Roofing product

Abstract

A method for covering and protecting a pitched roof deck having an eave including a starter block having unitary construction and a first course of semi-rigid shingles. The starter block has a generally rectangular shape and is tapered wherein the front surface has a greater height than the back surface. The starter block used in the starter course of a roofing project to facilitate the positioning the shingles upon a hip roof without causing said the shingles to bend. In one embodiment, the starter block and shingles are formed from a composite material, such as a combination of at least a polymer component and a filler component. The at least one course of shingles are positioned to lie flat on and at least partially overlap the course of starter blocks with the shingles extending back to the upper surface of the roof without substantially bending.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 757,145, filed Jan. 14, 2004, and entitled “Starter Block Roofing Product.”STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0002]Not applicable.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]The present invention relates to a roofing product. More specifically, the present invention is directed to the combination of a tapered starter block and a tapered shingle combined in courses to form a roofing system for a pitched roof.[0004]Roofing shingles that are used to provide a protective environmental barrier layer for a pitched roof typically fall into one of the following categories: asphalt, wood shake, slate and composite shingles. Asphalt shingles often have little structural rigidity and provide a look to a roof that is less natural than wood shake or slate shingles. Composite shingles, as well as wood shake and slate shingles, are somewhat rigid in nature and h...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]In one aspect, the starter block has top and bottom surfaces, opposite side surfaces with tapering heights, and a front surface having a greater height than a back surface of the starter block. Because the front and back surfaces are generally rectangular, and the top and bottom surfaces are generally planar, the side surfaces taper in height moving from the front surface to the back surface. Therefore, when the starter block is coupled to a roof deck, the placement of a semi-rigid shingle having a generally planar bottom surface upon the starter block so that a portion of the shingle extends off of the starter block over the back surface thereof and onto the roof deck facilitates contact between the shingle and the roof deck at a location more proximal to the starter block back surface than if the same back surface had the same height as the front surface.

[0013]The taper of the starter block thickness, therefore, functions to reduce the size of the hidden gap formed behind the starter block back surface and beneath the shingle. In addition, the tapering allows a first course of shingles to lie flat upon the top surface of the starter course and eliminate an exposed gap between the shingle bottom surface and the starter course top surface. The tapering of the thickness of the shingle also reduces the size of the hidden gap formed behind the back edge of an underlying course of shingles and beneath an overlying course of shingles. Therefore, with the tapering thickness of both the starter block and the shingle, more surface area of the headlap portion of the shingles can contact the underlying roof deck and better distribute impact force loads incident upon the roofing system.

Problems solved by technology

Significantly more difficulty arises in the installation of semi-rigid to rigid shingles with a starter course.

Wood shake or composite shingles, which have a more significant thickness and rigidity than asphalt shingles, may be cut into a starter course at an installation site, but such cutting is time consuming and labor intensive.

In the case of slate shingles, such cutting may not even be possible without special tools.

Another issue is that more rigid shingles do not lie flat on the starter course while maintaining some contact with the roof rearwardly of such starter course.

This would be disadvantageous, however, for two reasons.

Because there is little surface area of the shingle headlap that is in contact with the roof deck 500, impact load distribution is poor across the shingle 15, 20, making it difficult to reduce the stress concentrations.

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