Roofing materials

Abstract

A roofing or siding system having an improved average resulting reflectivity. The roofing and/or siding system is at least partially coated with a plurality of granules. The granules have an average reflectivity of at least about 55% and an average hardness of over about 3 Moh's.

I claim:  
     
         1 . A roofing or siding system having an average resulting reflectivity of at least about 45% comprising an adhering surface on which a plurality of granules are at least partially secured thereto, said granules having an average reflectivity of at least about 55% and an average hardness of over about 3 Moh's.  
     
     
         2 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said granules have an average reflectivity of about 55-99.9%, said roofing or siding system having an average resulting reflectivity of about 45-95%.  
     
     
         3 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 2 , wherein said granules have an average reflectivity of about 60-99.9%, said roofing or siding system having an average resulting reflectivity of about 50-95%.  
     
     
         4 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said granules have an average hardness of at least about 4 Moh's.  
     
     
         5 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said granules have an average hardness of at least about 4 Moh's.  
     
     
         6 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 3 , wherein said granules have an average opacity of at least about 55%.  
     
     
         7 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 6 , wherein said granules have an average opacity of at least about 60%.  
     
     
         8 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 5 , wherein said granules have an average opacity of at least about 60%.  
     
     
         9 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said granules have an average porosity of less than about 20%.  
     
     
         10 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 9 , wherein said granules have an average porosity of about 0-15%.  
     
     
         11 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 8 , wherein said granules have an average porosity of about 0-15%.  
     
     
         12 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein at least a plurality of said granules include aluminum.  
     
     
         13 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 12 , wherein at least a plurality of said granules include a majority of aluminum.  
     
     
         14 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 11 , wherein at least a plurality of said granules include a majority of aluminum.  
     
     
         15 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein at least two particle size distributions of granules are at least partially embedded in said adhering surface.  
     
     
         16 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 14 , wherein at least two particle size distributions of granules are at least partially embedded in said adhering surface.  
     
     
         17 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said granules cover over about 95% of said adhering surface.  
     
     
         18 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 17 , wherein said granules cover over about 98% of said adhering surface.  
     
     
         19 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 16 , wherein said granules cover over 98% of said adhering surface.  
     
     
         20 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said adhering surface includes an asphalt and/or bitumen surface, a plurality of said granules being at least partially embedded in said asphalt and/or bitumen surface.  
     
     
         21 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 19 , wherein said adhering surface includes an asphalt and/or bitumen surface, a plurality of said granules being at least partially embedded in said asphalt and/or bitumen surface.  
     
     
         22 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said adhering surface includes a foam surface, a plurality of said granules being at least partially embedded in said foam surface.  
     
     
         23 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 19 , wherein said adhering surface includes a foam surface, a plurality of said granules being at least partially embedded in said foam surface.  
     
     
         24 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 1 , wherein said adhering surface includes an adhesive surface.  
     
     
         25 . The roofing and/or siding system as defined in  claim 19 , wherein said adhering surface includes an adhesive surface.  
     
     
         26 . A highly reflective granule for use on a roofing and/or siding system to at least partially coat and provide a highly reflective, weather resistant surface coating on the roofing and/or siding system, said granule having a reflectivity of at least about 55%, a hardness of over about 3 Moh's, a porosity of less than about 20%, an opacity of at least about 55%, and an aluminum content of at least about 10 weight percent.  
     
     
         27 . The highly reflective granule as defined in  claim 26 , wherein said reflectivity is about 60-99%.  
     
     
         28 . The highly reflective granule as defined in  claim 26 , wherein said hardness is at least about 4 Moh's.  
     
     
         29 . The highly reflective granule as defined in  claim 27 , wherein said hardness is at least about 4 Moh's.  
     
     
         30 . The highly reflective granule as defined in  claim 26 , wherein said opacity is at least about 60%.  
     
     
         31 . The highly reflective granule as defined in  claim 29 , wherein said opacity is at least about 60%.  
     
     
         32 . The highly reflective granule as defined in  claim 26 , wherein said porosity is about 0-15%.  
     
     
         33 . The highly reflective granule as defined in  claim 31 , wherein said porosity is about 0-15%.  
     
     
         34 . The highly reflective granule as defined in  claim 26 , including a majority of aluminum.  
     
     
         35 . The highly reflective granule as defined in  claim 33 , including a majority of aluminum.  
     
     
         36 . The highly reflective granule as defined in  claim 26 , including silicon, and a ratio of said aluminum content to said silicon content is about 1.1-100000:1.  
     
     
         37 . The highly reflective granule as defined in  claim 36 , including silicon, and a ratio of said aluminum content to said silicon content is about 2-50000:1.  
     
     
         38 . The highly reflective granule as defined in  claim 35 , including silicon, and a ratio of said aluminum content to said silicon content is about 2-50000:1.  
     
     
         39 . The highly reflective granule as defined in  claim 26 , wherein said surface includes an asphalt and/or bitumen surface.  
     
     
         40 . The highly reflective granule as defined in  claim 38 , wherein said surface includes an asphalt and/or bitumen surface.  
     
     
         41 . The highly reflective granule as defined in  claim 26 , wherein said surface includes a foam surface.  
     
     
         42 . The highly reflective granule as defined in  claim 38 , wherein said surface includes a foam surface.  
     
     
         43 . The highly reflective granule as defined in  claim 26 , wherein said surface includes an adhesive surface.  
     
     
         44 . The highly reflective granule as defined in  claim 38 , wherein said surface includes an adhesive surface.  
     
     
         45 . A method of coating highly reflective granules on an adhering surface of roofing or siding to obtain an average resulting reflectivity of at least about 45% comprising: 
 a) selecting a plurality of highly reflective granules having an average reflectivity of at least about 55% and an average hardness of over about 3 Moh's; and,    b) applying said granules substantially uniformly on said adhering surface until over about 95% of said adhering surface is covered by said granules.    
     
     
         46 . The method as defined in  claim 45 , including the use of at least two different sized of granules, a first size of granules having an average particle size that is greater than an average particle size of a second size of granules, said first size of granules being applied to said adhering surface prior to said second size of said granules.  
     
     
         47 . The method as defined in  claim 45 , wherein a size ratio of said first size of granules having an average particle size to an average particle size of a second size of granules is at least about 1.3:1.  
     
     
         48 . The method as defined in  claim 45 , wherein said adhering surface includes asphalt and/or bitumen, said adhering surface being continuously moved as said granules are applied to said adhering surface.  
     
     
         48 . The method as defined in  claim 47 , wherein said adhering surface includes asphalt and/or bitumen, said adhering surface being continuously moved as said granules are applied to said adhering surface.  
     
     
         49 . The method as defined in  claim 45 , wherein said granules cover over about 98% of said adhering surface.  
     
     
         50 . The method as defined in  claim 48 , wherein said granules cover over about 98% of said adhering surface.  
     
     
         51 . A roof system comprising a roof substrate at least partially coated with granules to obtain an average resulting reflectivity of at least about 45%, said granules having an average reflectivity of at least about 55% and an average hardness of over about 3 Moh's, said granules covering over about 95% of said roof substrate.  
     
     
         52 . The roof system as defined in  claim 51 , including the use of at least two different sized of granules, a first size of granules having an average particle size that is greater than an average particle size of a second size of granules.  
     
     
         53 . The roof system as defined in  claim 52 , wherein a size ratio of said first size of granules having an average particle size to an average particle size of a second size of granules is at least about 1.3:1.  
     
     
         54 . The roof system as defined in  claim 51 , wherein said granules cover over about 98% of said adhering surface.  
     
     
         55 . The roof system as defined in  claim 53 , wherein said granules cover over about 98% of said adhering surface.