The present invention pertains to a cool roof batten assembly with a vertical batten spacer which facilitates the rapid installation of battens on a roof.
A recognized method used in the art for creating thermal efficiency in steep slope roof structures is “above sheathing ventilation”. This is accomplished by applying vertical or counter battens to the roof deck over a vapour barrier system, to which horizontal battens are then applied. The optimal method in terms of thermal efficiency for attaching roof battens in steep slope roof structures is to first apply the vertical or counter battens above a vapour barrier system. Horizontal battens are then positioned on the vertical battens and fastened to the vertical battens and the underlying roof sheathing substrate with nails or screws. The addition of the vertical battens beneath the horizontal battens minimizes water pooling, provides improved airflow and roof deck ventilation, while reducing energy costs and extending the life expectancy of the steep slope roof structure.
Unfortunately, elevating a horizontal batten between two interspaced vertical battens may result in the horizontal batten snapping or buckling during installation, especially under the combined weight of the roofing material substrate and the weight of the installers. This typically occurs when the vertical battens are spaced too far apart or if the vertical battens are extremely dry or made from sub-grade materials. As a result, roofing contractors typically attach the horizontal battens directly over the roof sheathing or deck, despite the aforementioned advantages associated with the use of vertical battens. The horizontal battens are typically positioned using chalk lines and batten gauges, which is time consuming and often prone to error.
Correct installation of all overlying roofing substrates, especially interlocking metal roofing tile and panel systems, requires accurate installation of battens and counter battens to individual manufacturer spacing requirements. As batten spacing is governed by individual roofing manufacturer's specifications and local construction codes, custom batten layout is generally required for every strapped roof system installation.
A need exists for an improved batten assembly for steep slope roof structures that can be rapidly installed to a manufacturer's specifications with a high degree of accuracy without using chalk lines or batten gauges, and without compromising the advantages associated with vertical battens.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a cool roof batten assembly that incorporates custom spaced batten wells set to predefined manufacturer batten spacing requirements at a range of heights to facilitate improved sheathing ventilation. The cool roof batten assembly may also accommodate a suspended radiant vapour barrier membrane.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an upper batten riser and mount member comprising a unitary inverted U-shaped sheet material having an upper planar surface and two vertical side surfaces; a mounting flange extending outward perpendicularly from each of the ends of the sheet material; and two outwardly directed retention flanges coupled to the upper surface.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an upper batten riser and mounting assembly comprising a longitudinally extending inverted U-shaped sheet material having an upper planar horizontal surface and two vertical side surfaces; a mounting flange extending outward perpendicularly from each of the ends of the sheet material along its length; and a plurality of pairs of retention flanges coupled to the upper surface at predetermined distances along the length of the sheet material.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a lower vertical drip channel support assembly comprising a longitudinally extending inverted U-shaped sheet material having an upper planar horizontal surface and two vertical side surfaces; channel bottom surfaces extending outwardly from each end of the sheet material; channel side walls extending outwardly from each end of the channel bottom surfaces, wherein the channel side walls are substantially perpendicular to the channel bottom surfaces and substantially parallel to the interior side walls; and support flanges extending outwardly from each end of the channel side walls, the support flanges being substantially perpendicular to the channel side walls.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vertical batten spacer comprising a plurality of inverted U-shaped sheet material units, each unit having an upper planar surface and two side surfaces; at least one lower surface connecting the plurality of sheet material units at predetermined distances apart, wherein the at least one lower surface extends outward perpendicularly to the lower end of the side surface.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cool roof batten assembly comprising a vertical batten spacer assembly described above which is mounted to a roofing material, preferably in sequential fashion parallel to eaves and ridges; a lower vertical drip channel support assembly described above mounted transversely to the length of the vertical batten spacer assembly, the longitudinally extending inverted U-shaped sheet material of the lower vertical drip channel being in a nested relationship with an inverted U-shaped sheet material unit of the vertical batten spacer assembly; an upper batten riser and mounting assembly described above mounted along the length of the lower vertical drip channel support assembly, the longitudinally extending inverted U-shaped sheet material of the upper batten riser and mounting assembly being in a nested relationship with the inverted U-shaped sheet material unit of the lower vertical drip channel support assembly; and a radiant barrier mounted and supported between the lower vertical drip channel support assembly and the upper batten riser and mounting assembly, the radiant barrier extending laterally between successive lower vertical drip channel support assembly-upper batten riser and mounting assembly units.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cool roof batten assembly comprising a vertical batten spacer assembly described above mounted to a roofing material, preferably in sequential fashion parallel to eaves and ridges; an upper batten riser and mounting assembly described above mounted transversely to the length of the vertical batten spacer assembly, the longitudinally extending inverted U-shaped sheet material of the upper batten riser and mounting assembly being in a nested relationship with an inverted U-shaped sheet material unit of the vertical batten spacer assembly.
According to still yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a cool roof batten assembly comprising a vertical batten spacer assembly described above mounted to a roofing material, preferably in sequential fashion parallel to eaves and ridges; an upper batten riser and mounting member described above, individually mounted transversely to the length of the vertical batten spacer assembly, the longitudinally extending inverted U-shaped sheet material of the upper batten riser and mounting member being in a nested relationship with an inverted U-shaped sheet material unit of the vertical batten spacer assembly.
a is a perspective view of a vertical batten spacer according to the present invention;
b is a perspective close up view of the vertical batten spacer of
a is a perspective view of an upper batten riser and mounting assembly member according to one embodiment of the present invention;
b is a perspective close up view of the upper batten riser and mounting assembly member of
c is a perspective view of a single upper batten riser and mounting assembly member according to one embodiment of the present invention;
d is a perspective view of a single upper batten riser and mounting assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention;
e is a front view of a batten coupled to the single upper batten riser and mounting assembly member of
f is a front view of a batten coupled to another embodiment of a single upper batten riser and mounting assembly;
g is a cross-section view of
h is a front view of a batten coupled to the single upper batten riser and mounting assembly member of
i is a front view of a single upper batten riser according to one embodiment of the present invention;
j is a front view of an upper batten riser with nested shiplap joints according to a further embodiment of the present invention;
a is a perspective view a lower vertical drip channel support assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention;
b is a perspective close up view of the lower vertical drip channel support assembly of
a is a flowchart for assembling one embodiment of a cool roof batten assembly according to the present invention, including a lower vertical drip channel and vapour barrier;
b is a flowchart for assembling another embodiment of a cool roof batten assembly according to the present invention;
a is a perspective view of a vertical batten spacer positioned on a roof surface or deck;
b is a perspective view of a lower vertical drip channel support assembly positioned on the vertical batten spacer of
c is a perspective view of a vapour barrier positioned on the lower vertical drip channel support assembly of
d is a perspective view of an upper batten riser and mounting assembly positioned on the vapour barrier of
e is a perspective view of a horizontal batten secured to the upper batten riser and mounting assembly of
a is a front view of a horizontal batten secured to a roof batten assembly that is mounted on a roof deck according to one embodiment of the present invention;
b is a front view of a horizontal batten secured to a roof batten assembly that is mounted on a roof truss according to another embodiment of the present invention;
a is a front view of a horizontal batten secured to a roof batten assembly that is mounted on a roof deck according to yet another embodiment of the present invention;
b is a front view of a horizontal batten secured to a roof batten assembly that is mounted on a roof truss according to a further embodiment of the present invention; and
The present invention is now described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It may be evident, however that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details.
Referring to
According to one embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in
Referring to
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the upper batten riser and mounting assembly member 200, 250, 270, 280, 290 has batten receiving structures 235 that are adapted to receive and position battens 520. The batten receiving structures 235 of the upper batten riser and mounting assembly member 200, 250, 270, 280, 290 may take a plurality of forms, such as flanges, channels, indentations or other forms, provided that they are able to receive and position battens 520 in accordance with the present invention. For example, as shown in
c shows a single upper batten riser and mounting assembly member 250, which comprises a single perforation 230a and opposed batten retention flanges 235a.
The batten retention flanges are shaped and adapted to receive and/or secure battens. For example, in the embodiment shown in
During typical manufacturing of one embodiment, if the batten receiving structures 235 are integrally formed from the upper batten riser and mounting assembly member, a series of perforations 230, 230a may develop in the upper surface 215 thereof, as illustrated in
A variation of the riser embodiment depicted in
According to another embodiment of the present invention as illustrated in
A further embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
Upper batten riser and mounting assembly member 200, 250, 270, 280, 290 may be fabricated from similar sheet metal as vertical batten spacer 100 or from other materials, where appropriate, such as wood.
Upper batten riser and mounting assembly members 200, 250, 270, 280, 290 may be used in conjunction with horizontal battens 520, and mounted on roofing material, such as a roof deck, trusses or rafters. In addition, upper batten riser and mounting assembly members 200, 250, 270, 280, 290 can be used together with other elements described herein, such as the vertical batten spacer 100 and/or the lower vertical drip channel support assembly 300. When used with battens 520, the space that forms between the upper surface 215 and mounting flanges 225, often called the sub-tile ventilation channel or the upper radiant ventilation zone 550, provides adequate ventilation of the underside of the roof deck.
In one embodiment of the present invention, upper batten riser and mounting assembly member 200, 250, 270, 280, 290 may be used in conjunction with vertical batten spacer 100 by aligning assembly member 200, 250, 270, 280, 290 on top of spacer 100 such that inner faces of side surfaces 220 are positioned adjacent to outer faces of side surfaces 25, thereby forming a roof jigging template (not shown). The formation of such a template facilitates the rapid and accurate installation of battens 520 to be mounted on a roof deck without the need for chalk lines or traditional batten gauges. In some embodiments, the height of side surfaces 220 can range from 1 to 3 inches. In one embodiment, the side surfaces 220 are ¾ inch high and the horizontal batten spacing is 14.5 inches.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, the cool roof batten assembly may also incorporate a lower vertical drip channel support assembly 300 as illustrated in
A U-shaped drip channel 325, having a base of pre-determined width, is positioned perpendicular to and between side walls 320 and channel side walls 335. The depth of drip channel 325 depends on the height of side walls 320 and channel side walls 335, respectively. The higher the channel side walls 335, the deeper the drip channel. The batten riser and mounting assembly member 200, 250, 270, 280, 290 may be mounted onto vertical drip channel support assembly 300 the drip channel 325, and therefore, the height of the side walls 320 of the drip channel 325 may correlate with the height of the side surfaces 220 of the assembly member 200, 250, 270, 280, 290. In some embodiments, side walls 320 have a height ranging from 1 to 3 inches.
In some embodiments, a lumber batten riser may be used in the roof batten assembly instead of a lower vertical drip channel support assembly 300. An upper batten riser and mounting assembly member 200, 250, 270, 280, 290 would then be mounted on the upper surface of the lumber batten riser.
a shows a flowchart for assembling the cool roof batten assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. According to this embodiment, vertical batten spacer 100 is positioned on the roof surface or deck 500, preferably in sequential fashion parallel to eaves and ridges, and fastened to roof surface or deck 500 at 405, as shown in
A space between upper surfaces 15 and 315 is formed which allows sufficient air flow to cool the roof. The assembly 300 functions as a drip channel and as a support for a flexibly rigid or flexible radiant vapour barrier 512, 510.
In this embodiment, a flexible radiant vapour barrier 510 is positioned in direct contact with upper surface 315 and support flanges 330 of lower vertical drip channel support assembly 300 at 415, as shown in
Upper batten riser and mounting assembly member 200, 250, 270, 280, 290 is positioned on vapour radiant barrier 510 such that the upper batten riser and mounting assembly member 200, 250, 270, 280, 290 is aligned and in a nesting relationship with the lower vertical drip channel support assembly 300 at 420, as shown in
Next, upper batten riser and mounting assembly member 200, 250, 270, 280, 290 and lower vertical drip channel support assembly 300 is fastened to roof surface or deck 500 at 425, using fastening members 525, such as nails or screws. Steps 410 to 425 are repeated at pre-determined positions along the length of vertical batten spacer 100 until a desired number of upper batten riser and mounting assembly members 200, 250, 270, 280, 290 have been fastened to roof surface or deck 500 at 430. Horizontal battens 520, such as 2×2 inch wooden or metal battens 520, are inserted into batten receiving structures 235, such as between opposed batten retention flanges 235a at 435, as shown in
b shows a flowchart for assembling the cool roof batten assembly in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Similar to previous embodiments, this embodiment comprises positioning a vertical batten spacer 100 on the roof surface or deck 500, preferably in sequential fashion parallel to eaves and ridges, and fastened to roof surface or deck 500 at 440. The lower vertical drip channel support assembly 300 and flexible vapour barrier 510 are not utilized in this embodiment. Rather, the upper batten riser and mounting assembly member 200, 250, 270, 280, 290 is positioned perpendicular to and in a nesting relationship with the vertical batten spacer 100 such that upper surface 215 is directly above upper surface 15 of vertical batten spacer 100 at 445.
Next, upper batten riser and mounting assembly member 200, 250, 270, 280, 290 is fastened to roof surface or deck 500 at 450, using fastening members 525, such as nails or screws. Steps 445 to 450 are repeated at pre-determined positions along the length of vertical batten spacer 100 until a desired number of upper batten riser and mounting assembly members 200, 250, 270, 280, 290 have been fastened to roof surface or deck 500 at 455. Horizontal battens 520, such as 2×2 inch wood or metal battens 520, are inserted in batten receiving structures 235 at 460, and fastened to each upper batten riser and mounting assembly member 200, 250, 270, 280, 290 by inserting a fastening member 525.
Fastening members 525 are illustrated in
When one embodiment of the present invention is assembled, a first space develops between the lower surface of the barrier 510 and roof surface or deck 500 forming a thermal bridge, which is often referred to as the thermal air barrier zone, or above-sheathing ventilation space 540. The cubic capacity of the zone depends on the height of channel sides 335 and side surfaces 220. After completion of roof construction, the zone becomes a sealed, static air space or insulation barrier when occluded with an air channel closure strip 530, which reduces thermal bridging, improves thermal resistance and may result in energy savings, in comparison with the prior art.
A second space develops between the upper surface of barrier 510 and upper surface 215 of the upper batten riser and mounting assembly member 200, 250, 270, 280, 290, which is often referred to as the sub-tile ventilation channel or upper radiant ventilation zone 550. The cubic capacity of this channel depends on the height of side surfaces 220.
The resulting ventilation lowers heat penetrating the attic 570, by reducing the inward flow of heat energy through a roof deck assembly, which may occur during the warm summer months. This often lowers the amount of heat penetrating a building's interior via its attic floor. In addition, sub-tile venting has the added benefit in cold snowy climates of reducing the outward flow of heat energy through a roof deck assembly (from, e.g. the building interior and attic), that may occur during the cold winter months. This often occurs as a result of snow collecting in eavestroughs, which closes the sub-tile ventilation systems inlets creating a static air layer, forming the thermal resistance characteristics described above.
The net effect of combining sub-tile ventilation by the sub-tile ventilation channel 550, radiant vapour barrier and the thermal air barrier zone 540 within the cool roof batten assembly of the present invention is increased energy savings when compared to traditional asphalt shingle roofs nailed directly to a roof deck.
A person of skill in the art will appreciate that the upper batten riser and mounting assembly member 200, 250, 270, 280, 290 or lower vertical drip channel support assembly 300 may also be mounted directly to the roof deck or mounted on a vertical batten, truss or rafter 560. Some of these alternate embodiments will forego the advantages associated with using lower vertical drip channel support assembly 300, such as additional support for radiant barriers. It is also contemplated that the vapour barrier may be a flexible barrier 510, a rigid barrier or a flexibly rigid barrier 512 such as those known in the art.
For example,
Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
a illustrates a roof batten assembly mounted on a roof deck 500 comprising a flexible vapour barrier 510 according to another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment does not comprise lower vertical drip channel support assemblies 300. Although not illustrated, a vertical batten spacer 100 may be utilized with this embodiment as described above. In this embodiment, a flexible vapour barrier 510 is positioned in direct contact with the upper surface of the roof deck 500. A plurality of upper batten riser and mounting assembly members 200, 250, 270, 280, 290 and battens 520 are arranged in parallel on top of the vapour barrier 510 until securely fastened with fastening members 525. An upper radiant ventilation zone 550 is thus produced. Accurate alignment of batten receiving structures of the adjacent upper batten riser and mounting assembly members 200, 250, 270, 280, 290 is accomplished by positioning a horizontal batten 520 in the first batten receiving structure closest to the edge of the roof deck 500, or eave. The corresponding upper batten riser and mounting assembly members 200, 250, 270, 280, 290 are then aligned accordingly. Fastening members 525 are used to attach the battens 520 to the upper batten riser and mounting assembly members 200, 250, 270, 280, 290 and the roof deck 500. A roofing substrate 600, such as plywood, is typically then mounted to the upper surface of the batten 520.
Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in
Although the description above contains many specific details, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments but as merely providing illustrations of some of the presently preferred embodiments. Thus the scope of the embodiments should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.