Exterior roofing surface comprised of foam and cement coating

Abstract

An external roofing surface comprised of foam and a cement coating that is Class A fire-resistant under the UL 790 standard, insect resistant, very strong and extremely lightweight is disclosed. The roofing surface is also easily shaped by a number of shaping techniques, which allows for a more aesthetically pleasing appearance and can be used to make a roofing system that interlocks and has channels for underside ventilation. A cement coating is applied to the roofing surface, imparting it with excellent water repellant properties and increasing its strength, durability, and aesthetic appeal. The roofing surface may also optionally be reinforced with various materials to increase the strength and durability. The roofing surface may optionally be coated with a second coating material or a sheathing material to impart a desired strength, durability and/or aesthetic look.

1 . An external roofing surface comprising:
 a structure comprised of foam and a cement coating applied to the foam;
 wherein the cement coating further comprises a redispersable additive comprising a vinyl copolymer and a silane based agent; 
 wherein the additive imparts the following attributes to the cement coating: increased water repellency, increased final strength, increased flexural strength, increased abrasion resistance, increased flexibility, improved resistance to freeze-thaw cycles, and reduced cracking; 
   the structure further comprises a reinforcing structure selected from a group consisting of: ridges, ribs, channels, and combinations thereof, and   wherein the roofing surface meets or exceeds the Class A certification requirements of the UL 790 Standard as issued by the Underwriter Laboratories.   
   
   
       2 . An external roofing surface comprising:
 a structure comprised of foam and a cement coating applied to the foam;
 wherein the cement coating further comprises a redispersable additive; 
 wherein the additive imparts the following attributes to the cement coating: increased water repellency and decreased absorption of water; and 
   wherein the roofing surface meets or exceeds the Class A certification requirements of the UL 790 Standard as issued by the Underwriter Laboratories.   
   
   
       3 . The roofing surface of  claim 2 , wherein the additive is a vinyl copolymer and wherein the additive imparts the following additional attributes to the cement coating: high final strength; increased flexural strength, and increased abrasion resistance. 
   
   
       4 . The roofing surface of  claim 2 , wherein the additive is a vinyl copolymer and wherein the additive imparts the following additional attributes to the cement coating: increased flexibility, improved resistance to freeze-thaw cycles, and reduced cracking. 
   
   
       5 . The roofing surface of  claim 2 , wherein the additive is a silane based agent and wherein the additive imparts the following additional attributes to the cement coating: increased final strengths, improved bending tensile strength and improved compressive strength. 
   
   
       6 . The roofing surface of  claim 2 , wherein the additive is a silane based agent and wherein the additive imparts the following additional attributes to the cement coating: reduced susceptibility to dirt and improved abrasion resistance. 
   
   
       7 . The roofing surface of  claim 2 , wherein the cement coating further comprises a water dispersible natural polymer that imparts water retentive properties to the cement coating. 
   
   
       8 . The roofing surface of  claim 2 , wherein the foam comprises EPS and the structure further comprises a fiberglass reinforcing mesh. 
   
   
       9 . The roofing surface of  claim 2 , wherein the structure is shaped. 
   
   
       10 . The roofing surface of  claim 2 , wherein the structure is shaped by using a shaping technique selected from a group consisting of: hotwire, routing, laser cutting, punching, extrusion, cutting, drilling, casting, infusion and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       11 . The roofing surface of  claim 2 , wherein the structure is shaped by using computer assistance. 
   
   
       12 . The roofing surface of  claim 2 , wherein the foam is selected from a group consisting of: high density foam, blue board, polystyrene, injection foams, MDI monomer, polyurethane resins, extruded foam, expanded polystyrene, expanded plastic foam, expanded polyethylene, nylon and mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       13 . The roofing surface of  claim 2 , wherein the structure further comprises a reinforcing material selected from a group consisting of: foam, fiberglass mesh, shopped fiberglass, polypropylene fibers, metal mesh, polyurethane mesh, nylon mesh, polymers and mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       14 . The roofing surface of  claim 13 , wherein the reinforcing material is internal to the foam. 
   
   
       15 . The roofing surface of  claim 13 , wherein the reinforcing material is external to the foam. 
   
   
       16 . The roofing surface of  claim 15 , wherein the structure further comprises a second reinforcing material selected from a group consisting of: foam, fiberglass mesh, shopped fiberglass, polypropylene fibers, metal mesh, polyurethane mesh, nylon mesh, polymers and mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       17 . The roofing surface of  claim 2 , wherein the structure further comprises a reinforcing structure selected from a group consisting of: ridges, ribs, channels, and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       18 . The roofing surface of  claim 2 , wherein the structure further comprises a second coating material. 
   
   
       19 . The roofing surface of  claim 18 , wherein the second coating material is selected from a group consisting of: paint, cement, concrete, polyurethane, vinyl, latex, oil, metal, plastic and mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       20 . The roofing surface of  claim 2 , wherein the structure further comprises a sheathing structure. 
   
   
       21 . The roofing surface of  claim 20 , wherein the sheathing structure is selected from a group consisting of: metal, plastic, natural rock and mixtures thereof.