Patent Publication Number: US-2009217602-A1

Title: Horizontal Layout Tape

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims benefit of priority to U.S. Application 60/958,264, which was filed on Jul. 3, 2007 and is incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a measuring device and method to allow users to accurately and quickly identify vertical points or locations of a grid, in particular to aid in installation of building materials, including roofing materials, such as shingles and other protective materials. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Roofing materials in use today are becoming more and more complex, requiring specific rake overlaps, course overlaps, offsets, and other spacing and safety requirements. Often, the buildings upon which the roofing materials are to be installed have quite irregular dimensions, adding to the complication of the installation. Roofing materials require the user to calculate and locate very specific locations upon which to install the manufacturer-required shingle course overhangs and materials offsets, which may not only be time consuming and difficult, but may result in incorrect measurements and subsequently, incorrect installation. There is a need for a guide device to assist in the installation of these roofing materials. 
     The prior art discloses various guides used in the construction field. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,187,087 (Leary), U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,858 (Thomas), U.S. Pat. No. 4,942,670 (Brandt), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,590 (Wagner) disclose the use of a tape guide to position studs or beams. U.S. Pat. No. 4,970,797 (Sarasin) discloses the use of a mason&#39;s scale for laying courses of bricks. U.S. Pat. No. 308,574 (Poe) discloses the use of a shingling gage to help a roofer lay shingle. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,056,234 (Han) discloses a tape guide to assist in laying roof tiles. 
     Han discloses a device for use in laying out courses of tiles of various sizes made by various manufacturers. Specifically, a non-disposable tape is disclosed having coded indicia which, when extended along a roof from the eave, identify the roof course lines for tiles of particular manufacturers. Each series of spaced indicia apply to a specific manufacturer&#39;s tile type allowing for a three (3) inch overlap and are selected before the tape is extended on the roof. The tile roofing industry is uniquely concerned with maintaining the consistent constant overlap of the tiles so that proper runoff is achieved. Lines are drawn along the roof at the indicia points as the tape is extended, the tape is removed from the roof, and the tiles are laid according to the course lines. A procedure for addressing the last course of tiles toward the peak and sides of the roof is not disclosed, however, and application to other than simple gable roofs is not indicated. Thus, Han discloses an apparatus for assisting in laying tile according to the tile type and tile overlap requirements on simple even roofs. 
     To date, none of the prior art has addressed the problem a roofer faces in determining the correct amount of overlaps and offsets, as well as required shingle spacing, for installing shingles on a roof. Typically, the roofer must measure the roof, from the edge of the roof to the opposite edge, and then calculate the optimal spacing within the reveal space tolerance range that will provide the best fit for the rows and columns of shingles for that size roof. This method is time-consuming and subject to various inaccuracies. For example, the calculations usually are performed by trial and error and involve fractions. Moreover, once the calculations are performed, the roofer must then make many individual measurements on each end of the roof. Often, the result of making these numerous measurements is that parallax, also known as “creep,” occurs. This is when small errors in individual measurements accumulate and are magnified by the time the roofer installs the last row of shingles. Furthermore, the calculations become very difficult on uneven and intersecting roofs and roofs with other irregularities, such as dormers. 
     Finally, another problem faced in shingle roofing is that older homes often have irregular eaves and edges so that when a straight line of shingles is laid, the wavy area of the eave may not be covered by the shingles. For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for a device that eliminates the need for a roofer to perform measurements and trial and error calculations in determining the correct reveal space for a roof, that eliminates the possibility for creep, and that facilitates the installation of shingles on uneven and intersecting roofs and roofs with other irregularities, such as dormers. In particular, there is currently a need for a device that allows the roofer to perform the installation of the roof while eliminating the foregoing problems associated with the prior art. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The subject invention is a pre-determined and specifically created measuring device that allows a user to quickly, easily and accurately identify points or locations of a grid. In particular, the invention allows the user to identify points or locations of a grid process used in construction from which to snap vertical installation lines without the need for measuring, calculating, or abstract thinking about the placement of the installation lines. In particular, the invention relates to a measuring device for placement of shingles or other building materials to the roof of a building. The invention is particularly useful in installation of building materials which have specific installation restrictions and requirements, including offset, overhang, and gap space requirements. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, there is provided a roofing tape for assisting in the installation of a plurality of selected roofing material to a roof section, the selected roofing material having a width, an offset requirement, and a gap requirement; the roofing tape including a front surface; a back surface; a first edge; a second edge; a first indicia disposed on the front surface of the roofing tape, located at a pre-determined distance from the first edge designating the starting position; a second indicia indicating placement of the first course, which is disposed at a location apart from the first indicia, the location being equal to the width of the roofing material plus any required gap space; and a third indicia indicating placement of the second course, which is disposed at a location apart from the first indicia, the location being equal to the width of the roofing material plus any required gap space minus half the width of the roofing material. 
     In another embodiment, there is provided a method of installing building materials to the surface of a building including the steps of: disposing a first tape horizontally across the surface of the building, the first tape including a first series of indicia; disposing a second tape horizontally across the surface of the building, substantially parallel to the first tape, the second tape including a second series of indicia aligned with the first series of indicia; disposing a marker vertically across the surface of the building, wherein the marker is disposed in alignment with an indicia on the first series of indicia and an indicia on the second series of indicia; and installing the building material at a location aligned with the marker. 
     The use of roofing tape described herein may help prevent against undesirable building material creep and installation error. Certain roofing or siding materials are known to be accordion-type stretchable products, which may undesirably creep and stretch if installed improperly. The use of the inventive roofing tape described herein may be used to help maintain the proper installation tension of the building material. Maintaining proper installation tension is useful to eliminate creep and installation human error by maintaining the exact spacing size for the given building material. Since many traditional standing seam roofing and siding products have multiple bends, each bend provides the potential for undesirable stretch during installation. Through the use of the roofing tape described herein, the installation of these building materials may be monitored and regulated, so as to avoid undesired stretching and ultimate failure in the installation. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of representative embodiments thereof, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
         FIG. 1  depicts the horizontally applied tape of the subject invention; 
         FIG. 2  depicts an alternate embodiment of the horizontally applied tape of the subject invention; 
         FIG. 3  depicts a method of the subject invention, wherein multiple pieces of horizontally applied tape are affixed to the roof of a building; 
         FIG. 4  depicts the method of  FIG. 3 , with the first piece of roofing material applied thereon; 
         FIG. 5  depicts the method of  FIG. 3 , with the first and second pieces of roofing material applied thereon; 
         FIG. 6  depicts the method of  FIG. 3 , with the first, second, and third pieces of roofing material applied thereon; 
         FIG. 7  depicts an embodiment of the subject invention, wherein the horizontally applied tape is applied to the roof of a building via a continuous roll; 
         FIG. 8  depicts an alternate embodiment of the subject invention particularly useful in installation of non-roofing materials; and 
         FIG. 9  depicts a particular embodiment of the subject invention for bi-directional use of the horizontally applied roofing tape. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , one preferred embodiment of the roofing tape, indicated generally at  10 , includes a front surface  11 , a first edge  14 , and a second edge  16 . In use, the roofing tape  10  is laid such that the front surface  11  can be seen, and the back surface (not shown) is laid flat against the roof  12  of the building. For illustration purposes, the first edge  14  is the edge of the roofing tape  10  that faces away from the front  22  of the roof  12 , while the second edge  16  of the roofing tape  10  is the edge that faces towards the front  22  of the roof  12 . The front surface  11  includes various indicia  18  printed thereon, which are disposed at predetermined distances (preferably greater than zero) than the beginning of the tape  10 . The indicia  18  are useful in placing the tape  10  at the desired location, relative to the side  20  of the roof  12 . In a preferred embodiment, the roofing tape  10  described herein is designed to be laid in a horizontal fashion across the roof  12 , as can be seen in  FIG. 1 . 
     The roofing tape  10  of the present invention is particularly useful when working with building materials, such as roofing shingles or siding. Although any building materials may be used with the present invention, for illustrative purposes the description herein will generally refer to installation of roofing shingles. Standard roofing shingles may have particular measurements and certain requirements for installation. For example, U.S. industry standard roofing shingles may have a height of 12 inches and an overhang requirement of ⅜ inch, while other shingles may have a height of 17 inches and a ⅜ inch overhang or gap requirement. The roofing tape  10  described herein is useful for any desired shingle having any height, length, and overhang/gap requirement. Although U.S. standards are used in this application to illustrate the invention, other standards are fully applicable, including any metric conversions thereof. 
     As can be seen, the front surface  11  of the tape  10  is marked with a plurality of indicia  18 . Any number of indicia  18  may be marked on the roofing tape  10  as desired. The embodiment described in  FIG. 1  includes six individual indicia  18 A- 18 F marked on the roofing tape  10 . These indicia  18  allow the user to locate and mark specific locations on which to install the building materials. In one embodiment, the first indicia  18 A, is disposed at a location to indicate the edge  20  of the roof  12  on which the building materials are to be installed. The remaining indicia  18  may then be marked on the roofing tape  10  at desired locations consistent with the methods described herein, and discussed below. 
     The indicia  18  on the roofing tape  10  are designed to correlate to the requirements and sizes of the particular roofing materials desired to be used by the builder. In one embodiment, the roofing tape  10  may be printed by the user through means of a computer-generated imaging program, in which the user enters the specific length, width and restrictions/requirements associated with the particular roofing material to be used, and uses the computer to print out the particular indicia  18  on the tape  10 . Alternatively, the tape  10  may be pre-printed with indicia  18  and ready for use. The resultant roofing tape  10  is a layout tape displaying the computer-generated image, which outlines the particular placement of the roofing materials onto the roof  12 . In an alternate embodiment, depicted in  FIG. 2 , the roofing tape  10  may include more than one set of indicia  18 ,  18 ′. This embodiment is particularly useful for use on a continuous roll of roofing tape  10 , which includes pre-printed indicia  18 ,  18 ′ along the roofing tape  10 . The roofing tape  10  may be provided on a continuous roll of any desired length. In one aspect, the roll of roofing tape  10  includes about 200 feet of roofing tape  10 , but may include any length from 10 feet to 500 feet. 
     The indicia  18  provided on the roofing tape  10  are designed to indicate the proper and precise placement of roofing materials onto the roof  12 . Any desired number of indicia  18  may be provided on the front surface  16  of the roofing tape  10  as needed. Preferably, there are at least three distinct indicia  18  provided on the roofing tape  10 . One indicia  18  indicates the location of the roofing tape  10  to be folded, and which optionally provides the roof  12  an overhang at the edge  20  of the roof  12 . A second indicia  18  indicates the width of the roofing material to be used plus any required gap length for the first course. Finally, a third indicia  18  indicates the width of the roofing material to be used plus any required gap length, minus half the width for the second course. In a preferred embodiment, the indicia  18  indicating the location of the roofing tape  10  to be folded (i.e., the first indicia  18  described above) is smaller than the indicia  18  that indicates the width of the roofing material to be used plus any required gap length for the first course. 
     Preferably, the roofing tape  10  is made from a polyolefin weather-resistant, non-stretchable material, but may be made from any desired material. The roofing tape may, for example, be made of metal, fiberglass, or other weather-resistant materials, which remain substantially stable through various weather conditions, including heat, cold, wet and dry conditions. The back surface of the roofing tape  10  may be provided with a pressure-sensitive, thermally diverse adhesive layer to facilitate retention of the roofing tape  10  against the surface of the roof  12 . Alternatively, the roofing tape  10  may be affixed to the roof  12  by staples, nails, or any other physical attachment means. Due to its composition, the roofing tape  10  may be applied to a roof  12  on which an ice and water shield, such as WinterGuard™, has been previously applied. The indicia  18  on the roofing tape  12  will remain visible for any desired length of time, and may remain visible for days or weeks in this environment. In traditional roofing methods, the user is required to make a series of manual markings directly on the roof  12  itself, which have a tendency to disappear in a relatively short period of time and “melt” off from exposure to the sun. 
     Preferably, the roofing tape  10  is wound onto a spool  34 , such as shown in  FIG. 7 . An applicator  35  may be clipped onto or attached to the spool  34  so that the applicator  35  may be pivoted about the spool  34 . Applicator  35  allows a user to easily apply the roofing tape  10  onto the surface of the roof  12  by holding the portion of the applicator  35  and pulling the roofing tape  10  in the desired direction. As depicted in  FIG. 7 , in a preferred embodiment, the user begins placement of the roofing tape  10  at the edge  20  of the roof  12 , and directs the roofing tape  10  in a horizontal direction, as close as possible to a line parallel to the peak  36  of the roof  12 . 
     The roofing tape  10  may be used on even roofs (roofs with equal heights at the two ends), uneven roofs (roofs with unequal heights at the two ends), and intersecting roofs. To install roofing materials, such as shingles, onto the roof  12 , the user places the back surface of the roofing tape  10  against the surface of the roof  12  while aligning the first indicia  18 A (also known as a “start indicator”) with the side edge  20  of the roof  12 . Alternatively, if the side edge  20  of the roof  12  is irregular or warped due to previous poor workmanship, age or weathering, the roofing tape  10  may be adjusted as needed such that at least one of the indicia  18  is aligned with the edge  20  of the roof  12 . The user then guides the roofing tape  10  along the roof  12  in a line substantially parallel to the peak  36  and/or the front  22  of the roof  12 , preferably utilizing applicator  35  to do so. Once the roofing tape  10  has reached the desired length for installation, the user may begin installing the roofing materials as described below. 
     In addition to the installation and placement of roofing shingles, the roofing tape  10  described herein may be used to install other building materials onto a building, including metal siding, such as vertical metal paneled wall siding, and standing seam metal roofing. The roofing tape  10  also allows the user to quickly and accurately install other building materials, such as studs, trusses, tile, slate, suspended ceilings, flooring, and other building materials that require specific alignments. As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, individual building materials have varying sizes and overhang/spacing requirements. For example, Majestic Slate, a roofing material manufactured by Eco-Star (a division of Carlisle Syntec) is 12″ wide, and requires both a 6″ off-set between courses and all courses require a ⅜″ gap between each piece. In this installation, for example, the indicia  18  on the roofing tape  10  are substantially evenly-spaced apart, since the building material requires an even off-set and gap distance between each course. 
     However, certain building materials require specific spacing and overlap of the materials that may differ between courses of installation. For example, the manufacturer&#39;s specifications for GAF Camelot Shingles, which are 17″ high and 34.5″ wide, require a full shingle installation with a ⅜″ overlap of the rake drip edge  32 , followed by an offset of 4 15/16″ for the next shingle course. Following that course, an offset of 8⅝″ is required for the next shingle course, and then a 12 15/16″ offset for the fourth shingle course is required. Following this requirement, another full shingle is installed and the four courses outlined above are repeated with respect to the full shingle. 
     The indicia  18  on the roofing tape  10  may be evenly-spaced apart, or they may allow for increased/reduced offset requirements between courses, such as with building materials like the GAF Camelot Shingles described above. The indicia  18  on the roofing tape  10  are specific to the particular building material used, including any off-set requirements and gap space requirements. For example, the roofing tape  10  may allow the installation of building materials requiring indicia  18  at 6″, 8″, 10″, 12″, 16″, 24″ (plus any allowances for particular spacing/overhang requirements), or any other desired width. The roofing tape  10  allows for the installation of building materials from 3″ to 100″ wide, allowing for any length of off-set, overhang, and/or any required gap spaces. 
     The roofing tape  10  described herein may be used by itself to provide the user with a precise and detailed arrangement of the placement of the building materials. Alternatively, the roofing tape  10  may be used in conjunction with a vertical layout tape system, such as that described in detail in Applicant&#39;s U.S. Pat. No. 6,511,741 entitled “Roofing Tape”, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in full. Although the methods and procedures described herein are not intended to limit the user to use the roofing tape  10  in conjunction with the vertical layout tape described in the foregoing U.S. patent, the preferred method is by using the roofing tape  10  and vertical layout tape together. 
     When used in conjunction with the vertical layout tape described in the foregoing U.S. patent, the roofing tape  10  may provide the required off-set markings  18  within the first several feet of the vertical tape, identifying locations on the roof  12  at which to snap vertical lines for installation grid lines. By using both the roofing tape  10  and the vertical layout tape, the user can then install the roof without any manual measurements, quickly and accurately. With reference to  FIGS. 3-6 , a process of installing building materials by using both the roofing tape  10  and vertical layout tape  24  is depicted. The roofing tape  10  described herein identifies a specific vertical location on the roof  12  where the user may install the aforementioned vertical layout tape  24 . Proper placement of the vertical layout tape  24  allows the user to create any desired specific drip edge overlap  32  over the side  20  of the roof  12 . This eliminates the need to cut the particular building material to form the drip edge  32 , resulting in reduced labor costs and a significant reduction in the likelihood of error in creating the drip edge  32 . 
     A method of installation of building materials, such as roofing shingles, is provided herein. With reference to  FIGS. 3-6 , the roofing tape  10  includes a series of indicia  18 A- 18 F on the front surface  16  of the tape  10 . The indicia  18  are printed on the roofing tape  10  at locations designed to correlate with the particular sizes and requirements of the building materials to be used. Although the user may print the particular indicia  18  at any desired locations, a preferred embodiment of printing the indicia  18  is provided herein. Indicia # 1  ( 18 A) depicts the location of the start of the building materials to be installed, for example, aligned with the side  20  of the roof  12 . As can be seen in the Figures, indicia # 1  ( 18 A) may be located between at least two other indicia ( 18 F,  18 E), to allow for set-backs or other requirements as will be described below. Indicia # 1  ( 18 A) depicts the starting point to install the building materials. This allows the user to begin the process of installation without any measuring or calculating. 
     In this particular embodiment, indicia # 2  ( 18 B) corresponds to the opposite end of the building material, and indicates the location on the roof  12  from the starting point at which to place a marker in a direction perpendicular to the roofing tape  10 . For example, the marker may be a vertical layout tape  24 , or it may be a vertical line drawn on the surface of the roof  12 . The location indicated by indicia # 2  ( 18 B) provides the location for the placement of the building material starting point to create the desired overlap for the particular roof  12 . 
     In this embodiment, indicia # 3  ( 18 C) depicts the specific first offset location from the roofing tape  10  for the first cut building material, with reference to the vertical layout tape  24  location. As may be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the location of the starting point (indicia # 1  ( 18 A)) and the vertical layout tape  24  (placed at indicia # 2  ( 18 B)), allows the user to place the desired building materials in proper location to create the desired look of the building. 
     In this particular embodiment, indicia # 4  ( 18 D) indicates the specific second offset location from the tape  10  for the first cut building material in reference to the vertical layout tape  24  location. Indicia # 5  ( 18 E) indicates the specific third offset location from the tape  10  for the second cut shingle in reference to the vertical layout tape  24  location. Roofing tape  10  may include as many indicia  18  as needed or desired to satisfy any specifications and requirements for the particular building materials used. 
     If desired, optional indicia # 6  ( 18 F) may be printed on the roofing tape  10  to provide for additional spacing. For example, if an end wall area is being used as a starting point for the roofing tape  10 , indicia # 6  ( 18 F) may be included to allow for a specific spacing away (or “set back”) from the end wall. Indicia # 6  ( 18 F) indicates the edge of the end wall, or other start point, at which to install the tape  10  to create a set back from the starting edge  20  of the roof  12 . Indicia # 1  ( 18 A) again marks the location of the staring point of the installation for the building materials. Thus, indicia # 6  ( 18 F) allows the user to easily shift the entire installation as required (or desired) to create the required gap or spacing away from the end wall. 
     In a method of installation, the user begins by selecting the particular building material to be used, and generates the particular roofing tape  10  specific for that building material, including the material width, as well as any off-set requirements and spacing requirements. The roofing tape  10  may be pre-printed with the required indicia  18 , or the indicia  18  may be generated by the user through means of a computer program to print the indicia  18  onto the roofing tape  10 . 
     With the proper indicia  18  printed on the roofing tape  10  for the particular installation, the user begins by folding the roofing tape at indicia # 1  ( 18 A) and applying the tape  10  horizontally on the roof  12 , beginning at the desired starting point on the roof  12 . For example, the starting point may be the side edge  20  of the roof  12 . The user applies the tape  10  by unrolling the tape  10  along the roof  12  to the point of exposing indicia # 2  ( 18 B). If desired, the user may repeat the application process with a second roofing tape  10 ′ at a location closer to the peak  36  of the roof  12  (and parallel to the first roofing tape  10 ). As explained above, any desired means to attach the roofing tape  10  to the roof  12  may be used. With the two roofing tapes  10 ,  10 ′ applied to the roof  12 , a vertical marker may be applied at the points indicated by indicia # 2  ( 18 B,  18 B′). If desired, the user may attach a vertical layout tape  24  at this location, or the user may simply snap a reference chalk line  26  along the line connecting points indicated by indicia # 2  ( 18 B,  18 B′). The user may use a vertical layout tape  24 , a chalk line  26 , or both, depending on preference. The user then may snap an individual chalk line  26  along the lines connecting any or all of indicia # 3  ( 18 C,  18 C′), indicia # 4  ( 18 D,  18 D′) and indicia # 5  ( 18 E,  18 E′), such that all of the vertical lines indicated by chalk lines  26  have been placed on the roof  12 , as depicted in  FIG. 3 . If more indicia  18  are used, the user may snap chalk lines  26  connecting the additional indicia  18 . Chalk lines  26  may be disposed (or “snapped”) onto the roof  12  by any desired means. The user may snap a chalk line  26  at any time desired, and preferably the chalk line  26  is snapped before installation of the drip edge  32 . Once the drip edge  32  is straight, all future vertical chalk lines  26  will ensure that the horizontal installation lines snapped off those vertical lines  26  are straight across the entire roof  12 . 
     With reference to  FIG. 4 , once the chalk lines  26  have been placed, the user begins installing the building material correlating with the particular roofing tape  10  used. The first full piece of building material  30  is installed onto the roof  12 , such that the edge of the first full piece of building material  30  aligns with the line generated by indicia # 2  ( 18 B,  18 B′). This line is indicated by the vertical layout tape  24  and/or the chalk line  26 . If desired, the first full piece of building material  30  may be fit such that a portion of its side hangs over the side  20  of the roof  12 , creating a rake drip edge  32 . The rake drip edge  32  is thus formed without the need to cut or size the first full piece of building material  30 , which reduces the likelihood of error or complication. 
     With reference to  FIG. 5 , once the first full piece of building material  30  has been installed, the user may then install a second course of building material  38 . The second course of building material  38  is installed such that its side aligns with the chalk line  26  generated along indicia # 3  ( 18 C,  18 C′). As with the first full piece of building material  30 , if desired, the second course of building material  38  may hang over the side  20  of the roof  12  to create a desired rake drip edge  32 . With reference to  FIG. 6 , after the second course of building material  38  is installed, the user may install a third course of building material  40 , such that its side aligns with the chalk line  26  created along indicia # 4  ( 18 D,  18 D′). This process of installing courses along subsequent chalk lines  26  may be repeated until the desired number of building material courses are installed, with each one aligning with subsequent chalk lines  26  generated along the various indicia  18  used. 
     Once the final course of building material is installed for that particular section, the user may begin installation on another section. The installation procedure outlined above may be repeated as many times as necessary until the desired installation is complete, such as with complete covering of the roof  12  or the complete covering of a particular section. As may be appreciated, the building material may be installed such that the first full piece of building material  30  hangs over the front  22  of the roof  12 , to create a drip edge on the front  22  of the roof  12 . 
     As described above, the roofing tape  10  may include optional indicia # 6  ( 18 F), as a starting point for those areas requiring a set back. For example, there may be a vertical wall close to the edge of the roof  12 , away from which the user may desire to install the building materials. All installation steps described above and depicted in  FIGS. 3-6  are repeated, except that there will be no installation of building materials between the lines along indicia # 1  ( 18 A) and indicia # 6  ( 18 F). This results in the entire installation simply being shifted over a distance equal the desired shift length. 
     The roofing tape  10  may be manufactured with indicia  18  pre-printed on the front side  16  of the roofing tape  10 , such that generic roofing materials may be installed onto a roof  12 . In this embodiment, the roofing tape  10  may be compatible with generic roofing layout materials, and may be utilized in conjunction with existing vertical layout tapes  24 . In particular, the generic roofing tape  10  may be used to install, for example, 5″ reveal shingles, 5⅝″ reveal shingles, 6″ reveal shingles, or any other standard shingle width. In this embodiment, the roofing tape  10  is created as beginning tape extensions of existing vertical layout tape  24 , simply by cutting off the roofing tape  10  to create vertical lines along the roof  12  at desired locations (i.e., to correlate with the required reveal length of the generic roofing material). After the vertical lines are created, the remaining vertical layout tape  24  may then be used to create horizontal lines across the roof  12 . Once the vertical and horizontal lines have been created along and across the roof  12 , the installation grid is complete, and installation of the generic roofing material can easily be completed. 
     In another embodiment and with reference to  FIG. 8 , roofing tape  100  may be used to aid in the installation of non-roofing materials, including studs, trusses, rafters and joists onto an installation sill plate or any other desired surface, and then may install the appropriate roofing or siding material. In this embodiment, the non-roofing material itself acts as the line connecting indicia locations without the need for human measurement or calculation, thus greatly reducing errors in installation. In this embodiment, the roofing tape  100  has a front side  102 , a back side (not shown), a first edge  104  and a second edge  106 . The back side of the roofing tape  100  includes a means for attachment to a building structure, such as a wall or roof. The front side  102  of the roofing tape  100  includes a series of indicia  110  printed thereon. In a preferred embodiment, the indicia  110  are pre-printed on the roofing tape  100 , but a user may print the indicia  110  on the roofing tape  100  if desired. The printing of indicia  110  on the roofing tape  100  is preferably accomplished through the use of a computer-generated printing system, though the user may print indicia  110  in any fashion desired. As this embodiment allows the installation to maintain the exact spacing size for the roofing or siding material, creep and installation error are significantly, if not completely, reduced. 
     In this embodiment, the series of indicia  110  includes three spaced rows of indicia, designated as  110 ,  110 ′ and  110 ″. The roofing tape  100  may include any number of individual indicia  110  desired. For illustrative purposes only,  FIG. 8  depicts six indicia  110 . In this embodiment, at least two pieces of the roofing tape  100  are placed at each end of the installation area, substantially parallel to each other. Once the roofing tapes  100  are placed, the desired non-roofing product (i.e., the stud, truss, rafter, or joist) may be installed at any desired locations aligned with the indicia  110  between the parallel roofing tapes  100 . Since the roofing tapes  100  include three spaced rows of indicia  110 ,  110 ′,  110 ″, the user may select any desired spacing at which to install the desired non-roofing product. In this fashion, the installed non-roofing product serves as a connector between the indicia  110 , such that the user can then install the roofing or siding material appropriately and accurately. This embodiment avoids the need to draw chalk lines on the installation area as described above, since the desired non-roofing product serves as the grid for installing the roofing and/or siding materials. 
     In one particular embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 9 , roofing tape  50 , having a front side  52 , a back side (not shown), a first edge  54  and a second edge  56  includes a series of three distinct indicia types printed thereon. This embodiment is particularly useful in allowing for bi-directional use of the roofing tape  50 , while still providing the user with quick, easy, and accurate measurements with which to install the building materials, such as roofing shingles. In this embodiment, a first indicia  58  runs completely along the width of the roofing tape  50 , from the first edge  54  to the second edge  56 . First indicia  58  identifies the location where a full finished vertical slate side of the shingle should be placed for proper installation, taking into account the width of the shingle plus any required offsets and/or gap space. A second indicia  60  includes a half mark (or hash mark) printed substantially in the center of the roofing tape  10  between first edge  54  and second edge  56 . The second indicia  60  identifies the location where a cut or half-slate side should be placed for proper installation, again taking into account the width of the shingle and any required offsets and/or gaps. Finally, at substantially equal lengths along the roofing tape  50 , a third indicia  62  is printed on the front side  52  of roofing tape  50 . Preferably, this third indicia  62  is visually distinctive from the first indicia  58  and second indicia  60 , such as through use of dashed lines or other icons. It is preferred to include the third indicia  62  at equal lengths along the roofing tape  50  to allow for bi-directional use. In one embodiment, the third indicia  62  markings are separated by 12 foot intervals, but any intervals may be used to correlate with the particular shingle used. In addition to allowing for bi-directional use, this embodiment creates a mid-roof start point so as not to confuse the various markings needed for snapping vertical lines, and it provides for a location to allow for any required or desired drip edge without the need for additional measurements or calculation. 
     If desired, the roofing tape  50  may include written instructions printed thereon. For example, the notation “start right, align left” or “start left, align right” may be printed on the roofing tape  50  at desired locations. The front surface  52  of the roofing tape  50  may include any combination of letters and/or numbers and/or icons for communication with the user. Further, the indicia  58 ,  60 ,  62  may be any shape or design desired, including letters, numbers, and/or icons. In one particular embodiment, the instructions are printed on the roofing tape  50  at a location proximal to the third indicia  62 , to allow for bi-directional use. 
     EXAMPLES 
     The following Examples are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of this invention in any way. 
     Example 1 
     Installation of GAF Grand Timberline Shingles 
     A roof was installed with a covering of GAF Grand Timberline Shingle. GAF Grand Timberline Shingle is 17″ high by 40″ wide per full, individual piece of shingle. According to the manufacturer&#39;s specifications, installation of this shingle requires a full shingle installation with a ⅜″ overlap of the rake drip edge on the side of the house. Following the full shingle installation, the manufacturer&#39;s specifications require an offset of 7.5″ for the next shingle course, followed by an offset of 15″ for the next shingle course, and then followed by a 22″ offset for the final shingle course. Once this final course has been installed, the specification calls for installation of a full shingle at the next desired location. 
     The roofing tape was prepared with indicia marked thereon indicating proper placement of the shingles pursuant to manufacturer&#39;s specifications. The roofing tape was laid on the roof, and vertical layout tape was placed at the location of indicia # 2 . The installation grid was then completed on the roof, and the shingles were installed as required. The installation created a full, working roof cover pursuant to manufacturer&#39;s specifications. The roof was accurately installed without individual human measurements required. 
     Example 2 
     Installation via a Continuous Roll of Roofing Tape 
     A continuous roll of roofing tape was provided, manufactured on a 200 food continuous indicia marking roll. The material to be installed was Majestic Slate by Eco-Star. Each individual slate was 12″ wide, and required a 6″ off-set between courses. Further, each course required a ⅜″ gap between each piece. The roofing tape had a 12⅜″ mark on one side of the front of the roofing tape, and a corresponding mark with a 6″ offset on the opposite side of the front of the roofing tape. Thus, these indicia created the strike line locations for all vertical installation lines of both the full shingle courses and the 6″ step shingle courses, complete with the ⅜″ gap between each shingle. 
     No individual measurement and human calculation was needed for this installation. The roofing tape was accurate to one pel in 25′. 
     Example 3 
     Installation via a Continuous Roll of Roofing Tape with an End Wall 
     Similar to the process described in Example 2, a roofing of Majestic Slate material is installed on a building with an end wall present. In this Example, the roofing tape includes indicia # 6  on the side of the roofing tape proximal to Indicia # 1  with a ⅜″ gap between indicia # 6  and indicia # 1 . The roofing tape is placed on the roof to align indicia # 6  along the end wall. Thus, the resultant roof includes a ⅜″ gap between the end wall and the installed roofing. 
     No individual measurement and human calculation is needed for this installation. The roofing tape is accurate to one pel in 25′. 
     Although the invention has been described and illustrated herein by reference to representative embodiments thereof, it will be understood that such embodiments are susceptible of variation and modification without departing from the inventive concepts disclosed. All such variations and modifications, therefore, are intended to be included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims