Patent ID: 8453410

Claim:
A roof covering comprising a plurality of successive courses of synthetic molded roofing elements of a shingle or tile type, the elements of each course being laid side-by-side and fastened to a roof with fasteners, each course being offset from the adjacent course or courses by a distance less than the length between upper and lower edges of any shingle, and each element comprising: (a) top and bottom surfaces; (b) a headlap portion and a tab portion between the top and bottom surfaces; (c) the headlap portion having its top surface generally covered in the installed condition of the element on a roof, and the tab portion having its top surface generally uncovered and weather-exposed; (d) a periphery defined by upper, lower, right and left edges; (e) essentially principally a relatively rigid construction; (f) at least one element fastening zone constructed of the same material as the element and being in molded relation to and comprising part of the element in the headlap portion and: (i) being disposed inside the element periphery, in receiving engagement with at least one fastener therethrough, fastening the element to a roof, and indented in at least one of the top and bottom surfaces, completely surrounded by unindented portions of said element; (ii) at least a portion of the element fastening zone being comprised of a relatively flexible construction, relative to said relatively rigid construction, with said fastening zone having fastening zone top and bottom surfaces and having a plurality of ridges on at least one of said top and bottom surfaces; (iii) whereby said relatively flexible construction of the element fastening zone relative to the relatively rigid construction of the element outside the element fastening zone comprises means facilitating thermal expansion and contraction of said element without shingle breakage or disrupting any fastener disposed therethrough.