Panel For Use As Exterior Covering For Roofing Or Siding And Building Structure Having Same

Abstract

A building panel of the roofing or siding type is disclosed, as well as a building structure having such roofing or siding panels, in which the panels are comprised of two different types of building materials. The composite panel includes at least one layer of synthetic polymeric building material, having adhesively secured thereto at least one layer of asphalt based building material, with outer, upper surfaces of the panel, that would be weather-exposed in the installed condition on a building structure being comprised of the asphalt based building material, and with the synthetic polymeric layer(s) of polymeric building material being weather-protected in the installed condition on a building structure.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A panel of building material for use as an exterior covering for roofing or siding, for installation on a building structure, comprising:
 (a) a base layer comprised of a molded synthetic polymeric building material having an interior side and an exterior side;   (b) an asphalt based building material having an outer side and an inner side, with its inner side being disposed against the exterior side of the base layer, secured thereto;   (c) the asphalt based building material being comprised of a layer of mat impregnated with an asphalt material and with an asphaltic adhesive on at least one surface thereof, and with a layer of granules on at least one side of the layer of mat, secured thereto by said asphaltic adhesive;   (d) the asphalt based building material presenting an outer side that is weather-exposed when it is in the installed condition on a building structure; which outer side includes:
 (i) visible lines of demarcation visually delineating the appearance of a plurality of generally horizontal courses of shingles or tiles. 
   
     
     
         2 . The panel of  claim 1 , wherein the outer side of the asphalt based building material includes within each delineated generally horizontal course of shingles or tiles, generally vertical lines of demarcation visually delineating the appearance of a plurality of shingles or tiles laterally disposed within each said course of shingles or tiles. 
     
     
         3 . The panel of  claim 2 , wherein the asphalt based building material is secured to the base layer by means of an adhesive. 
     
     
         4 . The panel of  claim 2 , wherein the base layer comprises a single layer, and wherein the asphalt based building material comprises multiple components of asphalt based building material. 
     
     
         5 . The panel of  claim 2 , wherein the base layer comprises a single base layer, and wherein the asphalt based building material comprises multiple shingles or tiles of asphalt based building material. 
     
     
         6 . The panel of  claim 4 , wherein the asphalt based building material is comprised of multiple shingles or tiles. 
     
     
         7 . The panel of  claim 2 , wherein at least one edge of the asphalt based building material protrudes beyond an underlying edge of the base layer, comprising means for overlapping a base edge of a next adjacent panel of building material, when panels of building material are installed on a building structure. 
     
     
         8 . The panel of  claim 2 , wherein at least one edge of the base layer protrudes beyond an adjacent edge of an asphalt based building material, to comprise means for underlying an edge of an asphalt based building material of a next adjacent panel, when panels are installed on a building structure. 
     
     
         9 . The panel of  claim 7 , wherein at least one edge of the base layer protrudes beyond an adjacent edge of an asphalt based building material, to comprise means for underlying an edge of an asphalt based building material of a next adjacent panel, when panels are installed on a building structure. 
     
     
         10 . The panel of  claim 2 , wherein the base layer has a flat portion, with at least one generally transverse lip at an angle to the generally flat portion, to engage and support an edge of asphalt based building material thereagainst. 
     
     
         11 . The panel of  claim 7 , wherein at least one edge of the base layer includes interlocking means for interlocking with an adjacent edge of a base layer of an adjacent panel when adjacent said panels are installed adjacent each other on a building structure. 
     
     
         12 . The panel of  claim 2 , including an insulation layer secured to said panel, on the interior side of the base layer. 
     
     
         13 . The panel of  claim 2 , wherein the interior side of the base layer is provided with at least one recess therein comprising means for reducing the weight of the panel by using less polymeric building material in the base layer, than if there were no such recess. 
     
     
         14 . The panel of  claim 2 , wherein the exterior side of the base layer is provided with a plurality of planes comprising any one of:
 (i) planes that are parallel to each other;   (ii) planes that are non-parallel to each other;   (iii) planes that are parallel to each other with lips that are generally transverse to those planes; and   (iv) planes that are parallel or non-parallel to each other, and which are intersected by at least one plane that is at an angle to at least one of the other planes.   
     
     
         15 . The panel of  claim 2 , wherein the asphalt based building material is provided with a plurality of generally vertical slots, disposed generally parallel to each other and wherein portions of the base layer are visible through said slots. 
     
     
         16 . The panel of  claim 1 , wherein the asphalt based building material comprises a continuous sheet, having no slots therein. 
     
     
         17 . The panel of  claim 2 , wherein the base layer has some portions of any of:
 different thicknesses; and   (ii) portions of its exterior side that are at different angles relative to each other.   
     
     
         18 . The panel of  claim 2 , wherein the base layer has air flow zones therein for facilitating passage of air therethrough. 
     
     
         19 . The panel of  claim 4 , wherein at least one of said base layer and asphalt based building material are provided with notches at lowermost ends of the generally vertical lines of demarcation. 
     
     
         20 . The panel of  claim 2 , wherein adjacent the visible lines of demarcation of clause (d) (i) of  claim 1 , there is provided a stripe of granules, darker in appearance than the layer of granules of clause (c) of  claim 1 , on the outer side of the asphalt based building material, comprising means providing a shadow line effect. 
     
     
         21 . The panel of  claim 2 , wherein, between the base layer and the asphalt based building material, there is provided an intermediate layer of asphalt based building material, darker in appearance than the appearance of granules of clause (c) of  claim 1  on the at least one side of the asphalt impregnated layer of mat, and wherein the lines of demarcation delineating the appearance of a plurality of shingles or tiles laterally disposed within each course a shingle or a tile are comprised of slots, and wherein the darker, intermediate layer of asphalt based building material is visible through said slots. 
     
     
         22 . The panel of  claim 2 , including a temperature sensor carried by the panel, wherein the panel sensor is subject to expansion and contraction as a function of temperature and the sensor providing a visual indication of a thermal expansion characteristic at a given temperature of the panel. 
     
     
         23 . The panel of  claim 2 , including wires and wire connection means in said base layer for transmitting photovoltaic energy through said panel. 
     
     
         24 . A panel according to  claim 2 , wherein the asphalt based building material is aesthetically designed to simulate any one of:
 wooden shakes;   (ii) natural slate;   (iii) an embossed outer side;   (iv) barrel-type tiles; and   (v) a petticoat effect, whereby an underlying layer has a portion protruding below a lowermost edge of an overlying layer of asphalt based building material.   
     
     
         25 . A building structure of the roof or siding type, having an exterior covering comprised of a plurality of panels according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         26 . A method of making a panel of building material for use as an exterior covering for roofing or siding, for installation on a building structure, the method comprising:
 (a) providing a base layer comprised of a molded synthetic polymeric building material having an interior side and an exterior side;   (b) providing an asphalt based building material having an outer side and an inner side,   (c) assembling the panel with the inner side of the asphalt based building material disposed against the exterior side of the base layer and secured thereto; the asphalt based building material being comprised of a layer of mat impregnated with an asphalt material and with an asphaltic adhesive on at least one surface thereof, and with a layer of granules on at least one side of the layer of mat, secured thereto by said asphaltic adhesive; the asphalt based building material presenting an outer side that is weather-exposed when it is in the installed condition on a building structure; which outer side includes visible lines of demarcation visually delineating the appearance of a plurality of generally horizontal courses of shingles or tiles.   
     
     
         27 . A building structure of the roof or siding type, having an exterior covering comprised of a plurality of panels, the panels comprising:
 (a) a base layer comprised of a molded synthetic polymeric building material having an interior side and an exterior side;   (b) an asphalt based building material having an outer side and an inner side, with its inner side being disposed against the exterior side of the base layer, secured thereto;   (c) the asphalt based building material being comprised of a layer of mat impregnated with an asphalt material and with an asphaltic adhesive on at least one surface thereof, and with a layer of granules on at least one side of the layer of mat, secured thereto by said asphaltic adhesive;   (d) the asphalt based building material presenting an outer side that is weather-exposed when it is in the installed condition on a building structure; which outer side includes:
 (i) visible lines of demarcation visually delineating the appearance of a plurality of generally horizontal courses of shingles or tiles.