Roof tile apparatus and methods of making and use

Abstract

Novel rigid tile, rigid tile apparatus, methods of making and use are disclosed. One embodiment includes a method of mounting rigid tile with a nail gun providing a protruding nail tip used as a nail passage or depression finder in the rigid tile. Another embodiment includes a metal roof tile having at least one fastener passage having pre-formed spacer section extending from the upper surface of the metal roof tile to space a fastener head or end from the upper surface of the metal roof tile. Yet another embodiment provides interconnectable rigid rooftiles, with the interconnection provided by upwardly extending channel structure that can allow adjacent rigid rooftiles to positionally adjusted on a roof laterally across the roof with respect to each other. A tile bottom-side covering sealing bent T-trim can be utilized to cover open underside areas of a right roof tile. A novel installation method and rigid rooftile installation kit can utilize embodiments of the structures and methods stated above and, as desired, yet additional structure such as differently structured rigid rooftile components and trim components of differing shapes and sizes as desired.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of installing a right roof tile comprising:
 A. placing a steeltile in a desired position on a roof substrate;   B. grasping a nail gun having a lead nail with a lead nail tip protruding from the nail gun;   C. moving the nail gun and protruding lead nail tip to penetrate a nail mounting passage or depression in the steeltile; and   D. activating the nail gun to shoot the lead nail into the nail mounting passage or depression in the steeltile.   
     
     
         2 . A metal roof tile comprising in combination:
 a metal roof tile body section having an upper side and a lower side;   at least one fastener passage penetrating the upper side of the metal roof tile body section and extending through the lower side of the metal roof tile body section, the fastener passage having a pre-formed spacer section extending from, and away from, the upper side of the metal roof tile body section, whereby a fastener may be forced through the fastener passage with the fastener head abutting and thereby being spaced from the upper side of the metal roof tile body section by the spacer section.   
     
     
         3 . A rigid rooftile comprising in combination:
 a rooftile body section having an upper tile section intermediate a first and second opposed side, each side extending downwardly from the upper tile section;   an upwardly extending U-channel extending from and along the first side of rooftile body section.   
     
     
         4 . A unitary ganged set of rigid tiles comprising:
 a unitary section having a plurality of rigid tiles rooftile body sections integrally formed within the unitary section, each rooftile bod having an upper tile section intermediate a first and second opposed side, each side extending downwardly from the upper tile section;   an upwardly extending U-channel extending from and along the first side of rooftile body section.