GB2404386A

GB2404386A - Component for use on a roof ridge, hip or valley

Info

Publication number: GB2404386A
Application number: GB0317503A
Authority: GB
Inventors: John Finn
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2003-07-26
Filing date: 2003-07-26
Publication date: 2005-02-02
Also published as: GB0317503D0

Abstract

A component comprises a base (1) and a cover (2) where the base is has a central portion (3) and a wing (4a, 4b) extending at an angle from either side of the central portion. The wings may include integral laths (5) and be flexible or movably attached to the central portion. The cover may include side portions (14) which extend down from the edges of the cover and may be in the form of combs or brushes. In use the base portion is attached to rafters a roof at a ridge (40), hip or valley (30) and the cover is attached either temporarily or permanently to the base.

Description

TITLE

Building components

DESCRIPTION

Technical Field

The present invention relates to building components, and in particular to building components that can be used in the construction of pitched roofs.

Background Art

In a conventional pitched roof, roofing tiles or slates of whatever design and configuration are laid up in rows or courses and fastened to wooded laths in a known way. The gap between the top courses of roofing tiles or slates along the ridge of the roof is covered by a row of angled or rounded ridge tiles that are secured using a mortar bedding. If the roof has a hip (i.e. an inclined ridge) then this is covered by a row of hip tiles in the same way. A major problem with this method of construction is that movement of the roof causes the mortar bedding to crack so the ridge tiles or hip tiles can eventually work loose. One solution is to a use a so-called "dry fix system" where the ridge tiles or hip tiles are secured to the roof using screws or other mechanical fixings. However, the "dry fix system" can only be used with certain specialist products and is normally quite expensive.

In roof valleys it is normal to lay a metal flashing or tray along the bottom of the valley to form a waterproof channel. The valley tray is generally v-shaped and is preselected or bent to match the pitch of the roof rafters. The roofing tiles or slates are then laid up in courses and fastened to wooded laths so that the bottom course on each sloping side of the valley slightly overlaps the valley tray. Any gaps between the valley tray and the bottom course of roofing tiles or slates are then filled in with mortar or roofing cement.

Summary of the Invention

The present invention provides a multi-purpose building component that can be secured to roof rafters at the ridge, hip and valley of a pitched roof in place of a - 2 conventional ridge tile, hip tile and valley tray. The building component comprises a base and a cover, wherein the base has a central portion and two wing portions that extend upwardly or downwardly from the central portion for attachment to roof rafters at the ridge, hip and valley of a roof.

The base may be formed from a single piece of flexible material so that the two wing portions are free to move up and down relative to the central portion. Alternatively, the base can include a zone of flexure or a hinge between the central portion and each of the two wing portions.

The wing portions can be made to selectively extend upwardly or downwardly from the central portion depending on what part of the roof the building component is to be attached to. When the building component is used in place of a conventional ridge tile or hip tile then the two wing portions are made to extend downwardly from the central portion so that the base can be secured around the outside of the ridge or the hip of the roof. However, when the building component is used in place of a conventional valley tray then the two wing portions are made to extend upwardly from the central portion so that the base can be secured around the inside of the valley. The angle at which the wing portions extend upwardly or downwardly from the central portion will preferably match the pitch of the underlying roof rafters.

The base is preferably attached directly to the underlying roof rafters at the ridge, hip and valley of the roof using screws or other mechanical fixings.

The cover preferably has an arcuate or angled upper surface. One or more apertures can be provided in the cover for receiving a screw, bolt or other mechanical fixing.

The cover is preferably permanently or releasably secured to the base once the base has been attached to the roof rafters as described above.

The applicant believes that the same cover can be used in almost all the situations where conventional ridge tiles, hip tiles and valley trays are currently used. However, there may be certain occasions when it would be advantageous to use a cover having a - 3 different size or shape, for example if the pitch of the roof rafters is unusually shallow or at the ends of the ridge where a conventional end-ridge tile would normally be used. The applicant therefore prefers that the base of the building component can be used with a variety of different interchangeable covers.

The base will normally be sold in standard lengths and the builder may need to cut the base to the desired size before it is attached to the roof rafters. For longer lengths, two or more bases can be butted up against each other and the join can be sealed using a waterproof tape or sealant. Depending on the circumstances, either a single length of cover can be cut to the desired size and secured to the base, or a row of covers can be secured to the base one against the other. The joins between adjacent covers can be sealed using a waterproof tape or sealant after the covers have been secured to the base. At least one end of each cover may include an integral sealing means for sealing against an adjacent cover. The sealing means may include a rubber strip which is positioned between the adjacent covers to provide a waterproof seal. Alternatively, or in addition to the rubber strip, the at least one end of each cover can include an extended part that is received in a recess or rebate in the adjacent cover.

The base and cover may be formed from a plastics material or fibreglass, for example.

In use, the base of the building component is attached to the roof rafters at the ridge, hip or valley of the roof. The roofing tiles or slates are then laid up in courses and fastened to the wooded laths in the usual way. The top or bottom course on each side of the roof or valley is made to slightly overlap the base to prevent any water from penetrating underneath the building component and into the roof space. The two wing portions preferably include one or more raised laths. The laths are intended to replace the same number of conventional wooded laths and have a different purpose depending on how the building component is used. For example, the laths support the bottom course of tiles when the building component is used in place of a conventional valley tray. The top course of tiles on each side of the roof can also be fastened directly to the laths when the building component is used in place of a conventional ridge tile or hip tile. - 4

In a simple embodiment of the present invention, the cover can be placed over the base so that the sides of the cover are in contact with the upper surface of the roofing tiles or slates on either side of the roof. Screws or other mechanical fixings can then be passed through one or more apertures in the centre of the cover and screwed down through the central portion of the base and into the roof rafters. Such a fixing method is not really suitable for use in the roof valley because the structural integrity of the base must be maintained to prevent water from passing through the base and into the roof space.

In a different embodiment, the central portion of the base and the underside of the cover can be provided with a suitable attachment means so that the two parts can be secured together. The attachment means can be of a permanent type so that once the cover is secured to the base it cannot be removed. Alternatively, the cover can be releasably secured to the base so that it can be easily removed for maintenance and repair. It will be readily apparent that the attachment means must be sufficient to prevent the cover from coming loose in high winds. As an example, the base may be provided with two upwardly extending flanges or plates that define a channel between them. The underside of the cover can be provided with two downwardly extending flanges or plates that can be received either between or on either side of the upstanding flanges. One of the upwardly extending flanges and the downwardly extending flanges can include a series of saw-tooth projections and the other one of the upwardly extending flanges and the downwardly extending flanges can include a tab which is able to slide along the saw-tooth projections when the cover is pushed down on to the base but which cannot slide along the saw-tooth projection if an attempt is made to lift the cover from the base. Other suitable "click fit" or "press fit" locking mechanisms can be provided on the facing surfaces of the upwardly extending flanges and the downwardly extending flanges.

In the case where the upwardly extending flanges are received within a channel between the downwardly extending flanges, the inner surface of each upwardly extending flange may include a longitudinal projection which can engage with the - s - screw-thread of a bolt passed through an aperture in the centre of the cover. This provides a way of releasably securing the cover to the base.

In yet a further example, a bolt can be passed through an aperture in the cover with a screw-threaded fixing having a square cross-section such that it can be received in the channel between the two upstanding flanges without rotating. As the bolt is screwed down into the fixing it would expand in the same way as a conventional wall plug to force the upstanding flange outwards into frictional contact with the downwardly extending flanges. The head of the bolt can be sufficiently large to cover the square shaped aperture in the cover. Alternatively, an appropriately sized washer could be used.

In the situation where a row of covers is attached to the base then the central portion of the base is preferably provided along its full length with a continuous attachment means or a plurality of spaced attachment means. It is generally preferred that the attachment means can allow the height of the cover above the base to be varied.

The cover may include a downwardly extending barrier member along both of its sides. The barrier members can be secured to the cover using any suitable means or integrally formed. However, it is generally preferred that a top part of the barrier members are slidably received in a channel or recess provided in the sides of the cover. This allows different types of barrier member to be used depending on the circumstances.

When the building component is used in place of a conventionally valley tray then the barrier members can be combs or flexible brushes, for example. Rainwater that is shed by the sloping sides of the valley can run through the combs or flexible brushes into the generally v-shaped channel formed by the base and down to a gutter at the end of the valley. However, the combs and flexible brushes prevent leaves and other debris from falling into the generally v-shaped channel and blocking the flow of the rainwater. Flexible brushes have the additional advantage that the bristles can bend to accommodate small variations in the pitch of the roof rafters. - 6

When the building component is used in place of a conventional ridge tile or hip tile then the barrier member can be used to provide a waterproof seal between the sides of the cover and the upper surface of the roofing tiles or slates on either side of the ridge or hip. For example, a strip of expanded plastics material can be adhered underneath the sides of the cover so that when it is secured to the base, the strips are compressed slightly between the sides of the cover and the upper surface of the roofing tiles or slates to provide a waterproof seal.

It will be clear that the multi-purpose building component has several advantages over conventional ridge tiles, hip tiles and valley trays. In the first instance, the builder only needs to order and stock one product, taking into account any different covers that may be required. The building component is also lightweight, cheap and easy to install. Finally, the use of an integral attachment means or screws or other mechanical fixings means that the traditional mortar bedding is not required and there is no danger of the building component becoming loose.

The present invention also provides a building component for covering the ridge or hip of a pitched roof comprising a base that extends along the ridge or hip and is attached thereto, and a cover that is secured to the base.

The base preferably has a central portion and two wing portions that extend downwardly from the central portion along each side of the ridge or hip for attachment to the roof rafters. All other features of the base and the cover are the same as those set out above.

The present invention also provides a building component for lining the valley of a roof comprising a base that extends along the valley and is attached thereto, and a cover that is secured to the base.

The base preferably has a central portion and two wing portions that extend upwardly from the central portion along each side of the valley for attachment to the roof rafters. All other features of the base and the cover are the same as those set out above.

These single-purpose building components are considered to be more lightweight, cheaper and easier to install than existing products.

Drawings Figure l is a perspective view of the base of a building component according to the present invention; Figure 2 is a perspective view of the cover of a building component according to the present invention; and Figure 3 is a side view of a building component according to the invention base attached to the roof rafters at a ridge and valley of a roof With reference the Figures l and 2, a multi-purpose building component includes a base l and a cover 2. Both the base l and cover 2 are supplied in 3 m lengths. The base l has a central portion 3 that is connected to two flexible wing portions 4a, 4b by a zone of flexure so that the wing portions can move up and down as shown by the arrow in Figure 1. Each wing portion 4a, 4b has a lath S and one or more holes 6. A pair of flanges 7a and 7b run along the full length of the base l and extends upwardly from the central portion 3. Each flange 7a,7b has a projection 7c that runs along its inner surface.

The cover 2 has a sloping top 8 and a pair of downwardly extending parallel walls 9a, 9b that define a channel l O. The top 8 has one or more holes l l into which a bolt 12 can be inserted. The edges of the top 8 include a shaped channel or recess l 3. A pair of flexible brushes 14 is attached to the top 8 by sliding the appropriately shaped top part of the combs into the shaped channel or recess l 3.

It will now be explained with reference to Figure 3 how the base l and cover 2 can be secured together to form a building component. If the building component is to be used in place of a conventional valley tray then the base l is placed on top of the - 8 roofing felt 20 in the vshaped channel formed by the valley roofing rafters 30. The wing portions 4a, 4b flex about the zone of flexure so that they extend upwardly from the central portion 3 at the same angle as the pitch of the valley roofing rafters 30 and are secured with screws 15. The sloping sides of the valley are then covered with roofing tiles or slates in the usual way. It will be seen from Figure 3 that the bottom course of roofing tiles or slates 16 are supported on the laths S. The cover 2 is placed over the base 1 so that the flanges 7a and 7b are received within the channel 10. A bolt 12 is passed through the hole 11 in the top 8 and is screwed down until the thread of the bolt is engaged by the projections 7c to secure the cover 2 and the base l together.

The flexible brushes 14 extend downwardly from the top 8 of the cover 2 and allow rainwater that is shed from the sloping sides of the valley to pass through and into the generally v-shaped channel formed by the base 1. The rainwater is eventually directed to a gutter (not shown). The flexible brushes 14 prevent leaves or other debris from clogging up the channel.

Figure 3 also shows how the building component can be used in place of a conventional ridge tile. The base 1 is placed on top of the roofing felt 20' over the apex formed by the ridge roofing rafters 40. The wing portions 4a, 4b flex about the zone of flexure so that they extend downwardly from the central portion 3 at the same angle as the pitch of the ridge roofing rafters 40 and are secured with screws 15. The sloping sides of the roof are then covered with roofing tiles or slates in the usual way.

The top course of roofing tiles or slates 17 can be attached to the laths 5.

It will be appreciated that the cover 2 can be screwed down further than is shown in Figure 3 so that the combs 14 are closer to the top surface of the roofing tiles or slates when the building component is used in place of a conventional ridge tile. - 9 -

Claims

1. A building component comprising a base and a cover, wherein the base has a central portion and two wing portions that extend upwardly or downwardly from the central portion for attachment to the roof rafters at the ridge, hip and valley of a roof.

2. A building component according to claim l, wherein the base is formed from a flexible material.

3. A building component according to claim l or claim 2, wherein the base includes a zone of flexure between the central portion and each of the two wing portions.

4. A building component according to any preceding claim, wherein the base includes one or more raised laths.

5. A building component according to any preceding claim, wherein the cover is provided with one or more apertures for receiving a screw or other mechanical fixing.

6. A building component according to any preceding claim, wherein the cover is releasably secured to the base.

7. A building component according to any of claims l to 5, wherein the cover is permanently secured to the base.

8. A building component according to any preceding claim, wherein the cover is secured to the base using an attachment means.

9. A building component according to claim 8, wherein the attachment means can vary the height of the cover above the base.

lO. A building component according to any preceding claim, wherein the cover includes a downwardly extending barrier member. -

11. A building component according to claim 13, wherein the cover includes a channel for receiving a top part of the barrier member.

12. A building component according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the barrier member is a comb.

13. A building component according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the barrier member is a flexible brush.

14. A building component according to claim 11 or claim 12, wherein the barrier member provides a waterproof seal along a side of the cover.

15. A building component according to any preceding claim, wherein the base and cover are formed from a plastics material or fibreglass.

16. A building component substantially as described herein with reference to the drawings.