Abstract: Synthetic nylon fiber composite materials having embossed or molded surfaces that emulate shingles or roofing tiles are disclosed, for providing waterproof, high-strength, durable substitute for shingles or roofing tiles. In one embodiment, these materials can be relatively thin, and designed to rest on supporting sheets of plywood, oriented strand board (OSB), or nylon fiber composite board that have been nailed to rafters. In an alternate embodiment, these materials can be manufactured in sheets with sufficient thickness, stiffness, and strength to allow them to be nailed directly to rafters, thereby eliminating the need for a supporting layer of plywood or OSB. In a third embodiment, these materials can be molded or embossed to emulate Spanish tiles, or to provide enhanced drainage or other useful traits.

Abstract: Exceptionally hard and durable synthetic wood substitutes are disclosed, for uses such as waterproof substitutes for hardwoods. These hardened composites can be made by using heat and pressure to treat synthetic fiber composites made from fiber mats. Pieces are then cut from a large sheet of plywood-like material, and a suitable time-temperature-pressure combination is used to compress the pieces to a higher level of hardness, which can match or surpass hardwoods and approach ceramic levels. This two-step method is economical, and avoids any need to sustain exceptionally high pressures in a press that is large enough to generate entire sheets. In an alternate embodiment, sheets or pieces can be embossed with non-planar surfaces if desired, by passing them through a suitable type of press, such as a rolling cylinder press.

Abstract: Synthetic fiber composites (preferably containing nylon fibers obtained from recycled carpets) are made in laminated forms that can substitute for wooden boards, and even for structural beams (including studs, rafters, joists, etc.) in a framed house or other building. These laminates can be made from needle-punched fiber mats, which provide more extensive fiber intertwining than air-laid, bat-formed, or other fiber mats. In a preferred method of manufacture, sheets or wide strips are glued together, under pressure and using a non-foaming adhesive, to form oversized laminates having any desired thickness and desired length. The laminated sheets or strips are then sawed (such as by gang-ripping) into desired widths, to form edges that will not need additional trimming to remove excess adhesive. If suitable adhesives are used to form the adhesive layers, lamination can provide increased stiffness, compared to single-layer sheets having the same thickness.