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EP-4499939-B1 - ROOFING SYSTEM AND METHOD

EP4499939B1EP 4499939 B1EP4499939 B1EP 4499939B1EP-4499939-B1

Inventors

  • WHITRIDGE, Frederick W.
  • Prehoda, Philip C.
  • COLLARD, THOMAS J.
  • WARD, CHARLES

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20230327

Claims (15)

  1. A system of roofing, which comprises: a sheet material (84) for adhering to a roof deck (82), which has an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface including a hook and loop fastener; a plurality of roofing tiles (68) each having a width and a front (78) and back face; a plurality of strips (70, 72, 74) having a width, with hook and loop fasteners on a surface thereof, which are adhered to and extend across at least a portion of the width of each tile (68), said plurality of strips comprising a strip A, a strip B and a strip C, wherein said strip A is on an upper portion of the front face (78) of each tile (68) at a distance from an upper edge (80) of each tile (strip A; 70), and said strips B and C are respectively on an upper and on a lower portion of the back face near upper and lower edges of each tile (strips B and C, respectively; 72, 74); a plurality of elongate rain diverting devices (56), each having a front (58) and a back (60) face with a corresponding lower edge (62), wherein a strip I and a strip II (64, 66) of hook and loop fasteners, having a width are adhered along the lower edge of respectively the front face (58) and back face (60) of each elongate device (strip I and strip II, respectively; 64, 66), wherein once roofing tiles (68) are arranged in a course or row on the roof deck (82) and releasably attached to the sheet material (84) by way of strip B (72), an elongate rain diverting device (56) is positioned on the upper portion of the front face (78) of each tile (68), extending above each tile (68) and onto the sheet material (84), and across the roof deck (82), and is releasably attached to each tile (68) by way of strip II (66) of the device (56) being releasably attached to strip A (70) of each tile (68), wherein as each subsequent row of tiles (68) is arranged on the roof deck (82), partially overlapping an underlying row with a partially overlying elongate rain diverting device (56), each tile (68) in the subsequent row is releasably attached to the elongate device (56) by way of strip C (74) of the tile (68) being releasably attached to strip I (64) of the elongate rain diverting device (56) and is releasably attached to the sheet material (84) by way of strip B (72) of the tile (68) being releasably attached to the hook and loop fastener on the upper surface of the sheet material (84).
  2. The system of roofing of claim 1, wherein the width of the strips (64, 66) adhered to the elongate rain diverting device (56) approximates the width of the strips (70, 72, 74) adhered to each tile (68).
  3. The system of roofing of claim 1, wherein the elongate rain diverting device (56) is made from an ultraviolet-resistant, waterproof, polymeric material that optionally is a high-density polyethylene polymeric material.
  4. The system of roofing of claim 1, wherein the rain diverting device (56) is a rolled sheet-like material having a thickness of less than or equal to about 3 millimeters and a width ranging from about 15 to about 35 centimeters, which extends across all or at least a major portion of the width of the roof deck (82).
  5. The system of roofing of claim 1, wherein the roofing tiles (68) are selected from the group of slabs or shingles made from asphalt, wood, cement, fiber-cement mixtures, concrete, clay or ceramic material, slate or slate substitute, rubber slate, and other hardwearing materials and metal, and optionally from the group of slate, slate substitute and rubber slate tiles.
  6. The system of roofing of claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the sheet material (84) contains a grid pattern for providing a reference for placement of the tiles (68) pressed down upon it.
  7. The system of roofing of claim 1, wherein the lower surface of the sheet material (84) is adhered to an insulation board, which is adhered to the roof deck (82).
  8. The system of roofing of claim 1, wherein each strip (70, 72, 74) has a width greater than about 2.54 centimeters and optionally ranging from about 3.8 to about 6.4 centimeters.
  9. The system of roofing of claim 1, wherein each strip (70, 72, 74) has a thickness of less than or equal to about 3 millimeters.
  10. The system of roofing of claim 1, wherein the hook and loop fasteners on the upper surface of the sheet material (84) are hook fasteners.
  11. The system of roofing of claim 10, wherein the strip of hook and loop fasteners adhered to the front face of each tile (strip A; 70) are hook fasteners and the strips of hook and loop fasteners adhered to the back face of each tile (strips B and C; 72, 74) are loop fasteners.
  12. The system of roofing of claim 11, wherein the strip of hook and loop fasteners adhered along the lower edge of the front face of the elongate device (strip I; 64) are hook fasteners, and the strip of hook and loop fasteners adhered along the lower edge of the back face of the elongate device (strip II; 66) are loop fasteners.
  13. The system of roofing of claim 1, wherein the roofing tiles (68) are single lapped with exposed portions of the front face (78) of each tile (68) ranging from about 59 to about 82% of the total area of the front face (78).
  14. A method of installing tiles (68) on a roof, which comprises: providing a sheet material (84) having an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface including a hook and loop fastener; securing the lower surface of the sheet material (84) to a roof deck (82); providing a plurality of roofing tiles (68), each tile having a width and a front (78) and back face, wherein strips A, B and C (70, 72, 74) of hook and loop fasteners are adhered to and extend across at least a portion of the width of each tile (68), wherein said strip A is on an upper portion of the front face (78) at a distance from an upper edge (80) thereof (strip A; 70), and said strips B and C are respectively on an upper and on a lower portion of the back face near upper and lower edges thereof (strips B and C, respectively; 72, 74); providing a plurality of elongate rain diverting devices (56), each having a front face (58) and a back face (60) with a lower edge (62), wherein a strip I and a strip II (64, 66) of hook and loop fasteners having a width are adhered along the lower edge (62) of respectively the front face (58) and the back face (60) of the elongate device (56; strips I and II, respectively; 64, 66), wherein, once roofing tiles (68) are arranged in a course or row on the roof deck (82) and adhered to the sheet material (84) by way of strip B (72) of each tile (68), positioning an elongate rain diverting device (56) on the upper portion of the front face (78) of each tile (68), extending above each tile (68) onto the sheet material (84), adhering the device (56) to each tile by way of strip II (66) of the device (56) being releasably attached to strip A (70) of each tile (68), wherein as each subsequent course or row of tiles (68) is arranged on the roof deck (82), partially overlapping an underlying course or row with an overlying elongate device (56), releasably attaching each tile (68) to the underlying elongate device (56) by way of strip C (74) of each tile (68) being releasably attached to strip I (64) of the device (56), releasably attaching each tile (68) to the sheet material (84) by way of strip B (72) of each tile (68) being releasably attached to the hook and loop fastener on the upper surface of the sheet material (84), and positioning another elongate device (56) on the upper portion of the front face (78) of each tile (68) in the subsequent row, extending above each tile (68) onto the sheet material (84), and across the roof deck (82), and adhering the device (56) to each tile (68) by way of strip II (66) of the device (56) being releasably attached to strip A (70)of each tile.
  15. A method of using a plurality of elongate rain diverting devices (56) to direct rainwater and snowmelt away from an underlying sheet material (84) on a roof deck (82), each device (56) having strips of hook and loop fasteners adhered to lower edges of opposing faces (58, 60), wherein for each row of tiles (68) installed on the roof deck (82), the method comprises: positioning and releasably attaching the elongate rain diverting device (56) to upper portions of exposed faces of the tiles (68) in the row prior to installation of a subsequent, partially overlying row, the device (56) extending above each tile (68) onto the sheet material (84) and across the roof deck (82), wherein each device (56) serves to divert rainwater and snowmelt away from separations between adjacent tiles (68) and the underlying sheet material (84).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 17/708,191, filed March 30, 2022, which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 16/694,436, filed November 25, 2019, now U.S. Patent No. 11,578,494, which is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 16/000,347 filed June 5, 2018, now U.S. Patent No. 10,829,937, which claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 62/515,162, filed June 5, 2017. BACKGROUND The present invention relates to roofing and more particularly to a lighter, more cost-effective roofing system and method of roofing, which utilizes an elongate rain diverting device for directing rainwater and snowmelt away from an underlying sheet material and/or roof deck. As is well known to those skilled in the art, types of roofing tiles include, but are not limited to, asphalt, wood, cement, fiber-cement mixtures, concrete, clay or ceramic material, natural stone such as slate, slate substitutes, rubber slate, other hardwearing materials and metal. Existing systems for affixing, for example, slate roofing tiles to buildings are expensive in terms of both materials and labor. The current systems include nailing or screwing slate to the roof, using cumbersome hook and rail systems, or using a clamping type track system. Each of these traditional systems are expensive in terms of material and require a considerable amount of labor. Additionally, nailed and screwed applications can be "over nailed" or "under nailed" referring to the height of the head of the fastener in relation to the face of the slate. Under nailed slate, with heads that protrude above the face of the slate, may break the pieces of slate which overlap them. Over nailed slate, with a head of the nail driven down into the countersink area on the slate, risks breakage. Hook and rail systems can be troublesome if the nailing eye of the hook is missed. Hooks can typically only be applied in a rigidly preset pattern and do not adapt easily to varying field conditions or design changes which may become desirable during installations. Tracked and clamping systems are also very rigid in terms of layout and don't allow variations in the natural material. Further, the art teaches the arrangement of such natural stone roofing tiles in either a double or triple overlap to reduce or avoid rainwater and snowmelt entering into the separation between adjacent tiles and onto an underlying substrate. As used herein, the term "double overlap" means that the upper tile extends over the tiles two courses or rows down on the roof deck, while the term "triple overlap" means that the upper tile extends over the tiles three rows down. As will be readily appreciated, double and triple overlap of natural stone roofing tiles increases the deadload on a roof or supporting structure. It also requires the use of tiles of a certain minimum length, which increases material costs. The documents US 6,148,578 and WO 2021/107915 A1 show roofing system comprising slate tiles. As can be seen, there is a need for an improved system and method of roofing, which addresses the above-noted drawbacks. SUMMARY The present invention overcomes these drawbacks by providing a lighter, more cost-effective, and less labor-intensive roofing system, which includes an elongate rain diverting device for directing rainwater and snowmelt away from an underlying sheet material and roof deck. In an exemplary embodiment, the system of roofing comprises: a sheet material for adhering to a roof deck, which has an upper surface and a lower surface, the upper surface including a hook and loop fastener;a plurality of roofing tiles each having a width and a front and back face;a plurality of strips having a width, with hook and loop fasteners on a surface thereof, which are adhered to and extend across at least a portion of the width of each tile on (i) an upper portion of the front face of each tile at a distance from an upper edge thereof (strip A), and (ii) on an upper and on a lower portion of the back face near upper and lower edges thereof (strips B and C, respectively);a plurality of elongate rain diverting devices, each having a front and a back face with a corresponding lower edge, wherein a strip of hook and loop fasteners, having a width that preferably approximates the width of the strips adhered to each tile, is adhered along the lower edge of both the front and back faces of each elongate device (strip I and strip II, respectively),wherein once roofing tiles are arranged in a course or row on the roof deck and releasably attached to the sheet material by way of strip B, an elongate rain diverting device is positioned on the upper portion of the front face of each tile, extending above each tile and onto the sheet material, and across the roof deck, and is releasably attached to each tile by way of strip II of the device being r