Rooftile 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 rooftile having at least one fastener passage having pre-formed spacer section extending from the upper surface of the metal rooftile to space a fastener head or end from the upper surface of the metal rooftile. Yet another embodiment provides a unitary ganged set of rigid rooftiles. A tile bottom-side covering sealing bent T-trim can be utilized to cover open underside areas of a right rooftile. 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 rigid rooftile comprising:
 A. placing a first rigid rooftile in a desired position on a roof substrate;   B. grasping a nail gun having a nail rack mounted in the nail gun, the nail rack having a plurality of nails with nail shanks mounted in parallel in the rack and having a first lead nail with a first lead nail tip protruding externally from the nail gun;   C. moving the nail gun and first protruding lead nail tip to penetrate a first nail mounting passage or depression in the first rigid rooftile; and   D. activating the nail gun to shoot the first lead nail into the first nail mounting passage or depression in the first rigid rooftile.   
     
     
         2 . The rigid rooftile installing method of  claim 1  wherein the activating step D includes shooting the first lead nail (i) into and through the first nail mounting passage or depression in the first rigid rooftile and (ii) the roof substrate. 
     
     
         3 . The rigid rooftile installing method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 E. again moving the nail gun and a second protruding lead nail tip to penetrate a second nail mounting passage or depression in a second rigid rooftile; and 
 D. activating the nail gun to shoot the second lead nail into the second nail mounting passage or depression in the second rigid rooftile. 
 
     
     
         4 . The rigid rooftile installing method of  claim 2  further comprising:
 E. again moving the nail gun and a second protruding lead nail tip to penetrate a second nail mounting passage or depression in a second rigid rooftile; and 
 D. activating the nail gun to shoot the second lead nail into and through the second nail mounting passage or depression in the second rigid rooftile and penetrate the roof substrate. 
 
     
     
         5 . The rigid rooftile; installing method of  claim 1  wherein the first rigid rooftile is a metal rooftile. 
     
     
         6 . The rigid rooftile; installing method of  claim 2  wherein the first rigid rooftile is a metal rooftile. 
     
     
         7 . The rigid rooftile; installing method of  claim 3  wherein the first rigid rooftile and second rigid rooftile are metal rooftiles. 
     
     
         8 . The rigid rooftile; installing method of  claim 4  wherein the first rigid rooftile and second rigid rooftile are each metal rooftiles. 
     
     
         9 . The rigid rooftile; installing method of  claim 1  wherein the first rigid rooftile is a preformed sheet metal rooftile. 
     
     
         10 . The rigid rooftile; installing method of  claim 2  wherein the first rigid rooftile is a preformed sheet metal rooftile. 
     
     
         11 . The rigid rooftile; installing method of  claim 3  wherein the first rigid rooftile and second rigid rooftile are each preformed sheet metal rooftiles. 
     
     
         12 . The rigid rooftile; installing method of  claim 4  wherein the first rigid rooftile and second right rooftile are each preformed sheet metal rooftile. 
     
     
         13 . A rigid rooftile nail kit comprising:
 A. a nail gun having a nail rack mount;   B. a nail rack having:
 (i) a first lead nail with a first lead nail tip extending from a first lead nail shank, the nail rack mountable in the nail rack mount with the first lead nail tip protruding externally from the nail gun prior to the nail gun moving of the first lead nail tip in the nail rack; 
 (ii) a second nail having a second nail shank parallel to a first nail shank in the first lead nail prior to the nail gun moving of the first lead nail tip in the nail rack. 
   
     
     
         14 . The rigid rooftile nail kit of  claim 13  wherein the first lead nail tip is spaced forward of the second nail tip prior to the nail gun moving of the first lead nail tip in the nail rack. 
     
     
         15 . The rigid rooftile nail kit of  claim 14  wherein the second nail is adapted to move in the nail rack to take the position of the first lead nail, with the second nail tip protruding externally of the nail gun, when the first lead nail is ejected from the nail rack by the nail gun and prior to ejecting the second nail from the nail rack.