GB2320510A

GB2320510A - Hip tile supports

Info

Publication number: GB2320510A
Application number: GB9626464A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Norman Wright
Original assignee: MARLEY BUILDING MATERIALS Ltd
Current assignee: MARLEY BUILDING MATERIALS Ltd
Priority date: 1996-12-20
Filing date: 1996-12-20
Publication date: 1998-06-24
Anticipated expiration: 2016-12-20
Also published as: GB2320510B; EP0849414A2; EP0849414A3; GB9626464D0

Abstract

An extruded hip tile support 2 a U-shaped portion 8 to locate the hip tile support to a hip rafter 14, and two outwardly extending supporting portions 9 for supporting the bottom edge 12 of a hip tile 10, the hip tile support 2 further having sealing material 6 provided along the sides 7 of the locating portion 8 to seal against the cut edge 5 of the adjacent roof tiles 3,4. A wedge-shaped member 15 is used to secure the hip tile support 2 to the hip rafter 14 and to deflect the sides 7 of the hip tile support 2 outwardly, thereby urging the sealing material 6 against the cut edge 5 of the roof tiles 3,4.

Description

1 65069.591 is 2320510 Roofing system and components thereof The present

specification relates to a hip system for a roof and to a hip tile support.

A tiled roof usually consists of a number of sloping tiled areas. Where these areas meet, special constructions, such as ridges and valleys, are used in order to make a watertight junction. A hip is a type of ridge formed on a sloping junction between two such sloping tiled areas, typically extending all the way from the horizontal ridge running along the top of the roof to a corner of the eaves.

The roof tiles and the hip tiles (which run the length of the hip), are supported by a framework of timber rafters. The hip rafter is one such rafter which extends the length of the hip.

Traditionally, a hip is constructed as follows:

First, the framework of rafters is assembled. This is then covered with a layer of roofing felt, and tile battens are nailed in place. The roof is then tiled, with the roof tiles adjacent the hip being cut to the required angle to form a junction. Beds of mortar are then placed along the top surfaces of the roof tiles near their cut edges to bed the edges of the hip tiles, with further mortar being used to seal the gap at the butt joints between longitudinally adjacent hip tiles.

The mortar is therefore used to retain the hip tile in place and to seal the spaces between the edges of the hip tiles and the top surfaces of the adjacent cut roof tiles.

There are many disadvantages with this traditional construction. If it rains whilst the mortar is setting, then lime can leach from the bedding, producing white streaks running down the roof from the hip. This is obviously undesirable from an aesthetic point of view.

- 2 This type of hip can therefore only be constructed in fine weather, which of course can never be guaranteed, and so there may be delays in the construction of the roof. In addition, with time and the effects of the weather, the hip tiles can loosen and break free from the mortar bedding.

A known hip system has been proposed to overcome these problems. It is a "dry system" which means that mortar is not used in the construction.

Up to the step of laying the roof tiles, the method of constructing the hip is basically the same as described above, such that a gap extending the length of the hip is formed between the cut edges of the adjacent roof tiles on each side of the hip. In the known dry is system, a batten is placed along the hip in this gap, spaced upwardly from the hip rafter below by a plurality of spacers at longitudinal intervals retained by securing straps.

In order to seal the hip against the ingress of wind driven rain, a selfadhesive waterproof layer is placed over the hip batten and stuck to the top surface of the roof tiles on each side of the hip. A moulded weathering member is placed on top of this waterproof layer to direct any rain water, which has penetrated the hip, to the gutter at the eaves below. The hip tiles are secured to the roof by fasteners, such as screws, which are driven through holes in the hip tiles into the hip batten.

Although this system avoids the problem of using mortar, it is generally reliant on the surfaces of the tiles being clean and dry in order to achieve proper adhesion between the waterproof layer and the roof tiles. Thus, this system is, to an extent, still dependent on the weather. Where the tiles are profiled tiles, it is difficult to dress the waterproof layer into all the undulations, which could leave gaps for the ingress of wind driven rain, insects and the like.

Another problem with this known dry system is that it comprises a large number of parts, for example, several spacers, securing straps, a hip batten, a self-adhesive waterproof sealing layer and at least one weathering member, and is relatively time consuming to construct.

Another known "dry system" avoids the use of the spacers, securing straps and waterproof layer, but instead uses vacuum formed dry hip Ilsoaker,' members which are secured to a hip batten on the hip rafter and rest on the roof tiles on the two sides of the hip. The soakers are specially shaped for particular roof tiles and have a stepped lower surface, thereby avoiding spaces below the soakers and above the roof tiles where water could penetrate. However, the soakers can only be is used with the particular roof tiles for which they are designed, and then only for hips which intersect roof slopes of equal pitch.

Viewed from one aspect, a first invention provides a hip system for a roof, comprising a plurality of overlapping roof tiles along one side of a hip spaced by a longitudinally extending gap from another plurality of overlapping roof tiles along the other side of the hip, and a hip tile support having hip tile supporting portions extending laterally outwardly of the longitudinal gap and each spanning longitudinally between or above the high points of a respective plurality of overlapping roof tiles, and each hip tile supporting portion being integral with a body portion of the hip tile support which extends into said longitudinally extending gap.

Viewed from another aspect, the first invention provides a hip tile support comprising hip tile supporting portions arranged such that in use they extend laterally outwardly of a longitudinally extending gap between adjacent pluralities of roof tiles along respective sides of the hip, each hip tile supporting portion having a longitudinally extending downwardly is facing region for spanning longitudinally between or above the high points of a respective plurality of overlapping roof tiles, and each hip tile supporting portion being integral with a body portion of the hip tile support for extending into said longitudinally extending gap.

An advantage of such a system and of the hip tile support is that it provides a quick and simple hip construction. This is achieved by providing the hip tile support with a body portion that extends into the gap between the adjacent roof tiles to locate the hip tile supporting portions of the hip tile support in position on the hip. Thus, there is no longer the need, as with the first known dry hip system described above, to provide a series of spacers and securing straps which have to be fixed to the hip rafter at longitudinal intervals.

The hip support may comprise a pair of body portions each integral with a respective laterally outwardly extending hip tile supporting portion. For example, there may be provided a pair of "W shaped members arranged back to back and preferably interlocking. For ease of construction it is however preferred to provide a common body portion with which each hip tile support portion is integral.

It will be understood that the term "high points" means those points on the overlapping roof tiles which are furthest from a plane defined by a top surface of the hip rafter, assuming (for the purposes of this definition only) that the hip rafter is of conventional rectangular section and has a planar top surface. In the case of flat profile roof tiles, the high points will normally be at the top edges of the roof tile tails, but in the case of profiled roof tiles the high points could be elsewhere.

Between longitudinally adjacent high points there will normally be spaces between the hip tile supporting is portions and the roof tiles therebelow, creating a path through the spaces and past the edges of the roof tiles via which rainwater or insects could get into the roof space. This path can be closed by suitable means, discussed further below.

The body portion of the hip support may be attached to a hip rafter and thus determine the vertical position of the hip tile supporting portions. This position could be chosen to be sufficiently high above the hip rafter to provide enough space for the edges of a variety of different flat profile and profiled roof tiles. The hip tile supporting portions will then span above the high points of the roof tiles. Thus, such a system can be of fairly wide application, and not limited to use with just one type of roof tile. It is however preferred that the hip tile supporting portions rest on the high points of the overlapping roof tiles. The hip tile supporting portions will then span between the high points of the roof tiles. Such a system is useful for any profile of roof tile, because the hip tile supporting portions can rest on the high points, with the vertical position of the hip support as a whole being so determined. Thus, during construction the hip tile support can simply be placed along the hip, resting on the adjacent roof tiles, and then attached to the hip rafter using e.g. drive screws passing through holes in the body portion. Preferably the hip tile supporting portions follow a straight line.

The body portion is preferably substantially 11U11 shaped in crosssection. The hip tile supporting portions may then extend laterally outwardly from the top of the 11U11 shape.

The hip support can conveniently be formed by extrusion. It can thus be provided in lengths, a plurality of which may be required for any given hip.

Hip tiles may be attached to the hip tile support by nails or drive screws driven through holes in the hip 6 tiles into the hip rafter but preferably attachment is effected by straps which fit over the top of the hip tile and attach to the hip tile supporting portions, for example by engaging longitudinal beads thereof. Preferably these straps are positioned so as to overlap and thereby seal the gap between longitudinally adjacent hip tiles, as is known from currently manufactured dry ridge systems for the top of roofs. This arrangement allows the hip system to be constructed quickly.

Preferably the hip tile supporting portions of the hip tile supporting member are biased in some way against the high points of the adjacent roof tiles. This can assist in retaining the roof tiles securely against the roof structure. The biassing is preferably provided by the internal resilience of the hip tile support.

The body portion may comprise two side walls which are widely splayed in the hip tile support relaxed or unstressed condition. During installation, the sides can be squeezed together before positioning the body portion in the gap between the roof tiles which are adjacent to and on each side of the hip. The sides may then be released and allowed to expand outwardly to urge the supporting portions against the top surface of the adjacent roof tiles.

In a preferred embodiment, however, the two side walls are displaced outwardly, preferably by a suitably shaped displacing member, during installation on the hip. In so doing, the hip tile supporting portions are urged against the top surface of the adjacent roof tiles.

Preferably the side walls of the locating portion are displaced outwardly by up to 40 degrees and most preferably between 15 to 25 degrees, during attachment of the hip tile support to the hip rafter. Preferably, in the unflexed condition, the side walls of the locating portion are slightly outwardly splayed, for 0 example, 50 from the perpendicular to allow a number of hip tile supports to be stacked together, one fitting inside another, thereby reducing the amount of space required during storage and transportation.

The displacing member for displacing the side walls outwardly may be secured in the position at the same time as the hip tile support itself. In a preferred embodiment, a wedge member is drawn into the body portion by a suitable fastener, eg. a screw or nail, thereby deflecting the side walls of the body portion outwardly. The wedge member and the body portion may be appropriately shaped to ensure that the hip tile supporting portions are displaced by the correct amount to accept the bottom edges of the hip tile. The hip support including the wedge member may thus adopt a predetermined shape, with the hip support being supported along the hip by its hip tile supporting portions resting on the adjacent roof tiles and a fastener extending through the body portion to engage a hip rafter below.

In one embodiment, the wedge member may take the form of an upside down truncated pyramid with a rectangular base. In such an embodiment, depending upon the orientation of the wedge member with respect to the side walls of the body portion, the side walls can be deflected outwardly by a different amount to accommodate different widths of hip tile. Other shapes of wedge member are also envisaged, for example, it may have more than four deflecting sides to provide a greater range of deflection possibilities. The sides of the wedge member may also be curved rather than straight.

Preferably the wedge member is hollow, in the sense that it is made from sheet material or is moulded or stamped to have a similar structure, and only comprises a base and sides. In this way, a fastener used to draw the wedge member into the body portion of the hip tile support may act on or close to the base of the wedge member, so that the fastener may be of minimal length, thereby reducing material costs.

The spaces between the hip tile supporting portions and the roof tiles therebelow will vary in shape depending on the particular roof construction. With flat roof tiles the shape will depend on the hip slope and the pitches of the adjoining portions of the roof.

However, with profiled tiles, the variety of possible shapes is further increased. Nevertheless, it is possible to provide, at least in some circumstances, appropriately profiled void fillers, which may be supported by suitable means provided on the downwardly facing surfaces of the hip tile supporting portions.

Alternatively the spaces may be filled by deformable or is settable sealing material such as for example foam or sponge material. It is thus not necessary to use a self-adhesive waterproof layer to seal the gap between the roof tiles before installing the hip tiles.

Each of the above space filling measures acts between the top of a roof tile and the underneath of a hip tile support portion, and this can create difficulties in view of the scope for variation in the vertical height of this space, both along any given hip and also as between different roof constructions. Accordingly it is preferred to provide sealing means to seal against an edge of an adjacent roof tile.

Regardless of whether the roof tiles are flat or profiled, the gap between the hip tile supporting member and the edge of the adjacent roof tiles, depending of course on the skill of the tiler, should remain approximately constant. Thus, the sealing means can adequately seal the hip regardless of the type of roof tile used. Again, the use of a self-adhesive waterproof-layer and the associated time consuming step of dressing the roof tiles with this layer can be avoided. This not only makes construction of the hip faster, but also avoids the need for the tiles to be dry. Thus, advantageously, the hip can be constructed in wet weather conditions.

In fact, such a sealing system is of independent patentable significance, since it may be used with hip tile supports other than those described above. For example, a hip support may have a central body portion with sealing means on each side thereof, with the hip tiles secured to the central body portion by nails or similar fasteners, rather than the hip tiles being secured to laterally outwardly extending portions.

Viewed from one aspect, therefore, a second invention provides a hip system for a roof wherein sealing means is provided between a hip tile support and an edge of an adjacent roof tile.

Viewed from another aspect, the second invention provides a hip tile support having sealing means to seal against an edge of an adjacent roof tile.

The sealing means may be sealing material, e.g. in strip form, permanently attached to the hip tile support. Alternatively, it can be supplied separately to be attached to the hip tile support, or indeed inserted between the hip tile support and the edge of an adjacent tile, on site. If the sealing means is provided as a separate item, this can make the hip tile support more stackable.

Preferably the sealing means comprises a foam or sponge like material so as to take up any unevenness in the cut edge of the roof tiles. Preferably, the sealing means comprises an open or closed cell foam or rubber, most preferably EPDM, polyethylene, or nitrile rubber. PVC coated foam rubber has also been found to provide a good compromise of resilience, strength and ability to seal.

Although closed cell foams are inherently more watertight and therefore preferred, it has been found that certain open cell foams produce an adequate seal, albeit inherently slightly porous, because they benefit 10 from being more deformable and therefore better able to fill and seal some gaps. Other types of sealing means may be equally appropriate, such as deformable tubular seals like those commonly found around the edges of doors in the automobile industry.

Particularly suitable is a strip of foam or other sealing material which expands slowly to fill a gap as this can make fitting of the hip tile support easier. It is also preferred for the sealing means to have the ability to bond with the edge of the roof tile.

The sealing means preferably extends above and below the top and bottom surfaces, respectively, of the roof tile, so as to ensure a good seal. Thus the sealing means will generally have a depth exceeding that of the adjacent roof tiles.

Viewed from one aspect, a third invention provides a hip system for a roof comprising a hip tile support provided with sealing means for sealing against an adjacent roof tile, the hip tile support being outwardly deformable such that during installation the sealing means can be urged into sealing engagement with the roof tile.

Viewed from another aspect, the third invention provides a hip tile support provided with sealing means for sealing against an adjacent roof tile, the hip tile support being outwardly deformable such that during installation the sealing means can be urged into sealing engagement with the roof tile.

This third invention is not dependent on where the sealing means engages the roof tile, and may, for example, if the roof tile is flat or only slightly profiled, engage its top surface. However, preferably the sealing means engages against the edge of an adjacent tile as described above. In this way, by deforming the hip tile support outwardly, the sealing means is urged against the edge of the adjacent tile to improve the seal.

11 - Again such a system is capable of providing a good seal along the hip and is not dependent on good weather during construction.

Preferably, the hip tile support includes one or more holes or passageways so that the roof space beneath the hip tile support can communicate with the outside. Ventilation systems in the ridges along the top of roofs are known, as are ventilators for the eaves and ventilators which are substituted in place of roof tiles. It is not however known to provide a hip with the ability to ventilate the roof space.

Viewed from one aspect, therefore, a fourth invention provides a hip system for a roof, wherein a ventilation passageway is provided in a hip tile support so as to allow the roof space below the hip tile support to communicate with the outside.

Viewed from another aspect, the fourth invention provides a hip tile support having a ventilation passageway which, in use, communicates the roof space below the hip tile support with the outside.

In this way, ventilation to the roof space can be maximised by also using the hips as routes for ventilation.

In its preferred form, the ventilation passageways are concealed from view, and may comprise a series of slots or holes in the hip tile supporting portions of the above described hip tile support, which can communicate with slots or holes in the base or the lower part of the sides of the body portion. By locating the slots or holes in the hip tile supporting portions, ingress of wind driven rain can be avoided in most cases. If the ventilation passageways are located in the base of the body portion, then they may be raised on upstands so that they are kept above any water in the system which may be draining to the eaves via the body portion.

The inventions disclosed herein also extend to 12 - is methods of installing the hip systems.

Certain preferred embodiments will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, of a hip system for a roof; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a hip tile support for the hip system shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a wedge member for securing the hip tile support to the hip rafter; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a strap for securing a hip tile to the hip tile support of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 shows an end elevation of a further hip tile support; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a further wedge member; and Fig. 7 shows a plan view of the wedge member of Fig. 6.

As shown in Fig. 1, the hip system 1 comprises a hip tile support 2 which lies along the junction of two neighbouring sloping areas of tiles. The adjacent roof tiles 3,4 each have a cut edge 5 which engages sealing means 6 extending along the sides 7 of the hip tile support 2. As shown in the figure, the hip tile support 2 has a U-shaped body portion 8 and two outwardly extending supporting portions 9 for supporting a hip tile 10. Each supporting portion 9 has a strap attachment bead 11 which receives the bottom edge 12 of the hip tile 10. A strap 13 fits around the top of the hip tile 10, preferably over a junction between vertically adjacent hip tiles, to secure the hip tile 10 to the hip tile supporting member 2.

A wedge member 15 is disposed in the "U,, of the body portion 8 of the hip tile supporting member 2 and is secured to a hip rafter 14 by means of a suitable fastener, for example, a screw 16 or nail. As the screws 16 (only one is shown in the figure) are tightened to draw the wedge member 15 towards the base 17 of the body portion 8 of the hip tile support 2, the sides 7 are deflected outwardly to urge the sealing means 6 against the edge 5 of the adjacent roof tiles 3,4.

Thus the hip tile support 2 in its unsecured or relaxed state has sides 7 which are substantially parallel to one another, albeit preferably with a slight angle, say, 50 to aid stackability. Substantially parallel sides 7 allow easier insertion of the hip tile supporting member 2 between the two edges 5 of the adjacent roof tiles 3,4.

It is not essential for the hip tile support 2 to be drawn into contact with the hip rafter 14, but instead it may be suspended with a small space therebetween, with the hip tile support 2 being held in place by the supporting portions 9 contacting and being urged against the high points of the top surfaces of the adjacent roof tiles 3,4. Some support is also provided by the sealing means 6 being urged against the edge 5 of the adjacent roof tiles 3,4. If desired, for example, where the roof tiles on either side of the hip are very deeply profiled, a packing batten may be provided between the hip tile support 2 and the hip rafter 14, or lugs may be provided which project from the base 17 of the hip tile support 2.

In the base 17 of the hip tile support 2 there are upstands 18, which correspond in spacing to that of the screws 16 which pass through the wedge member 15. The top surfaces 19 of these upstands 18 may, if desired, provide stops which limit the amount to which the wedge member 15 may be drawn into the body portion 8 of the hip tile support 2. In this way, the outward deflection of the sides 7 can be limited by the stops, such that the strap attachment portions 11 of the two supporting portions 9 are pushed outwardly to exactly the right amount to receive the bottom edge 12 of the hip tile 10, 14 for example, a spacing of 10 inches.

The upstands 18 also serve to raise any holes 20 (see Fig. 2), through which the screws 16 or nails pass, above the level of the base 17 of the hip tile support 2. Consequently, any rain water which penetrates into the body portion 8, for example, through gaps between the hip tiles, will drain to the base 17 and be channelled to a gutter at the eaves. As shown, the upstands 18 may take the form of raised ridges which run the length of the hip tile support 2 and have a series of holes 20 or slots. Not only do the holes allow a range of fixing positions for the wedge member 15, but they also provide a plurality of passageways to allow the roof space beneath the hip tile support 2 to communicate with the outside, via the holes 20 in the base 17 and the ventilation slots 21 in the supporting portions 9.

As shown in Fig. 1, the sealing means 6 may extend below the body portion 8 of the hip tile support member 2 as this may provide advantages in both manufacture of the hip tile support 2, by requiring only one sealing means 6 to be made, and the fitting of the hip tile support 2 between the two cut edges 5 of adjacent roof tiles 3,4. However, if two separate sealing means 6 are provided, one on each side of the hip tile support 2, then a rib may be required to support the bottom edge of the sealing means 6 and urge the top of the sealing means 6 against the bottom surface of the supporting portion 9. Depending on the nature of the sealing means 6, it may only be necessary to provide a hook or barb 22, as shown in Fig. 5, to retain the sealing means 6 in place.

It is not absolutely essential that the sealing means 6 produces a completely watertight seal, but obviously, the closer the sealing means 6 is to achieving this aim, the better it will be at protecting the roof structure below.

is - is - is As can be seen from Fig. 2, the shape of the preferred hip tile support 2 lends itself to manufacture by extrusion. Preferably it is extruded from plastics, for example PVC, but a suitably resilient and corrosion resistant metal may work equally well. Unlike the traditional mortar bedded hip, the preferred hip system should reduce maintenance and repair of the hip to zero.

Fig. 3 shows a preferred wedge member 15 which may be moulded from plastics. Fig. 4 shows a suitable strap 13 for securing the hip tile 10 to the hip tile support 2. Preferably it includes a layer of sealing material, for example, a strip of rubber, to seal the joint between neighbouring hip tiles 10. The strap 13 may also be formed from plastics.

A further preferred embodiment of the hip tile support 2 is shown in Fig. 5. As can be seen from the figure, the sides 7 are slightly outwardly splayed in the hip tile supporting member's relaxed or unstressed condition by an angle a from the perpendicular, as this aids stackability of the product. As discussed above, a wedge member 15 may be used to displace the sides 7 outwardly by up to an angle 0 shown in Fig. 5. Preferably a equals 50 and 0 equals up to 450, most preferably between 20 to 300. The dashed lines in the figure show the sides 7 of the body portion 8 and the two supporting portions 9 in their deflected positions. The hooks or barbs 22 and sealing means 6 are not shown in dashed lines for the sake of clarity.

Figs. 6 and 7 show a side elevation and plan view, respectively, of a preferred wedge member 15. This may be used in the arrangement of Figs. 1 to 4 or that of Fig. 5. A central hole 23 is provided in the base 24 to receive a fastener, for example, a screw, which passes through the wedge member 15, through the base 17 of the hip tile supporting member 2 and into a hip rafter located therebelow.

It is not essential for the wedge member to have 16 is sides 25 of equal dimensions. In a preferred embodiment, the two sets of diametrically opposed sides 25 are of different shapes and sizes, and hence the wedge member has a rectangular outline when viewed from above. In this way, by rotating the wedge member through 90 about the axis of the central hole 23, the deflection of the sides 7 of the hip tile support 2 may be altered. Thus, the tiler may select an appropriate amount of deflectionfor the hip tile support 2 which may take account of different widths of hip tiles 10, different thicknesses of sealing means 6, or preferences in the width of the gap between the cut edges 5 of the adjacent roof tiles 3,4.

The hip tile supports shown in the drawings are unitary members. However, this is not essential and they could comprise, for example, two body portions, both attachable to a hip rafter.

In a normal roof construction the tile supporting battens extend to the hip rafter and have ends resting thereon. Where the above-described embodiments of hip tile support are used, in certain circumstances (for example with a hip adjoining roof slopes of shallow pitch and having high profile tiles) it will be possible for the hip tile support to be located above the ends of the tile battens. However, in other circumstances (for example with a hip adjoining roof slopes of steep pitch and having flat profile tiles) the tile battens may be cut short so that their ends are laterally spaced from the hip rafter. This leaves the longitudinal gap at the hip, where the hip tile support locates, free of tile battens. This allows a greater tolerance for the hip tile support to accommodate various tile profiles and variations in roof pitches. However, where the tile batten overhang is too long unsupported between the hip rafter and the roof truss, a supporting bracket or timber noggin can be attached to the hip rafter to give additional support and fixing for the tile batten.

17 - Thus, at least in the illustrated embodiments, there has been described a novel hip system and hip tile support which provide a more simplified construction than the hip systems known previously. Fewer components are needed and construction of the hip is simpler and is not reliant on the weather.

- 18

Claims

1. A hip system for a roof, comprising a plurality of overlapping roof tiles along one side of a hip spaced by a longitudinally extending gap from another plurality of overlapping roof tiles along the other side of the hip, and a hip tile support having hip tile supporting portions extending laterally outwardly of the longitudinal gap and each spanning longitudinally 10 between or above the high points of a respective plurality of overlapping roof tiles, and each hip tile supporting portion being integral with a body portion of the hip tile support which extends into said longitudinally extending gap.

is

2. A hip tile support comprising hip tile supporting portions arranged such that in use they extend laterally outwardly of a longitudinally extending gap between adjacent pluralities of roof tiles along respective sides of the hip, each hip tile supporting portion having a longitudinally extending downwardly facing region for spanning longitudinally between or above the high points of a respective plurality of overlapping roof tiles, and each hip tile supporting portion being integral with a body portion of the hip tile support for extending into said longitudinally extending gap.

3. A hip system as claimed in claim 1, or a hip tile support as claimed in claim 2, comprising a common body portion with which each hip tile supporting portion is integral.

4. A hip system as claimed in claim 1 or 3, or a hip tile support as claimed in claim 1 or 2, wherein the body portion is substantially Ushaped in cross-section.

5. A hip system as claimed in any of claims 1, 3 or 4, or a hip tile support as claimed in any of claims 2 to 4, wherein sealing means is provided to seal against an edge of an adjacent roof tile.

6. A hip system or a hip tile support as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sealing means comprises a foam or sponge material.

7. A hip system as claimed in any of claims 1 or 3 to 6, or a hip tile support as claimed in any of claims 2 to 6, wherein the hip tile support is deformable during installation on the hip.

8. A hip system or a hip tile support as claimed in claim 7, wherein the body portion comprises two side walls which are displaced outwardly during installation on the hip.

9. A hip system or a hip tile support as claimed in claim 8, wherein a displacing member is provided to displace the side walls apart during installation on the hip.

10. A hip system as claimed in any of claims 1 or 3 to 9 or a hip tile support as claimed in any of claims 2 to 9, wherein a ventilation passageway is provided in the hip tile support so as to allow the roof space below the hip tile support to communicate with the outside.

11. A hip system as claimed in any of claims 1 or 3 to 10, wherein the hip tile supporting portions rest on the high points of the overlapping roof tiles.

12. A hip system for a roof wherein sealing means is provided between a hip tile support and an edge of an adjacent roof tile.

- 20

13. A hip tile support having sealing means to seal against an edge of an adjacent roof tile.

14. A hip system for a roof comprising a hip tile support provided with sealing means for sealing against an adjacent roof tile, the hip tile support being outwardly deformable such that during installation the sealing means can be urged into sealing engagement with the roof tile.

15. A hip tile support provided with sealing means for sealing against an adjacent roof tile, the hip tile support being outwardly deformable such that during installation the sealing means can be urged into sealing engagement with the roof tile.

16. A hip system for a roof, wherein a ventilation passageway is provided in a hip tile support so as to allow the roof space below the hip tile support to communicate with the outside.

17. A hip tile support having a ventilation passageway which, in use, communicates the roof space below the hip tile support with the outside.

18. A hip system for a roof substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 or Figures 1 to 4 modified to include a wedge member as shown in Figures 6 and 7 or Figure 5 or Figure 5 modified to include a wedge member as shown in Figures 6 and 7, of the accompanying drawings.

19. A hip tile support substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to Figures 1 to 4 or Figures 1 to 4 modified to include a wedge member as shown in Figures 6 and 7 or Figure 5 or Figure 5 modified to include a wedge member as shown in Figures 6 and 7, of the accompanying drawings.