Single ply roofing system

Abstract

A roofing system for application on a roofing substrate wherein flexible supports alleviate fatiguing of the roofing sheeting which typically occurs due to thermal expansion and contraction, thus enabling thicker roofing sheeting to be used and thus extending the usable life of the roofing sheeting.

1 . A roofing system for an existing roofing substrate comprising:
 at least one flexible support, said flexible support attached to the roofing substrate; and   at least one layer of sheeting, said sheeting attached to said flexible support such that said flexible support flexes when said sheeting thermally expands and/or contracts.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein insulating materials are disposed above said roofing substrate and below said sheeting. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 2  wherein said insulating materials comprise a thickness of at least 1 inch. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said sheeting is metal. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 4  wherein said sheeting is steel. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of said sheeting comprises a thickness of from about 31 gauge to about 22 gauge. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1  wherein at least a portion of said sheeting comprises a thickness of about 26 gauge. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein a waterproofing material is disposed between overlapping portions of said sheeting. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising at least one fastener. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein said fastener comprises stainless steel. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 1  wherein said roofing system comprises a lower flashing component fastened to an upper surface of said sheeting and an upper flashing component fastened to an at least substantially vertical surface. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein said upper and lower flashing components interlock to form a slidable connectable therebetween. 
   
   
       13 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising at least one expansion joint. 
   
   
       14 . A method of installing a roofing system on a roofing substrate comprising:
 attaching at least one flexible support to an upper portion of the roofing substrate; and   fastening a portion of a first sheeting at least partially onto an upper portion of the flexible support member.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising disposing a portion of a second sheeting at least partially onto an upper surface of the first sheeting. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising disposing one or more insulating materials above the roofing substrate and abutting at least one of the insulating materials to at least one of the flexible support structures. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising disposing a waterproofing material between at least some of the overlapping portions of the first and second sheeting. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising applying one or more coatings of material onto at least a portion of the sheeting. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising fastening the lower flashing component to an end portion of the at least one layer of sheeting and fastening the upper flashing component to a wall. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising slidably connecting the lower flashing component to the upper flashing component. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising installing at least one expansion joint.