An outdoor shelter and a rail system for the outdoor shelter are described herein. The outdoor shelter includes at least one pair of support post members, each pair of support post members including a first support post member being spaced apart from a second support post member; a first guide rail member coupled to the first support post member; a second guide rail member coupled to the second support post member; and a shade support pole member slidably coupled to the first and second guide rail members, the shade support pole member being coupled to an end portion of a shade member of the outdoor shelter, and the shade support pole member configured to be slidably displaced along the lengths of the first and second guide rail members so as to allow an amount by which the shade member overhangs a side of the outdoor shelter to be user-adjusted.

An outdoor shelter and a rail system for the outdoor shelter are described herein. The outdoor shelter includes at least one pair of support post members, each pair of support post members including a first support post member being spaced apart from a second support post member; a first guide rail member coupled to the first support post member; a second guide rail member coupled to the second support post member; and a shade support pole member slidably coupled to the first and second guide rail members, the shade support pole member being coupled to an end portion of a shade member of the outdoor shelter, and the shade support pole member configured to be slidably displaced along the lengths of the first and second guide rail members so as to allow an amount by which the shade member overhangs a side of the outdoor shelter to be user-adjusted.

A membrane pulling device includes an elongate frame and a lever coupled with the elongate frame at a fixed position joint. The fixed position joint is positioned within a middle section of the elongate frame. A plurality of step plates are attached to the elongate frame, including a back step plate and one or more front step plates. A forward fairlead is coupled with the elongate frame and includes two pulley wheels. Side arms may pivot out from the elongate frame to assist in use of the membrane pulling device when pulling a membrane at an angle to the orientation of the device, such as adjacent to a parapet wall.

A converted reverse ballasted roof system is provided including a structural roof beam. Insulation is positioned upwardly adjacent the structural roof beam, and a first waterproofing membrane is arranged upwardly adjacent the first waterproofing membrane. A weighted cover board is disposed upwardly adjacent the first waterproofing membrane and a second waterproofing membrane is installed upwardly adjacent the weighted cover board. The first water proofing membrane and the second waterproofing membrane substantially seal the weighted cover board.

A converted reverse ballasted roof system is provided including a structural roof beam. Insulation is positioned upwardly adjacent the structural roof beam, and a first waterproofing membrane is arranged upwardly adjacent the first waterproofing membrane. A weighted cover board is disposed upwardly adjacent the first waterproofing membrane and a second waterproofing membrane is installed upwardly adjacent the weighted cover board. The first water proofing membrane and the second waterproofing membrane substantially seal the weighted cover board.

A composite material may be used as a building material to provide desirable visible aesthetics, such as in a roof or facade. The composite material may include two or more materials, wherein a first material provides desirable qualities for appearance and a second material provides desirable qualities for strength or other characteristics desirable of a building material. Each of the first material and the second material may be transparent, such that the composite material is also transparent. The first material may be Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) and the second material may be Polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

A composite material may be used as a building material to provide desirable visible aesthetics, such as in a roof or facade. The composite material may include two or more materials, wherein a first material provides desirable qualities for appearance and a second material provides desirable qualities for strength or other characteristics desirable of a building material. Each of the first material and the second material may be transparent, such that the composite material is also transparent. The first material may be Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) and the second material may be Polyethylene terephthalate (PET).

Herein disclosed is an asphalt roofing shingle, adapted to be laid up in courses on a roof, comprising an upper headlap portion, a lower tab portion, vertically spaced apart upper and lower edges, laterally spaced apart right and left edges and top and bottom surfaces. The bottom surface is configured to be laid up on a roof facing the roof and the tab portion of the top surface is configured to be substantially weather-exposed when laid up on a roof. The upper headlap portion is configured to be substantially covered by the tab portion of roofing elements in a next-overlying course of roofing elements when laid up on a roof. The upper headlap portion further comprises a plurality of parallel, evenly laterally spaced, first markings, the first markings being useful, at least, for aligning adjacent shingles, cutting books of shingles, forming starter shingles from full shingles and forming a grid of shingles without external measuring devices.

A method of preparing an EPDM roofing membrane panel, the method comprising preparing a vulcanizable composition including expandable graphite by mixing an EPDM rubber and expandable graphite, forming a sheet from said vulcanizable composition, preparing a green membrane panel using said sheet, and curing said green membrane panel to form the EPDM roofing membrane panel, where said steps of preparing a vulcanizable composition, said step of forming a sheet, said step of preparing a green membrane, an said step of curing each include a peak temperature at which each of said steps respectively take place, and where the expandable graphite has an onset temperature above said peak temperature of each respective step.

A method of preparing an EPDM roofing membrane panel, the method comprising preparing a vulcanizable composition including expandable graphite by mixing an EPDM rubber and expandable graphite, forming a sheet from said vulcanizable composition, preparing a green membrane panel using said sheet, and curing said green membrane panel to form the EPDM roofing membrane panel, where said steps of preparing a vulcanizable composition, said step of forming a sheet, said step of preparing a green membrane, an said step of curing each include a peak temperature at which each of said steps respectively take place, and where the expandable graphite has an onset temperature above said peak temperature of each respective step.