A hand tool for placing a single insulation plate at one time atop an insulation board or a vapor barrier or membrane on a flat or low slope roof. The hand tool has a flexible member that carries a releasable connector having a grip strength that releasably retains one insulation plate. The flexible member flexes between a neutral first position and a flexed second position. When the flexible member is flexed towards the second position, the releasable connector releases the insulation plate to place the insulation plate in a desired location atop the insulation board or vapor barrier on the flat or low slope roof.

Composite roofing structures can include mineral fiber roof cover boards with high concentration of mineral wool or mineral wool and perlite. The roofing structure may include: a roof cover board including a dried base mat including: 8-25% mineral wool, 40-65% perlite, 9-15% binder, 9-15% cellulosic fiber, and 0.25-2% sizing agent, all % by weight; an insulation layer; and a roofing membrane. The roof cover board is over the insulation layer, the roofing membrane is over the roof cover board. The roof cover board is attached to the insulation layer. The roofing membrane is attached to the roof cover board. Alternatively dried base mat may include: 30-70% mineral wool, 10-50% perlite, 5-15% binder, 2-20% cellulosic fiber, and 0.25-2% sizing agent. Alternatively the dried base mat may include: 60-90% mineral wool, 0-10% fiber, 0-10% perlite, 4-10% binder, 0-5% gypsum, and 0.25-2% sizing agent.

A composite structure for a building that includes at least one structural panel and at least one metal corrugated panel, where the at least one structural panel is secured to said at least one metal corrugated panel.

A roof assembly, having: a roof deck; an insulation board assembly mounted onto the roof deck; and a roofing membrane adhered onto the insulation board assembly, wherein the insulation board assembly comprises: a foam insulation board, a woven top facer on a top side of the foam insulation board, and a woven bottom facer on a bottom side of the foam insulation board.

A hand tool for placing a single insulation plate at one time atop an insulation board or a vapor barrier or membrane on a flat or low slope roof. The hand tool has a flexible member that carries a releasable connector having a grip strength that releasably retains one insulation plate. The flexible member flexes between a neutral first position and a flexed second position. When the flexible member is flexed towards the second position, the releasable connector releases the insulation plate to place the insulation plate in a desired location atop the insulation board or vapor barrier on the flat or low slope roof.

Insulation panels for wall construction and roofing installation are characterized by inlaid battens in outer faces thereof by which multiple layers of insulation can be installed without thermal bridging. Second and any subsequent layers are each fastened only to the battens of the immediately underlying layer, without fully penetrating therethrough to the roof deck, building wrap or other substrate. Laminated facers of perforated character allow migration of moisture to and from a foam core of the panel, while internal channels and internal slots beneath the facer enable drainage/drying of excess moisture without material degradation of the inlaid battens. Additional drainage space within each layer is provided at inter-panel connections, where tongue and groove connections are configured to leave such drainage space open between the tongue and groove.

Gypsum panels, methods for their manufacture, and systems and methods for monitoring environmental conditions with such panels are provided herein. The panels include a gypsum core having a first surface and an opposed second surface, a first facer material associated with the first surface of the gypsum core, and an environmental sensor assembly associated with the gypsum panel and configured to detect an environmental condition of the gypsum panel and wirelessly communicate data on the environmental condition to a reader.

A polyisocyanurate foam insulation product is produced from an isocyanate component, a polyol-containing component, and a blowing agent. The polyol-containing component includes a first polyol and a second polyol, a fire retardant, and one or more surfactants, wherein the first polyol and the second polyol have different hydroxyl numbers, or have different functionalities, or differ in both hydroxyl number and functionality. In some formulations, the polylol-containing component may include a fire retardant, a metallo-organinc compound, or combinations thereof. The cell size of the foam may be less than 120 microns. The polyol-containing component may include a mixture of polyols having different functionalities.

Self-adhering construction panels are methods for their manufacture and installation are provided. A construction panel includes a rigid panel core that includes gypsum or foam, and an adhesive or a precursor of an adhesive disposed on at least a portion of a first surface of the panel in an inactivated or unexposed form, wherein, upon activation or exposure of the adhesive or precursor, the adhesive is configured to secure the panel to a construction assembly.

A polyisocyanurate foam insulation product includes polyisocyanurate foam produced from reacting an isocyanate and a polyol blend having a functionality of at least 2.2. The isocyanate and the polyol blend are reacted so that the polyisocyanurate foam has an isocyanate index equivalent with or greater than 300. The polyisocyanurate foam includes a fire retardant and includes between 0.02 and 0.45 weight percent of a zinc salt compound. The foam insulation board exhibits a flame spread of no greater than 25 and a smoke index of no greater than 50 when exposed to flame conditions in accordance with an ASTM E-84 test.