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: A method of fabricating panels includes providing an insert having an interior portion with a top portion and a positioning stop opposite the top portion, and an exterior portion including a fastener hem. Further, the method includes placing the insert in a mold such that only the fastener hem and the positioning stop contact the mold and centering the insert in the mold with the top portion and the positioning stop. The method also includes filling the mold with a casting material such that the interior portion is submerged in the casting material including the top portion, but some of the positioning stop is not submerged in the casting material, curing the casting material to form a panel on the insert, and removing the panel form the mold.

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: A building board, particularly a gypsum board, can have a high fastener sealability if protected by the combination of thin layers of an extruded polymer film and a thermoplastic coating layer. The combination of extruded polymer film and thermoplastic coating layer is designed such that the gypsum board can also tolerate overdriven fasteners, thus exceeding the requirements of ASTM D1970-15.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to the photovoltaic generation of electrical energy. The present invention relates more particularly to photovoltaic arrays for use in photovoltaically generating electrical energy. Aspects of the present invention provide a variety of photovoltaic roofing elements and systems that include, for example, interlocking geometries to provide for water handling and integration with conventional roofing materials; and wire management features that can protect wiring and associated electrical components from physical and/or environmental damage.

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: One aspect of the disclosure is a shingle including a first bituminous sheet at the bottom surface of the shingle, the first bituminous sheet having a lower edge disposed at the lower end of the shingle, the first bituminous sheet having one or more slits extending from the lower edge of the first bituminous sheet toward the upper end of the shingle; and a second bituminous sheet at least partially laminated to a top surface of the first bituminous sheet, the second bituminous sheet having a lower edge disposed adjacent the lower end of the shingle, the second bituminous sheet having one or more tabs being defined by one or more notches formed in the second bituminous sheet, each notch extending away from the lower edge of the second bituminous sheet.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to light fixtures and to lighting assembly attachment systems. The present disclosure provides a lighting fixture extending no more than 3 inches from the building surface. A light source is disposed in a housing thereof and is configured to emit light through the open side of the housing so as to direct the light in an upward direction. The disclosure also provides lighting assembly including a housing having a base and a cavity below the base, a light source disposed in the cavity of the housing, and one or more clips configured to attach to a flange of a ceiling support beam. Each clip includes an upper arm, a lower arm, and a retainer disposed on the lower arm configured to engage the base of the housing such that the housing is held up by the one or more clips.

Abstract: A method of injection molding a building product includes providing an injection mold with a plurality of gates located adjacent a perimeter of the injection mold. The method further includes commingling a first material and a second material into a flow, the second material comprising a color that contrasts with a color of the first material and injecting the commingled flow into the plurality of gates to form a building product. Thereafter, the method includes removing the building product from the injection mold. The second material extends through an interior of the building product and appears as contrasting streaks on an exterior of the building product to form a variegated grain appearance. The method also includes notching a portion of the building product, such that the building product has a substantially linear grain in an exposed portion thereof.

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

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: 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: This invention relates to improved high temperature resistant calcium sulphate-based products e.g. gypsum wallboard products and, in particular, to products having reduced shrinkage at high temperatures. The invention provides calcium sulphate-based product comprising gypsum and a shrinkage resistance additive. The shrinkage resistance additive is melamine polyphosphate or melamine pyrophosphate.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to coating compositions, coated articles, and methods in which the coated article is adapted to exhibit a particular permeance profile, such as, for example, a variable water vapor perm rating of about 1 perm or less at 25% average RH and about 15 perms or more at 95% average relative humidity, as tested by ASTM E96 at 21° C.

Abstract: A building panel of the roofing or siding type is disclosed, as well as a building structure having such roofing or siding panels, in which the panels are comprised of two different types of building materials. The composite panel includes at least one layer of synthetic polymeric building material, having adhesively secured thereto at least one layer of asphalt based building material, with outer, upper surfaces of the panel, that would be weather-exposed in the installed condition on a building structure being comprised of the asphalt based building material, and with the synthetic polymeric layer(s) of polymeric building material being weather-protected in the installed condition on a building structure.

Abstract: A ceiling suspension system is disclosed and includes a plurality of grid members configured to form a grid for the ceiling suspension system, each grid member comprising a bulb, a web and a flange. The system also includes a plurality of wall support brackets configured to mount the grid to walls in a structure. Each wall support bracket comprises a vertical back, a lower flange at a lower end of the vertical back, and an upper flange at an upper end of the vertical back. Further, the upper flange is generally V-shaped when viewed longitudinally and each wall support bracket only one tab in the lower flange for each grid member. Moreover, the only one tab is configured to engage and retain the flange of a respective grid member, such that the respective grid member rests on the lower flange.

Abstract: Provided are roofing granules, such as solar-reflective roofing granules, methods for making them and their use in roofing products. In one aspect, the disclosure provides a collection of solar-reflective roofing granules having a solar reflectivity of at least 70%, wherein substantially each roofing granule comprises an inner layer, an outer layer disposed on an outer surface of the inner layer and substantially surrounding the inner layer, wherein the inner layer and the outer layer are formed from substantially the same composition but have substantially different porosities, the outer layer having a porosity substantially lower than the porosity of the outer layer. Methods for making such roofing granules can include forming layers of substantially the same first and second compositions, wherein the forming of the layer of the second composition is performed under substantially different conditions from the forming of the layer of the first composition.

Abstract: The invention relates to a plaster-based composition comprising nanometric boehmite and/or nanometric aluminium trihydroxide, this composition making it possible to obtain products having better dimensional stability at high and in particular at very high temperature. The invention also relates to the method of obtaining the products, and the products produced.

Abstract: A method of forming an asphalt mixture can include mixing a bio-source material and a bitumen source to form a bitumen mixture. The bitumen mixture can be mixed with a catalyst to form the asphalt mixture. Particles can be added to the asphalt mixture to form a roofing-grade asphalt mixture. In an embodiment, the bitumen source material can have a softening point of at least approximately 93° C. and a penetration distance no greater than approximately 25 dmm. In another embodiment, the roofing-grade asphalt mixture can have a softening point of at least approximately 104° C., a penetration distance no greater than approximately 12 dmm, a viscosity of at least approximately 3000 cps at a temperature of 204° C., or any combination thereof. The asphalt mixture can be applied to a base material to form a roofing product. The asphalt mixture can be applied as a pavement product.