Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to an extruder for producing an extrudate. The present disclosure relates more particularly to an extruder including an extruder body having at least one material inlet and an exit opening. A rotatable outlet is coupled to the exit opening of the extruder body and is configured to rotate as the extrudate is expelled from the extruder body.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to building surface joint supports, for example, suitable for covering a seam between two building surface panels. In certain aspects, the disclosure provides joint supports that include an elongate layered structure having inside and outside surfaces, the elongate layered structure including a support strip that includes first and second elongate flanges. In certain embodiments, the elongate layered structure also includes an inner facing sheet disposed on the inside surface of the support strip; and an outer facing sheet disposed on the outside surface of the support strip, wherein the each of the inner facing sheet and the outer facing sheet is formed from a fibrous polymer material.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to methods, devices and systems for insulation, e.g., of cavities associated with walls, ceilings, floors and other building structures, with foam insulation. In one aspect, the disclosure provides a method for providing a cavity of a building with an expanded foam insulation.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to plaster boards and methods for making them. For example, one aspect of the disclosure is a plaster board comprising one or more continuous layers of material disposed within a body of hardened plaster material, the first side and second side of each continuous layer of material being substantially covered by the hardened plaster material. In certain such embodiments, each continuous layer of material includes a polymer (e.g., a damping polymer) disposed on a carrier sheet. Another aspect of the disclosure relates to a method for making a plaster board that involves drying a wet body of plaster material while a continuous layer of material or precursor therefor is disposed within it.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to silicone-coated mineral wool insulation materials, methods for making them using specific coating methods, and methods for using them. One aspect of the disclosure is a method for making a silicone-coated mineral wool, the method comprising: providing a mineral wool comprising a collection of mineral wool fibers; applying to the mineral wool a solvent-borne coating composition comprising a silicone, the silicone of the coating composition having a number-average molecular weight of at least 25 kDa; and allowing the solvent to evaporate to provide silicone-coated mineral wool.

Abstract: A method of making the asphalt shingles includes applying a substrate to a layer of shingle-forming material, the substrate having indicators at predetermined spaced-apart distances, with the indicators being sensed as the shingle-forming layer is moved along a predetermined path, with adhesive zones being applied to the shingle such that the application of the adhesive zones is synchronized in response to sensing the locations of the indicators, and with the shingle-forming layer then being cut into individual shingles.

Abstract: One aspect of the disclosure is an exterior cladding panel including one or more courses of simulated shingles, a locking clip extending from a front face of the exterior cladding panel, and a locking leg extending from a rear face of the exterior cladding panel. The exterior cladding panel also includes a first plurality of tabs extending from a top edge of the exterior cladding panel, where each tab in the first plurality of tabs includes at least one projection extending approximately perpendicular to the front face. A respective top end of each tab in the first plurality of tabs extends a common distance from the top edge of the exterior cladding panel. A second plurality of tabs extends from the top edge of the exterior cladding panel, where a respective top end of each tab in the second plurality of tabs extends the common distance from the top edge.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to cladding for covering a building surface, for example suitable for covering the exterior surface of a building. The present disclosure relates more particularly to a siding panel including a panel body having a length, a width, a front face, and a rear face. The panel body further includes a first strip extending along the length of the panel body with a three dimensional surface texture. The three dimensional surface texture is a geometric pattern repeating along the front face of the panel body. The panel body includes a second strip extending along the length of the panel body adjacent to the first strip with a surface texture that is different than that of the first strip. The siding panel further includes a first lock, a second lock, and a fastening strip secured to the first lock.

Abstract: Roofing granules having a color coating layer are covered with a clear, transparent or translucent outer coating composition including a functional material, such nanoparticles of anatase titanium dioxide.

Abstract: A solar thermoelectric power generation system includes roofing products such as shingles with solar heat reflective areas and roofing products with solar heat absorptive areas. Thermoelectric power generating elements are provided in thermal contact with the solar heat reflective areas and the solar heat absorptive areas.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to cladding, for example, suitable for use covering the exterior surface of a building. The present disclosure relates more particularly to a siding panel including a light source. The siding panel includes a panel body having a length extending from a first end to a second end, a width extending from a first edge to a second edge, a front face, and a rear face. A first lock extends along the first edge of the panel body and a second lock extending along the second edge of the panel body. A fastening strip is coupled to the first lock. A light source extending along the length of the panel body is secured to the panel body so as to provide light from the front face of the panel body.

Abstract: Methods and systems for real-time visualization of building structures are disclosed. A computing system may calculate physical illumination characteristics for each of a plurality of predefined virtual external building-surface elements layered in simulation at specified surface locations of a virtual three-dimensional (3D) model of a building structure, wherein the virtual 3D model is constructed based on data descriptive of the building structure. Each of the plurality of predefined virtual external building-surface elements may be associated with its calculated illumination characteristics in a database. A spatially-manipulable rendered image of the building structure may displayed on an interactive display in real-time based on the virtual 3D model. On the interactive display device, one or more of the plurality of the predefined virtual external building-surface elements may be rendered in real-time at respectively specified locations on the rendered image.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to polymer structures, for example, suitable for construction products. The present disclosure relates more particularly to a thermoplastic construction product including a coextruded layer structure having a base layer including a first thermoplastic material, an outer layer including a second thermoplastic material, and an infrared-reflective intermediate layer that is coextruded with the base layer and the outer layer and is disposed between the base layer and the outer layer. In some embodiments the intermediate layer has a thickness of at least 30 micrometers. In some embodiments the infrared-reflective intermediate layer includes a reflective pigment dispersed in a matrix of one of the first thermoplastic material or the second thermoplastic material.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to an insulation-retaining sheet, e.g., for blown-in insulation, that includes an integral vapor-retarding membrane. In one aspect, the disclosure provides an insulation-retaining sheet including a sheet of mesh having an air permeability of at least 200 cfm per square foot; and one or more strips of vapor-retarding membrane, the one or more strips of vapor-retarding membrane being laminated to the sheet of mesh, the first side edge each of the strips of vapor-retarding membrane extending to the first side edge of the sheet of mesh, the second side edge each of the strips of vapor-retarding membrane extending to the second side edge of the sheet of mesh, wherein the insulation-retaining sheet has a plurality of open zones extending laterally from the first side edge of the sheet of mesh to the second side edge of the sheet of mesh in which no vapor-retarding membrane is laminated to the mesh.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are plaster boards that include first and second layers of hardened plaster material, a liner attached to the first layer of hardened plaster material, and a first material (e.g., a polymer material such as a viscoelastic polymer) adhered between the liner and the second layer of hardened plaster material. The liner includes one or more structurally weakened regions each extending substantially from a first edge to a second opposing edge of the plaster board. The structurally weakened regions of the liner may facilitate creation of a fissure that propagates substantially within a plane within the plaster board. Methods for making the plaster boards may involve drying wet plaster material while it is in contact with a liner having structurally weakened regions, processing a liner to form its structurally weakened regions while in contact with wet plaster material, or processing a liner to form its structurally weakened regions while in contact with hardened plaster material.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to insulated building structures. In one aspect of the disclosure, an insulated building structure includes a longitudinally-extending cavity bound by a first lateral surface, a second lateral surface, a back surface and a front surface, the cavity having a cross-sectional area in a plane normal to a longitudinal axis of the cavity; one or more shelves extending into the cavity, each having an occluded area in the plane that is less than the cross-sectional area of the cavity; and loose-fill insulation disposed in the cavity, loose-fill insulation being positioned above and below each of the shelves.

Abstract: An example plasterboard includes a layer of hardened plaster having a first surface and an opposed second surface, a layer of polymer material having particles of one or more cementitiously-active substances mixed therein, and a liner between the first surface of the layer of hardened plaster and the layer of polymer material. Another example is a method of forming such a plasterboard. The method includes loading an extruder with the polymer material having the particles of one or more cementitiously active substances mixed therein, extruding the polymer material through a die to form the layer of polymer material on a surface of the liner, contacting with a layer of wet plaster material, the liner having the polymer material applied thereon such that the surface of the liner faces away from the wet plaster material, and drying the layer of wet plaster material to form the layer of hardened plaster.

Abstract: The disclosure relates to support members for ceiling systems, such as those that can be formed into an interconnected grid to be suspended from a ceiling and support ceiling tiles. One aspect of the disclosure is a linearly-extending support member for a ceiling tile.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to plaster wall panels, for example, suitable for covering interior wall frames. The present disclosure relates more particularly to a plaster wall panel including a first plaster layer, a second plaster layer, and a damping layer disposed between the first and second plaster layers. The first plaster layer has a first thickness and is composed of a first plaster material that has a first material property. The second plaster layer has a second thickness and is composed of a second plaster material that has a second material property. The first thickness is smaller than the second thickness, and the first and second material properties are different.