The subject invention relates to low-slope roofs that are typically found on commercial and industrial buildings and in particular to prefabricated high-density polymer or predominantly polymer material cover boards and cover board composites and prefabricated roofing panel composites which include high-density polymer or predominantly polymer material cover boards and low-density polymer or predominantly polymer material foam insulation boards, for use on such low-slope roofs and to a method of making the cover boards, the cover board composites, and the roofing panel composites.
Commercial and industrial buildings typically have roofs with low-slope roof decks. The roofing systems for these roofs with low-slope roof decks typically include one or more layers of a low-density roofing insulation, a layer of roofing cover boards that overlie the low-density roofing insulation layer(s), and a waterproofing membrane that overlies the layer of cover boards. The layer(s) of low-density insulation, such as a low-density polymer-based foam insulation, if not protected, can be partially crushed or otherwise damaged from worker traffic over the insulation, the placement of heaving objects on the insulation, the weather, and other causes commonly encountered in roofing construction. The layer of roofing cover boards that overlies the one or more layers of low-density insulation, protects the more fragile low density insulation from damage, acts as a fire barrier, provides a suitable substrate for the attachment of the overlying waterproofing membrane, and augments the insulating function of the low-density insulation. The uppermost waterproofing membrane layer overlying the cover board layer protects the underlying cover board and insulation layers from moisture and other adverse climatic conditions. Normally, these three components (the low-density insulation boards, the roofing cover boards, and the waterproofing membrane) of the roofing system are separately manufactured and separately and successively applied to the low-slope roof deck.
While these roofing systems function very well, there has remained a need to provide improved roofing cover boards and prefabricated cover board composites and to provide prefabricated roofing panel composites that include at least an insulation board and the improved roofing cover board, and that, preferably, include an insulation board and prefabricated the roofing cover board composite having a waterproofing membrane. With the use of such improved roofing cover boards and cover board composites and prefabricated roofing panel composites, roofing systems for low-slope roof decks can be improved and/or the time, labor, and other costs associated with the installation of roofing systems on low-slope roof decks can be reduced. The subject invention provides improved roofing cover boards, improved prefabricated roofing cover board and waterproofing membrane composites, improved prefabricated roofing panel cover board and insulation board composites, improved prefabricated roofing panel cover board, insulation board, and waterproofing membrane composites, and improved prefabricated roofing panel cover board, insulation board, baseboard, and waterproofing membrane composites. The subject invention also provides these roofing cover boards, roofing cover board composites, and roofing panel composites with reinforcing patches or strips that increase the per fastener wind uplift pull through rating for the cover boards, cover board composites, and roofing panel composites to thereby further reduce the labor and ultimately the overall installed cost of roofing systems utilizing these cover boards, cover board composites, and roofing panel composites. The subject invention also provides a method for making the improved roofing cover board and the prefabricated roofing panel composites including the improved roofing cover board that is highly productive, relatively economical, and efficient.