Abstract: A fiber mat includes an assembly of fibers including a minority portion including a set of polymer fibers and a majority portion including a set of fibers different than the minority portion, wherein the minority portion is a plane parallel to a plane of the majority portion of the assembly of fibers; and a binder including an organic resin, wherein an air permeability of said fiber mat is not substantially different from an equivalent weight fiber mat containing a homogenous mat structure and wherein the fiber mat provides at least a 5% increase in tear when placed in a bituminous roofing product compared to an equivalent bituminous roofing product made with the equivalent weight fiber mat containing the homogenous mat structure.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to a roofing system including flashing, for example, suitable for protecting a roof from water leakage. The present disclosure relates more particularly to a roofing system including first, second, and third courses of shingles, where the second course overlaps the first and the third course overlaps the second. A flashing plate is disposed over the first course of shingles and partially under the second course of shingles. The flashing plate and the third course of shingles are spaced apart by a gap in a direction of the slope of the roof between a top edge of the flashing plate and a lower edge of the third course of shingles.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to roofing elements and methods for making them. In one embodiment, the disclosure provides a roofing element in the form of a roofing shingle that includes a body of a foamed cured cross-linked polymer, the body having a top surface and a bottom surface, the body extending substantially in a plane and having a thickness in the range of 0.5 mm to 35 mm; and a layer of weather-resistant roofing granules disposed on and adhered at the top surface of roofing element. The roofing element can be made by providing a body of wet foamed curable composition, and allowing the curable composition to cure to provide the body of foamed cured cross-linked polymer.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to acoustic panels, for example, suitable for acoustic ceiling surfaces. The present disclosure relates more particularly to acoustic panels that include a panel body (e.g., comprising fiberglass, or having an NRC value in the range of at least 0.5, e.g., 0.5-0.95 or 0.5-0.9) and a perimeter frame extending around a side edge of the panel body. The perimeter frame includes a plurality of frame members including a first frame member and a second frame member. A first adhesive bonds the frame members to the panel body. A second adhesive with a shorter working time may also bond the frame members to the panel body. In addition, or alternatively, a bracket that couples the frame members to one another includes a sharp projection that hinders removal of the bracket from the frame members once assembled. These aspects allow the acoustic panel to be handled before the first adhesive is cured.

Abstract: A suspension ceiling support clip including a body, a snap-fit connector disposed on the body, and a locking member disposed on the body. The snap-fit connector is configured to receive a first beam of a suspension ceiling that extends in a first direction. The locking member is configured to receive a second beam of the suspension ceiling that extends in a second direction, where the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

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 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: The present disclosure relates generally to wallboards, for example, suitable for use in constructing internal walls. The present disclosure relates more particularly to a wallboard and a method that provides simplified high-quality surface finishing. The wallboard includes a wall panel having a front surface and a rear surface. A sandable coating is disposed on the front surface of the wall panel. The method includes positioning wallboards adjacent to one another, applying sandable joint compound over joint formed between the wallboards, and sanding the joint compound and the sandable coating of the wallboards.

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

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to polyurethane matrix composite materials, for example, suitable for making an exterior cladding product for houses and other buildings. The present disclosure relates more particularly to a polymer matrix composite material including a polyurethane matrix and an inorganic filler in a range from 45% to 85% by weight of the composite material. The inorganic filler includes a first substance from the group consisting of calcium carbonate, sand, talc, kaolin clay, dolomite, feldspar and mica and any mixture thereof, and fly ash, and/or an iron oxide in a range from 0.5% to 7% by weight of the inorganic filler.

Abstract: Solar-reflective roofing granules having deep-tone colors are formed by coating base mineral particles with a coating composition including an infrared-reflective pigment. Color is provided by a colored infrared pigment, a light-interference platelet pigment, or a metal oxide.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to flame retarding building materials and methods for making them. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to flame retarding building materials that have both flame retardant character and desirable water vapor permeability values. In one embodiment, the disclosure provides a flame retardant vapor retarding membranes comprising: a building material substrate sheet having a melt viscosity of about 1 Pa·s to about 100,000 Pa·s at about 300° C. at 1 rad/s; and a polymeric coating layer disposed on the building material substrate layer, wherein the coating layer has a melt viscosity of about 1 Pa·s to about 100,000 Pa·s at about 300° C. at 1 rad/s.

Abstract: One aspect of the disclosure is an exterior cladding panel including a first end, a second end, and a series of locking clips extending from a front face of the exterior cladding panel and positioned along the first end of the exterior cladding panel. The exterior cladding panel also includes a locking leg extending from a rear face of the exterior cladding panel and positioned along a middle portion between the first end and the second end. The exterior cladding panel also includes a series of simulated shingles positioned in a single course between the first end and the second end, including a series of gaps separating adjacent shingles. Each gap extends lengthwise from the second end to the middle portion of the exterior cladding panel, and includes a first width that differs from a second width of at least one adjacent gap in the series of gaps.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are plaster boards having a first surface and an opposing second surface, and a first edge and an opposing second edge that bound the first surface and the second surface. The first surface includes a first section and a second section, the first section being raised compared to the second section, the second section abutting the second edge. The second surface includes a first section and a second section that are separated by a boundary between the first edge and the second edge. The first section of the second surface is substantially parallel to the first section of the first surface. The second section of the second surface slopes toward the first surface from the boundary toward the second edge. Methods for making the plaster boards involve forming wet plaster material and drying the wet plaster material such that the wet plaster material hardens into a plasterboard.

Abstract: One aspect of the disclosure is a plaster board having a first edge and an opposed second edge, and a third edge and an opposed fourth edge. The plaster board includes a first layer of hardened plaster material including a first surface and an opposed second surface, and a second layer of hardened plaster material including a first surface and an opposed second surface. The second layer of hardened plaster material is stacked against the first layer such that their first surfaces face one another. The first layer and the second layer together define the first, second, third, and fourth edges of the plaster board. The plaster board also includes a viscoelastic polymer disposed between the first surfaces of the first and second layers of hardened plaster material. The viscoelastic polymer does not extend substantially to the first, second, third, and fourth edges of the plaster board.