The present invention relates generally to covering systems for building structures.
Thermoplastic covering membranes of a covering system for building structures are typically installed using some combination of mechanical fasteners (e.g., screw and plate combinations which hold roofing membranes to the roof deck), adhesives applied on-site to the covering membrane and/or the building structure to be covered, and hot air. The installation of conventional roofing systems can be quite expensive, even for professional installers.
Roofing peripherals, such as pipe boots, walkway pads and flashing, that are adhered to roofing membranes in a roofing system using an adhesive or a hot air weld applied to the peripheral at the site of the roofing system installation. This requires a professional installer to have some degree of skill in applying adhesives and working with hot air weld devices.
The present invention provides a covering system that may be installed easily and quickly by a non-professional without special tools. An adherent roofing flashing may be used in this or a variety of other covering systems for building structures.
According to a first broad aspect of the present invention is provided a covering product that includes a membrane including a thermoplastic and a dead load shear capable adhesive on at least a portion of a backside of the membrane in a quantity sufficient to adhere a majority of the membrane to a building structure.
According to second broad aspect of the invention is provided a method for installing a covering system. The method includes providing a substrate and adhering a first membrane (of the type just described) to a building structure using a first adhesive bonded to at least a portion of a backside of the first membrane. A majority of the surface area of the first membrane is adhered to the building structure.
According to third broad aspect of the invention is provided a covering product that includes a universal flashing and a dead load shear capable adhesive on at least a portion of a backside of the universal flashing in a quantity sufficient to adhere a majority of the universal flashing to a building structure or a thermoplastic membrane.
According to a fourth broad aspect of the invention is provided a method for installing a flashing that includes providing a universal flashing and adhering the universal flashing to at least two surfaces that are angled to each other, wherein the flashing is adhered to a building structure and/or a membrane adhered to the building structure.
The invention will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
The following definitions are used throughout this application. Where the definition of a term departs from the commonly used meaning of that term, the explicitly included definition is intended to control.
The term “construction materials” refers to materials typically used in construction such as wood, brick, concrete, metal, insulation materials, plaster, plasterboard, etc.
The term “elements” refers to rain, wind, water, ice, snow, sun, etc.
The term “building structure” refers to any building, portion of a building or other structure made of construction materials that is exposed to the elements. Examples of building structures include roofs, building walls, free standing walls, sheds, chimneys, exposed pipes, culverts, above-ground or underground tunnels, etc.
The term “weatherproofing” has its conventional meaning, i.e., protecting building structures such as roofs, chimneys, walls, etc., from the elements.
The term “majority of a membrane” refers to more than half of the surface area of a membrane. The majority of a membrane includes one adhesive on its surface to allow the membrane to be adhered to a building structure. A second adhesive may be used to adhere the edges of the membrane to the surface of the building structure or to a second membrane overlapped by a first membrane. Also, the edges of a membrane may be left free of adhesive to allow the use of other means to fasten a membrane to a building structure.
The term “roofing membrane” refers to a water impermeable sheet of polymeric material intended to be secured to and waterproof a roof deck. A roofing membrane may use polymeric materials such as EPDM, chlorinated polyethylene, PVC, chlorosulfanated polyethylene, TPO, etc. The roofing membrane may be made from a blended composite polymer having additives, such as UV screeners, UV absorbers, fire retardants, etc., to improve weatherability.
The term “building peripheral” refers to any structure mounted on or adhered to a covering product for a building structure. Roofing peripherals are one type of common building peripheral.
The term “roofing peripheral” refers to a building peripheral for a roofing membrane. Examples of roofing peripherals include flashing, pipe boots, walkway pads, etc.
The term “flashing” refers to pieces of material, including at least one that may be used to cover seams or joins between covering membranes or between building structures and covering membranes. Often the joins that are covered by flashings occur where two surfaces meet at an angle. One portion of flashing may be adhered to a building structure surface or to a membrane covering material, while the second portion of the flashing is adhered to a second building structure surface or covering material that is at an angle with respect to the first building structure. For example, one portion of flashing may be adhered to a flat roof and then the flashing may be bent to allow a second portion of the flashing to be adhered to a chimney extending at a 90° angle with respect to the roof. Although in most of the examples described below and shown in the drawings, the two building structure surfaces form a 90° angle with respect to each other, the building surface may form other angles. For example, when the flashing is used with a roof surface and a chimney, the roof surface may be angled so that the surface of the roof and a chimney extending from the roof make an angle greater or less than 90°. Flashing may include more than two portions with multiple bends and have a variety of shapes to allow the flashing to cover particular vertical, horizontal, and angled roofs and structures associated with roofs. Flashing may be made of a flexible material, thereby allowing a sheet of flashing to be used in a variety of situations. Alternatively, flashing may be made of a material capable of holding a shape to allow the flashing to be used to cover particular structures. Flashing may have different shapes depending on the application. For example a piece of flashing may be round, circular, oval, square, rectangular, oblong, etc., and may include bends.
The term “semi-rigid flashing” refers to a flashing that is pre-shaped to include permanent bends that allow the semi-rigid flashing to cover a combination of surfaces such as an interior corner, an exterior corner, a bend, etc. A semi-rigid flashing when made from a thermoplastic such as EPDM may be somewhat bendable to aid in installation of the universal flashing, but after being molded, is not capable of being bent to form a permanent bend without the application of heat sufficient to melt the semi-rigid flashing material.
The term “universal flashing” refers to a flexible flashing capable of being bent from a substantially flat surface to a configuration such that the flashing has portions that are simultaneously in at least 3 orthogonal planes without requiring cuts in the flashing. For example, the multiply bent flashing shown in
The term “horizontal” surface refers to any surface that includes a horizontal dimension, i.e., extends in a direction substantially parallel with the ground. Examples of horizontal surfaces include roof substrates, roofing membranes mounted on roof substrates, etc.
The term “flexible” refers to any material capable of being bent, twisted, bowed, curved, etc. For example, a flexible material may be a material capable of being formed into a coil and capable of being unrolled from a coil to lie substantially flat. A flexible material may have the capability to be coiled in any direction. Alternatively, a flexible material may be a material that is capable of being repeatedly folded and unfolded.
The term “roof deck” has its conventional meaning, i.e., a structural supporting surface of a building extending between the surrounding exterior walls of the building. A roof deck may be constructed from plywood, metal decking or concrete or any other suitable material or combination of materials and may include insulation material.
The term “thermoplastic” has its conventional meaning, i.e., a compound substance that exhibits the property of a material, such as a high polymer, that softens when exposed to heat and generally returns to its original condition when cooled to room temperature. Examples of thermoplastics suitable for use include PVC and thermoplastic polyolefins such as polyethylene (PE) including linear polyethylene (LPE), polybutenes, polypropylene (PP), copolymers of polyolefins, ethylene-propylene rubber (EPR), ethylene-propylene copolymer (EPM), EPDM blended with PP or PE or copolymer, etc.
The term “room temperature thermoplastic” refers to a thermoplastic that is solid at room temperature, i.e., will not cold flow at room temperature.
The term “thermoplastic polyolefin” (TPO) has its conventional meaning, i.e., polyolefins that are thermoplastics. Examples of TPOs suitable for use include LPE, PE, PB, PP, copolymers, EPR or EPDM blended with PP or PE or copolymer, etc.
The term “UV absorber” refers to an additive blended into a polymer to stabilize the adverse effects of light exposure, such as a loss of strength, degradation and discoloration. The use of a UV absorber may allow at least one layer of roofing membrane to exhibit good weathering characteristics. Examples of preferred UV absorbers additives include benzotriazole, benezophenones, hindered amine light stabilizers (HALS), non-interacting HALS (NOR-HALS), etc. The membranes, peripherals, flashings, universal flashings, other parts of a covering system, etc., may be made from one or more materials including one or more UV absorbers.
The term “UV screener” refers to an additive blended into a polymer to reflect UV rays. Examples of preferred UV screener additives include TiO2, carbon black, ZnO, etc. The membranes, peripherals, flashings, universal flashings, other parts of a covering system, etc., may be made from one or more materials including one or more UV screeners.
The term “fire retardant” (FR) refers to an additive blended into a polymer to reduce its flammability by retarding its rate of combustion. Examples of preferred FRs include magnesium hydroxide, brominated FR, SbO3, etc. The membranes, peripherals, flashings, universal flashings, other parts of a covering system, etc., may be made from one or more materials including one or more fire retardants.
The term “dead load shear capable adhesive” refers to any adhesive having the property of reliably adhering the weight of a covering membrane, such as a roofing membrane and/or building peripheral at the upper and lower service temperatures of the covering system. A dead load sheer adhesive is capable of holding 20 g/in2 at room temperature for 2 hours. Preferred dead load sheer capable adhesives are capable of holding 50 g/in2 at 70° C. (158° F.) for 24 hrs. An example is Adco PSA-3™ adhesive manufactured by Adco Products, Inc.
In one embodiment is provided a roofing system in which all of the components are secured by adhesive, thereby providing a thermoplastic-type roofing system without the need for any hot air welds. Such a roofing system may be simple enough to install by non-professionals on jobs such as carport repairs, mobile home re-roofing, etc. Even if hot air welding is used to weld together (i.e., seam) roofing membranes to one another, using adhering peripherals greatly reduces installation time of roofing peripherals.
Roofing membrane 112 is adhered to roof deck 104 by a dead load shear capable adhesive 146 that has been pre-applied to a backside 148 of roofing membrane 112. Roofing membrane 112 is additionally held to roof deck 104 by long screws 134 and 136. Roofing membrane 114 is adhered to roof deck 104 by a dead load shear capable adhesive 150 that has been pre-applied to a backside 152 of roofing membrane 114. Roofing membrane 114 is additionally held to roof deck 104 by long screw 138. In overlap region 116, roofing membrane 114 is adhered to roofing membrane 112 by adhesive 150.
Flashing 118 covers long screw 138, a joint region 158 where roof deck 104 and vertical wall 142 meet, and vertical wall 142 and provides protection from the elements. Flashing 118 includes a lower horizontal portion 162, a vertical portion 164 and an upper horizontal portion 166 and a dead load shear capable adhesive 170 coated on a backside 172 of flashing 118. Lower horizontal portion 162 covers long screw 138 and is adhered to roofing membrane 114. Vertical portion 164 is adhered to a side face 174 of vertical wall 142. Upper horizontal portion 166 is adhered to a horizontal top 176 of vertical wall 142.
Pipe boot 120 surrounds vertical pipe 144 and covers long screws 134 and 136 and opening 182 in roofing membrane 112 and provides protection from the elements. Pipe boot 120 includes a pressure sensitive adhesive 184 around a rim 186 of pipe boot 120 and adhesive 184 is used to adhere pipe boot 120 to roofing membrane 112. Prior to adhering pipe boot 120 to roofing membrane 112, adhesive 184 is covered by a release liner (not shown).
Preferred pipe boots may have a configuration that allows the pipe boot to be adhered to a roofing membrane by removing a release liner and adhering the exposed adhesive to the roofing membrane. Suitable pipe boots includes EPDM or TPO Peel & Stick™ pipe boots, with included clamping rings (GenFlex Roofing Systems; Maumee, Ohio).
Walkway pad 122 includes a thermoplastic mat 188 having a slip reducing surface 190 and a pressure sensitive adhesive 192 coated on a backside 194 of mat 188 to allow pad 122 to be adhered to roofing membrane 114. Prior to adhering pad 122 to roofing membrane 114, adhesive 192 is covered by a release liner (not shown).
Except for the use of a pressure sensitive adhesive, the walkway pad is similar to conventional walkway pads, such as Flexguard™ EPDM walkway pads (GenFlex). Walkway pads may be mounted on roofs to allow access to mechanical equipment for maintenance.
Preferably, a roofing membrane used in a roofing system of the present invention is one in which a pressure sensitive adhesive on at least one side of the membrane is protected by a release liner made of any suitable release liner material such as waxed paper, plastic, etc., treated with a release agent. Using a pressure sensitive adhesive and release liner allows easier storage and transportation of a roofing membrane.
Although pressure sensitive adhesives are only shown as being on a backside of the roofing membranes in
Although in
A preferred material for the insulation board shown in
Although the flashing shown in
Although only a few types of flashing are illustrated in
An additional universal flashing, an additional flexible flashing, or an appropriately shaped semi-rigid flashing may be used to cover the other seams formed by the overlap region of the flashing with multiple bends and the seams between the top flaps and other joins between the covering flashing with multiple bends and the horizontal surface. Also, instead of the universal flashing shown in
Prior to being adhered to a flashing, a covering membrane or a building structure surface, the adhesives used to adhere flashings and universal flashings are preferably covered by a release line. Although the flashings and universal flashings illustrated in
A universal flashing preferably may consist of a material such an uncured rubber, such as EPDM, that is capable of holding a shape into which the flashing may be bent. When using an uncured rubber, the uncured rubber may be cured after installation. The ability of a flashing to maintain a shape is particularly valuable when the flashing is used to cover and seal corner structures or other structures that require extensive bending of the flashing.
A preferred adhesive for use with a universal flashing is a butyl pressure sensitive adhesive.
A preferred thickness of a flashing may be 0.001 to 6.0 cm. A more preferred thickness of a flashing may be 0.01 to 3.0 cm. Yet another more preferred thickness of a flashing may be 0.1 to 1.0 cm.
The rim of the pipe boot and parts building peripherals used with covering systems employed on curved or contoured surfaces, such as the curved tunnel surface of
Although for simplicity only one section of membrane is shown being used in
The covering system may have particular advantages when being applied to a surface from below, as shown in
A preferred dead load shear capable adhesive for use with the covering system and flashing is Adco PSA-3™ pressure sensitive adhesive (Adco Products, Inc.) that includes styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS), a tackifying endblock resin such as a cumarone-indene resin and a tackifying midblock resin such as a terpene resin. Other preferred dead load shear capable adhesives include butyl-based adhesives, EPDM-based adhesives, acrylic adhesives, styrene-butadiene adhesives, polyisobutylene adhesives, ethylene vinyl acetate adhesives, etc.
One type of dead load shear capable adhesive may be used for all of the roofing membranes and roofing peripherals of a system, or different adhesives may be used for different components. Also, different adhesives may be used on different sections of a component. For example, a stronger adhesive or may more moisture resistant adhesive may be used to adhere two overlapping membranes to each other while a weaker and possibly cheaper adhesive may be used to adhere the non-overlapping portion of the roofing membrane to a roof substrate. The adhesive used for the seam may or may not be SEBS.
A preferred thickness of a dead load shear capable adhesive may be 0.001 to 0.5 cm. A more preferred thickness of a dead load shear capable adhesive may be 0.01 to 0.25 cm. Yet another more preferred thickness of a dead load shear capable adhesive may be 0.1 to 0.2 cm.
Although for convenience, the covering system of the present invention is only described above as being applied from above to a horizontal surface or from below to a curved surface, the covering system may also be used on slanted surfaces, such as slanted or peaked roofs, vertical surfaces, such as walls, chimneys, combinations of vertical and horizontal surfaces, etc., curved surfaces such as culverts, or contoured surfaces, such as terracotta roofs, or may be applied from below to horizontal and vertical surfaces such as roof overhangs or various curved or contoured surfaces.
The parts of the covering system of the present invention may be made colored or made of transparent materials to be less noticeable when applied to a building structure.
Also, although only a few types of building structures are depicted as being covered in the embodiments of the present invention described above and illustrated in the drawings, the covering system of the present invention may be used on a variety of building structures.
Although the present invention has been fully described in conjunction with the preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be apparent to those skilled in the art. Such changes and modifications are to be understood as included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims, unless they depart therefrom.
This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/775,206, filed 11 Feb. 2004 and presently pending, which claims the benefit of U.S. provisional applications 60/446,277 and 60/486,283, both filed 11 Feb. 2003; the entire disclosures of each of the foregoing are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
60446277 | Feb 2003 | US | |
60446283 | Feb 2003 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | 10775206 | Feb 2004 | US |
Child | 11735489 | Apr 2007 | US |