Patent Abstract:
An adhesive coating and a net are applied to the upper surface of a preexisting roof in a manner effective for reinforcing and securing roof shingles when exposed to high wind conditions. A compressive force and a top coat may additionally be applied atop the net for added adhesion and durability. Appropriate application results in improved resistance to shingle damage, and subsequent building damage, during winds storms, gales, hurricanes, and any other high wind incidents. The method and apparatus may be used to retrofit existing buildings, without requiring partial or total removal of pre-existing roof shingles or other roof structures.

Full Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/781,394 filed with the USPTO on Mar. 11, 2006, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable. 
       INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISK 
       [0003]    Not applicable. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0005]    The present invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for reinforcing a shingled roof to withstand the destructive forces of wind and/or rain; more specifically, the present invention relates to an adhesive and a reinforcing net disposed in an overlying relationship with the upper surface of a roof. 
         [0006]    2. Background Art 
         [0007]    Property damage occurs on a daily basis due to extreme weather conditions such as wind gusts, gales, hurricanes and similar weather systems that produce high wind activity. Such events cause the loss of personal property when a roof covering is destroyed, exposing both the building interior and its contents to the same elements that caused the loss of the roof. Numerous attempts have been made to eliminate or limit the damage to roofs due to high winds and/or heavy rains, however, such attempts have largely proven to be unsuccessful or not commercially feasible. 
         [0008]    For instance, some systems propose partial removal of existing roofs to allow installation of mechanical fastening systems to provide roof reinforcement. However, such methods are extremely labor intensive and, in view of the associated cost, have not met with a great deal of commercial success. Additionally, heavier gauge and/or reinforced shingles have been produced, but these are also costly due to the required removal of old shingles and reinstallation of the new reinforced shingles. 
         [0009]    A problem with conventional shingles is that strong winds are capable of generating strong uplift forces in excess of 100 lbs./sq. ft., resulting in the tearing or shearing of shingles from their underlying support members. The use of mechanical fasteners, such as nails or screws, does not provide a surface area sufficient to withstand such forces without tearing the shingle around the fastener head. The heads of the fasteners tear through the shingle in a random fashion resulting in shingle loss and subsequent damage to the structure. Reinforcement with glues and various adhesives and the inclusion of additional standard mechanical fasteners have helped, but these fail to provide viable protection when exposed to high wind speeds including, but not limited to, hurricane-force winds. Use of adhesives on older roofs is again costly, and requires movement of the fragile shingles to dispose adhesive there below. Manipulating the shingles in such a manner can cause damage to the shingles in and of itself. During a storm, should one or more of the shingles become torn from the support members, the entire roof covering or a large portion thereof can easily be torn from the structure. The exposed interior of the building, along with its contents, are then subject to water and wind damage, resulting in extensive loss. 
         [0010]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,247,289 issued to Karpinia discloses shingle straps composed of materials such as aluminum and steel that are positioned along each horizontal row of successive shingle layers to cause shingle tab detachment at a region demarcated by the reinforcing shingle strap. Such a device is fastened to the roof by nails, screws, or the like, and may involve manipulation of the pre-existing shingles in order to place the strap beneath the overlap of the immediately adjacent shingle row. 
         [0011]    U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 2006/0075690 filed by Murray discloses a modular roof protector for periods of high winds. Mesh panels are placed over a roof and held down under tension by means of a fixed connection with anchor points along the home&#39;s foundation, the underside of mobile homes or pre-installed earth anchors. The disclosed device is fast and easy to deploy, and is only meant as a temporary reinforcement that is removed and then redeployed for later, successive high wind incidents. 
         [0012]    While it is generally understood how to make a structure capable of surviving significant hurricane winds, the cost of retrofitting an already constructed home to the standards of a modern fully engineered building is generally prohibitive. The prior art does not define a fast, easy, and economically feasible means by which a typical home built with common construction materials and techniques can be reinforced against wind damage on a permanent basis by a homeowner, wherein the retrofit home will perform as a fully engineered building would in hurricane or near-hurricane conditions. 
         [0013]    A need therefore exists for an economical method for retrofitting existing homes to withstand damage from high wind storms such as hurricanes. A further need exists for a roof reinforcing method that does not require the laborious removal or manipulation of pre-existing roofing materials. Yet another need exists for a roof reinforcing method that is durable, relatively permanent in nature, and would not require setup and removal, thereafter, during specific incidents of high wind activity. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    An inventive method for reinforcing a typical roofing system is disclosed, comprising the steps of applying an adhesive to the upper shingled surface of a roof, and disposing a net over the adhesive on the upper shingled surface of the roof, wherein the adhesive adheres the net to the upper shingled surface of the roof. 
         [0015]    The present inventive method may further include the step of applying a compressive force to the net, wherein the net is compressed against both the adhesive and the upper surface of the roof. Still further, the present inventive method may include the step of applying a top coat material onto the net, the adhesive and the roof. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0016]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a conventionally shingled roof having an adhesive sprayed onto the roof shingles. 
           [0017]      FIG. 2  is a perspective view of the conventionally shingled roof coated with adhesive of  FIG. 1 , having a net disposed on top of the adhesive and over the upper surface of the roof. 
           [0018]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of the roof, adhesive, and net of  FIG. 2 , further having an additional top coat of material applied over the net and upper surface of the roof. 
           [0019]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view of the roof, adhesive, net, and top coat of  FIG. 3 , wherein the adhesive and top coat have dried, thus both protecting and adhering the net to the upper surface of the roof. 
           [0020]      FIG. 5  is a top view of one embodiment of the net, wherein the vertical portions of the net are aligned to bisect the shingle flaps of every other horizontal row of shingles. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0021]    The present invention is for use with majority of shingle types currently available in the marketplace. Such shingles are exemplified by, but not limited to, tile shingles and shingles made with a substrate of either organic fiber saturated with asphalt or chopped glass fiber with a urea-formaldehyde binder. For example, a typical shingle consists of a substrate first coated with a mixture of asphalt and fillers such as limestone, sand or stone dust. The coated substrate then is covered with colored granules to give aesthetic appeal to the front of the shingles. In some instances, a parting agent may be applied to the back of the substrate so that the packaged shingles do not stick together. Additionally, an asphalt sealant may be placed on the granulated side of the shingles to enhance adhesion to the back of covering shingles in the final applied configuration. Although shingles manufactured in this manner are affordable and generally perform well in a wide variety of applications, such shingles will not withstand extreme weather conditions, including but not limited to high winds, and are characteristic of one of the weakest types of shingles. The present invention operates independently of the particular shingle, despite its own structural strength, providing universal applicability to a wide range of roofing situations and materials. Because the net of the present invention is not a part of the shingle, the present inventive method adhesively disposes the applied net onto rooftop shingles to aid in prevention of shearing of the free ends of the shingles. 
         [0022]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1-5 , a method of reinforcing a typical shingle roofing system in accordance with the present invention will be described. Typical shingle roofs  10  have overlapping offset standard shingles  11 . As further depicted in  FIG. 1 , the present inventive method may be initiated by applying  12  an adhesive  14  to the upper surface of any pre-existing roof  10 . The application  12  of the adhesive  14  can be accomplished by any means known within the art, including but not limited to, spraying, brushing or rolling application methods.  FIG. 1  depicts the spray application of adhesive  14  onto the shingles  11  of the roof  10 . Preferably, the adhesive  14  may be clear in appearance and allow casual observers to view the underlying shingle  11  coloring in an unobstructed manner. 
         [0023]    The applied adhesive  14  may be any adhesive or glue known within the art capable of adhering the net  15  to the shingled  11  upper surface of the roof  10 . Examples of such adhesives include, but are not limited to, liquid nylon, shingle adhesives, shingle cements, roof patch materials, roof coating materials, polyurethane adhesives, and any other suitable materials known within the art. 
         [0024]      FIG. 2  depicts the net  15  disposed on the adhesive-coated upper surface of the roof  10 . The placement of the net  15  onto the shingles  11  of the roof  10  may be accomplished and facilitated by any means known within the art, including but not limited to rolling out bundles of the netting  15  across the adhesive-coated roof  10  surface. The net  15  may be composed of material selected from the group consisting of, but not limited to, nylon, polyester, polypropylene, polyethylene, combinations thereof, and any other materials known within the art. The elements of the net  15  may also be constructed in a variety of forms including, but not limited to, monofilament or multifilament varieties. Preferably, the net  15  may be clear in appearance and allow casual observers to view the underlying shingle  11  coloring in an unobstructed manner. 
         [0025]    With the net  15  in position on the roof  10 , a compressive force may then be applied to the net  15  to more closely conform the net  15  to the profile of the shingles  11  on the roof  10 . Such a compressive force may be generated by a great number of means, including but not limited to, any tool or object capable of being pressed down upon the net  15  after the net  15  is disposed on the upper surface of the roof  10 . Unique task specific tools may also be used, wherein the bottom surface of the tool closely matches the roof  10  profile to enhance the task of conforming the net  15  to the exact contour of the roof  10  surface. 
         [0026]    As depicted in  FIG. 3 , once the net  15  is in place a top coat material  22  may be applied  20  over the upper surface of the roof  10 . The top coat  22  serves to cover the net  15 , the adhesive  14 , and roof  10 . Optimally, the characteristics and properties of the top coat  22  may help to provide a beneficial trait, including but not limited to, durability, thermal stress resistance, structural integrity, tensile strength, pliability, and resistance to ozone, ultraviolet, oxidation, humidity and/or corrosive environments. Examples of such top coat materials  22  include, but are not limited to, liquid nylon, polyurethane sealant or coating, known roof patch material, known roof coating material, known roof membranes, and any other materials known within the art. Additional top coat materials may be found in the soil stabilizer, dust control, and construction/soil sealer arts. As an example, Enviroseal Corp., a Florida corporation, markets water-based acrylic industrial sealers (e.g. Duraseal™, Roof-Guard 101™, and Roof-Guard 102™) and acrylic soil stabilizers (M10+50™, LDC™, and LBS™). Such top coat acrylic industrial sealers have proven effective in repelling water, ultraviolet rays, oil, mold and mildew, while such acrylic soil stabilizers improve adhesion, abrasion resistance, flexural strength, and exterior durability. Preferably, the top coat  22  may be clear in appearance and allow casual observers to view the underlying shingle  11  coloring in an unobstructed manner. The properties of many top coat materials listed above further allow their use as the adhesive  14  component in the method of the present invention. 
         [0027]      FIG. 4  depicts a roof  10  after a method of the present invention has been completed. A top coat  22  is disposed over the net  15 , which is held to the shingles  11  of the roof  10  by the applied adhesive  14 . 
         [0028]    The net  15  of the present invention may be provided in a wide variety of configurations. Such configurations include, but are not limited to, square grids, rectangular grids, diamond-shape grids, and any non-uniform randomized mesh pattern.  FIG. 5  depicts an embodiment of the net  15  configuration where the net  15  comprises vertical portions  16  that are disposed perpendicular to the drip edge of the roof  10 , and horizontal portions  18  that are disposed parallel to the drip edge of the roof  10 . The drip edge of a roof is defined as a roof edge that is parallel to the ground, i.e. horizontal. In use, at least one vertical portion  16  will be disposed over each shingle flap  24 . In the configuration depicted in  FIG. 5 , vertical portions  16  of the net  15  approximately bisect each shingle flap  24  of every other horizontal row of shingles  11 . Due to the standard offset pattern used in most shingle installations, the vertical portion  16  may approximately bisect a first shingle flap  24 . The vertical portion  16  may then fall within the groove between the shingle flaps  24  of the first overlain horizontal shingle  11  row (see  FIG. 5 ), and thereafter the vertical portion  16  may bisect the shingle flap  24  of the second overlain horizontal shingle  11  row. 
         [0029]    The present inventive method may also be applied to various roofing surfaces including, but not limited to, asphalt shingles, tile shingles, slate shingles, composite shingles (e.g. rock, clay, fiberglass, etc.), wood shingles, metal shingles and architectural shingles. The method steps described above can easily be adapted for use in any of the above roof applications. As an example, tile roofs may require the selection of an adhesive  14  known in the art to bond more effectively to tile shingles. Additionally, if the net  15  is to be compressed, a tool specifically configured to match the contours of the tile roof may be employed to facilitate the compression process. Thus, the method of reinforcing a typical roofing system of the present invention may be used to retrofit pre-existing structures that possess a great number of conventional roofing systems currently in the marketplace. 
         [0030]    While the above descriptions contain much specificity, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of any embodiment, but as exemplifications of the presently preferred embodiments thereof. Many other ramifications and variations are possible within the teachings of the various embodiments. 
         [0031]    Thus the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, and not by the examples given.

Technology Classification (CPC): 4