Simulated surface building materials and process for making the same

Abstract

The present invention solves these needs by providing a building product, and a process for making the building product, that simulates the look of wood, marble, granite or other stone. The product is created by transferring a high-resolution image to a coated substrate using sublimation printing techniques. High-resolution, digital images are taken of a natural surface. These images are used to create an image on a transfer paper using sublimation inks. Building panels such as masonite, hardboard, medium density fiberboard, fiber-reinforced plastics, or cementboard, are provided with a polyester epoxy acrylate coating, or equivalent substrate capable of receiving sublimable inks. The transfer paper with the printed image is placed face-down on the substrate of the building panel. The transfer paper is pressed against the substrate and heated for a time sufficient to gasify the sublimable inks. The gasification causes the image to transfer into the image-receiving substrate. Because the ink is transferred throughout the substrate, the high-resolution image is retained with depth and richness. The transferred image may include additional text or graphics that transfer into the image-receiving substrate to form a building material simulating a natural surface, with integral text and graphics. Further, the image-receiving substrate may provide various sheens, as desired.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.