Roofing product

Abstract

A method for covering and protecting a pitched roof deck having an eave including a starter block having unitary construction and a first course of semi-rigid shingles. The starter block has a generally rectangular shape and is tapered wherein the front surface has a greater height than the back surface. The starter block used in the starter course of a roofing project to facilitate the positioning the shingles upon a hip roof without causing said the shingles to bend. In one embodiment, the starter block and shingles are formed from a composite material, such as a combination of at least a polymer component and a filler component. The at least one course of shingles are positioned to lie flat on and at least partially overlap the course of starter blocks with the shingles extending back to the upper surface of the roof without substantially bending.

1 . A roofing system for covering and protecting a pitched roof deck having an eave, said roofing system comprising:
 a course of starter blocks coupled to the roof deck at the eave, each starter block comprising a top surface, first and second side surfaces, a front surface and a back surface, each of said top surface, the front surface and the back surface having a generally rectangular shape with the height of the front surface greater than the height of the back surface to form the first and second side surfaces with a taper; and   at least one course of semi-rigid shingles coupled to the roof deck, a first course of the at least one course of shingles having a top surface and a bottom surface with a generally in-plane portion, and being positioned to lie upon and at least partially overlap the course of starter blocks by extending over the back surfaces thereof to allow each shingle of the first course of shingles to contact the roof deck at a location more proximal to the back surface of the respective starter block of the course of starter blocks than if the back surface had the same height as the corresponding front surface of the respective starter block.   
     
     
         2 . The roofing system of  claim 1  wherein the each shingle has an exposed portion and a headlap portion, the exposed portion extending from a forward edge of the shingle to the headlap portion and having a central region with a substantially uniform thickness moving longitudinally, and the headlap portion extending from the exposed portion to a back edge of the shingle with a taper in average thickness across the headlap portion moving longitudinally towards the back edge, the taper extending for at least a substantial part of the headlap portion. 
     
     
         3 . The roofing system of  claim 2  wherein the headlap portion includes at least one indented nailing zone on the top surface of the shingle positioned adjacent to the exposed portion. 
     
     
         4 . A composite semi-rigid shingle providing an environmental barrier for a roof deck, comprising:
 a top surface, a bottom surface, a forward edge and a back edge, the shingle being subdivided into an exposed portion and a headlap portion, the exposed portion extending from the forward edge to the headlap portion and having a central region with a substantially uniform thickness in the longitudinal direction, and the headlap portion extending from the exposed portion to the back edge with a taper in average thickness across the headlap portion moving longitudinally towards the back edge, the taper extending for at least a substantial part of the headlap portion.   
     
     
         5 . The shingle of  claim 4  wherein the headlap portion includes at least one indented nailing zone on the top surface positioned adjacent to the exposed portion. 
     
     
         6 . The shingle of  claim 4  wherein the composite material is a combination of at least a polymer component and a filler component. 
     
     
         7 . The shingle of  claim 6  wherein the filler component includes limestone. 
     
     
         8 . The shingle of  claim 4  wherein the top surface of the shingle is configured to resemble slate. 
     
     
         9 . The shingle of  claim 4  wherein the bottom surface of the shingle is generally planar. 
     
     
         10 . The shingle of  claim 4  wherein the headlap portion includes opposed side surfaces, the side surfaces angling laterally inwardly towards one another near the back edge of the shingle to narrow the shingle width moving towards the back edge. 
     
     
         11 . The shingle of  claim 4  wherein the headlap portion includes opposed side surfaces with at least one nib extending from each of the opposed side surfaces, the at least one nib on one of the side surfaces being longitudinally offset from the corresponding at least one nib on the other side surface such that alignment of the shingles laterally adjacent to another shingle on the roof deck results in at least one nib of one shingle mating with at least one nib of the adjacent shingle. 
     
     
         12 . The shingle of  claim 4  wherein the average thickness of the shingle at a transition between the exposed portion and the headlap portion is at least about two times greater than the average thickness of the shingle at the back edge. 
     
     
         13 . The shingle of  claim 4  wherein the shingle has an arcuate bow extending in the longitudinal direction. 
     
     
         14 . A composite semi-rigid shingle providing an environmental barrier for a roof deck, comprising:
 a top surface, a bottom surface, a forward edge and a back edge, the bottom surface having a generally in-plane portion, and the shingle being subdivided into an exposed portion and a headlap portion, the exposed portion extending from the forward edge to the headlap portion and having a central region substantially untapered in thickness in the longitudinal direction, and the headlap portion extending from the exposed portion to the back edge with a taper in average height across the headlap portion between the in-plane portion of the bottom surface and the top surface moving longitudinally towards the back edge, the taper extending for at least a substantial part of the headlap portion.   
     
     
         15 . A method for covering and protecting a pitched roof deck having an eave, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing a course of starter blocks, each starter block comprising a top surface, a bottom surface, first and second side surfaces, a front surface and a back surface, the front surface having a height that is greater than the height of the back surface to form the first and second side surfaces with a taper;   providing a first course of semi-rigid shingles, each shingle having a top surface and a bottom surface with a generally in-plane portion;   coupling the course of starter blocks to the roof deck at the eave such that the bottom surfaces of the starter blocks lie against the roof deck and each starter block is laterally adjacent another starter block; and   coupling the first course of semi-rigid shingles to the roof deck such that the bottom surfaces of the shingles lie upon and extend off of the top surfaces of the course of starter blocks at the back surfaces thereof to allow each shingle to contact the roof deck at a location more proximal to the back surface of the respective starter block than if the back surface had the same height as the corresponding front surface of the respective starter block.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the shingles of the first course of semi-rigid shingles are composite shingles, each shingle having a forward edge and a back edge and being subdivided into an exposed portion and a headlap portion, the exposed portion extending from the forward edge to the headlap portion and having a central region with a substantially uniform thickness in the longitudinal direction, and the headlap portion extending from the exposed portion to the back edge with a taper in average thickness across the headlap portion moving longitudinally towards the back edge, the taper extending for at least a substantial part of the headlap portion, the method further comprising the steps of:
 providing a second course of composite semi-rigid shingles, each shingle having a top surface and a bottom surface with a generally in-plane portion; and   coupling the second course of semi-rigid shingles to the roof deck such that the bottom surfaces of the shingles of the second course of shingles substantially lie flat on and at least partially overlap the first course of shingles by extending over the back edges thereof to allow each shingle of the second course of shingles to contact the roof deck at a location more proximal to the back edge of the respective shingle of the first course of shingles than a configuration of the respective shingle of the first course of shingles without the taper.   
     
     
         17 . A method for stacking bundles of shingles on a pallet, each bundle having a group of shingles stacked atop and in alignment with one another and coupled together in the bundle, and each shingle having a forward edge, a back edge, an exposed portion and a headlap portion, the exposed portion extending from the forward edge to the headlap portion, and the headlap portion extending from the exposed portion to the back edge with a longitudinal taper in thickness for at least a substantial part of the headlap portion, the method comprising the steps of:
 assembling each bundle of shingles by placing a plurality of shingles atop one another so that the exposed portions and the headlap portions of each shingle are in alignment with the other shingles of the respective bundle, and then coupling the shingles of the bundle together;   stacking a first layer of shingle bundles on the pallet laterally adjacent one another, the first layer including at least a first row and a second row of shingle bundles, each of the first and second rows having the shingle bundles within the respective row in alignment with one another so that the headlap portions of the plurality of shingles of each bundle are facing the same direction and towards the headlap portions of the plurality of shingles of each bundle of the other one of the first and second rows;   stacking a second layer of shingle bundles on the pallet laterally adjacent one another and on top of the first layer of shingle bundles, the second layer including at least one row of shingle bundles positioned above the headlap portions of the shingle bundles of the first layer and aligned perpendicularly therewith;   wherein the at least one row of shingle bundles of the second layer compresses the headlap portions of the shingle bundles of the first layer to form the first layer shingle bundles with an arcuate bow extending in the longitudinal direction.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising the step of:
 stacking a third layer of shingle bundles on the pallet laterally adjacent one another and on top of the second layer of shingle bundles, the third layer including at least one row of shingle bundles positioned above the headlap portions of the shingle bundles of the second layer and aligned perpendicularly therewith.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising the steps of:
 prior to stacking the second layer of shingle bundles on the pallet, placing a slip sheet on top of the first layer of shingle bundles; and   prior to stacking the third layer of shingle bundles on the pallet, placing another slip sheet on top of the second layer of shingle bundles.