surface having one or more receptor zones thereon, each receptor zone being adapted to receive one or more photovoltaic elements, each receptor zone having a different surfacing than the area of the top surface adjacent to it.

Abstract: A corner piece for covering or capping a structure corner adjacent shake shingle siding characterized by a lineally variable contour includes a field modifiable trim strip for reflecting and accommodating the contour of the siding adjacent the structure corner. A method of siding a structure with the new corner piece and a siding system including the new corner piece and lineally variable contour siding panels are also disclosed.

Abstract: A process for preparing roofing granules includes forming kaolin clay into green granules and sintering the green granules at a temperature of at least 900 degrees Celsius to cure the green granules until the crystalline content of the sintered granules is at least ten percent as determined by x-ray diffraction.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to electrical systems. The present invention relates more particularly to electrical wiring systems suitable for use in roofing applications. One aspect of the invention is a wiring system on a roof comprising a roof deck having a slope and one or more roofing elements disposed on the roof deck, the wiring system including one or more wires extending along the roof on top of the roofing elements; and a wire covering disposed over the one or more wires.

Abstract: A roofing product having at least two separate zones, with one of the zones having one or more certain functional characteristics such as flame retardancy, solar reflectivity, weather resistance, selected coloring, heat stabilization, algae resistance, and/or solar collection for electrical generation, and another of the zones not having such functional feature(s). The different zones can be present in core or capstock material. The product can be made by any of various processes, such as co-extrusion, forming, molding, coinjection, shot injection moldings, multiple step injection moldings and/lamination.