Exterior panel attachment

Abstract

An exterior panel includes a plurality of slots extending across the width of the panel. A plurality of nailing holes resides above the slots into which nails are driven to secure the panel to the surface of a building structure. The slots permit expansion and contraction of the panel relative to the surface of the building structure.

1 . an exterior panel comprising: 
 a) an upper portion having a width;    b) a lower portion; and    c) a plurality of slots extending across the width of said upper portion, wherein said upper portion is fixedly securable, and wherein said plurality of slots permit relative movement of said lower portion to said upper portion.    
     
     
         2 . The exterior panel of  claim 1  wherein the exrior panel is a roofing shingle.  
     
     
         3 . The exterior panel of  claim 2  wherein the roofing shingle is a thermoplastic roofing shingle.  
     
     
         4 . The exterior panel of  claim 1  wherein the upper portion and lower portion comprise an integral unitary member and said slots are integrally formed in said unitary member.  
     
     
         5 . The exterior panel of  claim 1  wherein said upper portion further comprises a nailing flange with a plurality of holes for securing said panel to a structure, and wherein said slots are formed adjacent said holes.  
     
     
         6 . The exterior panel of  claim 5  wherein said slots are formed below said holes at the bottom of said nailing flange and above said lower portion.  
     
     
         7 . The exterior panel of  claim 1  wherein the upper portion is constructed of a material more resilient than said lower portion.  
     
     
         8 . An exterior panel comprising: 
 a) a nailing strip constructed of a first material;    b) an exposed portion constructed of a second material; and    c) a lateral expansion provision provided between said nailing strip and said exposed portion, said lateral expansion provision being formed as an integral member to at least one of the nailing strip and the exposed portion.    
     
     
         9 . The exterior panel of  claim 8  wherein said first material and said second material are identical.  
     
     
         10 . The exterior panel of  claim 8  wherein the first material is more reilient than the second material.  
     
     
         11 . The exterior panel of  claim 8  wherein said lateral expansion provision comprises a strip of material formed integrally within one of the nailing strip or the exposed portion, said strip having a plurality of slots formed therein.  
     
     
         12 . The exterior panel of  claim 8  wherein said lateral expansion provision comprises a j-type attachment, wherein one half of said j-type attachment is integrally formed in each of said nailing strip and exposed portion.  
     
     
         13 . The exterior panel of  claim 8  wherein said exposed portion and said nailing strip are slidably engaged.  
     
     
         14 . The exterior panel of  claim 8  wherein said nailing strip comprises nailing holes and said nailing strip is hard nailed to a structure.  
     
     
         15 . The exterior panel of  claim 1  wherein said nailing strip comprises a plurality of slots formed around the nailing holes.  
     
     
         16 . The exterior panel of  claim 8  wherein said exterior panel is a roofing shingle.  
     
     
         17 . The exterior panel of  claim 16  wherein said roofing shingle is a thermoplastic roofing shingle.  
     
     
         18 . The exterior panel of  claim 16  wherein said thermoplastic roofing shingle is hard nailed to a roof deck.  
     
     
         19 . The exterior panel of  claim 18  wherein said roof deck has a first coefficient of thermal expansion and the nailing strip has a second coefficient of thermal expansion similar to that of the roof deck.  
     
     
         20 . The panel of  claim 8  wherein the expansion provision comprises a plurality of slots formed in one of the nailing strip and exposed portion.  
     
     
         21 . The panel of  claim 8  wherein the nailing strip, exposed portion, and lateral expansion provision comprise a unitary member.  
     
     
         22 . The panel of  claim 21  wherein the expansion provision comprises a plurality of slots formed in one of the nailing strip and exposed portion.  
     
     
         23 . A method for making an exterior panel comprising: 
 a) forming a nailing strip;    b) forming an exposed portion; and    c) forming a lateral expansion provision between said nailing strip and said exposed portion, said lateral expansion portion being formed as an integral member to at least one of the nailing strip and the exposed portion.    
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein said lateral expansion provision comprises a j-type attachment, wherein one half of the j is integrally formed in each of said nailing strip and said exposed portion.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23  wherein said exposed portion and said nailing strip are slidably engaged.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising the steps of forming a plurality of nailing holes and forming a plurality of slots formed around the nailing holes.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23  wherein said exterior panel is a roofing shingle.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27  wherein said roofing shingle is a thermoplastic roofing shingle.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28  further comprising the step of hard nailing said thermoplastic roofing shingle to a roof deck.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29  wherein said roof deck has a coefficient of thermal expansion and said nailing strip has a coefficient of thermal expansion similar to that of the roof deck.