The invention is an electrical and mechanical roof underlayment which provides electrical and mechanical connection of solar shingles to a roof. The underlayment simplifies the installation of solar shingles allowing the shingles to be installed and connected together in the same step. The underlayment includes a membrane which has embedded electrical conductors and electrical connectors that provides an electrical connecting system extending to an electrical circuit. The membrane further has embedded mechanical members with mechanical connectors that secure the shingles to the membrane. The membrane is structurally attached to a roof surface. The structural attachment may be an adhesive attachment. Solar shingles are connected to the membrane by an integral clasping mechanism that mechanically and electrically connects the shingles to the membrane. No external wiring, connectors or devices are required to make the electrical connection between the shingles and the membrane. Contacts are integral and embedded into each individual shingle.

A shingle support according to this invention is easily aligned on and affixed to roof rafters. Once affixed, the shingle support provides a support to roofing shingles, to facilitate installation. It also provides the function of creating a protective terminus to each shingle to prevent lifting and damage by wind. As a result of use of the shingle support according to this invention, roofers are provided with an apparatus, kit, system and method for roof shingle installation superior to that currently available. In addition, the resulting roof shingle installation is more robust than known roof shingle installations.

The invention is an electrical and mechanical roof underlayment which provides electrical and mechanical connection of solar shingles to a roof. The underlayment simplifies the installation of solar shingles allowing the shingles to be installed and connected together in the same step. The underlayment includes a membrane which has embedded electrical conductors and electrical connectors that provides an electrical connecting system extending to an electrical circuit. The membrane further has embedded mechanical members with mechanical connectors that secure the shingles to the membrane. The membrane is structurally attached to a roof surface. The structural attachment may be an adhesive attachment. Solar shingles are connected to the membrane by an integral clasping mechanism that mechanically and electrically connects the shingles to the membrane. No external wiring, connectors or devices are required to make the electrical connection between the shingles and the membrane. Contacts are integral and embedded into each individual shingle.

Disclosed is a roofing underlayment providing mechanical and electrical connection for solar shingles that includes a water-impervious membrane adapted to be attached to a roof. The underlayment also includes a mechanical attachment member configured to mechanically attach a solar shingle to the roof, as well as an electrical conductor having an electrical first portion of which is embedded within the membrane, having an electrical second portion which is configured to electrically connect to a solar shingle, and having an electrical third portion which is configured to electrically connect to an electrical circuit. An air gap is provided that allows for air flow below the solar shingles. The air gap comprises a space between a bottom surface of the solar shingles and a bottom surface of the membrane.

In one embodiment of a tile and support structure, the tile and support structure may be configured to engage a tile such that the tile is oriented in a generally vertical plane. The support structure may include a riser tile engaged with both an upper riser support structure and a lower riser support structure.

A lighter, more cost-effective roofing system and method, which includes a rain diverting feature for directing rainwater and snowmelt away from an underlying sheet material and roof deck, is provided. The invention includes a sheet material having an upper surface and a lower surface. The upper surface includes one of a hook and loop fastener and the lower surface is configured to be attached to the roof deck. The present invention further includes a plurality of roofing tiles, each tile having hook and loop fasteners adhered to a back face which extend along the width of the tile at or near the uppermost and lowermost edges. Each rain diverting feature, which is a strip-like device with one surface made up of a plurality of hook portions and an opposing surface made up of a plurality of portions complementary to the hook portions, is positioned between and releasably attached to the hook and loop fasteners located on a side-edge portion of two adjacent tiles and the underlying sheet material, thereby releasably attaching the tiles to each other and to the upper surface of the underlying sheet material. The use of rain diverting devices to direct rainwater and snowmelt away from the underlying sheet material and roof deck allows for single lap tiling and thus less weight on the roof deck. It also allows for shorter tiles to be used, thus saving material cost.

A first protrusion formed on stone or porcelain tile extending from an edge of the tile configured to abut a second tile to space the first tile apart from the second tile by the first protrusion.

A ridge structure at a roof edge, having a base panel lying on a roof surface and a hollow ridge structure over the base panel. The hollow ridge structure is constructed in a flat spring form along the eaves, and therefore one slope of the ridge faces the roof and the other slope the opposite direction. The slope facing the roof can be lifted to receive and secure roofing materials between the slope and the base panel. When water flows down the roof surface, most water flows over the ridge structure and the rest flows into the hollow space inside the ridge structure and drains through drain holes on the base panel.

An improved roofing system including a batten assembly comprising support battens and clips. The clips are made of metal wire having one portion shaped to retain roof outer coverings and a further portion shaped to secure the clip to the batten by spring torsion force of part of the clip acting against the batten.

A ridge structure at a roof edge, having a base panel lying on a roof surface and a hollow ridge structure over the base panel. The hollow ridge structure is constructed in a flat spring form along the eaves, and therefore one slope of the ridge faces the roof and the other slope the opposite direction. The slope facing the roof can be lifted to receive and secure roofing materials between the slope and the base panel. When water flows down the roof surface, most water flows over the ridge structure and the rest flows into the hollow space inside the ridge structure and drains through drain holes on the base panel.