Leak Locating Shingle

Abstract

A leak locating shingle comprises a body portion of the shingle with three tabs extending from a lower edge of the shingle. The upper corners of the body portion are trimmed at an angle. When two leak locating shingles are placed side by side, a water-trapping groove is created where the trimmed upper corners meet. If a leak occurs, water runs along the top edge of a shingle, until it encounters a water-trapping groove where the flow of the water trail is interrupted, due to the loss of a continuous path along the upper edge of the shingles. As water accumulates in the water-trapping groove, any water overflow occurs at the bottom of the water-trapping groove, causing the water to run over the top of the shingles. This limits the range of the water trail, and allows roof repair workers to more easily locate and repair the leak.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A shingle for roofing, comprising:
 (A) a body portion; and   (B) at least one angled channel situated between a top edge and a side edge of the body portion.   
     
     
         2 . The shingle of  claim 1 , wherein the body portion comprises three tabs extending downward from an upper portion of the body portion. 
     
     
         3 . The shingle of  claim 1 , wherein the shingle is constructed of two or more layers. 
     
     
         4 . The shingle of  claim 3 , wherein the layers comprise:
 (A) at least one glass fiber reinforcing mat;   (B) at least one asphalt layer; and   (C) granules of either mineral or ceramic composition.   
     
     
         5 . The shingle of  claim 4 , wherein the body portion comprises three tabs extending downward from an upper portion of the body portion. 
     
     
         6 . A method of shingling a roof, comprising:
 (A) providing shingles, the shingles comprising:
 (i) a body portion, and 
 (ii) at least one angled channel situated between a top edge and a side edge of the body portion; 
   (B) affixing the shingles to a roof in multiple rows, the shingles being adjacent to each other in each row, wherein the tab of shingles in higher rows rest on top of the shingles in lower rows.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the body portion comprises three tabs extending downward from an upper portion of the body portion. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the shingle is constructed of two or more layers. 
     
     
         9 . The shingle of  claim 8 , wherein the layers comprise:
 (A) at least one glass fiber reinforcing mat;   (B) at least one asphalt layer; and   (C) granules of either mineral or ceramic composition.   
     
     
         10 . The shingle of  claim 9 , wherein the body portion comprises three tabs extending downward from an upper portion of the body portion.