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 system and method for expedited tile installation are disclosed. The system may include a clamp strip and at least one tile. The clamp strip may be made of conjoined foldable strips. Each strip may include one or more clamps. The clamp strip role may be configured to unroll on a surface. The clamp strip may be adhered to the surface, after unrolling, using one or more fastening mechanisms. The at least one tile may include one or more wedges fixed to a rear side of the at least one tile. Each wedge may be configured to be inserted into the one or more clamp for installing the at least one tile. The one or more clamps and the one or more wedges may be configured to interlock for gripping the at least one tile to the clamp strip.

A tile system comprises at least two tiles and at least one elongate support. Each tile is generally rectangular in shape and has a first edge, and a second edge, the second edge being generally opposite the first edge. Each elongate support has an attachment portion and a support portion. Proximate the first edge each tile is provided with a groove, the groove being configured to receive the support portion of one of the elongate supports and a portion of an adjacent tile proximate its second edge.

A metallic roof material 1 according to the present invention comprises: a front substrate 10 made of a metal sheet, the front substrate 10 comprising a body portion 100 formed into a box shape; a back substrate 11 arranged on a back side of the front substrate 10 so as to cover an opening of the body portion 100; and a core material 12 filled between the body portion 100 and the back substrate 11, the metallic roof material 1 being tightened to a roof base by driving at least one tightening member into the body portion 100, wherein a top plate portion 101 of the body portion 100 comprises at least one protruding rib 3 comprised of at least one protrusion 30 disposed along a side of a polygon or along a circle, and wherein the metallic roof material 1 is configured such that the tightening member is driven into an inner region 3a of the protruding rib 3.

A method and apparatus for installing roofing shingles on a roof deck in a top-to-bottom manner is disclosed. Engineered battens am positioned and installed on the roof deck in a bottom-to-top manner. Each batten has a female mating area which allows complementary shingles to be securely attached to the battens by sliding a corresponding mating portion of a shingle into the mating area of the batten resulting in a snap-fit engagement which secures the shingles onto the roof deck without nails. The method and apparatus have several unique advantages, such as allowing shingles to expand and contract (“breathe”) without buckling and/or tearing when the ambient temperature fluctuates. In addition, since the manner of installation is from top-to-bottom, this allows roofers to use the rows of nailed battens as safety scaffolding improving roofers' traction and ultimately enhancing their safety while performing this inherently dangerous job.

A tile system comprises at least two tiles and at least one elongate support. Each tile is generally rectangular in shape and has a first edge, and a second edge, the second edge being generally opposite the first edge. Each elongate support has an attachment portion and a support portion. Proximate the first edge each tile is provided with a groove, the groove being configured to receive the support portion of one of the elongate supports and a portion of an adjacent tile proximate its second edge.

A system and method of roofing. The present invention includes a fabric sheet 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 a roof decking. The present invention further includes a plurality of tiles each having an upper edge, a lower edge, a top surface, and a bottom surface. The other of the hook and loop fastener is attached to the bottom surface. The plurality of tiles are releasably attached to the upper surface of the fabric sheet via the hook and loop fasteners.

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.

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 metallic roof material 1 according to the present invention comprises: a front substrate 10 made of a metal sheet, the front substrate 10 comprising a body portion 100 formed into a box shape; a back substrate 11 arranged on a back side of the front substrate 10 so as to cover an opening of the body portion 100; and a core material 12 filled between the body portion 100 and the back substrate 11, the metallic roof material 1 being tightened to a roof base by driving at least one tightening member into the body portion 100, wherein a top plate portion 101 of the body portion 100 comprises at least one protruding rib 3 comprised of at least one protrusion 30 disposed along a side of a polygon or along a circle, and wherein the metallic roof material 1 is configured such that the tightening member is driven into an inner region 3a of the protruding rib 3.